Summer Makeup Must Haves!

With summer comes heat and humidity and a whole lotta sunshine in most areas of the United States where I live.  This means that the products that worked for you in the drier, colder, or gloomier months of winter (and sometimes into spring!) may not be so appropriate now that the weather has changed.  Skin goes through cycles depending on the level of moisture in the air, and so as we switch our skin care to adjust, so should we switch our makeup products as well.  Here are my top picks for summer-worthy makeup for every budget!

Waterproof eyes are a must for hot humid days or trips to the beach and waterparks!

Eyes:
When your skin just doesn't want a heavy layer of foundation, but you still want to look "made up", it's easy to play up your eyes for a more glamorous look.  But when you're sweaty or oily, your eye makeup needs to be able to stay in place all day without creasing up or running down your cheeks.  I think the best all around waterproof mascara is Makeup Forever Aqua Eyes Mascara.  It's worth every penny, and it's what I reach for every day in the summer.  It's lengthening, defining, volumizing, and adds curl.  It's a wonder mascara, and it doesn't budge, even after a dip in the pool!  Liquid liners are my personal favorite, and the waterproof one that doesn't run even in heat is the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner.  Sephora makes a very affordable pencil version, the Flashy Liner Waterproof.  I paid full price in the store about a month ago, but it's on clearance now online for only $3.00.  I love the color Flashy Blue, a bright blue turquoise color I think is perfect for summer.  For shadows, I love the L'Oreal Infallible shadows (following with the turquoise theme, my favorite summer color is Endless Sea, but Bronzed Taupe is a perfect soft smokey brown that is perfect all on its own) and the Maybelline Color Tattoo (in Tenacious Teal of course!).  For brows that won't go anywhere, I highly recommend the Tarte Waterproof Brow Mousse (click for review).  My favorite part is that it comes with a dual ended brush/spoolie!  MAC pigment in Tan is a super versatile product that easily makes it look like you've spent way more time on your eyes due to it's prismatic color reflection, which naturally looks darker in the crease even without a darker color on top.

Purge your skin of breakout-causing bacteria and oil with purifying skin masks to deep clean your pores!

Cheeks and Lips:
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hr Blush (click for review, video) is probably my all time favorite blush product to date, with it's wide range of bright shades perfect for adding a pop of color to cheeks in the summer.  I've yet to find a blush that lasts as long, and the clay is supposed to help control oil- a bonus for oily summer days.  The Smashbox Bronze Lights Matte Bronzer is the perfect way to add some natural sun kissed color to your cheeks, and the Suntan shade is perfectly neutral with no hint of orange.  Lips I like to either stay with a hydrating sheer color like the NYX lip butters, a natural hue hydrating lipstick like the Milani Statement Lipstick (my favorite is Dulce Caramelo), or go with a bright bold statement lip with very simple eyes like Tesorio from the Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick formula.  It's a bright coral-ish red that's very summery and wears all day long with no touch ups! (click for formula review, video)

If I had to pick only four products, these would be them!  Waterproof mascara, long-wearing blush in a bright shade, matte bronzer for a sunkissed look, and a hydrating sheer lipcolor.  Plus sunglasses, of course!

My multi-tasking favorites: Stila Convertible Color and Kitten shadow stick.

Waterproof shimmer for your eyes, cheeks, and cupid's bow?  Yes, please!

If you're looking for just a few products to work into your summer routine that will double-duty, you should check out the Stila Convertible Colors.  (Got a review for these, too!)  These little babies are perfect for adding a dewey flush to cheeks or soft color to your lips, and they aren't greasy at all.  My favorite color is Lillium, a soft peachy pink color that's great for any skin tone.  You can also use the Stila Smudge Crayon Waterproof Eye Color in Kitten for all over highlights that won't wear away or even all over the lid for a beautiful budge-proof wash of shimmering color to brighten your eyes.

Last but not least, I love a solid perfume stick for warm summer days.  Alcohol based liquid perfumes can evaporate more quickly, but the oils in a stick last for hours even when you sweat.  My new favorite came in my May Glossybox, and it's by Nicka K New York.  Free Spirit 100 is a warm sweet scent that makes me think of sitting in the sand, and it's tiny size makes it perfect for tossing in my purse without added weight or worrying about broken glass.

Plus, don't forget one of the most important beauty products to keep with you at all times during the summer- a pair of sunglasses!  The skin around your eyes is the thinnest on your face, and damaging sun rays penetrate to cause pre-mature aging.  Plus, squinting in the glare of the sun will cause wrinkles just as quickly.  Even more importantly, especially those with fair eyes, you can get "sunburn" in the back of your retina through your pupils that can cause eye cancer later in life!  My husband had skin cancer removed a few years ago, and they warned him to be sure to get his eyes checked every year and to pay for the retinal photo to make sure he hasn't developed skin cancer inside his eye.  A very scarey thought!

Be safe, be beautiful all summer long with these summer makeup must-haves!  Now step away from the computer and enjoy the weather!