Whenever I'm at a video shoot or beauty event, I spend the majority of my time chatting up the makeup artist. They're invariably nice and willing to share their secrets. While I'll never be able to get my skin to look as luminous as it does when they make me up, I've picked up more than my fair share of tips. With sweltering temps right around the corner, here are the pro tricks I'll be using to stay cool this summer.
Skip foundation
Makeup artist Nam Vo is absolutely obsessive about skincare (her opinion: when it comes to a regimen, the more steps, the better) and thinks that your face should always look dewy and fresh. Instead of straight-up foundation, she likes a light tinted moisturizer like Jouer's Luminizing Moisture Tint or mixing your usual base with a natural face oil. This look is perfect for summer because it gives skin a fresh finish -- plus, you can apply these products with your fingers.
Switch to an SPF primer
Summer might be about paring down, but one product that you shouldn't eliminate is your primer. These days, the formulas are incredibly lightweight and keep your makeup in place without clogging your pores. Apply it after your moisturizer, but before the rest of your makeup, and look for a formula that has SPF 20, which will give you the added benefit of sun protection. If you want to streamline without sacrificing anything, try a BB Cream, which will give you the benefits of a moisturizer, serum, primer, and SPF in one go.
Use your fingers
Who wants to fuss around with brushes when it's a million degrees outside? Cream blushes and gel tints are ideal for warm weather because the heat helps them blend into your skin and they stay put longer than powders. If you want extra staying power (say, for a summer wedding or garden party), Vo says to brush a complementary powder or mineral blush over the cream or stain.
Blot, don't powder
Instead of attacking forehead sheen with a ton of powder, makeup artists first take away excess oil with blotting papers. If you're in a pinch, use a clean toilet seat cover -- it's weird, but pros swear this works. Remember to blot -- not wipe -- away sweat and oil, since this will keep your makeup more in place. If your skin is still a little shiny, follow up with a light dusting of translucent powder. This keeps skin from looking cakey.
Don't neglect the rest of your body
Makeup artist Reiva Cruze warns that even though the face is the main event, you shouldn't neglect the rest of your body. That means making sure that arms, legs, and décolletage are smooth and glowing too. Heaven forbid you ever have what Cruze calls "the floating face," which is when your face is an entirely different color than the rest of you. Ensure that doesn't happen by using bronzer everywhere. Cruze suggests a cream bronzer like Gleam by Melanie Mills, which stand up well to the heat. I've also seen Glo Minerals, Miracle Skin Transformer, and MAC Face and Body in many a pro kit.