Must-Have Summer Makeup for Oily Skin

We want this summer to start off with a splash! Just one problem: the face-melting heat of summer means that “splash” is usually happening on our face – especially for oily skin types. TBH, a ruined makeup feels as bad as it looks; all that time invested, all of those flawless finishes ruined by excess oil + excess heat.

Stop summer shine in its tracks with 5 key products, designed to keep skin looking (and feeling) surprisingly flawless in the heat. We’ve got a few tricks up our sleeves that will rescue your summer makeup looks from a serious heat wave. Keep reading, those of you with oily or combination skin – for you, it takes twice as much work to keep makeup flawless, so these tips are designed with you in mind.

Oil Blotting Wipes
A first line of defense in the wild, oil blotting wipes are slim and fit easily into a purse or belt bag. What are they? Think of tiny, super absorbent napkins that you press firmly into the skin to preserve your summer makeup look, while also wicking any oil right off the surface. The result leaves makeup virtually undisturbed, apart from the absence of unsightly oil creeping through the high traffic T-zone.

Most oil blotting papers are made of a mystery wax paper material. At 100% PURE, we make it a point to use superior alternative ingredients; case in point, our Antibacterial Wood Pulp Oil Blotting Paper. These thin, vegan oil-blotting papers are made from wood pulp and hemp, which means instant absorption for you without a mess on your hands. Don’t forget to keep a pack in your back pocket (literally) for those long beach days splashing in the waves with your crush. They’ll come in handy to keep makeup from melting like a marshmallow during that beach bonfire.

Natural Setting Spray
We shared our step-by-step guide earlier this year on how to DIY your own setting spray, so check it out again for your reading pleasure – it will help with the beauty tip to follow!

A setting spray can help your makeup look and perform way better throughout the day, and DIY customization can keep your skin flawless all summer long. How, you ask? Rehydrating your skin from the outside sends the message to your skin that it doesn’t need to produce so much oil throughout the day. This also provides a quick temperature refresher and rehydrates your makeup, to avoid any caking or flaking.

Think about how your skin feels under your makeup, and choose your DIY setting spray ingredients based on that. Here’s a quick guide below:

• Orange, Lemon - brightening, balancing for oil

• Tea Tree - soothing, balancing for oil

• Lavender - neutralizing, balances oil, soothes inflammation

• Rose - calming, soothes redness

• Aloe - hydrating, healing for blemishes and inflammation

Matte Blush
Spring and summer months are our favorite months for playing up the cheeks. That usually means more vibrant blush shades, to pair perfectly with our just-back-from-the-beach glow. Depending on the finish of products that you gravitate towards, or based on the look you are going for, you may be reaching for those cream blushes and liquid cheek tints at the wrong time. We don’t think of the cheeks as a place where our makeup is likely to melt off, but unfortunately we’ve learned our lesson the hard way!

If you want vibrant, buildable color in your pick of shades, switch it up with a powder or matte blush instead of a creamy one that contributes to creasing and melting.

You know what looks as fruity and fun in the pan as it does on the cheeks? Fruit Pigmented® Blush, of course! This formula comes in a versatile range of 12 shades, which means you’ll never be short a color that suits your look and skin tone.

Light Setting Powder
Setting powder is a godsend for oily skin types, as it magically keeps makeup looking the same way at the end of the day, as it did when we left the house. It can be hard to find a foundation for oily skin, so finishing and setting powders seriously come in handy. Wait – are you saying you haven’t tried setting powder for keeping your face in place? Have we got a treat for you!

This tip is essential for preserving summer makeup looks for oily skin types, without adding too much weight. One of the ways this powder prevents oil, sweat, or heat from taking over is with its high bamboo content. This ingredient is absorbent and helps lock your beauty products into place with ease, while serving a soft-focused matte finish.

In addition to mattifying bamboo, this powder includes papaya a lovely ingredient for assisting with new skin cell production. Cocoa bean, peach, and green tea round out the ingredients for the most nutritious skin powder you will ever try. Finish your beauty look with a light sweep of our Bamboo Blur Powder and a fluffy or angled brush for getting around the curves of your face. You’ll love how this product feels like powdered silk, with incredibly fine milling that allows it to glide onto skin easily without caking up.

Hold it, missy – don’t sleep on the second half of this tip! While our Bamboo Blur Powder is primarily used as a finishing powder, did you know that adding a super light layer of this as a setting powder for your primer is a great way to make a layer of ‘insurance’ between your skin and your foundation?

How does this work? Start with your normal skin routine up until your moisturizer and/or primer (oily skin types: use Mattifying Primer). You can then use a fluffy brush to pat an undetectable amount of this blur powder over your skin. If you’re combo to oily, press your beauty sponge into the powder pot and transfer that onto your oiliest areas, like the T-zone and cheeks. Be sure to sweet off any excess, then complete your beauty routine as normal, finishing with a final layer of the Bamboo Blur for that naturally filtered finish.

Mascara Primer
Yes, for some of us, even our eye area gets melty throughout the day, but a summer makeup look isn’t complete without bright, doll-like eyes – courtesy of lengthening mascara. Prevent caking, flaking or melting off of your mascara by adding a little Bamboo Blur Powder to the mix.

Start with clean lashes and a tiny eye brush. If you aren’t sure what kind of brush will work best, our Cruelty Free Crease Brush is the perfect size and fluffiness to get the job done. Dip your brush into the bamboo powder until the tip is dusted and lightly tap off the excess. Sweep thi s along your lash line and physically into your lashes.

We know this sounds a little extra, but the light layer of powder provides a base for your mascara to grip onto. Later on, when the oil starts seeping out of your eyelids, the powder prevents that transfer of mascara to your under-eye area. If you use mascara primer, do this before that step. On a hot day, (or a long day at your summer music festival of choice) this trick is an amazing lifesaver!

Need more help keeping your summer makeup look streak-free? Check out our recent post on melt-free makeup tips!