While I’m soaking up sun on the Eastern Shore and Ocean City, Md., my DC gal pals are sharing their top-notch summer beauty tips and tricks. When fellow beauty blogger (and gchat pal) Laurie Leopold of 312 Beauty, told me about her stint in DC, I knew she would have some wise words for managing the infamous DC sticky humidity.
Before making Chicago my home, I spent five years living in DC. Exactly five (very) steamy, sticky, sweltering summers. You guys, it doesn’t feel like that in the Midwest! I was fresh out of college and trying to master the whole business professional thing (commuter shoes and all). Keeping my face from melting in the summer, which honestly starts months earlier in DC, was always my biggest challege. I basically had stock in blot powder and waterproof mascara. Though, somehow I always looked like a smeared mess by the time I hopped on the Metro at the end of the day. If I’d had a time machine to give me all of the advancements in beauty and skin care today, my makeup meltdowns would have been non-existent. For those of you still oppressed in the swampy sauna, I’ve got your back. Here are my summer skin saviors.
Face oils. I KNOW, right? If you’d told me in 2005 that I would someday be slathering my skin with oil on purpose I would have laughed, like this. But they’ve completely transformed my skin, keeping it hydrated and balanced. I love La Bella Figura Daily Elements Defense Face Oil, filled with mega antioxidants and nutrients. It’s perfect for summer because its lightweight and formulated with potent ingredients to protect your skin from the sun and environmental damage.
Face mists. There’s just nothing more refreshing. And the mists of today are packed with good stuff, not just water—or worse, alcohol. I like to keep Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist in the fridge so its extra cooling. It’s like a mist version of Tatcha’s Moisture Rich Silk Cream, so it doubles as a moisturizer. Gives skin a slight dewy glow and looks amazing over makeup.
Blotting. I still do this, but way differently! Youngblood released an Anti-Shine Mattifier this summer which works to control oil with oil, specifically nigella and pumpkin seed oils. A cakey white powder this is not, rather, it’s a colorless balm. You can work it under makeup to prime skin but I use it on a finished face, concentrating on the t-zone. For those out of control hot days, I use the geisha-inspired Tatcha Blotting Papers along that have 24K gold flecks baked in! Way to feel fancy pulling those out of your purse!
