6 Vegan Hacks for Melt-Proofing Your Makeup This Summer

Perspiration is a natural bodily function, but it can put a damper on things when it comes to your makeup—because mascara running down your cheek is never a good look. But preparing your face for the summer heat doesn’t have to mean revamping your entire beauty routine. In fact, it can mean using fewer products and taking less time. These six tips will help you get face-ready for this season’s rising temperatures and ultimately help prevent you from becoming a sweaty mess. 

1. Choose a lightweight moisturizer.

A face moisturizer is essential all year long, including during the summer (especially one with SPF protection). If you skip it, your skin could produce even more oil to compensate for the dryness. And since oil breaks down makeup, you could be in for a visual mess. When prepping your skin for makeup, it’s a good idea to start with a lightweight moisturizer. Apply a thin layer—typically a dime-sized amount for your entire face—before applying a thin layer of lightweight foundation to match. 

TRY: MILK Makeup Vegan Milk Moisturizer

2. Prime your eyes.

While it’s not unusual for your T-zone (nose, cheeks, and forehead) to get sweaty with the heat, many people don’t realize their eyelids do, too. To prevent your eyeshadow and liner from sliding around, apply a primer specifically made for your lids. It creates a base that locks onto the shadow and liner you apply. If you use concealer under your eyes, be sure to swipe a little primer on the skin under your eyes to help it last longer, too. 

TRY: e.l.f. All Day Stay Eyeshadow Primer

3. Go for sheer coverage.

During the summer, less makeup means less opportunity for drippage. Using a light hand and fewer products will give you a natural, no-fuss look. Stick with essentials such as a lightweight foundation to blur any skin imperfections, a bronzer to give you that glowy skin look, and a swipe of mascara on your lashes. For nights out, add eyeshadow and a lip tint for color.

TRY: KVoss Bronzing Potion Glow Cream (Look familiar? This was included in Kinder Beauty's April Box!)

4. Choose long-wear products.

When you’re faced with next-level heat and humidity, the last thing you want is for your beauty products to melt or fade the second you start sweating. Look for products that boast multiple-hour wear, such as foundation, and choose waterproof options for your mascara and liner. Using long-wear beauty products means you likely won’t need to lug around your makeup bag for touch-ups during a long day out in the sun. 

TRY: Cover FX Power Play Foundation

5. Use a setting spray.

Adding a setting spray to your summertime morning makeup routine will change your life. It’s a mist that is designed to be used after you’ve applied all your beauty products, helping seal makeup in place so it stays put for the long term. A good setting spray will absorb excess oil, add a dewy glow, and stop your makeup from smudging and creasing throughout the day. For the ultimate budge-proof makeup, try spraying some setting spray on your makeup sponge before using it to apply your makeup. For even more staying power, the combo of finishing powder and a long-lasting spray is hard to beat.

TRY: Glaminizers Renew + Dew (Wait a second! This was included in March’s Beauty Box! Lucky us!)

6. Keep blotting paper on hand.

If you suddenly start getting shiny and your makeup starts running, try using a blotting paper (or a paper towel, in emergencies). These are life-savers for oily skin types. Blotting papers help soak up sweat that creeps up during the day without disturbing any of your makeup. Keep them in your purse, and when needed, take a blotting sheet from the package and gently pat it onto the shiny areas of your face until you have the desired finish. 

TRY: e.l.f. Mattifying Blotting Papers

Please note: A product appearing in our blog is not an official Kinder Beauty endorsement. While every product we feature in an article is cruelty-free and vegan, these products do not necessarily meet all of our strict brand standards for curation in a Kinder box. 

Nicole Axworthy is a Toronto-based writer and author of the vegan cookbook DIY Vegan.