Being outside in New York yesterday felt like standing inside of a hair dryer. It was hot, humid and completely intolerable, and there’s only more of that on the way as we prepare to enter July. Summer presents all kinds of aesthetic challenges, but one of the toughest is makeup and hair–how are you supposed to get any liquid to cling to your face when it’s 95 degrees outside?
Science is a beautiful thing, though, and it has managed to come up with a few perfect products that will stick with you through the sticky air of the next few months. Below, check out five that I’ve personally tested in the heat and humidity of both NYC and Atlanta.
Chanel Inimitable Waterproof Mascara
$32 via Chanel
I’m prone to raccoon eyes in any weather because the structure of my eye area and the length of my lashes, and this stuff is good enough to survive an August night in a questionably air-conditioned college bar in Georgia. I’ve done the research on that claim.
Make Up For Ever Face & Body Liquid Foundation
$40 via Sephora
This makeup is light (but buildable!) coverage, but the color payoff you get stays there all day. A friend on Twitter described it as “nuke-proof.” It’s perfect for summer, though, because it’ll even out your skin tone without making you feel like you’re wearing a face full of makeup.
Oribe Impermeable Anti-Humidity Spray
$39 via Net-a-Porter
My hair is very frizz-prone when straightened, and no product will fight that 100%, but this is the best contender I’ve found by a long shot. Plus, all of Oribe’s products smell like a dream.
Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner Pen
$20 via Sephora
I’d recommend layering this over the primer below in extreme heat and humidity, but if you’re in a hurry, it’s still long-wearing enough that you can pull off a quick cat eye without looking like a small woodland creature before you get to the subway.
Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
$20 via Sephora
I’ve been using this stuff since college and it’s still the Holy Grail, the OG, the Greatest of All Time. You will be taking your makeup off with a product meant to do that at the end of the night instead of with your ring finger, under your eye, all day.
