Hot-Weather Makeup: 13 Products and Tips to Keep Your Cosmetics From Melting Away  This Summer

Your face will look flawless no matter how intense the sun burns. (Just don't forget the SPF!)

14 Hot-Weather Makeup Tips and Beauty Secrets
Photo: Getty Images

We all look forward to fun in the sun until we're right in the thick of heat and humidity. Poolside vacays and summer fiestas are grand, but melting foundation, smeared mascara, oily skin, and painful sunburns? Not so much. It's probably safe to assume we've all been there and nursed that, but it doesn't have to be the norm. The following hot-weather makeup and beauty tricks will help you avoid these dilemmas while ensuring your routine is effortless and your face flawless.

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Make Sunscreen a Priority

Make Sunscreen a Priority
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Sunscreen should be a part of your regular routine year-round, but summer usually requires more diligence since we tend to sweat a little more. When indoors and cool, you can reapply every four hours (UV rays can pass through glass windows). But when you're out in the sun, you should reapply every two hours or every time you come out of the pool or have been sweating.

Because reapplying can be tricky throughout the day, try spray-on sunscreen, such as Supergoop! (Re)setting Refreshing Mist SPF 40 ($32, supergoop.com). It gives you a refreshing boost while protecting your skin from the sun.

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Ease Up on Your Normal Makeup Routine

Ease Up on Your Normal Makeup Routine
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Under a blazing sun, a full face of makeup can feel heavy and even turn runny. Instead of a full beat, keep your makeup light. Start with sunscreen, then follow up with a tinted moisturizer, BB cream, or face powder. Alternatively, keep your skin bare and spot-correct with your favorite concealer. Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof 12-Hour Concealer ($25; sephora.com) boasts an oil-free formulation, buildable matte coverage, and 12-hour staying power.

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Think About Going Matte

Think About Going Matte
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Matte makeup stays on better than creamy or glossy products, and since it's formulated without mineral oil or petrolatum it won't crease throughout the day. It's also a boon for oily or sweat-prone skin. Try either a lightweight, mattifying alphabet cream—such as IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Oil-Free Matte with SPF 40 ($44; sephora.com)—or a powder foundation.

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Thwart Oil With a Morning Toner

Bust Oil With a Morning Toner
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Another way to control shine throughout the day is to swipe on a mattifying toner in the morning before moving ahead with the rest of your skincare and makeup routine. A salicylic acid toner, like Sunday Riley Martian Mattifying Melting Water-Gel Toner ($25; ulta.com), whisks away the dead cells that sit on top of the skin and retain oil. It also has a cooling effect and will help ward off acne.

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Opt for Multitasking Makeup

Opt for Multitasking Makeup
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Save time and use fewer products by reaching for multitasking products that work harder for you. Fewer products mean less hassle when traveling (and in your everyday life), and it also helps create a cohesive look. Try Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek ($22; milkmakeup.com), which you can also use across your lids.

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Enjoy the Bronze Age

Enjoy the Bronze Age
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For, ahem, "natural" summertime radiance, nothing beats a well-done bronzer. Choose one that's no more than two shades deeper than your skin tone. NARS makes an assortment of bronzers ($38; narscosmetics.com), which is a makeup artist's go-to.

After the rest of your makeup has set for a few minutes (damp skin will lead to streaky application), swirl your brush over the top of the compact and tap off any excess on the back of your hand. Sweep the brush along your temple, down toward one cheekbone, and then to your jawline, completing a number "3" figuration. Repeat on the other side.

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Employ an Eye Primer

Eye Primers Are a Must
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Whether you're opting for a single wash of color across your lids or a full smoky eye, makeup primer is an absolute must. This is especially true during the hot months when sweat and oil are at their peak production levels. You can't go wrong with a classic like Urban Decay Cosmetics Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion ($16; sephora.com).

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Choose Waterproof Mascara

Always Choose Waterproof Mascara
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Even if you're not within sight of a pool or shoreline, waterproof mascara is a must come summertime. Mascara is prone to streaking and smearing from sweat and humidity, but a waterproof formulation will help lock in the product. Lancôme Monsieur Big Waterproof Mascara ($30; sephora.com) is a top-rated option that's waterproof, sweatproof, pool-proof, and tear-proof.

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Blot Like You Mean It

Blot Like You Mean It
ulta.com

Makeup artist Kate Lee suggests dabbing lips with blotting paper after applying lipstick or pencil, which will help prevent color bleeding and fading. "Unlike a tissue, it's designed to absorb oil, leaving behind only a stain of pigment." Try Winky Lux Matcha Blotting Sheets ($8; ulta.com).

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Use Tinted Lip Balm as a Great Option

Tinted Lip Balm Is Also a Great Option
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Opt for a tinted lip balm to keep your makeup routine extra breezy—or for days when you just want a sheer wash of color and moisturized lips. Bonus points if it has SPF, like Sun Bum Tinted Lip Balm SPF 15 ($6; amazon.com), which comes in four neutral, pretty shades.

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Bring the Heat With a Little Nail Polish

Bring the Heat With a Little Nail Polish
coteshop.co

Summer is a great time to experiment with bold hues, which look incredible against faux-tanned skin. Nail polish brand Côte has a neon nail polish line ($18 each; coteshop.com) that includes pink, orange, green, and yellow—and it is everything.

Tip

To brighten up a sheer hue, brush on an inexpensive opaque white polish before applying the color; the white will perk it up.

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Keep Frizz Away With Anti-Humidity Spray

Keep Frizz Away With Anti-Humidity Spray
sephora.com

Texture, body, and volume are great, but frizzies can be absolutely frustrating. You can have the best of both worlds, though, by using products that specifically bust humidity. For example, Amika's The Shield Anti-Humidity Spray ($28; loveamika.com) creates an invisible, lightweight barrier over hair strands that protect it from the elements, including humidity, UV rays, dirt, and pollution.

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Skip Heavy Fragrances

Skip Heavy Fragrances
bastide.com

Don't bog yourself down with a heavy fragrance, which can sometimes feel nauseating and cloying during the height of summer. Instead opt for an eau de toilette (EDT) with bright notes, such as Bastide Verveine du Sud Eau de Toilette ($32 for the rollerball; bastide.com). It's much lighter than a traditional EDP and features sparkling notes of citrus and soft amber.

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