Loving makeup or having to rock a polished face to work on a regular basis can be fun at times. You get to flex your creativity by adding a little color to your day or take on the world feeling a powerfully beautiful new version of yourself. The downside, is that rocking makeup isn’t always sunshine and roses. Especially in the summer. You go from worrying about moisturizing and masking enough in the winter to stressing over how to keep your face flawless in 90º weather. I know the struggle, girl. Even as a dry gal, I can’t always keep my beat fresh and flawless in the summer heat without feeling like my foundation is melting or caking up something terrible. Over the years, though, I’ve learned that switching up your foundation (and skincare which we’ll discuss that later) helps a great deal to keep your makeup looking fresh and sweat free from sun up to sun down. So I’ve put together a quick guide to help you choose your perfect summer foundation that’ll help you stay flawless all season.
Bobbi Brown Skin Weightless Foundation ($50.00)
Whether you’re dry or oily, switching to a powder foundation is a great idea to keep your makeup lightweight and breathable. In the winter, a flawless beat is all about layering but it’s best to take a much lighter, more natural approach in the summer. Adding a powder foundation to your routine helps you keep the buildable coverage that you love and need all year round without fear of feeling heavy or looking cakey. One of my go to powder foundations for summer is the Bobbi Brown Skin Weightless Foundation. As the name implies, Bobbi’s Skin Weightless Foundation is a lightweight formula that’s airy and breathable leaving your skin looking natural without feeling like you’ve just caked on a ton of powder. The Skin Weightless Foundation is oil free with a silky, creamy texture and buildable medium coverage that’s suitable for all skin types. It can be worn alone (of course) but it also plays nicely on top of a foundation stick, BB Cream or tinted moisturizer to help give you extra coverage without your makeup sliding all over your face.
Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation ($5.99)
You don’t always have to hit the department store to find a good summer foundation! Maybelline’s Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation proves that you don’t have to spend the big bucks to achieve a smooth, even complexion that holds up well in the summer heat. The Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation is a new version of Maybelline’s iconic Fit Me Foundation formulated for guys and gals with oily skin. I’m more on the dry side but I often find myself reaching for the Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation in the summer because it has a soft matte finish that doesn’t suck all of the moisture out of my skin making me look dry and cakey. Instead, it helps to absorb my summer oil, shine and sweat without melting right off my face or heavily creasing into my fine lines. The Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation is a creamy, buildable medium to full coverage formula that blends easily and lasts pretty well throughout the day. Thanks to the soft, natural matte finish, the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless foundation is a wonderful budget beauty buy this summer.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup ($40.00)
If you like a soft, dewy complexion (like me) then you’ll probably enjoy the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup. The Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Foundation is an incredibly lightweight formula with light to medium coverage and a demi-matte finish that leaves skin looking luminous and smooth. It’s great for for my drier skin gals who can’t pull off a flat matte finish or ladies who don’t like to wear thick, heavy creamy foundations in the summer heat. The Naked Skin Weightless Definition Liquid Makeup still needs to be set with a powder to truly survive a full day of beating sun rays. However, I still recommend it because it doesn’t seem to clog pores, feel heavy or look cakey. Summer skin is all about natural radiance and the Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup is a good way to help you achieve that perfect summer complexion.
Clinique Stay Matte Oil Free Makeup ($24.00)
If you have acne, sensitive skin or can’t find a good match in Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless then the Clinique Stay Matte foundation is made for you! It’s a buildable medium coverage formula designed to absorb shine, control oil and resist heat. Absolutely perfect for summer! Clinique Stay Matte has a soft matte finish that looks flawless on oily skin and works well for dry skin too without looking dry or cakey. I’ve had the Clinique Stay Matte foundation forever and finally pulled it out once the summer started to get too hot handle. I couldn’t be more pleased with the results! Stay Matte really does stay matte from morning to night without even needing a powder to lock it in place. I also love that I can add a little liquid illuminator or use my Pixi Glow Mist to give Stay Matte luminous boost without compromising the performance. Clinique Stay Matte is an all around winner!
NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer ($44.00)
Keeping things lightweight and breathable is key to having a comfortable summer. That’s why I often switch to my NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer in the spring and summer. It’s a creamy, weightless formula that’s not quite as thick or heavy as my usual go to foundations. The Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer is a great summer foundation for dry skin as it helps add a little moisture without feeling oily or looking greasy. Instead, it adds a nice glow to skin while making skin look and feel smooth and blurring fine lines and pores. The Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer is a bit sheer but it has buildable light to medium coverage that makes it easy to even out your complexion without having to pile it on. It’s also a huge plus that the Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer comes with SPF 30 too so it’ll even help protect your skin from the sun while you look dewy and flawless this summer.