During Summer, Cool It on the Makeup
“Care for a makeover?” asks the clerk at the cosmetics counter as I rush toward the escalator and the sale racks.
Do I look like I need one? Maybe I just look like an easy mark.
Either way, summer seems like a good time to update the old makeup bag. Not coincidentally, the cosmetic companies have come out with a slew of goof-proof products this season that don’t require painstaking application beneath hot bathroom lights. In cream and stick form, these new eye, face and lip colors blend easily into sunscreen-prepped skin, almost like frescoing a wall. The only dry medium used is a dusting of translucent powder to cut any residual shine.
For further guidance, I ask the woman who glamorizes Jodie Foster, Minnie Driver and Drew Barrymore on a regular basis--makeup artist Lucienne Zammitt of the Cloutier agency in Santa Monica.
“Pretty, tanned skin is the best thing you can wear in the summer,” says Zammitt, who suggests faking it with self-tanner or tinted sunblock.
“And I like strong lip color, like red, fuchsia, or pink.” Stay away from anything lighter, she says. “I’m not a huge fan of tan skin, pale lips. It’s too dated.”
Armed with a tan and bold lips, you can go easy on your eye makeup, Zammitt says. Skip dark eyeshadows and contouring powders.
“There are lots of cream shadows out now that can be smudged around the eye for a very naked look,” she says. “Add a little shimmer under a nicely shaped brow. And maybe some eyeliner.
“A lot of companies make powder pencils that aren’t greasy. Or just go with mascara, and you’re done. In general, I prefer a cleaner eye in summer because I just don’t think it looks pretty or fresh to walk around in the heat with a lot of eye makeup on.”
Zammitt isn’t a fan of waterproof mascara, as some versions “need a jackhammer to come off” and damage eyelashes in the process. One way to keep mascara from running in the heat is not to wear it (or eyeliner) on lower lashes during the day.
Texture is just as important as color. Faces are dewy, with cheeks subtly bronzed by cream blush.
“Francois Nars makes a stick that you can use on your lips, cheeks, and eyes,” says Zammitt. “And it’s handy to pack for quick touch-ups.”
Summer lips are all wet, thanks to lip gloss.
“It’s gooey, it’s glossy, it’s fabulous, whichever brand works for you,” she says. “As opposed to opaque, matte lipstick. Dry lips? That look was five years ago. The new glosses give you bold, but sheer, color on your lips.”
If this face still sounds like too much work, Zammitt reiterates her less-is-more theory for summer. “I think nothing looks prettier than a bare face. With a red-stained mouth.”
Makeup minimalists will rejoice, but makeup junkies might want to sample some of the new summer cosmetics below, judged to be tried and true, at least by this tester.
For the Face: a tinted sunscreen like Murasun Daily Sunblock with Antioxidants, SPF 15, in both light and dark tints. $16.50. (800) 33-MURAD. Also, Origins’ Sunny Disposition, a one-shade-fits-all liquid bronzer that gives fair skin a warm glow, dark skin a bronze hue. $15. (800) ORIGINS.
On Lips: shiny lipstick like L’Oreal Rouge Pulp Liquid Lipcolor, which lasts longer than most glosses because it contains wax, vitamin E and silicone ($8 at drugstores). Or, on top of your regular lipstick, add a clear gloss like Trucco’s Slick, $6.50, for a vinyl-like shine. (800) 829-7322.
On Lips, Cheeks and Eyes: A chubby pencil like Chanel’s Triple Colour Crayon lets you draw on waterproof lipstick, blush and shadow, although some of the pinker shades aren’t for the eye area ($30 at department stores).
On Cheeks: A creamy blush like Senna’s Rouging Velvet in Coy gives a subtle glow to cheeks. $15. (800) 537-3662.
For Eyes: eyelids, a creamy shadow like Clinique’s Smudgecicles with “volatile silicones” ensures crease-free lids throughout the day. In eight waterproof shades, $12.50 at department stores. Shadow Sticks by Origins is a powder pencil that lines eyes without smearing. $12.50. (800) ORIGINS. For highlighting under the brow-bone, Senna’s Beigelite is a pearly accenting cream. $15. (800) 537-3662. Physicians Formula’s Month 2 Month Mascara, $5.95, (800) 227-0333.
Nails: a pale but not opaque polish, like Silver Lilac by Merle Norman. $5. (800) 348-8889.
Makeup for Hair: Nourishing by ABBA, a leave-in conditioner with sunscreen keeps hair color from fading and protects it from chlorine damage (when a swim cap is worn). Nourishing can also be used on the face to remove makeup and moisturize skin and as a shaving cream for legs. $6. (800) 848-4475.
