Mastering the dewy look for a sweltering summer

Summer is the best time of the year to celebrate natural beauty. As the days get longer, the make-up looks become more about having a natural glow, and a fresh look with minimalistic accessories.  

Creating the natural look is not very difficult. All it requires is a healthy eating and exercising regime, which is also recommended for all year round. 

However, with the use of the right make-up products in a few simple steps, it is possible to master the art of a natural, make-up free look for the sweltering summer. 

Keeping your skin clean and fresh is the first condition to look beautiful in summer. When it comes to summer beauty products, sunscreen is the first thing that should be in your make-up bag. Then comes weightless, oil-free and water based lotions, creams and serums. 

Do not forget to use waterproof make-up in summer, otherwise your make-up will turn into a sweaty disaster under the sun. Rubbing an ice cube sometime helps to close the pores and reduce sweating. 

Summer calls for strokes of highlighters and bronzers to enhance the tanned look. Beauty experts suggest to use tinted and oil-free products during this time. 

You can go for a dewy, rosy look, or even metallic eyes, but be careful about not piling on products and choking your pores. Listed below are some hacks that should be kept in mind to achieve a natural look in summer:

Photo: Noor-A-Alam

Use tinted moisturisers

To get a make-up free look, use tinted moisturiser but do not use a lot of it, because it will get smudged in the heat. 

Contour with powder bronzers

Using bronzer for contouring is tricky in summer. You will have to use a powder bronzer to get a radiant and shiny look. You can apply the bronzer to the contour of your cheeks, and the outer corner of the eye with a foundation brush or fingertips. Use a good product to avoid disasters or blemishes.

Use eye balms

Having naturally smooth under eyes is a blessing. But our hectic and unhealthy lifestyles often bring dark circles. To hide these dark circles, we can use concealer. You can use a hydrating eye cream, serum, or eye balm that allows for the concealer to blend in seamlessly. There are many eye balms out there in the market from which you can select the ones which are organic and contains vitamin E. You can also use multi-beneficial moisturisers that are sun-friendly and contain SPF.

Apply lip-glosses

Lip-glosses are your best friend in summer because they are easy on your lips, and do not melt away or bleed like lipsticks. Moreover, it is better to set aside dark colours for an evening program. Use nude or shimmery lip glosses in shades of coral, champagne, rose that has SPF and ultra-hydrating elements to keep your lips soft. If you want a softer, more natural look, you can use tinted lip balms or lip stains. 

Sumaiya Islam of "Elyrra by Sumaiya Islam" shared her take on summer make-up look with us. The make-up artist prefers to highlight the natural skin tone, and not use layers of products. 

She said, "Always start off with a moisturiser with SPF. Instead of heavy powder or foundation, use a concealer in summer. For a dewy look, you can apply bits of highlighter, along with a tinted primer. BB creams or CC creams will also help to achieve a natural look."

She said, "It would be better if you avoid vibrant colours for summer. You can use neutral shades and nudes in beige, pink and brown for work. Try using red or orange for evening parties or hangouts with friends."

Sumaiya added, "Drink plenty of water in summer because a clear, healthy skin beats any make-up look. If your skin has break outs or rashes, there is no point in applying make-up on it. Also, carefully check make-up products, and have patch tests before using them."