10 Beauty Essentials to Help You Survive the Summer Heat

This article is a part of our fashion and beauty column at GainesvilleScene. Inspired by the various styles in Gainesville, Fla., author Isabella Sorresso aims to highlight the ways to feel and look your best, even in the sweltering swamp weather. 

Summer in Florida can be unbearable at times and nothing is worse than wearing makeup in the summer heat and seeing that you’ve sweat off half of it by lunchtime.

This is a list of our summer essentials for avoiding makeup mishaps, keeping your skin under control when you’re not wearing makeup and a few random must-haves (or at least must-trys).

1. SPF: One thing people always forget about is to wear sunscreen in their daily lives. People apply SPF 100+ when they go to the beach, but the sun is beaming just as strong any other time you’re outside. If you don’t like the smell of sunscreen or feel like other sunscreens leave a white cast on your skin, a great product for this is Glossier’s Invisible Shield. Aside from that, several foundations, BB creams or tinted moisturizers also have SPF in them that could serve as your daily dose of sunscreen.

2. Moisturizer: You might think that moisturizing is most important in the fall and winter but you should really do it year-round. In the summer your skin also gets dehydrated and dry from being out in the sun. A great face moisturizer to try is this one from La Roche Posay (it has SPF, too!) and any of the Body Shop Body Butters will do the trick.

3. Lightweight Makeup: Personally, when I’m wearing makeup in the summer, I like to wear a little bit less and try to look as natural as possible. In trying to achieve this, I go for lightweight products like a BB cream instead of a full-coverage foundation. Cream products (like cream blush and highlight) also help to achieve this look, and make your makeup feel less cakey. Lip tints are another great way to wear less makeup in the summer. Once the product dries on your lips, its smudge-proof for the rest of the day and feels like you’re not wearing anything.

4. Bronzer: Everyone wants to look tan and sun-kissed during the summer, but tanning can end up causing skin damage. Bronzers can do the trick sans the skin damage. Just apply a little bronzer on the perimeter of your face, focusing on your hairline, cheeks and underneath your jawline. It gives a beautiful glow and puts shadows in just the right places. An awesome bronzer for nice and natural color is the Physician’s Formula Butter Bronzer— it even smells tropical, which is perfect for summer!

5. Blotting Sheets: Once you have your makeup on, sweating all of it off would be a tragedy. Whisk away any shine you might have on your face with a blotting sheet and keep your makeup looking matte and perfect all day. Tons of brands have their own version of the oil-combating sheets, but one of the best and most affordable options is the Clean and Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets.

6. Face Wipes: When you’re ready to wipe your makeup off for the day, face wipes are a quick and easy way to get the job done. Even if you’re not wearing makeup, face wipes like the Dickinson’s Original Witch Hazel wipes are great to refresh your skin for a mid-day pick-me-up. These are especially good because they not only cleanse, but help balance your skin and prevent acne and blemishes all while leaving no residue behind like some makeup wipes can.

7. Lash Extensions: If you like looking put together and glam, but don’t like wearing a ton of makeup, eyelash extensions might be for you. For those who don’t know, lash extensions are longer synthetic mink hairs that can be carefully glued to your current eyelashes to make your everyday lashes look fuller and longer. Applications range from natural to dramatic, but it’s up to you how dramatic you want to go.

With any and all lash extensions, you shouldn’t wear mascara and you probably don’t even need any other makeup to look polished and ready for the day. Just a disclaimer though: lash extensions can get pricey and you need to go back for touch-ups after a few weeks if you want them to look as good as new.

8. Foot Mask: This might be the most random item on the list, but if you’re avoiding sandals this summer until you can get a pedicure or if you’re just not a sandal person, you’re about to be. With the help of TONYMOLY, you’re going to want to show off your feet at any opportunity.

With this foot mask, you wear little footies for about an hour, and after that you rinse your feet and let the masks work their magic. In the following days, your feet will shed all of their dead skin and leave you with smooth feet and the weird satisfaction of peeling off your dead skin (even if it kind of grosses you out).

9. Gel nails: Summer is meant for relaxing and not worrying about painting your nails every couple days because your polish is already chipping. To prevent this, spend a few extra dollars and try a gel manicure. Gel nails last longer than regular nail polish and are thicker so the polish doesn’t chip as often. Plus, if you really love gel manicures, most nail polish brands are coming out with gel polishes that you can do at home, and some even have LED lamps that you can use to quickly dry the polish for salon-quality nails.

10. Fake tan: If you’ve been reading this list and thinking “none of this applies to me because I never leave my house and spend most of my time binge-watching Netflix,” then this one might be what you were waiting for. If you want to trick all of your friends into thinking you’ve been adventurous and at the beach every day this summer, a fake tan is the way to go.

You don’t even have to leave the house if you use a tan lotion or tan towel type product that you can do in the comfort of your own bathroom. Just be careful when applying product around joints like ankles, knees and fingers because color tends to stick there the most and make the tan look uneven.

What other fashion/beauty related articles do you want to see from GainesvilleScene? Let us know in the comments!

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