If you’re like most women over 50, you still care about looking great and are interested in wearing makeup—I know I definitely am. But when summertime arrives, it can be a challenge to keep our makeup looking good all day long. We all know the heat and humidity can cause our makeup to do all sorts of unsightly things, from settling into large pores and wrinkles to streaking and melting. Today, I’m going to share some tips on how to sweatproof your makeup so that you look good all day long, no matter what the weather is like.
As a forty-year resident of Florida, I have learned a few things about dealing with the hot weather, especially when it comes to keeping my makeup looking great all day, even in the heat and humidity. I have tried all sorts of products from bb cream and tinted moisturizer to oil-control primers and waterproof formulas.
Looking for the best strategies for looking great on sweaty days was an obsession until I was able to come up with a really good summer makeup routine. Finding the right products for the weather and your skin type is key. Melt proofing your makeup starts with the right skincare, followed by the best formulas for your specific skin type as well as the look you like–some of us love a glowy look, while others prefer a matte look.
First, let’s talk a little about skin type: Your skin type makes a huge difference in how your makeup will wear in humid weather. If your skin is dry, you are lucky as the humidity will help by adding additional moisture and you will have less trouble with makeup melting so long as you prepare your skin properly, best of all you will need fewer products and may not need to even touch up during the day, if you apply your makeup properly in the morning.
If you have oily skin, like mine, you will have to take extra care in preparing your skin and will want to carry a touch-up kit in your handbag to keep your makeup looking great during the day. If you have combination skin, you will want to pick and choose among these tips as you must use oily and dry skin techniques to keep your skill looking great all day.
Preparing Your Skin for Hot Weather:
A good makeup look starts with a good skincare routine and how we prepare our skin for makeup. It’s important to start with clean skin and your morning skincare. I love a good vitamin C serum in the morning, followed by a light moisturizer, (though sometimes I skip the moisturizer if it is really hot out). I make sure that none of my skincare is too emollient as the creamier or oilier the skin care, the more difficult it will be for your makeup to stay looking nice during the day. I allow my skincare to absorb into my skin for at least ten minutes before applying makeup. Since my skin tends toward being oily, I blot off excess moisturizer before starting with makeup, especially in the summer months.
One of the keys to a great makeup look is a good primer. There are several types of primer to consider–if your skin is oily, you may want to choose an oil-control primer. This was a godsend for me when I was younger and my skin was very oily. If you have oily eyelids, you will want to add an eyelid primer to help your eye makeup last until the end of the day. It has been really important for me to find a good sunscreen, one that works well under makeup. I have found two that I really like as they double as a primer and take a step out of my makeup application.
Choosing the Right Foundation:
Finding a foundation that you love year around can be tricky, some like a much lighter foundation in the summer heat while others like matte formulas, and full-coverage foundation. The gold standard in the south is Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place Foundation I have worn this foundation off and on for years–but most especially when I want to look picture perfect all day long. It definitely works. If you like a lightweight formula try Bobbie Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15 which has a lovely light and natural finish. If you like an all-in-one product, try It Your Skin But Better CC cream–It has an SPF of 50, and is packed with skincare ingredients–perfect for the warmer months. As for me, I go for my usual base makeup Dior Backstage Face and Body Foundation, as I find it is a beautiful makeup and works well with my sunscreen/primer and a number of primers in general.
Apply a setting powder, like Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder with a fluffy brush to help set your foundation. Brooke and I always have some on hand. My current favorite is Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finsh Setting Powder, in addition to being gorgeous, I can carry it with me for touchups. This step is one of my best tips for helping create sweat-proof makeup looks. It will go a long way to keeping your makeup stay in place all day long.
Getting Blush and Bronzer to Stay Put
I enjoy adding blush and bronzer to my look, and avoid cream products as powder blush stays fresh longer, while cream blush seems to melt into my skin and disappear. If you have “normal” to dry skin, cream blush or stain may work well. I love Charlotte Tilbury Matte Bronzer, it has been a part of my beauty routine for several years now. It is pricy, but it lasts and blends seamlessly giving me a beautiful look even when I have sweaty skin on a hot day. I love Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush by Tarte–it comes in a number of beautiful colors with strong payoff, and it does as it says, it stays looking great for 12 hours. As someone whose blush disappears after a few hours, I can vouch for this product.
Melt Proof Eye Makeup
One of the keys to helping your makeup remain sweatproof is the use of waterproof products especially when it comes to eye makeup. Waterproof makeup is especially good if you are going to the beach or if you have an especially sweaty face. Waterproof mascara and eyeliner are your best friends during the hot summer months. If we are going to the beach or spending the day poolside, I love this waterproof product and for day-to-day, I love Chanel as it stays put and doesn’t require too much trouble cleaning it off at night. The best Waterproof makeup remover around is:
When it comes to eye shadow, I keep it very simple. I choose a simple eye look, and use Urban Decay Eyeshadow or Laura Mercier Caviar sticks.
Lipstick or Lip Balm?
One of my favorite lipstick tricks is to line and color my lips with lip liner, then if I really don’t want my lipstick to budge, I use a matching matte lipstick over it. I follow up with a little balm or gloss in the middle of my lips. This trick wears like iron. This is great for special occasions.
One of my favorite summertime lip looks for every day is to wear a simple balm. Lip stains are great as well if your lips aren’t super dry. I found that stains seem to dry my lips so I usually opt for a balm that is clear or similar to my lip color so I don’t need a mirror to apply. My favorite is Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick Balm by Yves Saint Laurant. Brooke’s favorite is Balmy Tint Hydrating Lip Balm by Ilia.
Setting it All In Place
In the summer, I like to finish my look with a good setting spray. My favorite for summer is Coola Setting Spray with SPF. Urban Decay All Nighter is also a favorite–we always have a bottle on standby–though I have found that lately, I don’t feel like I need it so much in the winter. I definitely use the setting spray in the summer. Insider tip: Put your setting spray in the refrigerator for a cooling spritz on a hot summer day.
How to touch up your makeup mid-day
As someone who has had very oily skin, and who now has combination skin, I always carry a makeup bag containing a compact powder, blotting paper to blot away excess oil, lip liner, and lip balm, and some concealer to touch up my under eye area. Having these items handy helps my makeup remain sweatproof all day whether I apply a light dusting or a full face of makeup.
We hope this article was helpful and that you will be able to sweatproof your makeup for all of your summer activities. If you have any questions or need more advice, be sure to check out our video on how to sweatproof your makeup. Stay beautiful!
