Avoiding Summer Makeup Meltdown

We've talked a lot about cute summer dresses and keeping cool during the heat of summer. But the summer heat can also play havoc with your makeup. And who's going to be looking at your perfect summer dress when your makeup is sliding down your face?

But that doesn't have to be the case! I've been collecting a few tips from the experts in keeping your summer look in place and I am totes willing to share, so read on!

The first key to keeping your makeup in place in the heat of summer is to use minimal layers. The less makeup on your face, the less you have to smear. And that's a good thing!

Second, prime, prime, prime! I don't know about you, but my face turns super oily in the summer. Oily skin usually means big pores and that's a bad combination. Using a primer will not only help minimize pores, it will create a tacky surface on your face, giving makeup something to cling to. If you can find a primer with SPF sunscreen in it, all the better! 

Too Faced Primed & Poreless helps makeup last while avoiding oil buildup.

I've tried tons of primers. Some are better at keeping oil at bay, while others are better at helping makeup last. Few have been able to do both well, in my opinion. But I seem to have a lot of success with Too Faced Primed & Poreless. It seems to do a great job of keeping makeup on without turning my face into a grease pit. I've even worn it to work on some 90-degree days, then to the gym after work and still had makeup on my face when I got home!
Those of you who have oily skin an also add a mattifier to help control oil and shine throughout the day, but again, the more layers you add to your face, the more obvious it will be if things start to run when you begin to sweat in the heat.

When wearing foundation in humidity, less is always more. In the following video, Tiffany D explains something I have recently learned myself: even though it is summer and you want a lighter, dewier (is that a word? LOL) look, it is better to apply less of a foundation with better coverage than to apply tons of foundation with a sheer coverage. I love Makeup by Tiffany D! She is just so cute and gives the best tips!

So as Tiffany explains, wearing less foundation and putting it just where you need it is ideal in the summer months. Make sure you have good coverage and a good match to your skin tone and you will not need to coat your face in tons of foundation.

I love both the Revlon ColorStay and the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+,
but I think the Make Up Forever keeps me more matte for longer.

I really like the Revlon ColorStay in Normal to Dry too. I have really oily skin, but like Tiffany says, it wears better than the oily skin version and I'm not putting on enough to make my skin overly oily, so it's all good. My current favorite is a little more pricey, but I find it's the best foundation I've ever used. It's the Make Up For Ever Mat Velvet+. This foundation has a mattifier and is oil free and it really lasts on my skin. It may cost a little more that drug store brands, but I think it is well worth it!

Another trick to making foundation more long-wearing? Apply it with a damp brush or sponge!

I use a Beauty Blender, but any damp sponge or brush would do! I just dot foundation all over my face, wet my sponge and stipple it all over my face to get a really nice, full coverage with very little makeup! You can see a beauty blender at work here. I love mine and use it every day!

For eyeshadow, long-lasting cream shadows last a lot longer in the heat. I've been playing with these a lot lately. I like them because they last and also because they leave no under eye mess when applying. Two brands I love? Maybelline Color Tattoo, as I am wearing in my picture above and Benefit's Creaseless Cream. 

Benefit Creaseless Creams and Meybelline Color Tattoo are two great long-wearing cream eyeshadows!

The color choices from both of these brands are lovely enough that they can be worn alone, or you can take a more nude color and use it as a base to keep your powder eye shadow on longer!

Other Tips to Avoid Summer Makeup Meltdown:

• A setting spray like Urban Decay's All Nighter can help lock your look in place and keep it there.
• Rice paper blotting sheets are a girl's other best friend! Keep these babies in your purse to dab away oil without messing up your makeup!
• Waterproof mascara is a necessity. Humidity can make your mascara flake and melt. Keep your lashes looking great with a waterproof or a least water resistant mascara - eye liner too, for that matter.

That's it for today Horizontal Stripers. Did I miss something? What's your trick for keeping makeup in place? Hit me up in the comments! 

Until then, hugs!

Ginny

I ipsy! Do you? A side-by-side subscription box comparison... Plus, Giveaway Alert!

I love makeup! I spend so much time traveling back and forth between Ulta and Sephora, I'm surprised they don't charge me rent! So when I learned of the different companies that offer beauty box subscriptions, I had to give them a try!

Now, there are many, many different companies offering beauty box subscriptions. There's Wantable, Julep's Maven Box, Glossy Box and more. But I heard the best feedback for Ipsy and Birchbox so those are the two I decided to try. 

And I am soooo glad I did! It is so much fun to come home once a month and I find my postal carrier has left me some treats! It's like Christmas morning! So, I thought it might be interesting to do a side-by-side comparison of the two companies' June bags. This will give you an idea what to expect in each bag, in case you have thought of subscribing to a beauty box yourself!

