Summer Makeup Essentials

Recently I went on holiday to Italy where the temperatures were reaching over 40 degrees!

Here is a summary of products I used to keep my makeup looking flawless in the heat!

Primer

For a primer, I used Bobbi Brown Extra Illuminating Moisture Balm. When in the sun, I think its nice to add a glow to your skin and this does exactly that. At £42.50, this is quite an expensive product. A good alternative would be the Mac Strobe cream, which you can pick up in a travel size for £10.

Foundation

When using foundation in hot weather, I like to use something with a light, buildable coverage. I chose Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder foundation when I was on holiday and sheered it down with L'oreal True Match liquid illuminator in the shade Golden Glow. Mixing these products together gave me a light to medium coverage and gave my skin a sunkissed, holiday glow. The liquid illuminator is priced at £8.99 and I think is great value for money as you get a lot of product! The Charlotte Tilbury foundation is £32.

Concealer

For concealer, I chose Rodial Airbrush concealer which I love because it feels light on the skin, but offers a full coverage. I applied this under my eyes, down the centre of my nose, in the centre of my forehead and on my chin. This is priced at £32

Bronzer

One of my favourite bronzers is the Chanel Tan de Soleil Chanel. It's nice and creamy so it blends really well into the skin, and you can apply it in light layers to build up the product to give the look you want. The shade is universal so works well on a lot of skin tones, so perfect for when you tan on holiday! This is £36 but you do get a lot of product for your money and this will last you a long time. However, a great alternative is the Cassie Lomas B. Beauty from Superdrug whipped bronzer, which is priced at £8.99.

I then went over this product with Too Faced Chocolate Soleil bronzer to set the cream product and make sure it lasted! This product is priced at £25. A nice alternative to this bronzer would be Benefit Hoola, which you can pick up in a travel size for £12.50

Blush

My favourite blush to use in summer is the Laura Geller blush in Pink Grapefruit. I love this when on holiday as it has a nice shimmer to it and works well with a tan because it has tones of beige and mauve as well as pink. This is priced at £23

Highlight

To highlight, I used the Iconic London liquid illuminator in the shade original, and then went over it with Rodial Instaglam deluxe highlighting powder in shade 02. The Rodial product is expensive at £52, however you do get a lot of product for your money. The Iconic London illuminator is £29.99

Eyes

Instead of eyeshadow, when on holiday I just like to run the same powder bronzer and powder blush I use on my face and put it through the crease of the eye. This gives an effortless look perfect for holidays but ties your makeup look together, and the finish with applying mascara.

Lips

My go to lip colour on holiday this time was the Cassie Lomas B. Beauty liquid lip in the shade All About Me. This colour is the perfect peachy, nude - perfect for summer. This is priced at £6.99 and is available from Superdrug.

Powder

To finish off the makeup look, and ensure it was set, I applied Charlotte Tilbury airbrush flawless finish powder under the eyes and through the centre of my face. I like this powder as it is very fine and it sets the makeup without looking cakey on the skin. This is priced at £33

My Favourite Products

As a makeup artist, I often get asked what my favourite products are or what I would recommend buying or investing in for your personal makeup kit or if you are just starting out as a makeup artist. I have chosen items from each section of my kit which I couldn't live without!

Skincare

Recently I have really been enjoying using Rodial products. My favourite skincare product from them at the moment has to be my Stem Cell Magic Gel. This is quite a pricey product at £55 but I definitely think it is worth it. Not only does it work as a great moisturiser it also primes the skin perfectly for makeup application. On days where I am not wearing makeup, it also gives a healthy looking glow to my skin. You can also apply a thick layer of this at night to act as a face mask.

Primer

My favourite primer at the moment has to be my Laura Mercier radiance primer. At £30 this isn't a cheap product, however a little does go a long way. This primer gives a really nice glow to the skin that everyone seems to want at the moment, it is also nice mixed into your foundation if you want to add that extra dewiness to your skin.

Foundation

It is hard to pick just one foundation as choosing a foundation is usually down to personal preference, based on what coverage you want and what skin type you have. However, my go to foundation when working is usually the Charlotte Tilbury light wonder foundation. I carry two shades of this in my kit, 2 and 7, and find I can usually mix these two to suit most skin tones. This foundation aims to smooth, hydrate, illuminate, minimise pores and reduce wrinkles and I find it suits most skin types. This foundation is £32, although there is a pro artist program where makeup artists can apply for a 30% discount.

Concealer

As a makeup artist, my go to concealers are from Mac. They provide concealer palettes which cover all the shades you need as a makeup artist and are really handy to carry in your kit. These are £36 however makeup artists can apply for a 35% discount.

Powder

For a translucent powder to set makeup, I really like the RCMA no-colour powder - which is also affordable at £12. You can buy this on Beauty Bay. I apply this powder under the eyes to set concealer, and also in any areas where you want to avoid shine, such as the T-zone.

Liquid highlight

For a cream highlight, I absolutely love the Iconic London illuminators. I carry two shades in my makeup kit, original and shine. I tend to use original for when I want a more bronzed look and shine when creating a light, bright highlight. I apply these to the highpoints of the face over foundation where I want a strong glow and also often apply them under foundation when I want to create more of a glow from within look. These illuminators are also lovely mixed into foundations for when you want an all over glow. These are priced at £29.99 however they often have discount codes available - use code "HOLDUP" for £5 off your next order

Powder Highlight

I often go through phases of using different powder highlighters, however at the moment my favourite is Double Gleam from Mac which is an extra dimension skin finish. This is for when you want a really strong highlight and works well layered over the Iconic London illuminators. Double Gleam is a beige that breaks silver and is priced at £24.50 however makeup artists can apply for a 35% discount.

Bronzer

My go to bronzer that I use on almost everyone is the Chanel Soleil Tan which is a cream bronzer and works really well on many skin types. It is priced at £32 however this product will last a long time. You can use a little product or build it up depending on your skin tone and what cover you are looking for.

Blush

My favourite blush at the moment is from Laura Geller in the shade Pink Grapefruit. This shade has tones of beige, mauve and shimmering pink. This blush is lightweight and creates a really nice flush of colour. I bought mine from Beauty Bay and it is priced at £23.

Brow products

My favourite brow product at the moment is the Anastasia Beverly Hills brow wiz, I have the colour soft brown. I find this product really easy to use and find it helps me create soft, natural looking brows. I bought mine from Beauty Bay and it is priced at £15.50.

Mascara

In general, I don't think you need to spend a great deal of money on mascara, make sure you curl your lashes and most mascaras will work great! However my go to mascara is Extended Play from Mac. This mascara is £15.50 (makeup artists can apply for a 35% discount) and I love it because it has a small thin wand, which helps to define lashes, creating length but without making them look clumpy.

These are my top products at the moment! Any questions just ask!

Thanks

Charlotte x