Summer Trends: Gold Rush, plus make-up essentials to survive Hong Kong’s humidity

Last year, I was all about summer brights (check out how to get the look here) but this year, I’m feeling the gold rush!

Molten metallic tones look especially fab in summer – alongside thoughts of golden beaches and sun-bronzed skin. Here are a couple of my go-tos to achieve the look, plus all the ingredients for a flawless complexion to go with it.

Left to right: PowerChrome Eye Pencils in Rich Glance and Life’s Luxury; Romantico, Bare My Soul, Friendly and When In Rio from Bare My Soul Eye Palette

MAKE-UP

– I’m a fan of MAC’s new PowerChrome Eye Pencils from their summer collection Temperature Rising. These are really easy to use, great to sling in your handbag, and offer soft creamy and long-lasting colour in a range of metallic shades. Rich Glance, a light bright gold, should be versatile enough to suit everyone!

– If you want to play with shading and highlighting, MAC’s Eye Palette in Bare My Soul should have you sorted for the whole season (and beyond!). Offering four colours – a light beigey-bronze, a bright gold, a deep copper and an interesting metallic green-brown hybrid – you can do light looks for day or something more smouldering for night. Layer a combination of all of the above for a multi-dimensional and ultra shimmery eye look (check out beauty blogger Temptalia’s ‘eye of the day’ using Bare My Soul below centre)!

Photo credits via Polyvore

– A couple of other great options for molten metallics are Laura Mercier’s Caviar Sticks in Sand Glow and Sugar Frost, Chanel’s limited edition Stylo Eyeshadows in Moon River and Cool Gold and, my all-time favourite, Urban Decay’s 24/7 Eye Pencils in Scorch and Smog. As you might notice, these all come in my favourite make-up format – the stick/pencil/crayon. Failsafe application guaranteed! Even if you’d rather keep it simple, a slick of gold/bronze eyeliner above your regular brown/black liner or at your waterline makes for a really eye-catching look, which is especially gorgeous with brown eyes.

– For lips, I prefer to keep it neutral over summer as anything too heavy looks a bit laboured. A little dab of any shimmering gloss to the centre of the lips (Laura Mercier is my current fave as it’s not too sticky) should do the trick.

– Don’t forget the bronzer… and don’t forget to NOT go overboard with it. Apply this where the sun would hit your face – cheekbones, forehead, bridge of your nose and chin (blusher is for the apples of your cheeks). MAC’s Bronzing Powder in Refined Golden is light enough to dust on for fair skin, but can be built up for a stronger colour on more tan complexions too. You can also get a really pretty sun-kissed glow via Benefit’s Sun Beam, which I reviewed here.

Photo credits via Polyvore

COMPLEXION

The make-up scene has totally moved on from heavy cakey foundations – and doubly so over summer! There are an abundance of new foundations, tinted moisturisers and BB creams out there that not only feel feather-light but offer decent coverage and good SPF protection too.

One of my new favourites is Giorgio Armani’s Maestro Fusion Foundation SPF 15 (so weightless and fluid you won’t even believe it is foundation… and just one drop goes a LONG way!) or, if you want a little more coverage, their Lasting Silk Foundation SPF 20 instead. I’d recommend heading to Armani’s new boutique in Elements so you can let the assistants help you match your colour – it’s a much more comfortable and relaxing experience than the hectic department store counters!

A finishing powder is also essential for touch-ups throughout the day, to help with oil control and minimising shine. I’m currently using bareMinerals Touch-Up Veil SPF15, which comes in a convenient mirrored compact and is a translucent un-tinted shade that doesn’t mess with the colour of your coverage underneath (added bonus: it also diffuses the look of imperfections!). Laura Mercier’s Loose Setting Powder, which is superfine, sheer and comes in a tiny little pot perfect for slinging in your handbag, is another great option. And don’t forget some blotting sheets for on-the-go too – any old ones from Sasa will do!

If you are out in the HK’s beating sun all day (all those junk trips and beach days are beckoning!), you should definitely apply a separate sunscreen with an even higher SPF… and remember to re-apply every few hours too. Boot’s Soltan range is a no-brainer now that it’s easily available in Hong Kong – and even if your local Mannings doesn’t stock the full Boots range, almost all the stores do now carry the Soltan stuff amongst their usual stock, so check the shelves!

Want more tips? I asked for some expert advice from MAC Senior Artist Ryuko Lau, so here are her top five summer make-up tips for creating a flawless face that copes with Hong Kong’s high humidity!

1. Apply an oil control product (like MAC Prep + Prime Refined Zone) onto oily areas like your T-Zone and around the nose area. This preps the skin to keep shine to a minimum throughout the day!

2. Choose a light and hydrating (with oil control preferably) foundation or BB Cream like MAC Studio Fix Foundation or MAC Prep + Prime Beauty Compact, for easy application whilst also providing a smooth and pore-less canvas on the face.

3. Buff an even layer of finishing powder, like MAC Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder Loose, with #138 Brush all over your face, plus a little extra on the T-Zone area for natural smooth highlights and for additional oil control.

4. Set your make-up with MAC Fix+ spray for an ultra natural and long-lasting look.

5. Before doing touch-ups throughout the day, use blot film to blot away any grease. MAC’s Blot Films are extra large and absorbent, so just one piece should do the job well! Then apply your favourite Prep + Prime Transparent Finishing Powder Compact for a lasting flawless finish.

So there we have it – everything you need to create a glowing gorgeous summer look. Get on that gold rush, girls!

Stockists in Hong Kong:

• bareMinerals – See all bareMinerals locations here
• Benefit – See all Benefit locations here
• Boots Soltan – Stocked at Mannings, see all Mannings stores here
• Chanel – See all Chanel Beaute stores here
• Giorgio Armani Beauty – See all Giorgio Armani Beauty locations here
• Laura Mercier – See all Laura Mercier locations here
• MAC – See all MAC locations here
• Sasa – See all Sasa stores here
• Urban Decay – Buy Urban Decay online (with free shipping to HK!) via HQHair.com