Ten-Minute Summer Makeup Routine

Back in the day, I used to wear too much eyeliner and would fight my straight hair with perms and curling irons. I eventually came to the conclusion that I looked my best when I accepted my natural appearance, and began to focus on enhancing what I have been given rather than trying to transform myself.

That really is the foundation of Evalina Beauty. All of our makeup is created with the intention of bringing out your natural beauty—to highlight not hide. Plus, we care about what we put on our face and bodies, so all of our products are paraban- and cruelty-free, made with clean ingredients, and many products are vegan.

For me, the best summer makeup look is light and clean—and I definitely don’t want any residue or powder residing in my creases or sitting on my face.

Here’s what I do every day to achieve that fresh look for the summer…

1. Keep it clean

I always start with a clean face. My mother and grandmother, who both have beautiful creamy complexions, taught me the importance of taking care of my skin and I religiously wash my face every night, no matter what.

2. Invest in a good makeup remover

In the morning, I don’t cleanse again but I do wipe my eyes to remove any residual mascara. I love Lancôme Bi-Facil eye makeup remover as it is so gentle, hydrating, and not oily yet removes everything including my waterproof mascara. I was excited to discover they just came out with a 200 ml bottle. It is expensive but lasts a long time and is so lovely on my eyes.

3. Protect your skin

On my face, I start with a vitamin C serum and then layer a daytime moisturizer with SPF 15. Of course, SPF 15 does not provide enough sun protection, but it is a good base and start. Once my moisturizer has been absorbed, I add a lightweight SPF 30+ sunscreen. There is a lot of debate about whether to add sunscreen before or after your moisturizer. I prefer to add it afterwards and prefer a mineral based sunscreen rather than chemical.

4. Prep your face

After applying sunscreen, I use a primer on my face to set my makeup. I used to use Laura Mercier’s hydrating primer, but Evalina Beauty has been developing our own product over the past year so I have been testing and using our product, Luminous Face Primer, which is launching in August 2020. A primer works under makeup to enhance the wear and tone of your favourite foundation or tinted moisturizer. It can also work on its own if you want a really light look. A primer’s purpose is to hydrate and prepare your skin, enhancing the overall tone and smoothness while diminishing fine lines and plumping skin. Luminous has a slight shimmer that works well on all skin tones to provide a soft, dewy glow.

5. Even out your skin tone

After the primer, I apply Evalina’s Dew BB Cream with our Flawless Face Blending Sponge for an even distribution of product that subtly evens out my skin tone. Especially in the summer, I want a super lightweight product that will enhance but disappear on my skin. I’ve never been a fan of foundation as I find it always sits on my skin and you can see it. I like a BB cream as it provides a great lightweight look for summer that hydrates and evens my skin tone, but you can still see my freckles. And it doesn’t look like I have anything on my skin!

6. Brighten your eyes

Next I apply a very lightweight concealer or brightener under my eyes. Again, I don’t want to see my concealer or have product in my creases, so I prefer a really lightweight concealer, such as Clinique’s line-smoothing concealer or YSL’s Touche Eclat High Cover Radiant Concealer—this one is a big splurge but it is amazing and a great brightener under the eyes. Evalina also has a concealer in development that is coming out in the fall collection and combines the best of these products!

7. Set it and forget it

My next step is to apply a setting powder using a large brush all over my face. I love Laura Mercier’s translucent loose setting powder as my go-to, plus I have super oily eyelids so I always use a primer either on its own or under any eyeshadow, and my favourite is Laura Mercier Eye Basics in flax.

8. Add some colour

I let my eye primer set for a minute and apply a light blush. I used to use powder blush, but as we began our product development for blush, I fell in love with a cream blush. It is so easy to apply with either my fingertips or a brush; generally, I prefer a really light blush so I only lay down a single coat. I find cream blush so hydrating and natural looking and it is absorbed seamlessly in my skin for an undetectable natural finish. I like a barely there look, but our Glow Lip and Cheek Stain can also be layered for a more buildable deeper flush.

9. Make your eyes pop

Now I apply a quick coat of eyeshadow on my lids and if I really feel like a boost, I will apply a very thin line of eyeliner to the base of my lashes. I use Evalina’s Precision Liquid Eyeliner, which I find—after a little practice—super easy to apply. I like that the tip, which is like a pen, lets me apply a very thin line that you can barely see for a natural look that still adds a pop to my eyes. Plus, it is smudge-proof and transfer-proof, so it lays down great colour and lasts all day, even on a hot humid summer day. 

10. Bat those lashes and gloss those lips

Lastly, I apply my mascara and quickly gloss my lips. I have straight lashes so I curl my eyelashes no matter what. If I was on a deserted island and could only bring one product, it would be my eyelash curler. I am totally fine to leave the house without a stitch of makeup but I always curl my lashes! My favourite curler is Tweezerman Classic Lash Curler in rose gold. I also clean my curler pad daily to remove any build up as it definitely works better when its clean and on lashes with no mascara.

I’m not a big lipstick girl, especially during the summer, so generally as I’m walking out the door with the kids or slipping into my first Zoom call of the day, I will apply a quick lip gloss and reapply throughout the day. My favourite is Evalina’s Blossom colour: it is lightweight, hydrating and not sticky with a very light pink colour for a super natural sheen. I have glosses everywhere to touch up during the day and hydrate my dry lips.

All in all, this routine take me about 10 minutes and I’m set for the day for an easy natural summer glow.