The heat and humidity of summer are enough to make even die-hard cosmetics devotees question the need for makeup that melts away during the course of the day. But how many women are actually willing to step out the door bare-faced?
A handful of products is enough to provide some cover and color with minimal effort.
Eyes
Eyeliner defines and can make eyes appear larger, but the last thing you want is to look like a racoon at the end of the day with products that melt and smudge. Urban Decay offers All Nighter waterproof eyeliner that goes on smooth and creamy and quickly sets for a full day-to-evening schedule. It comes in a slim-tip, twist-up pencil for easy application, whether you’re a quick-draw artist or prefer the slow-going pointillist’s technique. Find it for $20 at Macy’s or urbandecay.com.
If you’re hitting the road, Smashbox’s new Full Exposure Palette may be all you need for your eyes. It features 14 neutral shades from nudes to blacks, with long-wearing shimmer and matte formulas. The palette comes with a booklet filled with tips to enhance your particular eye shape for day or night, plus a sample-size Full Exposure mascara to finish the look. Smashbox also makes a 24 Hour Shadow Primer ($20) that helps even out skin tone and sets your makeup for the entire day. Honestly, I started using it for my whole face.
Skin
Before anything goes on your face, start with Erno Laszlo Shake-It Tinted Treatment, a thin, tinted shine-control formula that helps to conceal blemishes and blot excess oil while leaving a near-transparent hint of color. Wear it alone and tell people you’re not wearing makeup, and they’ll believe you have perfect skin. It can also be worn under foundation or a light brush of loose powder. It’s $39 at Nordstrom or ernolaszlo.com
Don’t leave home without a protective layer of sunscreen. While some may not like getting their hands gunked up while slathering on a lotion, Sun Bum offers a line of SPF 15, 30, 50 and 70+ water- and perspiration-proof sprays that eliminate that excuse. One pass around the face and you’re done. It’s also good for a quick touch-up during the day. Look for it at the Spa at Trump Waikiki, 223 Saratoga Road; surf shops; drugstores; or at www.trustthebum.com. About $16.
Leave it to the Koreans to come up with the next-generation foundation compact. It features a cushion sponge that works like an ink pad, dispensing just the right amount of light-as-air formula to gently pat on your face. All it takes is a quick pass and you’ve got a clean-looking, weightless, airbrushed look.
At The Face Shop, the Cushion Screen Cell, $44, is billed as a five-in-one formula that brightens, moisturizes, protects with SPF 50+, serves as makeup and staves off wrinkles. Look for it at the store’s locations at McCully Shopping Center, Ward Warehouse and Waimalu Plaza, 98-1277 Kaahumanu St.
Amorepacific’s Color Control Cushion uses a similar compact to deliver a lightweight cream with sunscreen to perfect and protect. It’s $60 at Neiman Marcus.
Whatever you put on your face, follow with a pore minimizer such as L’Oreal Paris Youth Code Pore Vanisher that performs the double duty of controlling shine and masking pores. It’s about $24.99 at Walgreens and other drugstores.
Other pore minimizers include Miracle Skin Transformer SPF 20 in a range of six tints from translucent to "deep dark," $48 at Sephora and Nordstrom, and Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer Broad Spectrum SPF 15 that I prefer to use over makeup for a skin-perfecting finish. It’s $52 for the 1-ounce size at Sephora.
Lips
Don’t be afraid to try on Laura Mercier’s new StickGloss summer shades, from the soft pink of azalea to the sun-kissed glow of nectar. They look far brighter in the tube than on the lips.
Part lip balm, part lip color, the StickGloss delivers a fresh-looking wash of sheer color with a sophisticated finish. Its moisturizing formula hydrates, helping to fill in ridges and fine lines. Find it for $25 at Nordstrom.
Cool off
For after-sun help, a spritz of Blue Copper 5 Cooling Moisture Mist gives skin a hydrating boost of hyaluronic acid plus essential mineral copper.
This multitasking mist can be used after cleansing to tone, after makeup to set, or anytime hydration is needed. It’s $35 at Nordstrom or www.osmotics. com.
The Face Shop also carries a line of spray-and-go mists suited to individual needs, such as Argan Oil Mist for dry skin, or Pomegranate Collagen Jelly Mist to help diminish lines. These also offer travelers a quick and easy Rx from dry air.
Hair
Even your hair could use some defense from the sun, particularly if it’s dry, colored or treated. For locks in distress, Kitoko Sun Defence UV Protect Spray is a leave-in treatment that can protect hair from UV rays. It’s $28.80 at Hairscapes at Waterfront Plaza, 500 Ala Moana Blvd.
Over at Hearts & Stars Salon on the Big Island, local stylist Jason Harsin is well aware of the sun’s effects on the hair of his sun-worshipping clientele. He came up with a shampoo and conditioning duo formulated to clean without drying hair, and added natural proteins such as keratin and hemp oil to strengthen and repair. His Hearts & Stars shampoo and conditioner contain no sulfates or parabens. They’re online at hearts-and-stars.com for $20 per 12-ounce bottle.
A little bit of everything
Sephora makes it easy for those on the go with an 11-piece Summer Crushes kit of popular products for face, body, hair and lips, packed in a travel bag.
These include trial sizes of Bumble and Bumble’s Surf Spray for a tousled, wind-swept look any time and anywhere; Supergoop! City Sunscreen Serum; Murad Essential-C Sun Balm; Living Proof Restore Mask Treatment; and more, some to protect and some to soothe should you get too much sun.
The kit is $54.
