It's now the end of May and we're going soon into the hottest month, JUNE in Singapore!! Oh manzzz! It's so hot that I almost got scalded in the shower and no, my water heater wasnt even turned up high!
As I'm seldom indoors, it's my everlasting dream to have super long-lasting makeup. I always envy friends with great skin, and most of all, dry skin! Because their makeup never melts! At most, they look abitttt shiny that look simply dewy! Alas, too bad mine is combination skin, with oily T-zone and dry cheeks. So saddddd! =( It's sooooo difficult to NOT appear as an oil rig! So here I've compiled some products/tips which are super useful to ME in helping to stay as shine-free as I can.
I hope they are equally useful to you! \(^o^)/
(P/S Sometimes don't have the time and I'll skip a few steps. Haha)
BEFORE MAKEUP
1) Use a cooling spray/mist.
The point is to lower the temperature of your skin. You need to start right! Else, just after application, you can feel your makeup is already starting to melt. Zzz. Dont use a too hydrating mist though!
2) Use a oil-controlling toner OR oil-controlling sunblock OR a primer(lazy, seldom use)
They can help your makeup to lasts longer and control your oil secretion.
Of course you should always use a sunblock in sunny Singapore, choose a light-weight one, milky or watery type.
3) Use a light-weight moisturizer just before makeup so that your skin is not too dry for makeup to glide. Alternatively, a light hydration mist works too. Cream based are a no-no.
This depends on how oily/dehydrated your skin is. Some people can apply makeup directly while some has skin which are too dry for the initial makeup. For me, I still prefer to do light moisturizing and then use a more oil-controlling foundation to last the day INSTEAD of skipping moisturizer and then using a more hydrating foundation.
NEXT UP : DURING MAKE-UP
1) Use facial sponges
Facial sponges absorb extra oil in your foundation/bb cream, can help to mattify your foundation. In addition, when you use facial sponges to apply, it's also more cooling and helps your makeup to last longer, because our fingers has temperature. It also helps to let your makeup to glide on more smoothly and reduce cakey-ness and reduce patches. You can either glide them across your face or else bounce them off your face to blend properly.
You can use any shape, but this type of textures(below) works better. They're very soft and toi toi type. Don't buy those which is a flat rectangular shape and feels harder and less toi toi to the touch. Beauty blenders are great but I find them too troublesome to wash regularly and too expensive to throw on a daily basis. I just use these disposable ones. SASA one's are also fine.
So my friend asked me before why her makeup appears to be patchy when she uses sponge and foundation doesn't seem to blend evenly. Ok reasons may be because
a) Skin is too dry
If so, moisturize first, OR apply foundation with sponge in a bouncing action instead of gliding across face, OR use a more hydrating foundation, ahh, but if so then makeup wont last le)
b) Pump too little foundation
You need almost double the amount you need when you use sponge instead of fingers
c) Sponges are not suitable, change another brand/type
d) If have dry debris hindering blending, it may be because of the product you used before applying foundation. Try changing your sunblock/primer
e) If really really still can't blend well then do a gentle exfoliation/scrub before everything to get rid of dead skin.
2) Avoid cream-based products
I know rightttttt, some cream-based blushers are so prettyyyyy! But usually they just end up enlarging your pores and making you shine like a disco ball down the day. SO, if you really like that natural flow effect, I think LIQUID blushers or tints(right pic) and MOUSSE/GEL blushers(left) work better. Or else, traditional powder blushes are still better in reducing the oil that your face secretes and reduce clogging pores.
But the tacky part is that these blushers are more difficult to apply on. You can dab abit on facial sponge, slowly dab and blend on cheeks then lightly powder on it.
3) Avoid highlighters which are too bright or glittery.
I think they are okie for night outs, but day time is really not very suitable as they'll look doubly shiny. Matt and subtle highlighters are OK for daylight. And you do not necessarily need highlighters to highlight your face; You can use a concealer which is 1 tone lighter than your skin tone. =)
I usually use a drier formula for nose and chin(T-zone) and a more moisturizing formula for under eyes. GENERALLY, sticks are drier form, followed by lip-gloss applicator types, followed by cream-based(in a pot), though it really depends; you gotta try it out. However, I rarely use stick or too dry types as it's easy to become cakey. And do use a brush instead of fingers(got temperature)
4) Summer make-up products
I think all these can be lumped into 1 point. As in, oil-free/lasting foundations, mattifying powder, water-proof/smudge-proof eyeliner. All these are pretty straight-forward. =) These are the items I love. =D
For the lips, I really don't like to apply lipstick or having my lips sticky. Only on RARE occasions, like wedding dinners then I apply lip gloss. Most days, I use this; Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet. It's like a mousse but has a velvet finish. I simply love them to bits. They are totally weightless and a DREAM to use in humid and hot Singapore because you totally can't feel them on your lips. But yet, they can be so pigmented. You can control the colours by the amount. If you want a light and natural hue, just dip a green bean size(yes that tiny) onto the middle of your lips and blend it out. I love how my lips look naturally pinkish and so smooth to touch too. If you want a richer coloured lips like Korean stars, then apply more for a gradient effect; it will look brighter and richer. They are VERY easy to control to achieve a NATURAL gradient lip than other lip tints in the market. The last time I tried a liquid lip tint, my hubby asked if I was sick. Zzz.
Granted, these are really not lasting. But, I don't mind re-applying, rather than having a rich, heavy and creamy lip colour on my lips. I bought almost the whole collection but kinda regret because I think most colours look about the same or can be controlled to look the same by building it on. So just buy 1 or 2 distinct colours will do.
5) Makeup Setting spray
You spray this after your makeup is done, so as to make it more lasting. Hmm...I heard about this, however, I've never used one which is effective. The Urban Decay one didn't work for me. And I think it's hard to find one which doesn't change your final look. So well, just an option for you to consider.
Hope you've enjoyed this post!!! Cya!!! Smuacks!!!
Missing last year this period(May) where we're in Barcelona. It's soooOOo cooling. Boooooo!
