Heatwave Make-up Must Haves

Who the heck left the oven door open? If you're currently not residing in Jozi, you may have missed the memo that there is the mother of all heatwaves hitting us...and it's only October. I myself much prefer the cold weather, but living in South Africa, that's a bit too much to ask for.




When the warmer months come blaring in, I have to figure out a way to ensure that I a) stay cool b) look presentable c) not have my makeup end up being a puddle on the floor. I hate being hot and sweaty and even more than that, I hate feeling hot, sweaty and dirty.

In order to make sure that my face doesn't look as if it is melting, I have spent a large amount of my time searching for products that would keep my makeup on my face until the sun finally sets on an extremely hot summers day. So I've compiled my research to present to you, my Heatwave Make up Must Haves...all you will need to keep your make up on your face!

If you're new here, I am plagued with oily skin and giant pores. Life dealt me those cards and I've had to find ways to work around this. To combat my giant pores as well as ensuring that my foundation/bb cream stays put all day, I will start off with a really good base coat on my face. After applying my SPF moisturiser I'll come in with a primer. Right now I am using Maybelline's Baby Skin. This is a really good budget purchase for everyday wear. The primary ingredient in this primer is Dimethicone, which is a silicone-based polymer which creates a smooth and flawless appearance to the skin. This will ensure that whatever you put on top of it, will adhere better to your skin than if you didn't.

As an additional precautionary measure, I like to use my Benefit PoreFessional Licence to Blot stick in area's I feel get the most oily. This blotting stick is used to mattify areas that tend to over produce oil. My skin produces more oil when I'm hot, so my nose, chin and T-Zone tend to start getting overly shiney and my BB Cream will begin to slide as the day goes on. This stick acts as both a mattify agent as well as primer, allowing for my makeup to stay in place for longer. What's even better, is if you find you're getting oily as the day goes on, you can apply this directly over your makeup.

If you have a stunningly even complexion, and just have the odd breakout, I would suggest skipping the foundation/BB Cream at all costs and going oh natural. I used LA Girl's HD Conceal to cover up any pesky little breakouts and combat my dark under eye circles.

Right, so after I prime, I try my hardest to steer away from foundation in the summer. I have nothing against foundation, but the last thing I want on my face is something that will make it feel even more smothered and greasy. I tend to reach for a BB Cream or a CC Cream when it's warmer.  BB & CC Creams are lighter and tend to allow the skin to breathe better than a full coverage foundation. If you are lucky enough to have skin that will allow you to get away without having to wear a cover up, go with it! Im currently using Sorbet's BB Cream in Light, although this product does contain an SPF of 15, I still recommend using some form of sunscreen underneath. Sorbet's BB Cream is also equipped with a built in primer, however we are aiming for all day flawless here, so I like to use both.

And lastly, as a final precautionary measure, I will set my makeup with a translucent powder. I am currently using Yardley's Absolute Translucent Loose Powder. Although it says translucent in the name, this powder does have a pale nudey orange tint to it, so make sure to blend well to avoid looking like the Oros man. Should all of my previous steps fail to keep the oiliness at bay, I can always rely on my Oil Control Blotting Paper from Essence. Gently pat the sheet over any oily areas, and the sheet will immediately soak up the oil, leaving you with a flawless matt finish.

How to you ensure your makeup lasts all day?

Until next time...