Get Selfie Ready For Summer with Em-J

Summer is the perfect time to get plenty of selfies and pictures together with friends and loved ones. The weather is on point, the sunshine provides plenty of selfie-friendly lighting and we’re much more likely to be smiling! Getting your summer makeup organised and ready to go is key when it comes to creating beautiful makeup looks, and our Beauty Base ambassador Em-J is on hand to help us get selfie ready for summer.

The ultimate summer makeup kit

Professional makeup artist Em-J selected some of the best vegan makeup she loves from Beauty Base to help her create a summer selfie makeup look. The aim is to go for a light and natural finish that can be easy to do on a hot summers morning, and will last wonderfully all day.

Base

A long time fan of this particular product, Em-J swears by the Milani Make It Dewy setting spray which can be worn before or after applying makeup, whether you want to prime the skin or give your makeup a refresh during the day. It delivers the right amount of product onto the face for a dewy finish, giving skin a hit of hydration and a boost at the same time!

To create a flawless base, Em-J spritz the Milani Make It Dewy setting spray onto her face for a quick priming step before applying an illuminator product and a stick foundation. A light coverage foundation or a BB cream is an ideal solution for summer base makeup as it will allow your skin to breathe and give a more natural look. We recommend going for the LA Girl HD Pro BB Cream that will moisturise and enhance skin tone with its silky, lightweight formula. Under the eyes, banish the appearance of tiredness with the LA Girl Pro Conceal concealer for natural coverage. Apply the BB cream with fingers all over the face, and concealer in required areas, and then use a makeup sponge to press the product into the skin for a flawless finish. Dust over a translucent powder like the Technic Soft Focus loose powder to set in place.

‘If you’ve got quite dry skin, and the product isn’t moving very easily for you, simply just spray your beauty blender with your Milani spray and that will help it to blend.’

Eyes & Brows

Summer eye makeup should brighten and open up the eyes, with a pared back look being the aim. Forget heavy eye makeup – it’s all about the benefit of carefully applied, natural looking makeup to accentuate the beauty of your eyes!

Opt for muted browns and taupe shades for eyeshadow to get a soft eye makeup look, buffing with an eyeshadow brush and blending as you go, remembering to take it underneath the eye to add more depth and definition. Using a brown eyeliner is also a softer option for summer eye makeup, and we recommend the Milani Everyday Eyes Palette in Must Have Naturals before lining the eyes with a soft brown eyeliner which can be blended into the lash line. Finish the eyes by curling the lashes and adding a couple of coats of the Milani Trifecta Mascarawhich will lengthen, define and curl your lashes instantly! For brows, forget the harsh lines of an eyebrow pencil and try out the W7 Very Vegan Eco Brow Grooming Kit with its wax and eyebrow powder colours.

‘Curling your lashes will make such a difference, especially if you’re going to be using such a light mascara.’

Contour & Highlight

We’re sure you’ll be aware by now of the magical makeup technique of contouring – the practice of using a darker shade of powder or cream in areas such as the hollows of the cheeks, side of the forehead, along the nose and under the jawline. This creates natural looking shadows to help to create the appearance of extra dimension, and this face sculpting is perfect for extra effect in summer selfies! Highlighting is the perfect companion to contouring as it will enhance and accentuate the highest points on the face, illuminating the look of your face effortlessly.

Em-J actually uses a darker foundation to contour her face, and this can work equally as well as turning to specially created contouring kits. We love the creamy, easy to blend formula of the Milani Contour & Highlight Cream Liquid Duo which has a matte contour cream stick and a highly pigmented liquid illuminator in one convenient product. Using the Technic Unicorn Highlighting Cream, Em-J focuses her highlight on the tops of her cheeks, down the nose and on the cupid’s bow before blending for a luxurious glow. These steps really bring the face back to life for a summery, natural finish.

‘The aim is to get everyone to look at the centre of your face where your features are. So, by contouring and making it slightly darker around the edge of your face, people are instantly drawn to the centre and look at your eyes and lips’

If you’re looking to create a vegan friendly makeup look for summer, be sure to watch Em-J’s Plantfaced summer face video below for the complete step-by-step guide:

To update your summer makeup kit, be sure to take a look at our complete makeup department and vegan makeup collection at Beauty Base for high quality products that will brighten up your face.