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No Sticky Make Up Here Honey!

Sydney can become quite humid and if you’re like me, the feeling of having make up slide down my face like wet-paint is a really uncomfortable experience.  So here are some minimal, quick and effective ways to wear make up through the heat…..

FLAWLESS LOOKING SKIN When it comes to creating the impression of flawless looking skin there is a big movement away from traditional foundations towards letting your natural skin shine through. It is not about masking everything with layers of cream foundation.  It’s more about evening out your skin tone and eliminating redness and any dark areas.  Sheer, satin and dewy are key words for summer skin.

Miranda Kerr Summer Lookteresa palmer's summer lookdeborah hutton's summer look

 You will be amazed by how much can be achieved with the simplest of makeup products. To give your skin a natural healthy glow without feeling greasy and to keep your summer make up routine as fuss free as possible I suggest the following options:

  1. Tinted moisturiser does a great job of evening your skin tone and texture and contains less colour pigment than foundation so will feel lighter on the skin. Most can last about 8hrs when set in place with translucent powder. There are many on the market and you can get them for all skin types including oil-free options for oily skin, and more moisturising options for mature or dry skin.
  2. Concealer can be worn without any other base products to keep your skin feeling fresh. You can opt for this lighter coverage by firstly applying your skincare moisturiser, ideally with an spf, and then following with concealer where you need it. You can also set this with a loose translucent powder if you are after staying power and shine control. A two or three colour compact concealer with yellow and peach tones is another option if you have areas of particular concern like under eye dark circles, pigmentation, etc. You will be amazed at how good your skin will look just evening out your skin tones.
  3. Mineral powder foundation is a good option for those who prefer powder rather than liquid. They are great for oily skin types and for quick on-the-go application and reapplication either through the day for oil/shine control or touching up when going out straight after work. Mineral powder coverage can be built up; so you can keep it light, fresh and sheer during the day, and pump up the coverage for evenings by adding more product to your brush.
  4. Bronzing is a Sydney summer classic and it can be done on freshly moisturized skin or on top of a light base as outlined above. You can lightly dust all over your face, cleavage and neck to warm-up your skin tone, or you could concentrate on placing colour on cheeks, temples and jawline. This will give your face a more structured appearance. You can even use your bronzer as a quick dash of colour on your eyelids to simplify your routine. Just add a coat of brown or black mascara to this look.
  5. Highlighting is a light way to add freshness and glow to your skin. Highlight the upper-planes of your face such as the bridge of your nose, your cupid’s bow (which is the bow shape in the middle at the top of your upper-lip), top of your cheekbones, chin, and forehead with a soft illuminating product. Highlighters/Illuminators can be soft yellow, peach, soft pink, silver or gold and can be applied as either a liquid or powder. Go for the colour that most appeals to you or that matches with your colour scheme on the day/night.

kevyn aucoin's contouring highlighting techniques

The trick with contouring and highlighting is to start off subtle and blend well. The aim is to make  the tones look like your own skin, just in light and shade, and to accentuate the structure of the face to draw out the good features and disguise any features you aren’t too keen on.

Highlighting tends to be a lighter option than Bronzing, but both can be done with a light touch that feels comfortable in warmer weather. It is just about practice, so start by choosing a couple of key features you want to enhance on your face and sculpt these. Here is an image to demonstrate which areas of the face to bronze and which to highlight.

SPLASHES OF COLOUR FOR EYES & LIPSFashion is dictating that we should not be afraid of wearing colour, and that includes when it comes to make up! Who was afraid anyway, not you right?!  You can get your hands on virtually any shade you desire these days, so go ahead and add a bright fresh lip colour to team up with your lightly tinted, bronzed and highlighted skin.  The colour will really pop on this base and lipstick can be applied with a light or heavy touch, which ever you prefer.

yellow ochre make uppink lips

bright lips

If you want to make your eyes the focus, go for a splash of teal, aqua, green, blue, sunshine yellow, or any version of a colour you love in a pure tone, to line your eyes, top and/or bottom.  Set your eyeliner by placing an eyeshadow of a similar shade over the top; this will prevent the pencil liner from running and give your make up its staying power.

pink eyelinerblue eyeliner
yellow eyeliner

Choose one focal feature, eyes or lips, when opting for a bright shade. Having too many brights will make you look slightly 80’s, which is not an issue if that is the look you are going for!

You can even add a splash of colour by trying colour mascara. There are many of these on the market at the moment, and you can either go for something traditional like navy blue, or something bright like purple or green. Colour mascara is a subtle but effective way to enhance your eyes and spice up your make up. It will also prevent black smudges forming under your eyes from heavy black mascara. You can lightly powder over your mascara with a translucent powder and then apply a second coat. This will prevent under eye smudging.

Try teaming a colour mascara with a bright lipstick. For example navy blue mascara with pink or coral lipstick, or purple mascara with orange-based lipstick tones. Think opposites attract!

So have fun and feel great with the make up you decide to parade this summer and remember less is more, especially in this humidity!

 

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