9 Steps To Perfect 4th Of July Makeup

 9 Steps To Perfect 4th of July Makeup

Its 4th of July weekend, which in America is a big holiday weekend, but in the rest of the northern hemisphere

is just another summer weekend.

Adriana Lima in Victoria's Secret Bikini

Regardless of whether or not you are flying the stars and bars

this weekend, it's the perfect time to run through some 

summer makeup tips, and more specifically tips to have you 

looking fabulous at pool parties, lake parties, beach parties

- whatever outdoor summer event you are attending.

There are 2 major areas in makeup where girls mess up 

at this time of the year.

The first is looking like you have a face full of makeup on.

Thick or heavy makeup looks ridiculous on a hot summer's day.

The idea is to look like you have next to nothing on your face, 

and just look glowy and gorgeous.

The second is the absolute bane of my makeup artist life,

even worse than Instagram-style overcontouring (my second pet peeve), it's the flagrant misuse and abuse of bronzer. Equal parts one of the most wonderful makeup products ever created, and also the most violated makeup product ever created.

When I was with SheKnows.com we shot a beauty segment about it. Check it out here Bronzer 101

Now that we know we don't want to look like makeup-face, and we don't want to commit crimes with bronzer, here's what we do want to do:

Kate Upton Sports Illustrated

1. Start off with SPF

There's nothing pretty about a sunburned face, or a face ravaged with sun damage, so start out with a very liberal application of a broad spectrum facial SPF. You need to use the highest number you can find, and preferably use one that has a dry finish, so that you don't look gooey and slimey.

I use Neutrogena Dry Touch With Helioplex, SPF 85+ or 100+ 

2. Use a primer

Give your SPF a few minutes to really soak in to your skin, then follow it with a good primer.

If your skin has even color ( or if you have been using a facial self tanner), the smoothing effects of primer maybe all you need to get your complexion looking fantastic.

Candace Swanepoel Bikini

3. Use a BB Cream

If you need help evening out your skin tone, lightly apply a thin coat of BB Cream with a duo fiber brush.

The idea is not to look like foundation-face, but just to even out the color a little.

4. Color correct your eye area.

You don't want any heavy concealer here, and often your BB Cream will be more than enough so disguise any under eye action, but the other part of the equation is to even out the skin on your upper lids. Either use BB Cream, or if you still see a little discoloration lightly apply something to neutralize it, like MAC Paint Pot in Painterly or Soft Ocher.

5. Use a soft gold shadow

If you still need a little love on your eyelids to make your eyes sparkle, use a soft champagne gold wash of color. This is not about executing a killer eye makeup, instead it is about brightening the eye, just a little.

6. Work your lashes

Curl your lashes then go to town with tons of mascara. If you are water bound use waterproof, otherwise use water resistant. Make sure your lashes look lengthened and glossy, not clumped and full of product. Its about opening up the eye and making it look bright.

7.  Use a light wash of color on the cheeks.

I love cream blushes to death, but some can look too slimey mid summer when its hot and humid. Try Inglot liquid blush or Nars The Multiple to give yourself a natural looking flush of color.

8. Accent your brows

Running some color and accent through your brows pulls any look together, and creates a fabulous focal point when you a doing a minimal makeup look.  You don't want them overly defined or painted on, but instead just enough to give the face some structure and dimension, and to frame the eyes.

Coral lips

9. Finish with a pop of color

Finish your look with a pop of color on the lip.  Try the season's "it" color, a bright coral or orange, whiten your teeth with a gorgeous raspberry or a magenta, and seal the deal with a fresh glossy sheen.