As the weather heats up and our clothes and moods get a lift, so should our makeup! Here are a few of my summer makeup tips to keep you looking fresh and in season!

Summer Makeup Tips

Dew it!

Ditch heavy, matte foundation for something sheer and dewy like a tinted moisturizer. Apply using a “buffing” motion with a sponge-like Beautyblender Original Makeup Sponge, $20 so that makeup looks and FEELS like an extension of your skin. These are all great options to try:

Retextur-Eyes

Powder eyeshadow can sometimes look cakey and emphasis creases and folds on the eyelid. Switch to a cream shadow for loads of dimension and glow without the buildup. Use your finger to work pigment onto the eyelid from the lash line to the crease. For easy-to-blend pigments that are crease-resistant and come in a variety of colors, try these fantastic products:

Multitask

Bronzing powders are incredibly versatile and can give you a perfectly sunkissed look in an instant if applied correctly. Choose a powder bronzer that has a subtle sheen (no visible sparkle) and is warm in tone like:

For darker skin tones that tend to go ashy, stick to red or orange undertones to warm and lighten, like:

Using a medium-sized fluffy blush brush, illuminate areas naturally hit by the sun by tracing the number “3” along the forehead, cheekbones, and jawline on each side of the face.

For a natural contour, apply extra bronzer under the cheeks to sculpt out those cheekbones. Then swipe down the bridge of the nose, across the chin and up and down the neck to blend the color into the chest. To complete the look, blend a little bronzer back and forth in the crease of the eye using a shadow brush like M.A.C. Pro 224 Synthetic Tapered Blending Brush, $32.

Enlighten

Highlighters are a magical product with light-reflecting particles that create an incandescent glow. They come in a variety of formats- powder, liquid, cream- but my favorite is a stick since they are easy to blend, are buildable and look natural. They’re also super portable! Wear with makeup as a finishing touch or alone to soften the appearance of fine lines and give tired and dull skin added brightness. Apply using your finger (never draw stick directly onto skin –you’ll end up with way too much product) to the top of the cheekbones, the bridge of the nose, cupid’s bow and inner corners of the eyes You can also dab a little on the eyelid and under the brow bone, if desired. Some of my favorites include these fabulous brands:

Go Wild

If you’re not already onboard with the fuller brow trend, it’s time to get with the program. And summer is the perfect time to let your brows GROW. Like “don’t touch for 3 months” grow. Use a clear brow gel to tame unruly hairs and a sheer liquid brow filler like, Sarra Brow Definer, $24, to help naturally camouflage problem areas. Focus on emphasizing your lashes with a classic shiny black mascara. To get volume and length work the mascara wand repeatedly from lash root to ends then flip the wand vertically to feather back and forth through the lash tips. Sarra Lush Mascara in Black, $22 is my absolute favorite because it’s super dark, shiny and builds easily without clumping.

Bright On

Nothing pairs better with golden skin than a bright lip. If you’re afraid of, but intrigued by color, start with a sheer formula to give you that “I just had a popsicle” effect. Lip tints are incredibly wearable and most contain conditioning oils and SPF protection which is perfect for this time of year. These are my top picks:

You can achieve the same effect with a matte lip color by using your finger to dab pigment into the lips. Try Sarra Luxury Matte Lipstick in Gigi, $24 or Bite’s Amuse Bouche Lipstick in Cayenne, $26 for a serious color punch!

Jennifer Opeka is a makeup  artist, brow specialist, and esthetician with 15 plus years experience on the east and west coasts. Having worked in fil, television, fashion, and editorial, Jennifer’s true passion lies in personally understanding that beauty is more than just superficial, its’ emotional. She believes her work can be therapeutic and focuses on building relationships with clients to get the core of how they want to look and FEEL. 

Most days, Jen is stationed at the beautiful Sarra Studios in South Boston where she is available by appointment-only. She is also a freelance makeup artist and can be booked independently for weddings and photo shoots.

To schedule an in-studio session or inquire about her services, contact Sarra Studios at 627-269-8999. You can also email her at JennOpeka@gmail.com or DM her on Instagram at @Jennopeka.