Sixty Seconds Of Summer!
SEX, SUN, MUSIC & FUN!
Summer is all about fun and enjoying the pleasures of life and no matter what the occasion, your makeup will help set you into the happy mood.
Think glistening skin, a fresh face, bright eyes and a sunny disposition this season. Hot weather doesn’t mean it has to be a beauty disaster. Make a few little changes to your makeup routine and keep it light and easy. Remember less is more this summer.
This seasons looks are flawless, romantic and pretty. Now is the time to enhance your natural beauty and style through subtle colour and simplicity. Soft pastels are a big hit with the popular colours of lavender, green, turquoise and pink. Opt for a monochrome colour or a combination of sheer pastels to exude warmth and avoid heavy eye shadows across the lid. The more vivid, the more amazing!Paired with nude lips, they brighten the face, bringing a youthful glow and liveliness to your look.
Weather proof your makeup with these tricks of the trade
Perfect skin never goes out of fashion. The secret to flawless skin is maintaining hydration and a good moisturiser is the key. Makeup primers are also an essential item for every makeup routine and especially helps smudging and creasing when battling the hot weather. They help smooth the texture of the skin, prep and keep your makeup from melting off in summer heat. Check out Smashbox photo finish light foundation primer, this formula is see through and light, you won’t even feel it!
Most primers come in a gel consistency, they are easy to apply and go on after moisturiser and before foundation. Different types are available, specifically for open pores, oily skin and some even help hydration. Others such as MAC strobe cream can be worn alone, giving you a healthy, radiant, dewy finish, perfect for a natural look with minimal foundation.
For those who like a little less, but still want to even out the skin tone, consider wearing a tinted moisturiser. They have hydrating properties and cover just enough, without settling into pores throughout the day. Laura Mercier SPF 20 and has the perfect balance between not enough and just right!
Don’t endure a continual fight with powder, you will just turn your face into a caked mess.Take advantage of blotting papers and prime with oil free products for long lasting freshness.
A splash of candy-colour on the eyes, paired with a fair lip, nude skin, puts a lighter, prettier, sunnier spin that you can easily create on yourself. The looks are more accessible, easy to wear and quite cool. It is in the softest tones of violet or mint sea green colours that lies the power of emerging beauty.
Use a fluffy eye shadow brush, sweep the colour across the eye area, not extending too far and continue underneath for more definition. Using colours that are too bright or winged out too far past the eye, look unnatural.Keep in mind that all makeup stands out in the strong sun, so be aware, the darker the colour, the more muddy it will look in the sun light. Apply with a light hand, careful to not make a clown face, blend everything so it sheers out to a wash and is merged or severe, nor exaggerated or overly intense.
Choose eye shadows products with finer shimmer or silky textures that create lively pops of colour.The latest trend to hit the shelves is my favourite rich mousse eye shadows products that stay impressively crease-free. Once dry, they don’t budge!Loreal Paris HIP high intensity pigment cream shadow paint is one of a kind and worth trying.
Brighter colours worn alone can be overwhelming, so best to compliment with lots of lashings of dark mascara. Take heed if you are a regular smudger, use waterproof on those special occasions. For the day time just one coat is enough using a skinny flexible brush that reaches every lash. Definitely two coats for evening, using a lash plumping, glossy, blackest black mascara you can find, such as the ever famous Dior Show. For extra toughness, reinforce the lash line by thinly rimming the eyes with black or brown pencil.
The one eyeliner that is guaranteed to be long lasting and smudge proof is Makeup For Ever Acqua eyes waterproof pencil. Comes in all colours and has a matte black that sets tight, resists through tears and heat.
No matter how flawless your fake tan is on the body, it is still best to use bronzer makeup on the face for natural effortless beauty. Bronzers are usually available in three tones of light, medium and dark.Choose a colour that has a golden tone for a sun-kissed complexion, making sure there is no pink and it’s not too dark. Otherwise you will look very fake indeed!
Fair skin works best with a honey coloured tan. Medium skin is great with medium brown or terra-cotta shades and dark skin looks gorgeous with warm coppery hints. Avoid heavy or shimmery bronze cosmetics and stick to the lighter versions of cream/ powder formulas as they will work best in warm, humid weather and won’t run.
Switch to a gel formula for blush. This will give a natural texture for summer and will melt into the skin instead of sitting on top the way powder often does. Some can look too solid, others too greasy, so choose one that has a soft texture and spreads with ease, without setting too quickly. You need time to blend. There’s nothing worse than stripes of colour on the face!
To keep bronzer from looking flaky and flat, I suggest a mixture of peach /pink and coral blush swirled on the apples of the cheeks to add a hint colour, allowing for freckles and moist skin to show through. For that reflective summery feeling try blending a cream highlighter, such as Nars multi stick, on the high part of cheekbone and under the brow. This will brighten your overall look in an instant.
When using powder bronzer, avoid too strong a contour under the cheeks as you will risk looking like a bad version of David Bowie during his ‘80s Ziggy Stardust days. Keep it subtle adding only a dusting of golden tan. Best to apply with a large fluffy brush so as not to deposit too much colour. Tap off any excess and stay clear of too much around the eyes and mouth. The darkest amount should be applied on the perimeter of the face, not concentrating on the cheek area alone.
If you want to bronze and darken all over the face, then opt for a bronzing gel first, smoothing over face and neck, very carefully blending near the ears, hairline and jaw line. Lancome Flash bronzer face lotion is the ultimate in tinted colour, it doesn’t smell and gives a caramel glow.
Stand in the natural light for a more effective gauge and if you do happen to go wild and overboard, it’s not a worry, simply dip a clean powder brush in loose translucent powder and swish with circular motions over the bronzer to lighten it off.
Lips this season are sexy and bare. To find the best nude lip colour, choose a shade that is a little lighter than your natural lip colour. Steer clear of all the dark colours and dense matte lipsticks, they go great with a chic Chanel suit, but way too heavy for summer. Instead wear light, sheer tinted lip balms or creamy formulas. Go for a nude or soft pink lip that looks soft and pretty, making the eyes a stand out feature. My best tried and true trick is to apply a pinky nude lipstick first, blot a little, leaving a stain and follow with a shimmery gloss in the centre of the lip.Delicate shades of berry and rose also gives lips the illusion of fullness and exude an air of happiness.
Whatever your personal style is, makeup shouldn’t look like its been painted on. You want people to notice your radiant glow, just as though you are coming back from vacation. It’s all about going with lighter – weight versions of what you would normally wear by swapping to sheerer textures.
Get out there and inspire yourself this season. It’s the perfect time to play up your palette, brighten, add some colour and gleam. After the winter chill, its time to relax and started having a little fun again!
"Live Life & Be Beautiful"
Belinda Zollo
Zollo Makeup Academy
