Cosmetics Ideas for the Spring and Summer

The spring and summer seasons are the perfect times of year to experience a footloose and fancy free feeling with your cosmetics and make-up. The warmer months are a great time to try new cosmetic tactics in attempts to feel and look fresh. Spring and summer is also a great time to update your beauty arsenal with new and exciting cosmetic finds.

Change Basic Moisturizers and Foundations

Because the changing weather affects the moisture in your skin and hair, you will need to think about different moisturizers and foundations for the spring and summer months. When the temperature rises, you may want to think about more oil-free and less greasy products as you will most likely be sweating more during these warmer times. If you have dry skin, you may not need to worry as much. But if you have combination or oily skin to begin with, look for a skin care line that will purify, moisturize, and matte your skin for these seasons.

Change the Colors of Your Make-up

During the spring and summer months you will most likely be outside more often than the fall and winter. This means that even if you do not try, your skin may become richer in color as you tan. A new make-up palette may be a great idea to help harmonize your tanning skin with your spring and summer wardrobes. If you plan to hit the beach or pool, remember the waterproof mascara, otherwise you will end up with raccoon eyes under your sunglasses! Also, powder eye shadows and blushes work better in warm weather than creams. You will not clog your pores as much with the powder materials.

Prepare Your Skin

Your skin is largest organ of your body and you need to treat it right. Drinking plenty of water, especially in the warmer spring and summer months, can greatly benefit your mind, body and spirit. Also try to start with freshly cleaned and moisturized skin before applying any cosmetics. If you put too much on, blot it away with a tissue or an oil-absorbing sheet.

During the spring and summer, you may not want to use your usual heavy foundation. A tinted moisturizer may be enough to do the trick. Or, think about mixing your concealer, or regular foundation, with your moisturizer to give you just a light, sheer layer of base. During these warmer months, you may not even need to apply the base to your entire face. Instead, apply it only where you need it most. After application of your concealer and foundation, lightly dust your face with a translucent face powder to set the make-up in and prevent shine. Throughout the day, you should not need any more foundation as a light application of translucent powder will freshen up your look if you need it.

Frame Your Face - The Eyes and Cheeks

During the spring and summer, it is even more important to make sure that your eyebrows are well-groomed. This means waxing, trimming, and tweezing when necessary. Also, if you need any quick grooming, be sure to do so before you apply any make-up or moisturizer.

Even if you get your brows groomed by a professional, you will need to maintain them during the weeks between waxings. This can be a very simple task by just using a clean mascara wand or eyebrow brush to comb them into place. This also smoothes them down and makes the hairs easier to work with. Just remember, if you are using an eyebrow filler, use as little as possible to achieve a fresh and natural look. In these warmer months, it is always advised to use powder eyebrow filler instead of a pencil.

Many women go the entire spring and summer without using any cheek color. It is true that you will not need as much blush during the warmer months, but it is recommended to still use a light dusting. A brighter color during the spring and summer is a great idea. Just remember to choose a color that works well with your skin tone. A good quality sheer cheek color applied liberally will usually work well with any skin tone. During the warmer months a cram and liquid check color looks the most natural, but remember to use translucent powder to set it in, especially if you suffer from oily skin.

To apply cheek color properly use a large brush, similar to the one used for your loose powder. If you are using a cream cheek color, just dab the brush and swirl it on the back of your hand (or on a tissue) to distribute the color. Do the same for powder, but tap instead of swirl. You apply cheek color beginning at the apples of your cheeks all the way up the cheekbone to your hairline at the temple.

The Main Focus - Your Eyes and Lips

The spring and summer are perfect for playing up your eyes and lips. In fact, these are the easiest to deal with during the warmer months of the year. It is a great time to go with sheer, shimmery, and flesh tones, but it is also perfectly acceptable to go for a big pop of color as well.

Try to curl your eyelashes before applying mascara. This will accentuate your eyes and make them look bigger. Bigger eyes also have the effect of making you look more awake and younger!

When it comes to lip color in the spring and summer, you can really go wild! The rest of your face will be relatively toned down, so try to use a subtle lip stain and deck it out with a layer of shiny gloss. You do not have to use clear gloss either. A sheer pink gloss can brighten up any color. During the warm weather, forget about the lip liner and lipstick; stick with fresh lip stains and glosses to keep that natural look and feel.




Suzanne Bradley is a freelance writer who writes about fashion and beauty, often focusing on specific products such as cosmetics.