It’s August. It’s hot. And ‘when is the summer going to arrive?‘ complaints have well and truly come to a halt. It’s here, we’re melting and currently at the top of my ‘to-buy’ list is a deck chair that I’ll probably get to use maybe once or twice before a wintery chill sets in. And I have to say that this month’s beauty bag was a bit of a head scratcher – makeup has taken a  real back seat for me recently and the less is more approach (or just nothing) is my current mantra. However there are a few products that I’ll be adding into my cosmetics cycle for the final bout of heat, and they all concern a melt-free base. One that stays put even on the hottest climate of all, the tube.
The SPF Oomped-up Primer – KIKO City Filter Sunscreen SPF 50 – £12.99 – KIKO. Now I like to keep my SPF separate, rather than combo-ed up in other products but for days where I’m mostly inside with a few quick al fresco dashes from door to door I’ll draw an exception for this. An extremely light liquid that blends over and leaves a velvety smooth base for everything else. But I’m struggling to find the backstory on this; anyone know if it offers broad-spectrum protection?
The Light Base – Origins Smarty Plants CC SPF 20 in Light* – £28 – Origins (out this month). It’s fair to say we’re all over the whole BB/CC/DD thang. But hear me out cause Origins CC offering is really rather lovely. A little more pigment than their BB, with a bit less dew, I like it and I’m struggling to draw comparisons from my heaving sheer finishes stash. Full review in the works.
The ‘I Need a Bit More Help’ Base – YSL Teint Touche Elcat Foundation in B40 – £29 – Selfridges. Over recent weeks I’ve fallen back in love with stuff. Light, but glowy, covering but not cakey. The key with this texture is to layer up – one for a tinted moisturiser-esque finish, two for a coverage that will blend in rosy cheeks and three if you’re really having trouble. It’s not the most long-lasting, but coupled up with the final product going into the beauty bag and the fact it’s undetectable under direct sun scrutiny, it makes the cut.
The Foundation Mixer – Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation in Au* – £27 – Selfridges. Now this is a good’un. Some kind of bronzey liquid that can be mixed in with your plethora of bases is a much overlooked, but required essential. My Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk is starting to look a little ghostly, but a 5p-sized dollop of this in it and boom – limbs, body and face match up. All with a slight glint of shimmer.
The Concealer – L’Oreal True Match The Touche Magique in Ivory Beige – £6.95 – FeelUnique. A must-have this month is a do-it-all concealer for brushing goodbye to bags to just striping on sad skin patches when foundation just seems a little too much. I find this the perfect mix of coverage that stays put and its balanced pink/yellow tone is the correct match for my complexion right now.
The Lock-In Fixer – Clarins Fix Makeup – £17.60 – Escentual. Dedicated makeup setting sprays were new territory this summer, and after rigorous ‘I can feel the drop of sweat trailing down my back‘ testing this one comes up top. Not too moist, a nice spray circumference and it helps to eek out my makeup for that little bit longer without a dust of powder in sight.
Summer beauty pillars sorted, lets enjoy soaking up the last rays of the season; all you need is the aforementioned, your Bans and a Calippo. Sorted.
*PR Sample
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