Frequently overlooked, in the summer months, and particularly if you’re visiting somewhere very hot, you need to change your make-up routine substantially if you don’t want it to slip off your face in a very short while - the hotter the place, the shorter the time it will last.
Less is definitely more in these circumstances, as normal foundations, powders and blushers can clog very quickly, that is, if they hang around for long enough, and you’re left wondering why you look as if you’re wearing no make-up at all, which is fine if you like that look, but definitely not fine if you like a finished, polished look and one that will last.
If you’re somewhere where there’s a lot of sunshine, even if you don’t plan to bare your face in it, you need sunscreen all and every day, something lightweight but protective and preferably combined with a moisturiser. Double duty products have never been so good, which is where Elizabeth Arden’s Ceramide Plump Perfect Moisture Lotion SPF 30 comes in. After that foundation primer (with SPF if your moisturiser doesn’t contain protection), tinted moisturiser or very lightweight foundation, cream blush, bronzer, waterproof mascara and long wear eyeliner are the products of choice, along with Bobbi Brown’s blotting papers.
For summer a very natural look works best, so that all you need to do when the going gets very hot is a quick touch up with blot, blush and lipstick. One of the very best lipsticks for a neutral, but slightly shimmery look is Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Soft Bronze Soft Shine which suits every skintone and an all time favourite for its moisturising abilities and staying power. Wear gloss over the top if you want more of a shimmer in the evening, and use a nude lip pencil for more definition if you need to. Trish McEvoy, which is now available online from Selfridges, have some of the best glosses and pencils in town (amongst other makeup treats).
Other favourite brand Bobbi Brown’s Long Wear Eyeliner, and Long Wear Eyeshadow do what it says on the box, and provide as much sultry glow or subtle shimmer as you want, although particularly in the summer I would tread lightly with both.
Off today to one of the hottest places in the US these are the products I will be taking with me. Tried and tested many times in summers everywhere from Crete to DC they won’t let you down. Not only that but you’ll wear them day after day when you get back. Where makeup is concerned it’s always worth investing in something you love, rather than something for the moment, so that you know you’ll use it again and again rather than making it a ‘just for the holiday’ purchase.
I’ll be writing to you next from Dallas, Texas, one my favourite cities for both work, fun, wonderful food and music, going from oven-like heat to (what I always find although they laugh at me) freezing aircon. Now where did I put my cashmere wrap?……………………………………………………….
