Summer’s here again, YAY! I’m kidding. I don’t think you’d be saying that if you lived in Bombay, because it’s the season that haunts us all. My oily skin is crying because this is the worst time of the year and it’s extremely difficult for makeup to stay on without it slipping right off my face, thanks to the heat and humidity in Bombay. Thankfully, I have some products which save my life during these dreadful months, which make it a bit bearable for my skin to breathe and for my makeup to last all day. (All products mentioned below are linked to the name)
Sunscreen
It’s a no brainer, but if you’re leaving the house without sunscreen in this kind of weather, you’re exposing yourself to some serious damage from the Sun. Make sure you apply sunscreen everyday to the exposed areas of your body, particularly your face and neck. I really enjoy the Lotus MatteGel with Spf 50, because since it’s water based, it doesn’t leave my skin feeling greasy. As a matter of fact, a minute after applying it, you feel like you haven’t applied anything at all. Plus it’s super hydrating and has a broad spectrum. I wear this under my makeup every single day.
CC Cream/Tinted Moisturiser
Foundation is kind of a bad idea if you have oily/combination skin like mine, with the humidity at its peak, so you might wanna stick to something lighter like a tinted moisturiser or a BB/CC cream. (Yes, there’s DD cream too, apparently. Yes, it’s hilarious.)
I swear by the Lakme CC Cream in Bronze, because not only does it suit my skintone (but with a yellow undertone, unfortunately) but it also moisturises and has additional SPF. It pretty much lasts all day, but you do have to powder or blot in between. Either way, I’m on my third tube and I couldn’t be happier.
Beauty Blender/Makeup Sponge
This is the best product if you want to apply your makeup without making it look cakey or heavy, because it gives the perfect dewy, airbrushed coverage without any effort. The only thing you have to keep in mind is to dampen it slightly before application, so the sponge doesn’t soak up all the product. You get beauty sponges everywhere these days, from makeup sites to even Forever21 (though I don’t advise theirs, it’s pretty bad). I got mine at DrogerieMarkt in Germany for like €3, which is a local chain of drugstores. The original Beauty Blender costs $19.95, which is a rather hefty amount for a makeup sponge, so look for a good dupe on Amazon or eBay.
Lip Stain & Liquid Matte Lipstick
Don’t you hate it when you apply lipstick and it rubs off within an hour or two? Lip stain is amazing for that very reason because it tints your lips very naturally and lasts all day. The NYC 16H Lip Stain is what I use everyday, under my lipstick, so even when the lipstick fades away, there’s a subtle stain that remains.
Apart from that, I think liquid matte lipsticks are an amazing purchase for the summer, or generally all year round, because they set to a matte finish which is waterproof and smudge-proof. There are a lot of popular brands out there that make liquid lipsticks, notably Kat Von D, Anastasia Beverly Hills, and Jeffree Star, to name a few but the one I have is from a Chinese brand called MENOW which I purchased from Aliexpress for under $2. It’s the most amazing product! I’ll be writing a post soon on how to shop on Aliexpress and things I’ve bought.
Pressed Powder
Your makeup isn’t finished if you don’t have a powder to set it all in place. Especially if your face turns into an oil mine within a few hours, much like mine. I use the Neutrogena SkinClearing Mineral Powder, and this also has SPF! It’s a very light and breathable powder, with a barely there effect on the skin. Perfect.
Waterproof Mascara
I usually hate waterproof mascaras because I feel like they clump up my lashes and it just ends up feeling really heavy, but this one, I swear by. It’s the L’Oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in Black Brown. It stays put all day, it makes my lashes look massive and thick and it’s a dark brown colour so it looks quite natural too. I feel like I don’t need any eyeliner when I have this on, because it really does the job.
Long lasting Body Mist
Nobody wants to smell like sweat, so you’d best carry a really long wearing body-mist or deodorant with you. I don’t like deodorant, so I stick to body mists to just throw in my bag. I have so many, but the one I’ve been loving currently is the Bath & Body Works Moroccan Orchid and Pink Amber mist. It has a really nice spicy floral scent, and it freshens you up instantly.
Perfume
I know I just talked about body mists, but for those of you who aren’t a fan, I’d suggest a long wearing perfume to wear all day. I recently picked up the Zara Nuit EDP. The fact that it’s an EDP really raises its value in my eyes, because EDPs usually last a lot longer on the skin. This smells DIVINE! Seriously, I’m obsessed with this stuff. I nevetr thought I’d use ‘Zara’ and ‘affordable’ in one sentence, but Zara perfumes really are a bang for your buck. I’m really shit at explaining fragrances, but this one has a dark vanilla caramel scent, but it’s so complex and luxurious. It lasts for hours.
Anti-Frizz Lotion
Last but definitely not the least, anti-frizz lotion. I have unmanageably curly hair which is the bane of my existence in a city like Bombay, but to make it a bit more manageable I can’t go without my Schmusekatze Anti-Frizz Lotion from Got2B. I got this in Germany, again, and it was extremely inexpensive and this is my second bottle, so you know I loved it. It has a scent that reminds me of peach iced tea, and it’s really lightweight and non-greasy.
That’s all for my summer essentials, I hope this article helped! Comment below letting me know what your favourite products are for the summer, especially if you have oily skin and let me know if you like these kinds of posts so I can do more in the future. I’m thinking of doing Tip Tuesdays, would you like that?
okbye. Adhishree
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