Sweat-proof your Makeup this Summer

As anyone in the South knows, summer months can be a scorcher. It's one thing to be 95 degrees, but to be that temperature AND humid makes it feel like it's 120 degrees. I'd rather be living anywhere else in the county at this time of the year--my exception is when we're on vacation at the beach--or Iceland. We're supposed to be hot down at the beach. I really don't want to look like this.

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Since I've recently switched my powder foundation to liquid, I wanted to share some of my secrets for keeping it mess-free and melt-free.

Go lighter. My first suggestion would be to lighten up, not choosing a lighter color foundation but choosing to apply less in the summer. We'll all get somewhat of a tan and that glow brings color to your face without having to try. You might could try switching to a powder foundation like Bare Escentuals mineral powder foundation during these three hot months. Or you could even use a tinted moisturizer like the one ELF sells.

But if you still want fuller coverage, here are a few other things that would help tremendously.

Prime it. Applying a makeup primer helps set your face. This article shows the top priming products in the industry right now. As you can see from this list of twelve, primers can be quite pricey. My favorite on the list, for price reasons only, would be the Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Luminizing Face Primer. It acts as a barrier not letting any of the harsh environmental elements get to your face and it also helps keep the oil from shining through. Primers would be applied after your moisturizer but before your foundation. If you don't want to add just another product to your makeup bag, another suggestion would be to find a liquid foundation with silicone in it. I know that sounds unnatural to have on your face but silicone is the ingredient that sets your makeup, keeping it mess-free all day.

Choose a liquid liner. Are you crazy?! I am NOT good at applying liquid liner! I know what you all must be thinking but I promise this is definitely the way to go in the summer. The waxes and oils in traditional pencil liners, whether retractable or not, smudge more as the temperature rises. Liquid really assures that it will stay put all day long. You won't even have to touch it up if you have plans to go out that night. My favorites are Almay Intense i-color liquid liner in black pearl or ELF Essential liquid eyeliner in black. The Almay liner is a little easier to apply because the brush is stiffer. It helps if you have an unsteady hand and is almost as easy as applying a regular pencil.

Blot it. This is another beauty trick that I wasn't always apt to do. One reason is that I hated having another thing in my purse that always ended up at the bottom of the pit never to be touched again. Another reason is that I honestly thought they were a waste of money. They aren't expensive, I just thought they weren't needed. But blotting can save your face! If you're like me and have switched to liquid foundation for more coverage, you probably know that oil shows more by the end of the day. And rather than adding more makeup (because we want our faces to look like cake, right?), all you have to do is take out one of the blotting sheets and blot in the necessary spots. One of the blotting products that I've actually used in the past is Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets. But if you still aren't convinced to buy them, you can use one of these two every day items. Parchment paper from your kitchen works wonders! Also, and this might seem a little weird or gross but when you're heading to the restroom to make sure your face still looks beautiful and you notice oil shining through, go into one of the stalls and tear and piece of the toilet seat liner from the corner and it works just like a blotting sheet! Now you learned something new!!

Change your lipstick. I'm always a go-to lipstick girl. But wearing it in the summer can sometimes weigh down the look of your makeup. I don't always choose the opposite item and go for glosses either. I've found this product by Maybelline called Color Whisper. It is the perfect medium between glosses and lipstick and is in a gel without any waxes or oils. My favorite colors are Pink Possibilities and Lust for Blush but they have twenty different colors so you're bound to find the perfect color for you!

And there ya have it! My top 5 ways to sweat-proof your makeup this summer.