Summer Makeup Prep

Friday, June 21, 2019

It's heating up for me here in the northern hemisphere. In the very hottest part of the summer, day time temperatures are often over 100°F/ 38°C for a week or more at a time. It's a dry heat that can really exacerbate my t-zone oiliness. At the same time my cheeks and now eye areas dry out from the AC, so it's a balancing act to address combination skin when preparing it for makeup. Today I want to talk about two products that I've really liked the last couple of years.

I really like thick, stickier gel type makeup primers for my skin. They keep my makeup looking fresh and and the skin underneath from flaking. Oily skin also looks remarkably better when the skin is well hydrated, instead of sitting on top like an oil slick it looks more like dewiness. Unfortunately these honey-like primers don't always like me back; J.ONE Jelly Pack broke me out (but SO GOOD!) and Milk Makeup's Hydro Grip stung (but gets a lot of rave reviews from folks who fare fine with alcohol denat).

Pure Heal's Propolis 90 Ampoule treats me right! I've blogged about this skincare item before, but it's absolutely crucial in the summer for me. This ampoule keeps my face from dehydrating, so my skin stays plump and smooth. When my skin dries out, foundation settles in the pores which appear larger. It's stickier in feel than Cosrx Ultimate Moisturizing Honey Overnight Mask, but I prefer the Propolis 90 Ampoule. It helps my skin hold onto moisture better.

I apply this as the very last step before sunscreen, after which I put foundation/concealer.

Ingredients:

Propolis Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Niacinamide, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Sodium Polyacrylate, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Sodium Hyaluronate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Carthamus Tinctorius (Safflower) Seed Oil, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Butylene Glycol, Illicium Verum (Anise) Fruit Extract, Caprylyl Glycol, Honey Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Caramel, Adenosine, Rose Flower Oil, Tagetes Minuta Flower Oil, Mentha Arvensis Leaf Oil, Elettaria Cardamomum Seed Oil, Thymus Vulgaris (Thyme) Oil, Eugenia Caryophyllus (Clove) Leaf Oil, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil, Vetiveria Zizanoides Root Oil, Cymbopogon Schoenanthus Oil, Pelargonium Graveolens Flower Oil, Lavandula Angustifolia (Lavender) Oil, Citrus Limon Peel Oil, Citrus Aurantium Dulcis (Orange) Peel Oil.

Ulta has stocks Pure Heal's but no products from the Propolis line, unfortunately. Your best bet is a stockist like Sweet Corea (the large 50ml bottle is about $20 there, but shipping is steep) or eBay ( roughly $18 for the 30ml bottle).

I've purchased three bottles of this Manyo Factory Galactomy T-Serum. The first bottle I purchased on a whim and I've been hooked for almost three years now. It's a slightly grey tinted gel with slight cooling feel (mint, not crazy about it). This serum is for the oiliest parts of your face. For me that's the nose and very top of the cheeks (middle part is where it used to get flakey). This dries to a semi-matte, matte finish that doesn't pill my makeup like some silica and water gel primers can. Actually sometimes I end up applying it over foundation if I don't remember until too late in my morning routine. I don't see any grey tint when it's dry. I think it makes my pores look particularly nice, sometimes some primers/t zone mattifiers lead to a lot of sebaceous filaments on my nose but that's not the case with the Galactomy T-Serum.

Usually I don't buy second bottles of mattifying products, but that's not the case with this one!

Ingredients:

Carbonated Water, Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Potassium Olivoyl Hydrolyzed Oat Protein, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Oleate, Glyceryl Stearate, Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Camellia Sinensis Leaf Water, Silica, Zea Mays (Corn) Starch, Bentonite, Zanthoxylum Piperitum Fruit Extract, Pulsatilla Koreana Extract, Usnea Barbata (Lichen) Extract, Citrus Nobilis (Mandarin Orange) Oil, Isoamyl Laurate, Glycerin, Propanediol, Centella Asiatica Extract, Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Seed Extract, Tannic Acid, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Extract, Aureobasidium Pullulans Ferment, Citrus Grandis (Grapefruit) Peel Extract, Glycyrrhiza Glabra (Licorice) Root Extract, Phaseolus Radiatus Seed Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Nelumbo Nucifera Flower Water, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Bran Extract, Glycine Max (Soybean) Seed Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil, Xanthan Gum, Silk Powder, Pearl Powder, Oryza Sativa (Rice) Powder, Menthol, Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil.

MelodyCosme has this on steep sale, priced at $11 because close to expiration date.

Top: Pure Heal's Propolis 90 Ampoule and bottom is Manyo Factory Galactomy T-Serum.

Here I'm wearing both the Propolis 90 Ampoule and Galactomy T-Serum. If you want to further soften out the appearance of texture I'd still advise a thin application of base primer (I'm currently a big fan of Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer $22-56 or Innisfree No -Sebum Blur Primer $8). Over that I have applied Rouge Bunny Rouge Glide On Concealer and Sephora 8HR Mattifying Compact Foundation $20.

While I might use these products independently year round, in the summer it's pretty important to me to have both to control oil, keep dryness at bay, and keep makeup intact. With this combo, makeup lasts 8 hours easily, 10+ regularly while still looking good, if a little glowy.

Do you change it up between seasons, makeup prep wise? Do you incorporate mattifying products, makeup finishing sprays, different skincare?

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