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The Beauty Insider:

Summer-proof make-up

Summer brings with it many wonderful things, but sauna-like train carriages and a dangerously high pollen count are not among them – not least where your make-up is concerned. So as temperatures rocket, we’ve rounded up the best heat-, sweat- and water-proof products that you can truly rely on, come rain or shine.  

Pat McGrath Labs – Sublime Perfection Primer, Sublime Perfection Foundation and Sublime Perfection Setting Powder. Sublime Perfection Foundation Brush and Sublime Perfection Powder Brush coming soon. 

The commute-proof base

Squeezing yourself into a train carriage hotter than the Sahara on a Monday morning is never fun – but realising your make-up has slid surreptitiously down your face before 9am makes life all the more… challenging. Enter: Pat McGrath, who after years of research and rigorous testing – we’re talking busy runway shows and 12-hour red-carpet events – has created something extra special. Coined ‘the trinity of skin perfecters’, her three-step system starts with the Sublime Perfection Primer, which preps the skin with a velvety smooth surface for the foundation to adhere to. The foundation itself has a hydrating serum-complex formula that comes in an impressive 36 shades and builds from a sheer veil to flawless-filter coverage. To keep everything in place, finish with the uber-lightweight setting powder, which achieves the tricky brief of blurring imperfections yet being undetectable on the skin. To sum up, and quote Mother herself: it’s MAJOR.    

Shop Sublime Perfection collection

Clarins – Water Lip Stain / Pat McGrath – MatteTrance Lipstick in Elson 2 and Fever Dream / Laura Mercier – Velour Extreme Matte Lipstick  

Lips that last the distance

A bold matte lip that lasts all day without the admin of the upkeep? Yes, it’s the holy grail of lip colour. Laura Mercier’s Velour Extreme lipstick blends ultra-matte pigments with silky conditioners for long-lasting comfort. Plus, the slim bullet means you can line and fill the lips with precision and ease. Another favourite is Pat McGrath’s MattTrance – the lightweight texture delivers opaque colour that ranges from nudes (for all skin tones) as well as brighter shades. But if a matte finish isn’t your thing, Clarins’ Water Lip Stain is great because it applies like a juicy gloss that wears off evenly to a soft stain. 

Shop long-lasting lips 

Clarins – Water Lip Stain / Pat McGrath – MatteTrance Lipstick in Elson 2 and Fever Dream / Laura Mercier – Velour Extreme Matte Lipstick  
Huda Beauty – Resting Boss Face / (exclusive) It Cosmetics – Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer / Laura Mercier – Caviar Intense Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner

Products to beat the heat

Whether you’re facing soaring temperatures on holiday or an intense HIIT class back home, your products need to (quite literally) take the heat. It Cosmetics’ new concealer packs a mighty HIIT-worthy punch, thanks to its highly pigmented formula that covers dark circles and spots alike. The waterproof formula simply will not budge – our own experience has seen this weather laughs and tears at a number of sweltering weddings this summer. Sticking to the waterproof theme, this liquid liner from Laura Mercier gives you ultimate ‘60s cat-eye flicks that won’t smudge. And if your office air-con is non-existent, Huda Beauty’s ingenious Resting Boss Face setting spray prolongs the life of your everyday make-up with a mattifying mist that locks everything down. 

Shop heat-proof products    

Huda Beauty – Neon Obsessions Pressed Pigment Palette / Charlotte Tilbury – Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Shadow / Urban Decay – Perversion Waterproof Mascara (coming soon) and 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil   

The eye look that’ll stay put in the pool

Summer calls for a tried-and-tested waterproof mascara that can withstand anything from an apocalyptic rain shower to a cooling dip in the swimming pool (we’ll take the latter, thank you). Our top pick is Urban Decay’s Perversion Waterproof Mascara for its lash-lengthening, volumising formula that seriously will not budge. For extra staying power, try layering a powder eyeshadow over a cream base – such as Charlotte Tilbury’s Eyes to Mesmerise – that’ll help the powder grip to the eyelid for longer. And if your make-up mantra is ‘go big or go home’, you’ll love Huda Beauty’s Neon Obsessions palettes, which really are as fun as they look. With a range of matte and glitter textures in long-lasting pigments, the Technicolour options are endless. 

Shop eye shadow, liners & mascara

Huda Beauty – Neon Obsessions Pressed Pigment Palette / Charlotte Tilbury – Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Shadow / Urban Decay – Perversion Waterproof Mascara (coming soon) and 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil   
Dr Dennis Gross – C + Collagen Set & Refresh Mist / Skin Gym – Jade Facial Roller / Giorgio Armani – Power Fabric Concealer / Nudestix Luminous Magnetic Eye Color

The hay fever survival kit

With more people suffering from first-time hay fever than ever before, the need for beauty solutions to reduce red noses, puffy and itchy eyes is more acute than ever. Thank you very much, pollen. To combat swollen eyes, a jade roller popped into the fridge overnight is a pleasing cool tonic – simply roll the icy jade around the contours of your eyes for immediate relief and involuntary ‘ahhh’ sounds. If you can then manage make-up on the eyes, run a nude or light-reflecting liner along the lash-line to brighten the area. To counteract any redness, opt for a long-wearing concealer, such as Armani’s Power Fabric: the thin texture has a velvet matte finish that easily builds to conceal the areas that need extra attention. And for those super-muggy, high-pollen-alert days, add a hydrating facial mist to your handbag for refreshing pick-me-ups throughout the day. It’s like hitting a mini reset button for your skin.

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