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Published on 9/26/08
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I patch-tested products on every part of my face until I looked like Pat Benatar and then sat in Jeunesse Spa’s Sunlight Sauna. My research protocol may not have been scientific, but it sure was freakin’ hot!
Cover Girl Outlast liquid makeup
When I wiped some of the rivulets of sweat from my face, a little bit of foundation rubbed off onto my palm. I feared I looked like a car in need of a wash, but when I looked in the mirror it wasn’t obvious—my skin was still evenly covered and free of any smeared areas or white patches.
$10, at drugstore.com
Cargo The Melt-proof Make-Up Collection (3-in-1 Eye-Cheek-Lip Palette, mascara and bronzer)
I used the bronzer from this all-in-one kit and had no complaints, except that after working up a sweat, my natural rosy complexion definitely did not need a faux-tan color enhancement.
$39, at Sephora, locations throughout the city. Go to sephora.com for more info
theBalm Stainiac in Prom Queen
This product looks like a lip balm but is actually a water-based gel tint designed to give you a natural-looking glow. It went on without any streaks and stayed put throughout my stay in the hot box.
$14, at Sephora, various locations throughout the city
Sonia Kashuk Eliminate Shine Mattifying Spray Powder
While I acknowledge how ridiculous it is to try to keep your face looking matte while sitting in a sauna, those with unctuous skin have to fight the oil- slick look every day in the summer. Let this futuristic-sounding “spray powder” be your secret weapon: When sprayed on any powder brush, then applied to the skin, it promises a shine-free face all day. After 15 minutes in the sauna, my skin was dewy, but not completely reflective.
$11, at target.com
Cover Girl Outlast lip color
This all-day lip color promises to outlast breakfast, lunch and dinner and stay put for up to 16 hours. It worked so well that I couldn’t even get it off with normal makeup remover, which just made me frustrated. It felt thick and caked-on, and after trying to rub it off, it became even more flaky and dried out.
$10, at CVS, locations throughout the city. Go to cvs.com for more info.
Make Up for Ever Aqua Creamliner
Doesn’t the sound of “waterproof gel cream” instantly lower your body temperature? It can be used as an eyeliner or eye shadow, is easy to apply and won’t budge. It passed TONY’s sweat test.
$20, at Sephora
Almay Waterproof Mascara, $4.19 & Revlon 3D Extreme Mascara, $10
I’d rather go sans mascara than have to worry about it running down my face like a newly anointed Miss America, but the two brands I tried out seemed to hold up under the extreme heat: There was no drippage nor smeared black spots under my lids. I rubbed my eye and the makeup came off, but if you can refrain from touching your face, you can have fabulous lashes even in the jungle.Both at Walgreens, locations throughout the city. For more info, go to walgreens.com
Sunlight Saunas at Jeunesse Spa (1885 Broadway between 62nd and 63rd Sts, 212-245-4606) offers access to the sauna when you purchase any spa treatment. You can also purchase a sauna for private use in your home (sunlightsaunas.com, units start at $1,895).
How to avoid having to screech, “I’m melting!”
Unless you’re one of those girls who wears makeup to work out, chances are your day-to-day activities won’t produce as much sweat as the sauna did. But here are tips to follow if you’re in hot, muggy conditions–and they don’t have to mean investing in a whole new stash of products.
Chill out. Beth Mayall editor in chief of Total Beauty (totalbeauty.com), an online beauty-product library, suggests keeping your makeup in the fridge.
Mayall is an advocate of “less is more.” She says, “Stay away from a smoky eye or high-coverage foundations, since they’ll melt and look runny anyway.”
The same way you shed extra clothes during the heat, you don’t want unnecessary layers piled on your face. “Replace your powder compact with blotting papers for summer,” Mayall says. “These soak up oil just like powder, without leaving behind a coat that will settle into fine lines.”
