7 hot weather beauty mistakes (and how to fix them).

If you’ve been across the news today you’ll know that Emma Watson controversially wore pants on the Golden Globes red carpet and that a heatwave is due to hit the east coast of Australia.

To spare you of insanely boring weather talk (because you’re about to hear ALL about it over the next few days) Channel 10’s Magdalena Roze has summed up everything you need to know in under 140 characters:

#HEATWAVE: Adel-from 2moro 5 days 40-43! Melb-from Tues 4 days 39-41 Canb-from Tues 4 days 37-39 Syd west-from Wed 4 days 37-39 #magsweather

— Magdalena Roze (@Magdalena_Roze) January 12, 2014

Heatwaves and beauty products have never been great friends, but you can avoid a complete makeup meltdown in 35-degree heat. Read on for 7 common hot weather beauty mistakes (and how to fix them).

1. Not wearing sunscreen.

I know, it’s sticky, sometimes gloopy and it doesn’t always mix well with your foundation but if you need any more inspiration to apply sunscreen on a daily basis, take a look at the picture below:

This is a photo from the New England Journal of Medicine, showing sun damaged skin on a 69-year-old man who drove a truck for 28 years – his “driving side” is dramatically aged compared to the other side.

The fix: find a sunscreen you’ll want to use everyday. I love Cetaphil’s UVA/UVB Defence SPF 50+ and Ultraceuticals SunActive SPF 50+ Face Cream.

2. Packing on the powder.

It’s tempting to combat oily, shiny skin by packing on stacks of powder but this mistake will only turn your makeup cakey and clog your pores.

The fix: Step away from the powder, step very far away. Instead go for an oil-free BB Cream like Garnier’s or a long-lasting foundation like Revlon’s Colourstay or Nearly Naked foundations.

If you have very oily skin try blotting paper to dab away sweat without smudging your foundation and absorb excess oil. Bloom and Jane Iredale both have inexpensive compact versions.

3. Not cleansing at night.

Summer is the time when we relax our beauty routines, skip the heavy eye makeup and heavy foundation in favour of tinted moisturisers and sheer bright lipsticks. One of the biggest skincare mistakes you can make is not cleansing your skin at night – this is especially true in summer to remove hard-to-shift SPF products.

The fix: Yep, you guessed it… cleanse at night. Oil cleansers are a terrific option in summer as the oil helps to remove sunscreen, long-lasting makeup foundations and lipsticks. If you want a luxe version, try Shu Umera’s Clarifying Facial Oil – it’s fast becoming a cult product, otherwise a jojoba oil you can pick up at the chemist will also do the trick.

4. Pale face.

Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with a pale-skinned face, except when the rest of the body is telltale (fake) tanned.

The fix: If the thought of face tanning your face scares you, use a darker foundation than your usual shade. Alternatively, try mixing a dot of fake tan with your daily moisturizer and apply as you would do with a tinted moisturizer. Try St Tropez and Model Co for face-specific products.

Tip: Don’t use an SPF+ foundation at night, this is what gives you ghost face when the camera flash goes off.

5. Skipping the primer.

Makeup guru, Napoleon Perdis once famously said it’s a “crime not to prime” and this is especially true in summer when eye makeup has a habit of sliding right off your face.

The fix: The metallic eye shadows have great staying power, like MAC’s Paint Pots and Bobbi Brown Metallic Long-Wear Cream Shadow but if you want to use your usual shadows an eye primer like Urban Decay’s Eyeshadow Primer Potion will help it from melting down your face.

6. Overdoing the fake tan.

I’m going to put my hand up here and admit I was once a tan-o-holic. I spent the majority of one summer in a spray-tanning booth and even became oddly attached to the smell of them. Er, now that I’ve got that off my chest, orange complexions aside the other worst mistake you can make come summertime is a streaky or blotchy fake tan application.

The fix: exfoliate before you head to the beauticians or the bathroom. If you’ve accidentally botched up the application try the (cheap!) sugar & lemon fix. Mix one cup raw sugar with 3/4 cup lemon juice, and rub the mixture on your skin. Leave for a minute or two, and rinse off in the shower. You could also try a gradual tanner.

7. Panda eyes.

With the impending heatwave looming down on us like another ‘controversial’ Miley Cyrus video, chances are you will at some point in time want to jump into a large body of water to cool off.  The rookie mistake? Doing it with a non-waterproof mascara.

The fix: I feel like I’m always banging on about tubular mascaras but they really are the stuff of unicorns and rainbows. They’ll only come off in warm water – to remove you (gently!) rub your lashes between your index finger and thumb. Much better than stubborn waterproof mascara or the other alternative; panda eyes.

What are your go-to beauty products in summer? And what beauty mistakes have you made on hot days in the past? 

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