The Summer Skin Special

Okay, okay, I know, summer is basically over for much of the country, but trust me, it’s very much still summer in Miami and will be for at least another two months. As a Wisco raised girl, this bums me out for two reasons: one, I love the seasons! Give me fall, give me spring, maybe even a pinch of winter! But no, it’s hot, sticky, and humid three-quarters of the year. Two, I am not built for this climate. I am already on the sweaty side; put me in a city this close to the equator, and I am dripping the moment I step outside. Don’t even get me started on my battle with the sun and my fair skin. After a brutal weekend with the sun, I thought it would only be appropriate to talk about my makeup routine for shooting in the summer and my remedies for treating sunburn.

Melt-proof Makeup

It’s taken a lot of experimenting, but I think I finally mastered the perfect full coverage makeup routine for shooting in the summer! As a disclaimer, I never shoot when the sun is at its highest. In Miami, there’s only two times to shoot outdoors: sunrise (you’ll rarely catch me up that early for a shoot) and golden hour/sunset. These times will minimize your risk of makeup melting. Before I get into my routine, I just want to say that several of these (more expensive) products were in my BoxyCharm box. As a graduate student, the budget is tight and not all of these products are ones that I would have reached for, with price in mind. With that said, I have given links to the products I’m currently using, but also provided drugstore alternatives! 

Merrick House, Coral Gables, FL 
Shot by Kins Photography

Starting with a fresh base is important! If my face is feeling oily before I start my makeup, I rinse my face with warm water and pat dry. Even though we want to avoid a slippery base, moisturizing your skin will allow for a more natural finish of the makeup. Your choice of moisturizing and primer will depend on your skin type. As someone with a combination/normal skin type, I choose a light water-based moisturizer, like Saturday Skin’s Waterfall Glacier Water Cream (Sephora: $39; For a drugstore version, I would suggest Neutrogena Hydro Boost water gel, $16, or Clean and Clear Morning Burst hydrating gel moisturizer, $5.50). For a primer, I avoid primers with silicone in the summer because they tend to cause slipping and sliding of product applied on top. Touch In Sol’s No Poreblem Prime Essence (Ulta: $23)  has been my go to since I received it in a BoxyCharm. It claims to be “Skin Care + Priming: A moisture bomb essence that hydrates your thirsty skin, cares, preps, and completes natural healthy looking face at once. Essence primes, uplifts skin cells jolly, and performs inner-glowing skin. Which means your skin is fully prepped before makeup.” While I use this product all over, I especially target it in my T zone, under my eyes, and around my smile lines. 

The real star of this show is L’Oreal’s Infallible Fresh Wear 24HR Foundation (Target: $12; I wear shade 430 Ivory Buff). Let me tell you why I LOVE this foundation. 1) It has SPF 25 to add to your summer skin protection. 2) It is somehow both lightweight and full coverage! I wore it for hours on end and honestly forgot I had makeup on. 3) IT IS SWEAT RESISTANT. This is the Miami holy grail! Even after shooting out in the heat, my skin looked flawless, no patchy foundation. 4) The price. The price varies a little bit depending on where you buy but a foundation under $20 with that much staying power, is a no brainer for me.

After concealer, I set my foundation with a setting powder. Right now I’m using BECCA’s Hydra-Mist Set and Refresh Powder (Ulta: $39). Any setting powder should do, really. I’ve heard really great things about the Maybelline Fit Me Loose Finishing powder (Ulta: $8). Again, I apply this all over, but especially in my concern areas: T zone, under my eyes, and around my smile lines. 

For eyebrows, Influencer recently sent me Revlon’s ColorStay Eyebrow pencil in Soft Brown to test and review. (Ulta: $9). I ended up really loving this product for a few reasons. First of all, I always appreciate a spoolie on the other end of an eyebrow pencil. Secondly, The color pay off was great. It was very blendable so I was able to fix any mistakes quickly and apply for a more natural look. Thirdly, the angled tip allowed me to apply more precisely and define my brows quickly. Lastly, the formula is waterproof and therefore was long-lasting in the summer heat. I always finish off my brows with a brow gel to keep the hairs in place. A clear one will work great (Colourpop: $7), but I have a tinted one from MAC (which looks like isn’t sold anymore) for the days I don’t feel like doing a full face of makeup.

Merrick House, Coral Gables, FL 
Shot by Kins Photography

No makeup look of mine would be complete without a winged liner. My ride-or-die liquid liner is the e.l.f. Cosmetics Expert liquid liner (Ulta: $3), but I’ve also really liked the application from the felt tip of Hank & Henry’s Blickity Black ($17). Although waterproof mascara may be the best choice for the summer heat, I’m not a huge fan of how they apply or remove so I opt for the risk of a regular, non-waterproof mascara. If any black specs or flakies get on your skin, wait for it to dry, and then use a clean spoolie to gently wipe them away.

The final step for a summer heat resistant look is, of course, setting spray. Typically I use ICONIC LONDON’s Prep Set Glow (Ulta: $25) for a little extra glow during golden hour. If you have more oily skin, or prefer a more matte finish, I’ve enjoyed the NYX Matte Finish Makeup Setting Spray (Ulta: $8.50). Morphe’s Continuous Setting Mist also comes highly rated and is very affordable (Ulta: $16). And there you have it! My go-to products for a makeup look that beats the Miami heat!

Scorching Summer Sunburns

After the Great Mexico Brittni Roast of 2018, I’ve mastered the sunburn remedies. Obviously step one would be to minimize the sunburns by wearing SPF and limiting your time in the sun. This past weekend I was so excited to get some sun and catch up on my tan, that I didn’t reapply as well as I should have, leaving me with some brutal, uneven sunburns. As soon as I sat up on my towel, I knew I needed to hydrate. I crushed several bottles of water, plus Vitamin Water to help restore some of the electrolytes I lost. As soon as I got home, I rinsed off and applied an aloe vera gel with lidocaine, specifically the Panama Jack After Sun Burn Relief Gel (Amazon: $11). I picked this one up in the Mexico airport and it’s been my go-to since. Every time my skin felt dry and hot again, I applied another layer.

    The next day, I rinsed off the aloe gel residue in preparation for the next step -- Apple Cider Vinegar. Man, this stuff smells. In a small bowl, I pour just enough apple cider vinegar to cover the bottom and then dilute it with 2-3 volumes of cool water. Using a washcloth, I gently dab the mixture on my burns, then let it dry. If you have nowhere to go, or if you’re doing this step before bed, I like to apply coconut oil. You’ll be kind of greasy but I found it really moisturizes my damaged skin so I can’t complain too much about the inconvenience. For all other times, I get a big ol’ bottle of Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant Lotion (Target: $8.50). This product wasn’t available when I went to Publix so I opted for Vaseline Intensive Care Soothing Hydration Lotion (Target: $6). They both have a non-greasy formula, containing Vaseline Jelly to lock in moisture, plus great scents. The Soothing Hydration lotion has the added benefit of aloe and a great pump. You can’t go wrong with either! My skin was SOAKING this stuff up. Every time I felt dry, I applied another pump of lotion. Usually I avoid photographic evidence of my burns, but today I'm giving you a before and after for a good laugh 😉 

Before and After, 5 day difference

Disclaimer

I am not an affiliate for any of the brands or products mentioned or linked above. BoxyCharm subscription was paid for with my own money. Amazon links were provided for ease of viewing/purchase.