As the Jon McLaughlin song sadly announces, "Summer is Over." Sigh. But, just because school is back in session and beach days are fading to a memory, your summer glow doesn't need to fade quite so fast. Our Style writer visited Bloomingdales in New York City and sat down with Clinique makeup artist Gina Zelko to get some tips and tricks.
Care for your Skin
Always clean your skin in the morning and at night. Then add moisturizer, morning and night. Many companies now mix their moisturizers with a hint of foundation, and that's a huge bonus for this season. With your summer glow still fresh on your skin, you don't need much foundation -- just a hint of tint!
When you apply foundation to your face, Gina had one major piece of advice: don't use your fingers! "When you use your fingers, you are spreading oil and dirt all over your skin, and that leads to breakouts." Instead, use a clean makeup sponge. "That will make a big difference if you are prone to breakouts," Gina tells us.
Speaking of breakouts, if you have pimples that need covering up, "apply coverup after foundation," Gina reminds us. "Most girls make the mistake of putting on coverup before their foundation. Sometimes you get the wrong amount or color of coverage when you do that, and sometimes the foundation wipes away the coverup."
Get your Glow On
The next important item is bronzer. Bronzer comes in cremes, loose powder and pressed powder. Bronzer can leave your skin with streaks, loose powder can be messy, and pressed powder can crack. Gina recommended Clinique's new Superbalanced Powder Bronzer. It starts out as pressed powder, then you turn the top dial 1/4 turn and it shaves off just the right amount for one application. Use a big, fat, soft brush, dip it into the powder and apply it in the shape of the number 3. "Your skin is darker at the edges of your face, and that is where you apply bronzer first," Gina tells us. "Start above your eyebrow and bring your brush down, around the outside of your eye, down under your cheekbone, back toward the edge of your face under your jaw -- it forms the number 3!" (Of course, on the other side, it forms a capital E!) Finish your bronzer application with an exclamation point down your nose and on your chin.
Highlight your cheeks with a light blush. To apply it in the right place, "all you have to do is smile," Gina tells us. The round apples of your cheeks come out. Dab blush onto the apples of your cheeks to add a healthy pink glow to your summery skin.
Finishing Touches
Since the goal of this type of makeup is to keep a healthy, natural-looking summer glow, you don't want to add too much color, glitter or detail to your makeup. When picking a lipstick, pick something light, a little shimmery, and just a touch darker than a summer light gloss to spotlight the tan you have left. The mistake many girls make is to wear lipstick that is too bright or too dark. "If you turn quickly and look in the mirror and all you see is lipstick, you have the wrong color," says Gina.
For eyes, most days (and especially for school), you should keep it natural. "At the most, you can put a little creme eyeshadow foundation on your lids for daytime makeup," Gina told us. "For evenings, the big color combination for Fall 2012 is gold and purple. Just a little shimmer is enough to show off what's left of your summer glow."
Have your Say
How do you keep your summer glow for fall? Share your thoughts and secrets here!
