Summer Lite

Close-up portrait of a fresh and beautiful young fashion model
Close-up portrait of a fresh and beautiful young fashion model

It’s that first moment when spring transforms into summer—the sky appears bluer and brighter than the days before, and the sun is more commanding and radiant, its warm rays wrapping blissfully around the skin. As the outdoors once again becomes a
playground filled with laughter and optimism, a new energy is felt, sparking a brighter look for the season. And as the warming days fade seamlessly into pleasant evenings, offering illustrious sunsets, it’s clear that finally summer has begun.

In a different lightFashion Portrait Is
      As lighting changes from winter’s gray skies and fashion shifts to fewer layers, makeup calls for a fresh, new approach, as well. Tan complexions can appear ashy and mask-like with winter’s foundation choices, and the deep, rich, opaque jewel tones of fall may appear painted and heavy in summer’s bright light. So, when partnering colors with the lightweight materials of summer—from sheer linens and flowing summer silks to cotton poplin—there is a need for translucency and luminance to be reflected in makeup in order for the look to be properly balanced.
     Protecting the skin and neutralizing the complexion is the first step to a great summer look. Whether using a tinted moisturizer or mineral foundation, the daily must-have of sunscreen should contain no lower than an SPF 15, which will help with daily, casual
protection. For extended outdoor activities, a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF 30 is one of the best ways to protect the skin.
     In neutralizing skin tone, a foundation shade may be required with a touch more yellow pigment, especially if the effects of the sun have caused more redness to appear in the skin. Naturally, clients are recommended to shy away from baking in the sun for hours; however, many professional recommendations still go avoided in this regard, so the expression, “Fake it—don’t bake it,” definitely applies here. And this is also where a bronzer becomes an essential summer item, with its ability to help give the illusion of a tan or minimize ashy-ness when experiencing those in-between summer skin tones.
      Working further with summer skin, it is possible that tan complexions can appear thick or lackluster if not cared for properly, so adapting to a new skin care program for the season is essential. And choosing the correct finish for foundation is key to complementing the look, as oilier skin types will naturally have more shine to their skin and feel more comfortable with a matte finish, whereas normal to dry skin types will benefit more from a natural radiant finish, which adds luminosity.

A ray of light
     Traditionally, makeup for the eyes, cheeks and lips in warm spectrum shades of gold, peach and bronze pair well with a summer theme. Also, hues in the cool spectrum of blues, pinks and purples complement them as contrasting colors that create a more dramatic look against tan skin.
     All skin tones naturally contain yellow, orange, red and blue pigments, and therefore, combining warm and cool tones can look balanced. However, it can be tricky at times to apply and wear the contrasting hues if the colors are not paired correctly. Complementary shades can neutralize each other and lose their purpose, so remember these color rules: Green neutralizes red, yellow cancels pink, and blue mutes orange.

Mixing warms and cools
      In combining these summer-friendly hues in makeup, there are a few focus points. For a radiant summer look in the eyes, keep the base and eye contour shadows in the same spectrum—peach and bronze, for example. Then accent the eyelids or apply an expressive eye liner in a color from the opposite spectrum, such as blue or purple.
     To give a healthy glow to the cheeks, use bronzer around the frame of the face to bring warmth, and dip into a hue in the cool spectrum to add dimension to the apples of the cheeks, using perhaps a pink or plum shade.
     Lips can get the perfect summer touch by pairing a warm tone lip color for the base shade with a cool tone for the top coat. Sheer gloss can be used to balance, as well, tying the look together.

Summer shades
     The following two makeup plans detail a sweet, summer-inspired look to wear when the weather gets warmer. The Summer Radiance look provides full-on makeup options, creating a complete summer makeup plan that is great for work, a night on the town or any other special occasion. The Summer Lite look takes just the essential summer makeup highlights and mixes them with the shades of the season for a plan that is fresh, quick and easy.Si0805 Wiebelt Palette

      Summer Radiance. This look pairs summer’s warm and cool tones for a refreshing, joyful face.

1.  Press a matte peach shadow under the eyebrow as a base shade using an eye shadow brush.
2.  Glide a medium golden brown shadow over the eye contour area, using an angled eye shadow brush to create dimension.
3.  For a wash of color, press a shimmering,
soft pink shadow across the eyelid using an eye shadow brush, then blend the color over all the shadows with a soft blending brush, diffusing where the shadows begin, meet and end.
4.  Line along the top lash line with the medium golden brown shadow for a soft summer look. Softly smudge the shade along the bottom lash line using a small eye liner brush, and then finish with mascara.
5.  Use an angled blush brush to glide a golden bronzer along the cheekbones and temples to bring warmth to the complexion.
6.  Smile and apply a medium pink blush on the apples of the cheeks using an angled blush brush, creating a soft touch of color.
7.  Stain lips with a soft, tawny-colored lipstick, and define them with a coordinating lip definer. Follow that with a sheer, shimmering pink gloss for added radiance.

     Summer Lite. Follow these step to create the perfect quick summer makeup look.

1.  Press a matte peach shadow under the eyebrow as a base using an eye shadow brush.
2.  Brighten the eye by pressing a sheer, shimmering gold shadow over the eyelid with an angled eye shadow brush.
3.  Line along the top lash line with the golden brown shadow for a soft summer touch, and softly smudge the shade along the bottom lash line using a small eye liner brush. Finish with mascara.
4.  Glide a golden bronzer over the eye contour, as well as along the cheekbones and temples, using an angled blush brush.
5.  Apply a sheer, toffee-colored gloss.

Superior services
     Introducing summer makeup menu offerings can stimulate new business opportunities for both existing and new clients while also creating some great talking points for local public relations. In fact, with great colors and expert application techniques, these options could have your clients talking all summer.Si0805 Wiebelt Tools
     In offering a seasonal makeup session, the service should include all the core options. The sessions can be scheduled on the books as 50-minute services, and an appropriate fee could be anywhere from $55–85.
     The base makeup session should include a full application that begins with matching the client’s skin tone for her perfect summer shade of foundation and concealer. Next, provide a makeup application that demonstrates quick, easy, daytime makeup, such as the Summer Lite look, and then continue on with tips that take the application to the next level, such as those used in the Summer Radiance look. In addition, a record of the application, tips and products used can be included as a take-home instructional reference guide, and for added value, include a complimentary gift of the bronzer you used with the service.
      Creating your own seasonal makeup services adds to your menu in a way that can prove quite valuable. To the client, these types of offerings have, in the past, been seen as an afterthought to the changes that are required in her skin care and makeup routine. However, this new service allows the client an opportunity to receive professional advice on the correct color palette for her summer complexion, provides tips on how to simplify the makeup routine with quick application techniques, and works to prepare the skin for the protection it will require in the summer months ahead.
     For the spa, this seasonal makeup service presents an opportunity to bring activity during a traditionally quiet time of year. Customize packages that partner makeup services with facials and waxing, and offer the makeup session as a complimentary bonus. This will help to increase service revenue, retail sales and client satisfaction.

Summer love
      As seasons change, so do the needs of your clients and your business. Summer has an abundance of opportunities, and adapting to include them can be quite financially rewarding. So be ready to take on the added value of summer while it is available. If you don’t consider it, it may soon be only an option at the spa of your competitor down the street.

Spring/Summer 2008 Color Article:
Spring is in the Air by Abby Penning (March 2008)

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