make-up monday: fresh, natural summer look

this is a makeup look i do a lot in the summer months. fresh, light, and fairly natural without being a "no makeup-makeup look" because obviously, i'm still wearing makeup! i've always loathed putting on mascara no matter what time of the year it is, and in summer i have such bad allergies, my eyes itch and water and i end up smearing it everywhere. i've decided i just look better without raccoon mascara and bloodshot, watery eyes. i like this look because it's light, bright, and makes you feel just enough "put together" and acceptable for going out to dinner or sitting at the beach, only using 7 products!

let's begin!
1 // applied gariner bb cream in light/medium for oily combo skin.


2 // applied laura mercier mineral powder in 'real sand' [my summer color, yay!] with my ELF flat top powder brush. skip this step if the bb cream is enough coverage for you! i always wear powder because my skin is so oily, especially in hotter weather.


3 // applied physician's formula botanical bronzer in 'sunnybuddy' with my ELF small tapered brush. mostly contoured cheekbones, forehead/temples, brought some down my nose and chin. wherever the sun would naturally hit. i used this large bronzer brush to blend some down my neck and on my decolletage.


4 // still obsessed with this blush, i haven't stopped using it for one day yet! applied milani blush in 'luminoso' to the apples of my cheeks.


5 // i filled in my brows much lighter than usual, when i wear more eye makeup, bolder brows are required. in summer my hair is typically lighter too which also means lighter eyebrows. you can see how i do my brow here, i only used the lightest color in my milani brow fix kit. added clear mascara, then added the highlighter color to my brow bone and inner corners to brighten my eyes.


6 // if i wasn't doing a makeup tutorial, a lot of days i will skip mascara all together. like i said before, my allergies just don't like me and make it miserable to wear! today i applied one coat of my covergirl lashblast in black to my top lashes only. i do love this same look without it even though my lashes are super blonde, i think it works for summer!


7 // i am obsessed with this lip product right now! it is the revlon colorstay moisture stain in 'cannes crush' which is a pretty pinky-coral color. i also have it in 'shanghai sizzle' which is much more red. the formula of these is amazing. i hate wearing lip glosses and i was fearful it would be sticky or feel like a gloss, but not at all! they apply like a creamy gloss, then kind of sink it and have so much moisture plus amazing color pay off. after awhile of having it on, it almost looks like a lipstick when the shininess leaves. and after hours of wearing, they leave your lips with the prettiest stain! here i am wearing 'cannes crush'.

after it sinks it a little bit...



...and that's basically the look! for some people this may be your daily makeup look, but for others of us who wear more day to day, this is a refreshing break from black liners and tons of blending of shadows. customize this look to fit your taste! it's a nice alternative to wearing no makeup at all, especially if you have to go from being outside in the sun to somewhere where you need to look a bit put together!



what are your favorite summer makeup products? do you wear makeup at all?

x's + o's
kaitlin elaine