My Summer Beauty Essentials
Summer is a tricky time beauty-wise. It's hot and sticky and while you want to look great you also don't want a ton products on your face, necessarily. This summer for me has been a bit of a pare down from my normal routine. I am wearing a tad less than I normally would. I am an eye shadow addict. I love color. I am not afraid to rock a blue eye shadow or an orange or a yellow. But I have really been all about the soft and neutral tones, coupled with a bit of glow this summer. I want to look like I just came from vacation in Santorini!
Physician's Formula Healthy Foundation
I talked about this foundation in my April Favorites post and it still my go-to foundation. It is lightweight sheer to medium coverage. This is my "your skin but better" foundation. I apply one thin layer with a beauty sponge and set it lightly with powder. The finish is a natural one - not too mate or too dewy. If you have oily skin you will definitely need to set it and it won't keep your oils at bay. But when your oils come through it will give you a nice glow as opposed to looking greasy.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Eyeshadow Palette
I was on the fence about buying this. The first time I saw it I was decidedly underwhelmed. I wasn't sure that the colors would work on my medium-deep skin tone. All of the promo photos for it were decidedly lackluster. And did I really need another warm neutral palette? Welp. It turns out that yes, yes I did. I am so glad I bit the bullet and purchased this. I have been using it nearly every day since I purchased it. I have been using it so much that I had to make a conscious decision to not use it some days and use one of the fifty million other palettes I own. The shadows are so pigmented, so creamy and they blend like a dream. I have been using this to create really grunge-y matte looks or super simple natural looks for a barely there makeup look. My personal faves in this palette are Burnt Orange, Sienna, Mulberry and Glistening. Glistening is a stunning slightly duochrome shimmer that doesn't look like much in the pan but on the eye... holy moly. I love it as an inner corner highlight. Today, I am wearing Burnt Orange all over my lids and crease with a hint of Sienna in the outer corner and a bronze shimmer from my ColourPop Double Entendre palette (another fave!) on the lids and inner corner. It's a really nice soft look.
CoverFX Mattifying Setting Spray
I wasn't sure about putting this one on this list because I use it in conjunction with a few other setting spray, mainly my Mac Fix + So it is a staple but I use it as part of a one two punch. What I like about this spray is that it is mattifying, but doesn't make your makeup look flat or overly powdery. I apply this to set my makeup and then follow with my Mac Fix + to help everything settle into the skin and give a more natural look.
Honorable Mention
Melt Cosmetics Gemini Palette
I mentioned this in my June Favorites post earlier this month. It was the only thing I bought myself for my birthday. The first time I saw this palette I gasped, Not only is it named after my astrological sign but it has if not the most, one of the most perfect color stories I have ever seen. I am one of those rare creatures that likes "fugly" colors. Give me your mustard yellows, your puke-y greens...I love them all. Green is my favorite color and what I love about this palette is how it is used multiple times in interesting tones. This palette would be perfect for use anytime of year, but I am especially excited to use it in the fall and create some really dramatic green smokey eye looks. So far, I have used this a handful of times and I like the formula. The shadows blend nicely.
What are the beauty products you have been reaching for the most this summer? Let me know in the comments!
