Fashion Fridays: The Face of Summer

There are two areas where most women typically slip up:

(1) they don’t know their actual bra size, and a well fitted bra makes for well fitted clothes,

(2) they don’t change their make up routine.

I fall clearly into that last category.

Sometime before I got married, maybe 2004 or 2005, I overhauled my make up routine in its entirety.  I settled on using MAC products and used as my “base” MAC Studio Fix.  It’s like a powder base and very light.  My eye makeup was MAC as well as were most of my lipsticks, but I adored L’Oreal Voluminous mascara and used an assortment of blushes.

Here’s the problem.  I have terribly dry skin and that was ten years ago so I’ve, ahem, aged considerably.

So this is a forum for The Face of Summer.  Even if you’ve got a terrific outfit on, if your face looks mismatched or your make up is too dry or heavy, then it takes away from everything else.  Because let’s face it, we look at each other’s face 59 minutes out of the 60 minutes we’re talking.

I asked some friends what their make up routine is and if they change it up for the summer and got some great feedback.

1.  Most of them are wearing BB crème.  Did you know this already?  Wow, am I behind in the make up routine (thank heavens for my niece)!  Sephora has an entire category of BB crèmes and CC crèmes (the next iteration which corrects fine lines).  These can be used to moisturize and then perfect skin so you can essentially use it as a base.

2.  Most folks were using one iteration of these crèmes, but tinted to give their face color, and then topping it with a powder (and apparently you can get those with sunscreen too).

3.  Others lighten up their products for summer like lightening their eyeliner color and lip color to brighten up for spring.  I’ve done the lip color change but never the eyeliner so that’s a great way to freshen your face for summer.

4.  Here were some of their recommended products:  Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer, Smashbox BB crème for face topped with mineral powder and Jergens BB crème for legs, Dr. Jart Black BB detox, 3 lab BB crème with sunscreen powder, Styla Luminescent tinted moisturizer, Elta MD Clear sunscreen with Intellishade tinted sunscreen topped with Studio Fix applied by brush, and  Bobbi Brown BB crème.

5.  The recommendations for BB crème from Allure, which refers to them as tinted moisturizers on steroids, are skin dependent, as they should be.  They recommend Dr. Brandt signature Flexitone BB crème for dull skin, Stilla Stay All Day 10-in-1 HD Beauty Balm for aging skin, and much more.  They have eight recommendations in all.  And both Allure and Elle’s top eight crèmes had Dr. Jart on their list, so it seems to be a house favorite.  Bobbi Brown and Dr. Brandt made both lists as well.

For eyeliners, I will likely stick with MAC because it’s consistency is the best I’ve found on the market.  And I keep about six lipsticks in my purse at all times so I love experimenting with different products there.

So what is your go to facial product?  What can’t you live without?  Do you change up your routine in the summer?  Give us all your best tips and tricks in the comments.