Summer-proof products

Hot weather can quickly undo that painstakingly made-up face and styled hair. Invest in a few hardworking products designed for summer use and adopt a less is more attitude

Flat out under a beach umbrella is the ideal, but in reality, most of us work through the summer months. It means spending sunny, sticky and occasionally even showery days hoping the usual beauty regime will endure, and getting all hot and bothered when, mascara remnants halfway down your cheeks, you realise it most definitely isn’t. The key? Don’t fight the weather — work with it, using products designed to go the distance.

Pack well

Keep a sun-smart stash in your handbag. We like to carry blotting paper rather than powder, a mini dry shampoo, face mist and cotton buds for midday touch ups.

GO BARE AND DON’T CARE

You’ll have kept those skin clinic appointments for necessary treatments and your skin is smooth and glowing, meaning you are happy to forgo the full face and just pop on a bit of BB cream, right? If you haven’t, a good fake tan will go a long way, as will a lash tint and brow shape. Keep up the gentle exfoliation and try the switch to a sheerer foundation, or apply just where needed under the eyes and T-Zone. It means you won’t get makeup ‘balling’ as skin warms with moisture. Compensate for this less-than-full coverage with a sweep of bronzer which will make eyes and teeth appear brighter.

PRIME NUMBER

If you’re willing to put in the work, there are products that will help keep things as you’d like them for longer. The extensive market in makeup primers is testament to their ability to prep skin so that makeup pigments stay true and makeup is less likely to disappear by lunch. If excess oil is an issue, apply a poreminimising primer in areas that tend to shine. Adopt one with a high SPF and you’ll have nixed the need for sunscreen, another item that can create a cosmetic slip and slide on your skin. If you don’t feel the need to go full-face, lid primers can do the job on your eyes where oil can congregate and cause shadows to bunch and crease (it also works to hold concealer on a pimple in a pinch). To avoid panda eyes, rely on a waterproof mascara. If it’s a pain to remove, only apply on the lower lashes and use your usual on the top.

Multi-task

Look for products that do more than one job such as cheek and lip stains, and treatment products with a touch of tint. Don’t have blusher handy? Dab a cream lipstick on your cheeks and blend with fingers before applying the colour in full definition to your lips. Banish heavy layers and cakey powders — choose mineral finishes or light and creamy formulas and set it all in place with a makeup setting spray. Look for silicone in products which creates a barrier between skin and moisture, so makeup won’t melt.

BLOW OUT WOES

Using a hair dryer in the heat of summer is often a battle you won’t win as sweaty roots undo your efforts as you go. Zoe Clark, stylist and national manager of Dry & Tea salons, has a few tricks up her sleeve. Her tip is to think about products that can assist in light and swift styling. “In summer I like the Pillow Proof range by Redken. The Express Blow Dry Primer is your perfect heat protectant in a spray so it’s light and speeds up your drying time. The two-day extender is designed to lengthen the life of your style absorbing oil and moisture as it develops in the hair.” It means you won’t have to face the dryer every day. Ingredient advancements mean finishing sprays that shield from humidity and tame frizz are a little-known secret weapon.

She also suggests ensuring your body temperature isn’t too hot to start with and “finishing in the shower or salon with a cool rinse.” If all else fails? “I believe in styling up and away from your face and neck when it’s stinking hot!” Her go-to? “A sleek knotted bun with a centre part. On the softer side, add texture, braid the lengths of your hair, pull it apart, roll it up and pin.”