Tips To Avoid Makeup Meltdown

It’s Spring! Well, I think it is. In New England it was 30 degrees out and hailing this morning, but I have high hopes that will change. So what does warm weather mean? Skirts, dresses, strappy heels…and my make-up melting off my face.

I have pretty oily skin to begin with so in the summer combined with the tiniest bit of heat I am, well, a hot mess. Creasing eye shadow, foundation disappearing, and runny eyeliner are not really the 2010 look for spring and summer. So here are some products and tips for keeping your face on:

PRIMER – A good primer is essential. I’ve tried quite a few, ranging from drug store brands to higher end brands, and I have two favorites. The first being Smashbox’s Photo Finish Color Correcting Primer. There are three types: one to correct redness, one to correct redness, one to even out skintone and another to brighten dull skin. All three are oil-free and work really well. My current favorite is Bare Mineral’s Prime Time Oil Control Foundation Primer, because I have oily skin. It doesn’t make your skin feel greasy at all – which I’ve noticed a lot of primers have the tendency to do.

Drug Store Recommendation: L’Oreal Studio Secrets Primers

MINERAL FOUNDATION – I have switched to mineral make-up. I never though I would be a convert – I have acne prone skin (yes, even at the age of 24!) so I never thought I would get enough coverage with a mineral make-up to hide my blemishes and red marks. I’ve always been a liquid foundation girl, sticking with Lancome’s Adaptive foundation. Well, guess what? It got discontinued. So I decided to try BareMinerals by Bare Escentuals – I bought the $60 starter kit from Sephora and began my mineral make-up journey. And it’s fabulous! My skin always looks healthy and the make-up stays on all day. No grease, no streakiness, and it doesn’t wipe off on things.

Drug Store Recommendation: L’Oreal Bare Naturale Mineral Foundation

EYESHADOW PRIMER – I don’t know how I lived without this for so long. I love doing CRAZY eyeshadow. I love Urban Decay, and I bought their Book of Shadows II with some birthday money last year – and I can’t get over the awesome colors and pigments. But the best thing it came with was the Eyeshadow Primer Potion. It keeps my bright green smokey eyes BRIGHT GREEN, not faded or creased. I only have the small bottle that came with the shadows, but it has lasted a long time. It also makes eye shadows go on smoother, so it’s easier to blend and apply.

Drug Store Recommendation: L’Oreal DE-CREASE Eye Shadow Base

FINISHING SPRAY/POWDER - Setting your foundation is really important for the summer months – you want it to stay on right? I always use my Mineral Veil after everything, which works great. But, I also like MAC’s Fix + Spray. It acts as a moisturizer and it sets your make-up – AND you can use it as a refresher throughout the day which is AWESOME because it soothes the skin and stop streaks or caking. And really, what feels better than spraying your face with something when 90 billion degrees outside?

Drug Store Recommendation: Coty AirSpun Loose Face Powder

BLOTTING PAPERS – Have a shiny nose? Sop up the grease! It’s a bit gross to see all of the oil that comes off your skin but it is also oddly satisfying. And Shiseido’s blotting paper have a fine layer of powder on them – so grease by gone, matte is here to stay! Papers are MUCH better than using a powder, because a powder will often cake-up on top of oil, so you’ll just make a bigger mess!