Makeup looks to nail when it’s so hot you feel like your face is melting off

Guys, it is relentlessly hot…everywhere. I’ve lived in Los Angeles for fifteen years and this is the first season my face has melted off as soon as I walk outside. So. Sweaty.

The good news is that you’re not suffering in vein. “Urea [a waste product found in sweat] acts as a keratolytic, which means it softens and dissolves keratin, thereby sloughing dead skin cells and smoothing dry skin,” says New York City-based dermatologist Sejal Shah, MD. And not just that, but another NYC-based dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD adds that it’s a humectant. “It helps hydrate the skin by pulling in water from the surrounding skin layers and even the air in humid environments,” he explains. What’s more, sweat has antimicrobial properties, so it can help to clear blemishes. “Dermcidin is a protein found in sweat that actually has properties similar to antibiotics,” says Dr. Shah. “It has been demonstrated to kill bacteria on the skin.” In other words, your sweat is akin to a multitasking facial, exfoliating, hydrating, and clearing the skin as you broil.

So, you don’t necessarily want to stop the sweat (not that you could if you wanted to in this heat); however, you also don’t want to show up to your next date looking as though you went on a bender last night, with mascara and all sorts of other makeup bits and pieces smeared down your face. To help you instead achieve an intentional melty makeup look that’s more sexy than sweaty, Merrady Wickes, makeup artist and head of content at clean-beauty haven The Detox Market, offers three tutorials which will see you through the summer.

Keep reading to achieve a melty makeup look that’s more “hot” than “hot mess.”

The lip stain

“The key to this look is using a hydrating formula that won’t get flaky or patchy. I love the Clove + Hallow Vegan Lip Glazes ($15) because they’re super pigmented for a stained effect, and come with a built-in brush for blending. Concentrate the color on the center of the mouth, then gently blend outwards. The gloss will eventually fade, but the color will stay.” Her favorite shades to round out summer? “Spicy is a juicy fuchsia, while Mai Tai is a peachy coral,” she tells me.

Glossy eyes

When the temps spike, forget the eyeshadow brush and instead use your fingers to blend in a neutral, bronze such as Gressa Eye Tint in Bronce ($36) from the lash line up to the socket. “The smokier you want to go, the more you can add—I like to go all the way up to the socket if it’s evening. These shadows have a unique cream-to-velvet feel that just gets better in the heat,” she says. If you want something that’s heavier on the drama, “run a chocolate khol liner like the Hynt Beauty Forte High Definition Eyeliner ($20) along your waterline, and tight-line the upper lashes,” she adds. This helps to prevent smudging because the deeper color is concentrated on the inside of the eyes.

Sweaty glow

“Vapour Organic Beauty’s stick formulas ($46) are my jam for this. They’re all made without water, which eliminates the need for harsh preservatives and also makes them sweat and water-resistant,” she tells me. On top of that, she dabs on a bronzer at the points of the face, where the sun would naturally hit such as the forehead, nose, cheeks, and lids. Finish with a multi-stick or stain on cheeks and lips. Congrats! That’s how you beat the heat!

Are you a bonafide makeup junkie? Swap out your not-so-clean faves for these all-natural dupes. Plus, as long as temps remain a billion+, you may want to reach for Serena Williams’ no-budge (even on the court) eyeliner.