Living in the heat of a southern California summer while trying to maintain a fresh face of make-up can be quite difficult. Personally, unless I am indoors with air conditioning, I can feel my skin becoming slick and my powder foundation begins to look muddy. Luckily, there are some easy to follow tips that can help with these issues without having to stop all of the outdoor summer fun.

First and foremost, before anything goes on your face, it is important to exfoliate your skin so that your skin will be smooth. This will help the products to stay on. Over exfoliating can dry out your skin, so be sure to only exfoliate 2-3 times a week.  To protect your skin from unwanted UV rays and premature aging, make sure to use a sunscreen with a high SPF before applying your make-up. One of my personal favorites is the SkinMedica SPF 30 Daily Defense Sunscreen (retails for $50).  I hate the feeling of sunscreen on my face, but this one is light enough to wear every day! Also, it is suggested that a primer without silicone is used to prevent make-up from sliding all over the face.  I love products that have multiple functions, and a well-kept secret is to use SkinMedica’s Vitamin C & E complex as a primer.  The silky smooth texture is a perfect base for creating a flawless face!  Not only that, but you also get all of the antioxidants and vitamins that your skin needs, all in one product.

Since being in the heat can be unavoidable at times, using cream products can help your skin work with the dewiness that will occur as opposed to using powders which can become thick. As far as eye shadow goes, stick with a simple, creamy shadow that will stay put once it dries. In this case, less is definitely more. Finally, add some water-proof eyeliner and mascara to complete the look without dealing with any dark raccoon eyes that can come with sweating or being in the water.

When you’re out having fun this summer, melting make-up should not be something you want to or have to worry about, so follow these tips and have some fun in the sun!