Your Summer Beauty Emergencies, Solved
By Lauren Bernstein
Self-tanner streaky? Makeup melted? No worries—our pros can fix any summer snafu. (Photo: Getty Images)
Beauty 911
True story: A model showed up to a photo shoot, pros at the ready, with “dry and peeling skin from too much sun,” recalls celebrity makeup artist Nick Barose. He had to get creative fast—but he also knew that using powder makeup on her red, inflamed skin would just add to the flakiness. So what to do? Solutions to this and other hot-weather beauty questions next!
Your Snafu: Peeling, Sunburned Skin
You’ve been slathering on the SPF—you have, right?—but occasional sunburns happen. How to cover inevitable peeling? The quick fix: For immediate post-burn redness relief, New York City dermatologist Howard Sobel, M.D., dips a washcloth into a mixture of crushed ice and cold milk and applies it to the burn (he uses this on patients after chemical peels). “The lactic acid in the milk decreases inflammation, and the ice takes the heat out,” he says. Once skin has started to peel, apply a glycolic acid moisturizer (try the one at right) a few times daily to gently slough away dead skin cells. As for putting makeup on top of the burn, Barose recommends forgoing drying cream-to-powder formulations and using a nourishing, lightweight serum foundation instead.
Related: 10 Things He’s Thinking When You’re Naked
For Peeling: A Smoothing Glycolic Cream
Cane + Austin 10% Facial Moisture Cream ($80, sephora.com)
For Burns: A Hydrating Serum Foundation
Dior Diorskin Nude Air Serum Foundation SPF 25 ($53, nordstrom.com)
(Photo: Getty Images)
Your Snafu: Streaky Self-Tanner
An attempt at a flawless faux glow goes awry, leaving your face and chest with splotches and stripes a few hours later. The quick fix: To lighten marks on the neck and chest, St. Tropez skin pro Sophie Evans has a surprising tip—she uses a depilatory cream (in her case, Veet Fast Acting Gel Cream Hair Remover, $7, drugstore.com), which helps break down color. “Apply with a cotton swab to the dark streak, and leave on for about a minute and a half—not long enough to remove any hair,” she says. Wipe away with a damp cloth. For streaks on your face, Evans likes to sweep an astringent toner (try Clinique Clarifying Lotion 4, $13.50, clinique.com) on spots at the corners of the nose and around the mouth: “It’s great for removing self-tanner.”
Related: 62 Brand-New Wedding Dresses to Swoon Over
For Masking Streaks: A Matte Bronzer
Marc Jacobs Beauty O!Mega Bronze ($49, sephora.com)
Your Snafu: Runny, Melted Makeup
You can get away with smudgy eye makeup (it can read super sultry), but mottled foundation is never a good look. And who has the time to start fresh every few hours? The quick fix: Barose advises “gently patting down the streak with a makeup wipe that’s not too wet or oily”. Then use a dampened makeup sponge to soften sweat lines and apply a tinted moisturizer (like Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream, $29, ulta.com) all over your face, on top of existing foundation, to blend the color.
For Smudges: Makeup Touch-Up Wipes
Korres Greek Yoghurt Cleansing & Makeup Removing Wipes ($15, sephora.com)
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