My summer face: Makeup products that hold up well during hot days

I don’t know about you, but for me summer’s all fine and dandy until I’ve experience that icky feeling of makeup melting off my face. Europe was recently hit by a proper heat wave – here in Germany we had around 40°C/104F – and while I enjoy this kind of weather while I’m on vacation and lounging at the pool, having to conduct your daily life in this heat was challenging. Especially if you’re loving makeup and can’t think of what makeup to wear during extreme heat.

I’ve got the feeling there’re two summer makeup camps – one swears by long-lasting products, primers, setting sprays and the other one swears by as little layers as possible. I fall firmly into the latter camp, but I want to address both approaches anyway.

Before we even get to foundation, one tip that saved me recently is to think about your skincare first. Even though my skin is usually combination, I don’t need that much of my usual moisturizer if it’s hot and my skin gets oily. I sometimes just use a serum and sunscreen. Experiment with what your skin needs!

Long-lasting Makeup

If you don’t want to veer away from your usual full routine, long wearing and mattifying products are the way to go. Start by applying a mattifying primer, a foundation that’s targeted towards oily skin or with long wearing claims and use a setting powder and setting spray. Serum foundations are also a good option because they deliver a lot of pigment in their light formula.

Product suggestions

Serum foundation: L’Oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder, Nars All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation, Dior Diorskin Nude Air Foundation Serum, Bare Minerals Bareskin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation, YSL Le Teint Encre De Peau Fusion Ink Serum Foundation, Giorgio Armani Maestro Fusion Makeup

Primer: Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer, Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light, Estée Lauder Matte Perfecting Primer

Foundation (plus concealer): Both Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation and concealer and MAC Pro Longwear Foundation and concealer offer a huge range of colours and stay put. Illamasqua Skin Base, Revlon Colorstay, Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24 hour

Setting Powder: Nars Light Reflecting Setting Powder (holy grail status for me), Tarte Amazonian Clay Finishing Powder, Manhattan Pure Mat Loose Powder, Bourjois Healthy Balance, MAC Blot Powder Pressed

Setting Spray: Urban Decay: Either All-Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray or De-Slick Oil Control Makeup Setting Spray

Light Makeup

I’m usually not in the mood for an elaborate make-up look when it’s hot outside, plus I rather like a certain glowy look (it’s not sweat! It’s glooooooooow!) in summer, so I rather embrace it rather than trying to prevent it at all costs. (Plus I’m super lazy in summer and I honestly can’t be bothered to go the extra mile.)

My typical routine…

… is about paring it all down and using products that play well with each other in the heat, mainly mineralize products. I’m diligent with my sunscreen application, so I try to build everything around that, including my skincare regime. In the morning I cleanse my face with a micellar water, than spritz a bit Bioderma Hydrabio Brume Soothing Refreshing Water, which is seriously underrated – forget about the LRP Zinc spray and the Avene Thermal Water, this one has great ingredients and is very refreshing). I then apply either a serum (I love the Bioderma Hydrabio Serum) or my moisturizer (at the moment either Beyer & Söhne Hautcreme+ or LRP Toleriane Ultra) when my face is still wet from the facial spray, which makes the moisturizer sink in faster. Then I apply my sunscreen (Skinceuticals) and Clinique superdefense SPF20 eye cream.

Mineral makeup

I’ve found that Mineralize foundation (also blushes and eyeshadows) work best in the heat. I never get that sticky feeling with them I get from a lot of cream products, either foundations or blushes (for eyeshadows, I rather like creamy products in summer). Mineral foundations are also great for sunscreen layering because they offer some (low) sun sprotection due to their mineral nature. Both MAC and Bare Minerals have great mineral foundations. I’m using MAC’s Mineralize Loose Foundation in Light at the moment.

Tinted sunscreen

If you’re not a fan of mineral products but want a light layer of products on your face, tinted sunscreen is the way to go. BB and CC creams often come with SPF (always go for 30 or 50!) or look for sunscreen that is slightly tinted, like Skinceuticals Mineral Radiance UV Defense with SPF 50. Bioderma (Photoderm MAX Tinted Cream SPF 50) and LRP (La Roche Posay Anthelios 50 Mineral Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid) also offer tinted sunscreens, like Shiseido (Suncare UV Protective Liquid Foundation) and Clinique’s Anti Blemish Solutions BB Cream SPF 40.

BB or CC Creams with SPF that I like: Smashbox Camera Ready SPF35 BB Cream, MAC Prep & Prime CC Cream SPF30 in Adjust, Estée Lauder DayWear BB Cream SPF35 in Light, Skin79 Super+ BB Triple Function

Bonne Mine

If you want to go even lighter, a ‘bonne mine’ powder is the way to go. Chanel and Guerlain are both brands that offer powders for that epitome of French Makeup chic, the ‘my skin but better’ look that offer a slightly bronzed, glowy look. Have a look for the Chanel Les Beiges and Guerlain Teint Joli Powders and apply over your sunscreen of choice.

No matter if you go for a heavier or lighter base, you need those products

Waterproof products are a real no-brainer for hot and humid days. For eyes, opt for waterproof mascara, and long wearing cream eyeshadows like MAC paintpots, Maybelline Color Tattoos, and Benefit Creaseless Cream Eyeshadows layered over a good primer. Gel or liquid liners usually hold up better than pencil eye liners – exceptions to the norm are Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Pencils, Sephora contour eye pencil 12hr wear waterproof, and, for a budget option, Essence Gel pencil waterproof. Have a look at Make Up For Ever Aqua Brow if you’re afraid that your brows slide off your melting face around midday.

I usually revert to lipgloss when it’s hot. Why? I normally throw my lipstick of the day into my handbag to reapply, and have had some unfortunate melting incidents. For all of you matte lovers – use liquid lipsticks! If I want something glossy yet long lasting, YSL’s Glossy Stains are fabulous.

 Also in my handbag during all times: Blotting Paper (although I will revert to Kleenex if I run out). Shiseido does some, and also various budget brands like Essence.

Do you have any tried and true tips and tricks for surviving hot days? Please share!