One thing we all know is that makeup has never really been heat-friendly. Let it get a bit too warm or humid, and girl, everything starts to melt off your face. The eyeliner is smudging, the foundation is creasing, the lipstick is fading—just a mess.
However, a little heat shouldn’t stop us from looking our best in the warmer spring and summer months. Here’s how you can heat (and sweat!) proof your makeup with three easy-to-follow steps.
Invest in a good heat-friendly setting spray.
If makeup is the bread, then setting spray is the butter. You can’t have a fly, long-lasting makeup look in the heat without it. In fact, a good setting spray locks your makeup in all day long, with no sign of fading or unsightly transfer unto your clothes.
The key is to apply all of your makeup, position the setting spray about 8-inches away from your face, and do a light mist all over it. Once it’s dry, you’re ready to go.
Whether it has a dewy or mattifying finish, a good setting spray is essential for wearing makeup in warmer temperatures.
Recommendation: Covergirl Vitalist Look Lock Up Setting Spray
This is the best setting spray for weightless, all day wear. It’s an ultra-hydrating, microfine mist formulated with refreshing cucumber and German chamomile extract .
Unlike other products of its kind, it’s not made with heavy oils or drying alcohols which means it won’t leave any residue behind.
Simply spray it all over your face, allow it to dry, and you’re instantly good to go.
Swap your foundation for a tinted moisturizer.
Foundation—whether cream, liquid, or powder—tends to be a bit much in the heat. The reality is that makeup in general is not very wearable when it’s hot out. But since we can’t (and won’t) just skip it altogether, the goal is to wear something that works with your skin and not against it.
Tinted moisturizer is the best option in this case. The whole point a tinted moisturizer is to be skin-like. It’s supposed to be so breathable and light that you can’t even see or feel it on your face.
And in most cases, it’s so light that you don’t even need brushes or sponges to apply it. Just rub it in like any other face moisturizer and watcher your skin get an instant smooth and dewy boost.
Recommendation: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector
Black women tend to have a hard time finding a good tinted moisturizer that caters to our diverse skin colors and undertones. Laura Mercier’s Natural Skin Perfector fills those gaps.
Not only does it adequately match light brown and deep skintones alike, it’s also a lightweight liquid formula that has a natural finish.
In other words, this tinted moisturizer is ideal for a “no makeup” makeup because it truly looks like you’re just having a good skin day.
Prep your skin with lightweight products.
As I’ve mentioned previously, lightweight everything is the name of the game when it comes to wearing mess-free makeup in the heat. Of course, it’s not always about the makeup you wear, but how you prep your skin before you even touch the makeup.
You could go for something with a matte finish, but in all honesty, it won’t last. The fact that our skin naturally sweats and produces oil, and doubly so, in the heat ensures that matte products will ultimately fail us.
So instead of working against the weaknesses, play up the strengths and go for a moisturizer that brings out dewiness, hydration, and a natural finish.
Recommendation: Glow Recipe Banana Souffle Moisture Cream
Our spring/summer time moisturizers must be hydrating because the salt content in sweat really dries us out.
Formulated with ingredients like turmeric, banana extract, and jojoba oil, this souffle is a thin, creamy moisturizer perfect for all skin types.
Plus, it’s key ingredient is Centella Asiatic, a plant known for hydrating sensitive, dry skin.
