St. Louis summers are brutal beautywise. The heat and humidity can make your perfectly applied make-up slip and slide right off your face. But we’ve got some tips to help you stay pretty in the Arch city.

“Up” that SPF!
Choose a sunscreen with a higher SPF than what you typically use throughout the other seasons.  There are a number of sunscreens out there with SPFs of 50 and higher designed specifically for the face so give ‘em a try. This can not only combat those age spots and future wrinkles but it will also prevent you from getting those “lovely” sunglass tan lines.

Primer
Apply primer. You’d think an extra layer would hinder rather than help but in this case?  The primer acts as make-up “setter.”  Use a bit of concealor where needed then give your face a light dusting of powder.

Oh yeah and primer is also great for applying on eyelids so your shadows stay in place.

Lips
Skip the sticks! Lipsticks can melt in the heat resulting in a nasty mess in your purse that’s VERY difficult to clean out. (Trust me, I know!) Summer means lighter colors anyway. So go with pinks, sheer tints or gloss.

According to Beauty Tips Online, “Cool mauves, rose and pinks are the summer trend for lips. Fill in sparse lips with a lip liner that matches your lips and go just beyond your lip line to add fullness.”

Eyes
Now that you’ve got them “primed”, sweep on a light shade of shadow. Then line your top lashes with a dark liquid or ink eyeliner. (You might even want to make this a waterproof one.) Feel free to make the line as thick or thin as you like but keep in mind that thicker lines are best for the p.m. hours.  For a bit of sass and a slight cat-eye look, extend the line slightly past the outer corner and flare it up.

Then apply two coats of mascara. And again, waterproof mascara works best if you want to avoid looking like a panda bear. (And yes waterproof mascaras and eyeliners of years past were flakey but many brands have reformulated their waterproof products. Give ‘em another shot. You might be pleasantly surprised.)

The overall
Bronzer rocks and can be used a variety of ways throughout the entire year. Apply it to your face for some summer color. Or you can contour by lightly brushing it along the sides of your cheekbones to slim your face, or on each side of your nose to make it appear smaller.

If you’re using bronzer to give an all over “glow”, you can even brush some bronzer on lids to bring out the blues and greens in lighter colored eyes. And it can make your teeth look whiter. (See all of the wonders of bronzer? How can a girl NOT love this stuff?)

Don’t forget to brush some on your shoulders if you’re wearing a sundress or something sleeveless.

And last but not least
It is impossible not to sweat on any given day of a St. Louis summer. That’s why it is always helpful to have some blotting papers on hand. To eliminate unsightly shine in seconds, you just press and go. If you want to refresh your make up, blot first then dust some power over your visage and go.