We all know summer is the most popular season for weddings; with it comes an abundance of beautiful blooming flowers for your bouquet, bright, sun soaked wedding photos and the option to have an outdoor wedding.
But it’s not without its problems; anyone who’s ever tried to wear a full face of make up in beaming sunshine will know that heat and make up do not mix well – eyeliner sliding southwards and foundation melting certainly isn’t the bridal beauty look we’ve been dreaming of!
We spoke to Julie Daukes of Ash Barton for her advice on making sure your make up stays in place even in the warmest weather.
How to Achieve Heatproof Wedding Make Up
Always Use Primer
“Whilst some fear that primers add yet another layer of product to your skin, primer helps create lighter, longer lasting wedding make up,” says Julie.
“If you get the right one, primers can actually help absorb oil and blur imperfections.”
We’re big fans of Smashbox’s Photo Finish Foundation Primer, £28. For a more budget friendly primer, you can’t go wrong with Barry M’s Flawless Primer, £6.99.
Minimise Skin Products
“While we want to get rid of our dark circles and puffiness, nobody wants heavy, cakey feeling skin on their wedding day,” says Julie.
She suggests choosing your skin products carefully, and if you feel confident in your skin, replace foundation and powders with concealer in targeted areas so your skin can still breath.
Concealer wise, we always use Pixi’s Pat Away Concealing Base, £16, or Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Away Concealer, £24.
Use Waterproof Make Up
“Unfortunately, with heat comes sweat,” laments Julie.
“Choose waterproof mascaras and eyeliners to avoid the dreaded ‘panda eye’- whether that be from sweat or tears. If you don’t have a waterproof eyeliner to hand, a good tip is to go over your eyeliner with black eye shadow. This will mattify the eyeliner, keeping it locked in place all day.”
Benefit’s Roller Liner Liquid Eyeliner, £18.50, has a really long lasting finish, or if you’re more a fan of pencil eyeliner, you can’t go wrong with bareMinerals’ Round The Clock – Intense Cream-Glide Eyeliner, £15.30.
When we spoke to make up artist Frey-Ja Barker, she sang the praises of Paul & Joe’s Smudgeproof Mascara, £17. She said he brides often say it’s still firmly in place three days after the wedding – serious staying power!
Ditch Powder Products for Liquids
If you have oily lids, the heat will only increase the tendency for eye shadow to crease. Replace powder eye shadow for liquid formulas, which have much stronger staying power in the heat, and glide on effortlessly for a cool swipe of colour. Bobbi Brown’s High Shine Liquid Eye Shadow, £18.50, is a staple in our summer make up bag.
We’d also suggest using a setting spray to fix make up in place. “Setting spray prevents your makeup from smudging, creasing or fading too quickly and ensures a budge proof look,” says Julie. “It’s arguably the most important step of your makeup routine.”
Urban Decay’s All Nighter Setting Spray, £19.20, is a cult product known to lock make up in place, no matter how roasting the weather is.
How to Stop Lipstick from Bleeding Outside the Lip Line
We have trouble keeping our lipstick in place at the best of times, without having to contend with sweltering heat. Lip liner is your best friend when it comes to locking your lipstick in place.
Not only should you draw around your lip line, but also colour your lips in with the pencil, to create a matte base before applying lipstick of the same shade on top.
To really keep lipstick sharp, go around your lips with a concealer to prevent it from feathering.
