Light Sun Protection Base
I don’t like wearing heavy/full coverage foundation during daytime in summers because I stay in extreme humid conditions and don’t have reach to Air conditioners (since I stay in a hostel). Hence, I opt for light coverage BB/CC cream or sheer foundations preferably with a matte finish avoiding foundation meltdowns. An added Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a bonus to keep skin protected from sun, oil-free and fresh.
My Top 5 Summer Makeup Essentials : Light Protective Base
Lakme CC Cream (Rs 275) is a great option for an everyday light to medium coverage that is very light, evens out the skin quite well and lasts for 5/6 hours on my combination skin. It also has SPF 20 that adds a layer of sun protection over regular sunscreen. This is one of the best CC Creams in India. For medium coverage, I like my cult favorite L’Oreal Paris Magic Nude Liquid to Powder Foundation (Rs 899 | Read Review) that is super light, blends effortlessly, gives medium coverage and has matte powdery finish with SPF 18. This is one of the best foundations for combination skin in India.
Few option are the – Lakme 9 to 5 Weightless Mousse Foundation (Rs 575), Colorbar Full Cover Makeup Stick (Rs 675) and Maybelline Fit Me! Matte + Pore less Foundation (Rs 525).
To keep everything in place, I like applying a mattifying primer like the L’Oreal Paris Base Magique Primer (Rs 950) or Revlon Photo ready Perfecting Primer (Rs 1425) under the BB/CC creams/foundation to keep my skin oil-free for long hours.
Colored Eye liners/Pencils
Indian markets are loaded with tons of colored liners and a swipe of color on your waterline or upper lash line adds a oomph and instantly light up my eyes. Although I skip applying colored liners when I’m off to college (kohl lined eyes is what something I like) but when I go to my city – Lucknow, I experiment a lot with all the seasonal trends :p
My Top 5 Summer Makeup Essentials : Colored Eye Liners and Pencils
Maybelline has a beautiful range of colored eye liners and pencils that makes flaunting bright color liner easily affordable. My top picks would be the Hyper glossy Liquid Liners (Rs 275 | Read Review), Colossal Kohl in Crushed Emerald (Rs 250) and Turquoise (Rs 249).
Recently Lakme India added 3 metallic shades (swatches here) – Turquoise, Regal Green, Royal Blue to their Eyeconic Kajal range consisting of 6 shades.
Both Lakme and Maybelline Kohl’s come in an attractive twist-up packaging with the shade name mentioned at the bottom band of the pencil. These are absolutely smudge-proof, waterproof and stay for good 6/7 hours. All in all, these are a must buy products.
Tinted Lip Balms
There are some days when you don’t like wearing anything on the lips, and a tinted lip balm comes to your rescue by adding a sheer wash of color to keep lips moisturized as the humidity and heat dehydrates lips very badly.
My Top 5 Summer Makeup Essentials : Tinted Lip Balms
My favorite brand when it comes to tinted lip balm is definitely Maybelline India. Maybelline’s Baby Lips are my saviors in this hot weather. From its funky & girly packaging, to its hydrating properties, to the variety of range it comes in – Neon, Electro Pop, Spiced Up, Candy Wow, etc and finally being easy on pocket, this is a one product that is a must-have from Maybelline. These are super cute and come in various fruity flavors and in clear and tinted variations as well.
I have also being loving the Nivea Fruity Shine range lately and Pomegranate is my all-time favorite. It is very pigmented (covers lip pigmentation too), very moisturizing and nourishing and stays on for decent 4/5 hours leaving soft red stain on lips. One of the best moisturizing lip balm available in India.
Matte Lipsticks
Matte lipstick is in rage at the moment and almost every Indian and International brand (budget and high-end) has this. Matte lipsticks are good for summers, since, they don’t melt and stays for good 6/7 hours with minimal fading and swiping lip balm over it afterwards enhances the wear time by 1/2 hours.
My Top 5 Summer Makeup Essentials : Matte Lipsticks
Since the time Maybelline launched their Lip Gradation pencils (Rs 500 | Read Review), I’m hooked to it. The soft, powdery matte formula, light weight texture and long staying power are what I love about this gradation pencils. Now we can easily create ombre lips with ease. Shades like Coral 1, Orange 1 and Pink 2 are great picks for day wear while brighter shades like Fuchsia 1 and Red 1 are perfect to glam up summer evenings.
Popping Nail Colors
Summers are a great time to flaunt bright and popping nail colors. Bright corals, neon, fresh green, summery yellow and gorgeous oranges are some of my favorite picks. There are various budget friendly brands like the Maybelline Color Show Nail Colors (Rs 85) and Maybelline Bright Sparks Nail Colors (Rs 125) that are easy on pocket and add oomph to the dull boring day. You can even go for various nail art kits available at Colorbar Cosmetics.
My Top 5 Summer Makeup Essentials : Bright and Popping Nail Colors
