Apparently, pathologically complaining about the weather for 500 consecutive summers has resulted in a cumulative Irish super-summer. After entire childhood “holiday seasons” spent eating whippy ice-creams in the rain outside Murphy’s SuperValu in Castletownbere, this is the weather that we deserve, for all our whining.
The recent rain was a welcome relief, but before it came there wasn’t a crispy golden blade of grass, nor a damply beading armpit, nor a clammy handshake that was safe from the heat and humidity.
The same goes for our faces. While some of us can’t handle the muggy conditions, our faces are collectively migrating south; that is to say, they are melting off. Mascara will have reached your cheeks by lunchtime, only to rest there briefly before making for base camp by evening. While our thighs may be sticking together, our make-up is decidedly not sticking. That’s if you can even be bothered to wear it.
The solution in general is to go lighter with both make-up and skincare. Choose oil free, hydrating textures and wear minimal layers. The same goes for makeup – wear less, opt for non-dewy textures, and apply a couple of very thin, buffed-in layers rather than anything heavy.
Naturally, heavy oil-rich skincare will quickly exit stage left, taking your make-up with it. Consequently, do as little as you can get away with, and opt for hydration over richness unless you have quite dry skin. If you need a little bit of extra hydration, try a mask like Garnier Hyaluron Shot Fresh-Mix Tissue Mask (€5.95 at Boots), and apply make-up directly after. It cools and plumps skin and creates an excellent base for make-up. Keep it in the fridge for a brief glimpse of nirvana when it is applied to a hot, fussy face.
Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Liquid Essence (€90 at Arnotts) is the gold standard in hydrating essences, and the enormous bottle lasts an incredibly long time. It will boost the hydrating power of your serums at night, and during very hot weather, will create a nice base for make-up by itself on a normal to combination skin, which will drink it in instantly.
For something a bit more affordable, and a little more viscous in consistency, try Clinique Dramatically Different Hydrating Jelly (€42 at Brown Thomas). Something of an essence-serum hybrid product, it hydrates skin weightlessly and works as well alone as it does with serum or under moisturiser.
Before applying it, I dampen the skin liberally with a facial mist like Pestle & Mortar Balance Fine Misting Facial Spritz (€32 at pestleandmortar.com).
This primes a hyaluronic acid serum to work optimally – they only work in conjunction with water, so a damp skin is best – and feels frankly delicious in hot weather. I keep a facial mist in the fridge to cool and refresh the skin, and another on my desk for a quick skin pick-me-up.
If you still need a moisturiser, and many skins will, a deeply hydrating gel like Murad Nutrient Charged Water Gel (€57.95 at lookfantastic.com) is ideal, injecting instant comfort and making a dreamy base for foundation.
