Throw your water resistant puffer coat out of the highest window. Set your snow boots on fire. Take your black lycra stockings and tear them to shreds with your teeth. The sun is shining, the birds are chirping, and spring has officially sprung — which means it's time to upgrade your spring makeup routine. In order to put your best face — and brand new embellished sandals — forward, your beauty regimen is going to need a bit of summer lovin’ too. Between the thick humidity, strong rays, sudden rain showers and inevitable sweat that result from an ordinary spring day, the winter beauty routine you have exhausted over the last four months will need some rehabbing if it is going to survive the next seasons.
While winter beauty requires an extra touch of moisture and exfoliation, spring and summer is all about shine control, especially when the weather is as unpredictable as Kanye West at the Video Music Awards. With hundreds of products lining the CVS aisle that promise a 24-hour shine-free day, invisible pores, a matte glow, Shakira's abs and a voice like Beyonce, it can feel like an impossible feat to figure out what actually works. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but no magical beauty product exists. So, I have the next best thing — tangible makeup application tips from a professional makeup artist.
I sat down with France Latremoliere, a professional makeup artist with over 30 years of experience working with high-profile actors, political figures, and television reporters. How does she make her clients look perfect under harsh and hot studio lights and in the glaring natural sun? Avoid liquid makeup and use a light hand. Here are her six tips for putting on your best face this spring and summer.
1. Buy anti-shine.
If you know you'll be out in the sun all day long, buy some anti-shine cream, like this one from MAC, to put on before you apply your foundation. Like a primer, this cream will prep the skin before you apply any makeup and create the perfect matte canvas for an entire day out of the shade.
2. Avoid liquid and cream foundations.
If you usually wear a liquid or cream foundation, but tend to get shiny in the heat, you may want to consider switching to powders. As opposed to liquids and creams, powders generally soak up oil and will help your skin avoid shine from the start.
3. Powder is your best friend.
If you still want the extra coverage of a liquid foundation and concealer, set your face by adding a layer of translucent powder on top of your foundation to soak up the moisture from the liquid products. If you get shinier as the day goes on, buy a compact translucent powder that you can pop in your purse and conveniently pull out later when you're melting.
4. Invest in a sponge.
When it comes to applying your foundation, use a sponge like the Beauty Blender instead of a brush or your hands. The sponge will help your skin absorb the makeup, instead of leaving it to sit on the skin's surface only to cake up and melt later in the day.
5. Use rice paper.
Find yourself getting shiny in the middle of the day but don't have any powder on hand? Keep a pack of oil-absorbing rice papers in your purse, like these by Palladio. Dab the sheets over any areas of your face that feel oily and you will be back to matte in seconds. Just don't rely on them too heavily — soaking up oil too frequently can actually lead to more breakouts.
6. Conceal with a cotton swab.
If you notice a zit beginning to sprout, Latremoliere suggests using a cotton swab to dab liquid or cream concealer directly onto the blemish and blending it in lightly. Through this method, you avoid using too much product, which can lead to greasiness and an eventual makeup meltdown in the heat.
I tried these tips out on myself and then put them to the test by (left to right) working a full day, running on the treadmill for an hour, and standing out in the rain to see how well my makeup would stand up to sweat, moisture, and general daily wear. With the general hourly wear and working out, my makeup seemed to hold up pretty well, exhibiting just a bit of shininess in the t-zone area that could easily be fixed by blotting with a rice paper or buffing in some translucent powder. With the rain, though, there was no saving me. Then again, it was a downpour, so the only that thing that would have probably held up was painter's spackling paste.
Images: Giphy (4); Samantha Schnurr (3)
