Fantasia Salon / Spa and Wig Specialists

Okay, it’s REALLY hot out, something we’ve prayed for - those of us in Minnesota! So, how do we keep our cosmetics from melting and running down our face as the temperature goes up? Here are some tips:

• Good skin care is key to making you feel more comfortable with less makeup according to a makeup instructor. Use a cleansing brush to really exfoliate and deeply cleanse your skin.
• Keep it light. Perhaps waterproof mascara on the top lashing only and some bronzing gel on the cheeks will suffice. Throw on some lip balm with SPF 15 protection and you are good to go!
• Avoid oil-based products. Silicone-based gel primers help keep your makeup from slipping in the heat. Easy does it, a pearl size amount is all you need. Apply this before any makeup. This will also help prevent makeup from settling into fine lines.
• Always wear some sort of SPF protection under your makeup. One of the reasons Fantasia promotes Jane Iredale Skin Care Makeup is because of the natural SPF protection. Otherwise, you could consider buying a tinted moisturizer with SPF built in. Mix a little of your SPF with concealer and softly dab onto the eye area. This will keep your eyes from looking dried out and aged as well as protect an often neglected area from the sun.
• Keep blotting papers in your purse at all times, especially in hot weather. They are great for getting all that oil off your ‘T’ zone.
• With powder products, use a blush brush to keep the application light, especially if you use translucent powder to “hold” your makeup in place.
• Curl your lashes and use liquid liner at the base of the lash line. Pencils tend to melt in the summer heat. Stay away from cream shadows, they tend to crease more in the summer.
• Keep shimmer to a minimum. We tend to glow more in humidity anyway, so - no extra shimmer is needed.
• As with any season, balance is vital. If you go heavy on the eyes, go easy on the lips. This is especially important for the more mature women. You don’t want to look like a clown.

Now you don’t have to worry or complain about “melting” in the summer heat. I’m always amazed at those who complain about the heat because it’s such a short season here and I’ve learned to embrace it and not complain. Even if I melt a bit, so what? It’s summer, enjoy!

Let’s talk about some common concerns we occasionally deal with and what to do about them. Beginning with circles under the eyes. A good rule of thumb is to select a concealer that is a shade lighter than your foundation. Concealer tends to enhance wrinkles around the eyes, so, if you have fine lines and wrinkles, apply a primer first to fill in the wrinkles before applying the concealer.

Use a small, flat brush to apply concealer to the circles under the eyes. Don’t use too much and be very careful to blend well. Add a light dusting of translucent powder before applying your foundation. You could also think about buying yellow concealer which will help correct the blue color of under eye circles.

Blemishes are always a pain, no matter when they show up. Don’t freak out when you wake up with a big pimple. Don’t squeeze or pick at it. Wash your face as normal and apply a topical acne treatment. Some ice will help reduce inflammation. Use a green concealer before applying makeup to help combat the redness. If you are getting more pimples than normal, be sure to consistently drink lots of water and get 8 hours sleep per night.

If you feel a cold sore coming on, look for a topical treatment (drugstores, retailers.) It pays to buy the more expensive brand. This will help heal cold sores and reduce swelling quickly. You can also apply ice to the cold sore to reduce swelling. Probably after all of this, no one will notice the inflammation but you.

If you are emotional or teary-eyed, rather than deal with raccoon eyes on a regular basis, use waterproof mascara. And, it’s good to rely on waterproof mascara on hot, humid summer days. There is nothing worse than sweating and having mascara run in your eyes and burn. Better yet, perhaps you want to think about having eyelash extensions or wearing false eyelashes, then you don’t have to worry about mascara!

If you wake up with a headache or puffy eyes, apply cold in the form of a mask or towel and rest for about 10 minutes. I have this wonderful mask thing filled with lavender which I keep in my freezer. If I am dealing with either of the above issues, I take it out of the freezer, head for a comfy chair, and sit with my feet up for about 10 minutes. It always does the trick!

So, there you have it. Don’t panic, just try some of the common sense approaches listed above! And remember, this too shall pass!

This summer, keep your makeup light! Allow your skin to breathe and your natural beauty to shine through!

You should ease up on the amount of makeup you use during the summer but that doesn’t mean skip makeup altogether. If you can’t bear the thought of going without makeup, use these techniques to look beautiful and natural.

Liquid foundation can be very heavy. Avoid it if you can. If you feel you have to use a base makeup, apply a tinted moisturizer to even out your skin tone.

Go for bronzer! Use a little bronzer for a healthy glow. If you haven’t had any sun this season, apply bronzer where the sun naturally hits your face. That would be your forehead, nose, cheeks and chin. Use a thin, fan shaped brush to get a light, subtle coverage. Skip the blush if you are using bronzer. If you aren’t using bronzer, use a light apricot or peach blush, either would be an ideal choice.

Eyeliners can smudge easily in the heat and humidity. Use a powder eye shadow rather than pencil or liquid liners. With a small slanted brush, apply dark shadow in a thin line to define your lash line. If you know you are going to be in water, skip the liner or go for a waterproof eyeliner instead.

Eye shadows crease and melt with perspiration in the heat and humidity. If you want to wear eyeshadow, make sure you apply a primer first to keep your shadow in place. Choose light eye shadow colors that are close to your skin tone. Vanilla or gold shadow can give you some color without looking made-up.

Skip the lipstick and choose a light lip gloss or tinted lip balm instead. Lip balms and lip conditioners are great for summer anyway because they provide sun protection as well as a sexy hint of color and gloss.

Then, last but certainly not least, don’t forget the waterproof mascara. Heat and humidity can cause regular mascara to run and when that happens you get “racoon” eyes and they burn–not a good thing!

So, walk on the light side with your makeup and have a great summer.