So, summer has descended upon Florida, and to leave the house wearing a full face of heavy makeup you’re either an idiot or a person who never spends more than 30 seconds in a non-air-conditioned environment.
I’m trying to lighten up my makeup routine. So I started mixing my medium-coverage foundation with some 30 SPF face sunblock. It gives it a nice sheer look, more like a tinted moisturizer, and leaves my skin with that “dewy” look you see in all the magazines.
Problem: no staying power whatsoever. How do I solve this? Today I tweaked the makeup to sunblock ratio, but my skin is less dewy, although the makeup is staying on better. Should I follow up with a translucent shimmery powder? Do they make those in non-bronzer colors? (I’m fairly pale and don’t try to look tanner than I am 'cause that feels strange)
Also, if I’ve got a dewy face, should I do the same with my neck and arms (like, instead of wearing my lotion with 15 SPF wear a full-on sunscreen to make my neck and arms a little shinier)? I feel strange having a different face, be it lighter or darker or matter or shinier.
They sell translucent powder you can brush over the top of everything if you’d like.
They also sell plenty of foundations with SPF in it, which probably has a better staying power than what you’re doing. MAC sells several that I know of. If you go this route and still want to be dewy, I suggest picking up a bottle of Mac’s Studio Fix+ Spray. I mean, it’s just glycerin and water, but theirs smells so nice… . in fact, they are just coming out with a rose scented one if you’re into that.
Anyway, you spray Fix + over your make up, it sets it, gives it a nice finish, and is cool and refreshing for summer.
Oh my makeup already has 15 SPF in it, I’m just a little nuts about the sun (well, I’m fair and I live in Florida, so I don’t think it’s too neurotic). That’s why my daily moisturizer for my arms and legs has SPF too- I wear it for normal daily activities but go for the big guns (like 50+ SPF) when I intend to spend a long time outdoors. It’s not uncommon for me to get sunburned from driving with the windows down or walking around.
I’m not sure what brands you’re currently using, but I’ve been pretty happy with the foundations and powders I’ve been using from Clinique. Holds up well with sunscreen underneath even on the muggiest of days here in FL - ie: pregnant and walking through the botanical gardens of Orlando on a 95+ day in August.
Might be worth a trip to the makeup counter even if only to try the makeup out - have them do your face up etc.
Have you considered the mineral makeup? Bare Minerals &cetera. It soaks up sweat and is very very durable. It doesn’t feel all gunky and doesn’t clog pores either – and it is SPF 15 (not enough for outdoor work but ok I think if you go home-car-office). If you go to Sephora they can walk you through the system so you can “try before you buy” so to speak.
Its not for everyone - just throwing it out there.
Bare Minerals et al also go on best over a moisturizer or creme of some sort…like sun block! I use an SPF 45kajillion *as *my moisturizer, and then proceed with Bare Minerals as directed. They have a “feather weight” mineral veil which has little microglitter bits in it for the “dewy” look. (I prefer the regular mineral veil, myself.)
Most people don’t know this, but: Sephora will give you samples of anything if you just ask. Seriously.
That said, I’m not a fan of mineral type makeup- I’ve never seen someone’s skin looking flawless, asked what it was, and had them say mineral stuff. That’s just me, though.
Ah, and that’s why I like it. While I love your look for you*, it would be way too makeupey for me for most days. I want to look like I’m wearing nothing, but better than I actually look than I look when I’m wearing nothing! “Flawless”, for me, is a sign that I’ve done something wrong. Mineral makeup is great for that “Gosh, she’s really pretty for someone who doesn’t wear makeup!” level of makeup that I’m going for.
Thank goodness there are huge stores that can sell more than one style of makeup, right?!
*And someday you’re going to have to give me an eyeliner lesson, 'cause mine always ends up shaky and blobby.
And I suppose “flawless” was the wrong term. I don’t like to wear a lot of face makeup, personally and I like my freckles to show through. I suppose that whenever I hear folks talking about how much they love their mineral makeup, I’m rarely surprised, because I thought their face looked a bit chalky. Can’t say I’ve noticed this in any of your pictures, though!
So, maybe for most folks, the mineral stuff set with something like Fix + would be good?
Personally, I use just a tiny bit of Makeup Forever’s HD foundation. It’s kind of amazing- smooth, clean, nice and you can still see my skin underneath!
This stuff IS fabulous. I love their HD powder, too - the white one, that doesn’t actually look white on. But for me, I can’t use liquids except during the winter, I’m too oily and I can feel it on my face all day, which I hate.
I’m using Everyday Minerals right now. I like it at least as much as Bare Escentuals, and it’s cheaper. They have free samples on their site (you pay shipping, but you can get a free sample kit with any and every order if you want, so it’s a good deal). The sample pots are pretty big, I used them for a few weeks before I got full sized ones. They barely look used, now I’m saving them for travel.
They have fabulous eyeshadow colors, too. The pots they come in are called “mini”, but they’re actually pretty big and highly pigmented.
Don’t ever buy their HD powder, it’s a tremendous waste of money. It’s just 100% silica powder. You can get a giant tub of the stuff at any Rite Aide type store for about $4. Of course, they don’t want you to know that. You’re right, it does work well, though!
Just wanted to say I appreciate the recommendations on here. Going to try some of them, especially the Everyday Minerals. I haven’t worn foundation since I was 13 (I’m 30 now) because I don’t like the feel of even the lightest ones.
Not related to makeup at all, but you look so cute and happy, Hello Again. Gave me a smile with my morning coffee.
They really do everything they promise: they remove excess facial oil without touching your makeup at all. I LOVE them. I have naturally oily skin, and in the summer I used to go past dewy and into shiny. Ick. Now I just blot it away and look as fresh as I did in the morning.
