Natural Makeup for the Summer Season

With the exception of those special occasions that call for the big guns, makeup for the everyday should be as natural as possible. And with the summer sun that naturally brings out the blush and warm tone to the skin, applying summer makeup can thankfully go even lighter, leaving you with less cosmetics on your face yet looking just as radiant. In this article you'll know how to do a clean, quick, simple, yet undoubtedly effective means of putting on your summer makeup. The following is the order of application.

1) Base - always start off with a clean face by using the face wash of your choice. After drying it from access moisture, apply sunscreen (I use Neutrogena since it also works as a moisturizer). It's a sheer sunscreen so no one will be able to see it, but you will rest assured that you are protected from the harshness of the sun. Then apply your base so that your desired skin tone is evenly spread across your face, chin, and neck. I use a mineral based powder.

2) Eyebrows - this jewel of wisdom was passed onto me from my older cousin: eyebrow gel or clear mascara. For those with unruly eyebrows, simply putting on eyebrow gel or clear mascara definitely goes a long way. Just the mere application keeps the shape and structure of your eyebrows without them disheveling throughout the day. It ultimately makes you look simply clean and polished.

3) Eye shadow - you can get away with just the application of three shades: one that's the lightest, a medium shade, and the darkest. Use the lightest shade as a highlighting agent by applying it just below the brow line, at the tear duct, and at the center or the ball of your eyelid (it should be aligned to your pupil). Take the medium shade and brush it across the eyelid and the brow bone. Finally, take the darkest shade and apply it into the crease of your eyelid to add depth and dimension to the eye as a whole.

4) Eyeliner - there are several mediums of eyeliner: pencil, liquid, powder. The one I'm most partial to is the magic of the chiseled angled brush and black powder. As opposed to a dramatic dark line, the powder emits a very soft and natural look while still allowing your eyes to pop. First dab your angled brush to the black palette then apply the powder starting at the middle of your eyelid and lining outward. Afterward, carefully and thinly line from the tear duct to the middle of your eye lid where you had first commenced. Now, imagine the eyes of the Disney princesses or anime characters and note how as the line proceeds on outward to the corner of your eye it gains thickness. Likewise, trace your lid several times from the middle of the eyelid on outward so that each stroke manages to gain a bit of thickness to the line. Make sure that the eyeliner does not exceed too far onto where your eye shadow is supposed to be.

5) Eyelashes - if you need to apply mascara for length and/or volume, be wary of heavy clumping. I almost never use mascara, but I understand that you must take your brush and begin at the base of the lash and, in tiny strokes, work your way up to the tip. My cousins have also advised that blinking with the mascara brush close to your lashes works satisfactorily as well. To get the smaller lashes that are near the tear duct, take the tip of the mascara brush and gently brush the lashes. Take your eyelash curler and first close the clamp at the base of the lash. Open the curler, then clamp the middle of the last. Then open the curler, and finally clamp the tip. Give you lashes a pretty natural curve. If your lashes are of exceptional length, then I heavily advise that you make do without the mascara. What I simply do is take a lash comb and quickly comb it through so that the lashes are not unruly and crossing. Then I curl them as the aforementioned instructions above advised. It is soft and natural, which is exactly what we need during the summer.

6) Blush - have your color of choice at hand (preferably a naturally warm hue that is not a far cry from your nature complexion. Example: if you are fair skinned, applying a deep Cherokee red would not be advisable. Try a more complementary hue, like a sweet pink!) I personally work with a slightly chiseled blush brush. Some people advise a sharp diagonal line that emphasizes the cheek bone whereas others prefer to add color to the cheeks for the sunken look. You can try out both looks to see which accommodates your facial structure most flatteringly. I actually apply blush to an area that is the lower half of my cheekbone and the uppermost section of my cheek. But again, apply to where you feel it looks the nicest and the most natural!

7) Lips - I personally use Burt's Bees Chapstick on my lips. It's sheer, but it packs a powerful punch since it adds a nice sheen to the natural hue of my lips. Not to mention that it feels cool and soothing. However, I'm definite there are many shades of lip glosses that accomplish that natural look as well. I know Burt's Bees does, while having the cool and soothing feeling all the same. So experiment!

Although this is a rather lengthy article, the actual application should just take about five minutes. That way, there is less of a hassle to slave in front of a mirror and yet more of a satisfaction with the end product. Besides, the best thing is to have people notice a prettiness about you with having the notion of cosmetic usage far from their minds.

Credit:
I learned everything I know from my cousin, Jaenee Manimtim Cajudo.