You’re straight up lyin’ if you say you aren’t feeling the summer season already. Unless you exclusively maneuver in air-conditioned spaces, it’s sweltering. Times like these are when I especially want to be whisked away to a beach—any beach—for respite from the humdrum of daily reality. Imagine spending your days lounging by the shore on some pool chair, donning a killer pair of sunglasses and the ubiquitous straw hat, leisurely turning the pages of your chosen book with a bottomless glass of frozen margarita in tow. I think that’s a pretty concrete picture of my personal summer dream.
Alas, life is not so forgiving and though we have literally thousands of islands, we can’t always just drive off and go. See, the modern woman wears way too many hats and often has way too many responsibilities to just pack up and go on a whim. My only solution to this dilemma is to just exude a summer frame of mind. Now, I’m not just talking about wearing swimsuits to work or actually ordering frozen drinks—both of which I’d probably actually do. I’m talking about imbibing the feel of summer by way of one’s beauty choices. Who cares if you didn’t actually go to the beach if your bronzed glow is deceptively natural? You can still be on point for summer AND be within a few feet of the nearest AC. That’s a pretty good trade-off.
For that faux-summer fun (that hopefully will turn into actual fun), it’s easy to don three favorite summer looks: the bronzed look, the dewy look, and the fresh-faced look with a bright lip. With a little help from AVON, I did just that.
The bronzed look is probably the look that perfectly captures being an island girl. This “Oh, I got two shades darker, it’s no big deal, I’m just golden now” look is the perfect way to fake that week-long frolic under the sun. Nothing feels as anti-summer as a face lacking color. Plus a bronzed look goes perfectly well with some of the more in-season sartorial trends. Because I didn’t have a bronzer with me , I actually used two different shades of Avon’s Oil Control Plus Pressed Powder with SPF 19. Even when you’re not strolling under the sun the harsh rays are unforgiving. I used a shade two shades darker than my skin color to contour my face and the product one shade darker for a bronzed finish. I also used the Perfect Eyebrow Kit in Soft Brown to make the look stronger (you can also use this to add definition in your contouring). I capped off this look with hints of gold and peach tones.
The dewy look is all about the sheen. For this I’m using the Avon CC Cream because I want the base light and I don’t want to seem like I packed several products on. If you don’t have a highlighter, a trick I use is to just use the cream/white shimmery eyeshadow option and use it on the high points of your face. Ta-dah! Instant product! In this case I’m using number 1 or Disco in the Eyeshadow Quad Palette in Glow Teal. I got a bunch of Avon’s Lip Stylos and I love them. They glide like tints. I just applied a quick creamy blush—the Lip Stylo actually works well as a cheek tint too (so versatile!) and capped the look off with eyeliner, mascara, and a bold pop of color on the lip. Lipstick is the easiest way to don that bold summer look. For day I’d use the Ultra Hydrating Lip Color in Peach Petunia but for a night out I’d use Red Tulip.
The fresh look is probably my favorite because it’s the easiest and I’m all about the ease. Modern Filipinas don’t have a lot of time to spare so a quick makeup routine works best with tight schedules. (I mean we will take time to apply lipstick in between saving the world but still.) For this I used the BB Cream as the base and topped it off with the Oil Control Powder. I also lined my eyes with number 3 on the Glow Teal Eyeshadow Quad palette—the Teal shade for that fresh pop of color just for fun. I finished it with a makeshift lip tint by softly dabbing on the Beauty Lip Stylo in Sunset and not completely swiping. I finished the look with the Supershock Max Volume Mascara because if your mascara isn’t waterproof, the heat will turn you into a post-crying mascara-running-through-your-face meme. I kid you not. A big trend this summer is feathered brows—where the brows aren’t perfectly filled in but rather messily brushed, so I tried my hand at that too (under the bangs).
I played around with my Avon products and found that I can use them for multiple purposes especially if I’m lacking certain products in my makeup arsenal. The products are pretty versatile so if there’s ever a time to experiment with where you can apply products and stretch them, the summer is the perfect season to do just that. Have fun with your summer looks and go bold. Makeup can definitely help dictate our state of mind and these looks will have you thinking relaxation, enjoyment, and a certain dash of audacity in no time.
Visit the Avon website for more information on the products
