Make Up For Ever Beats the Summer Heat

I’m admittedly a crazy-loyal Nars Cosmetics addict, but the summer heat has prompted me to try out some new brand ranges in pursuit of avoiding a melty face. I’ve been using Make Up For Ever‘s “High Definition Powder” as a setting powder over liquid foundation for a couple years now (and it’s been awesome), so I decided to try out a few more of their products and BINGO! Just what I was looking for.

The brand gets a lot of flack for being copy-cats of MAC Cosmetics, but where I find MAC’s gimmicky packaging, high-profile ad campaigns and limited-edition ranges to sometimes lack true substance, Make Up For Ever totally delivers.

Here’s my newfound secret to the totally melt-free summer face:

HD Invisible Cover Foundation

This foundation is genius. It’s formulated to look great through cameras and under spotlights (or a shining sun!), and seriously doesn’t budge. Sometimes it’s nice to keep things light in the summer, but for those occasions when you’re in need of fuller-coverage foundation, this is one to look to. It looked the same on my face at the end of a twelve-hour, eighty-five degree day as it did right after I’d applied it that morning. I found that application with a sponge worked better for me than with a brush — just be sure to clean your sponges thoroughly in between uses, or swap out a new sponge to avoid yucky bacteria!

HD Microfinish Powder

Layer this translucent powder on top of the HD foundation, and you’re golden! It sets your liquid foundation to make it stick under the summer sun, and gives it a soft (visually and texturally) finish.

Duo Mat Powder Foundation

So the first two products I listed are no secret to makeup aficionados, but I’d never heard anything about Make Up For Ever’s Duo Mat Powder Foundation before I bought it. And, boy, am I glad I took the risk, because Oh. Em. Gee., this stuff is God. I’m the type of person who usually sticks with my fave products for the long haul, but this powder will definitely be entering regular rotation in my beauty routine. Although it is a medium-coverage foundation (heavier than a setting powder), I use it for touchups throughout the day over whatever foundation I put on in the morning. It has serious mattifying power – it’s probably the most mattifying product I have ever used, which is so perfect for warm summer weather when your melt-risk is highest. Needless to say, I am totally obsessed.

Check out Make Up For Ever, available at Sephora.

What’s your summer beauty routine? Do you have a fave warm-weather product?