PLUS! We are doing our very first giveaway! I've picked out some samples from some past ipsy bags and Birchboxes. Which we will be giving to one lucky follower!

Now, on with the comparison!

Birchbox • $10 per month

I've been subscribing to Birchbox for several months now, and while I like it, I think ipsy may be spoiling me as they pack many more full-size samples in their bags each month. But Birchbox has a wider range of brands and items to offer. This month's box, however, was a little bit of a letdown for me.

Birchbox June 2013

The June theme is Wanderlust and it is meant to bring summer travel to mind. Here's what's inside:

• A Pack of post cards from different travel destinations
• One of four nail polishes from a brand called Color Club. Mine was the neon green London Calling.
• A tube of SPF30 Facial Moisturizer from COOLA. Unfortuantely, my tube was broken, so it went straight in the trash...   :-(
• Two packets of a vegan nourishing body cream
• A Lil' Lip lip pencil from Laqa & Co. I received the color Lambchop. While it does feel very nourishing and has a pleasing minty smell, I don't think I will ever wear it because it is sooo pink! Here is a swatch below. If you can rock this color with confidence this Spring, this brand certainly feels good on the lips!



Laqa & Co.'s Lil' Lip in Lambchop

• Lastly, I received the Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser from suki. I am most excited about this. It smells amazing and I cannot wait to try it!

This is just an example of what you might receive in your Birchbox. When you join, you fill out a questionnaire that helps determine which items are included in your box. While I said this box was a bit of a disappointment, I have found some great finds in previous Birchboxes and am not ready to even consider canceling my subscription!

Here is a link to Birchbox, if you'd like to give them a try: http://birch.ly/150L6c2

ipsy Glam Bag • $10 plus tax per month

I found ipsy through a video from one of my makeup icons, the awesome Kandee Johnson. This beauty box isn't really a box at all, it's a bag. A glam bag, filled with all kinds of goodies! 

I have loved almost everything I've received in my ipsy bag and this month is no different. Their June theme is On The Wild Side, so of course everything came is a totes adorable leopard print bag! Let's take a look inside:

• Eyelashes and eyelash glue from J.cat. I was beyond excited about this, because false eyelashes have been something that I've wanted to try for a while, but I've been too intimidated. I am soooo excited to give these a try!
• A full size lipliner from Starlooks in Nude. I wear a lot of lipliner to even out the uneven color on my lips so I was excited about this. Unfortuantely, I found the color too brown for me and it was "stolen" by my friend, Lindsey. It will look adorable on her!
• Also from J.cat. a palette of sparking glitter. These are not safety glitter and should not be worn on the eye, but they are still so pretty and I can't wait to wear them. Maybe on my nails or cheeks? I've swatched them below, though it is hard to see the difference in colors. The green is really, really beautiful!





J.cat glittery cream palette.

• A full size mosaic powder in Cafe from NYX. If ipsy keeps giving me full size blushers and bronzers, I may never need to buy another face powder again. No complaints here.
• Lastly, a Chella highlighter pencil in Ivory Lace. I love using whites and creams on the water lines and in the corners of my eyes to brighten things up, so this will definitely be used!

Sorry the lighting is bad. From left to right this is the Starlooks lip liner in Nude,
Chella highlighter pencil in Ivory Lace and NYX mosaic powder in Cafe.

ipsy, too, picks your bag items based upon your survey and I have never been disappointed. Each month, I scour their Facebook looking for clues about that month's goodies. If you'd like to join ipsy, and I highly recommend that you do, here is a link with my referral code: http://www.ipsy.com/?refer=u-hby0dwv8qtd55s

On To the Giveaway!

I've really enjoyed my beauty boxes and thought you all might enjoy them as well! So, comment below on your favorite beauty box subscription service, your favorite summer makeup trend or anything else that's on your mind and you can win this bag o' goodies! We'll pick a winner on Friday, June 28, at noon.

What inside?

• A sample of Benefit's the Porefessional. Minimize the look of pores and fine lines with this great product.
• A sample of Urban DecayEyeshadow Primer Potion. I use this stuff and it's wonderful! It helps your eyeshadow last all day and keeps it from creasing as well!
• A sample of bareMinerals lip glosses in Wild Honey and Sugar Plum
• An eyeshadow duo in Heartache from Two Cosmetics
• A deluxe sample of Juice Beauty's Hydrating Mist -- perfect to pack in your bag for a day at the beach!
• A sample of M Perfect Cover BB Cream
• A sample tube of Joanna Vargas Daily Serum
• Lastly, a sample of Vitivia vitamin capsules, which prevent wrinkles, refine pores and reduce fine lines.
• All packed in an adorable white cosmetic bag from ipsy!

Thanks for stopping by; stay beautiful!

Ginny