How to avoid looking like 'The Walking Dead'

Summer in Georgia; the sweltering heat is horrible enough to send me running for the hills… or, Alaska, at least. There are 4 absolutely miserable months in Georgia where there is really no use putting makeup on, or attempting to do your hair. As a Midwesterner, gracefully enduring the summer, without  looking like I am auditioning for a role in ‘The Walking Dead,’ is an effort.  I am always on the hunt for a solution to looking ‘put together’, with as little makeup as possible. I have gone through all of the self-talk of ‘Who needs makeup? Natural beauty is in!’ Don’t get me wrong, it is. I applaud women for feeling beautiful without makeup. I find it empowering, but the truth is, either way, I LOVE MAKEUP. It’s truly a joy in my life. However, for 4 months out of the year, I have a 5 minute makeup rule; seriously.  Are you ready for my trick? Stains; thank me later.

No this is not a plug for the show, however so I never get
any legal notices, and all that jazz, here's where I got the pic:
 http://www.amctv.com/shows/the-walking-dead

I have written previous articles on various lip stains, but I wanted to go even further and try out a product introduced to me by a very fabulous client on her wedding day! (Thanks a bunch Ashley!) Here enters my favorite stain : Posie Tint. It comes in an obnoxious metallic pink container that looks like it should be applied to your fingernails, not your lips and cheeks.  Unscrew the top, and it is COTTON CANDY PINK. Yuck, right? Surprisingly, it gives you the most perfect ‘glow’ with a hint of pink on your cheeks and lips that make you honestly look like you are just naturally flushed. I love it. Apply the product  to your fingers first and then rub it into your cheeks in a circular motion, and out toward your hairline. I wouldn’t apply directly with the brush, to your cheeks, remember, it is a STAIN. However, I do apply directly to my lips, however, due to the brush, the application can be messy, and if you aren’t careful, you can look like that sweet older woman who insists on drawing her lips up to her nose. The down side is the price tag. At $30, it is definitely a splurge for this bargain hunter. However, I purchased mine in February, and I still have a good amount left. Face it ladies, most of us spend more than that on Starbucks in a month.

As you know, I am slightly obsessed with Birchbox, and could not have been ANY MORE excited when I found a new stain to try in my latest delivery! It is called Stainiac, by The Balm, and mine came in ‘Beauty Queen.’ I was a little put off by the color initially. Beauty Queen is a bright ruby red and I had no desire to emulate the gorgeous Marilyn Monroe’s infamous lips. However, much to my surprise, the color is incredibly subtle, and because it is a gel consistency, unlike the Posie Tint, which is much more of a liquid, it is very easy for beginners, and you can layer it until you accomplish the desired effect! I used it on my cheeks as well and could not have been any happier with the result. The best? Its half the price of Posie Tint!

My favorite trick with these stains is to apply first, and then throw a light powder on top of them to blend. I don’t want to look like I am wearing blush or lipstick, I just want to look like I have some color, and have made a bit of an effort. My stain, a little powder and my favorite mascara, and I am truly down to a 5 minute makeup routine, that looks put together and, yes, keeps me from having the whole ‘melting skin’ effect that this heat often produces, even on the best of us makeup connoisseurs. Enjoy and Happy Summer! 


Minor update: After searching out a host of images for this article, I decided you guys were better spared from me including a zombie apocalypse picture. Gross. I had the opportunity to work on one of the 'Zombies,' although, for a different movie, not for 'The Walking Dead,'- prior to my understanding of what this show was.
Needless to say, after she showed me pictures on her phone of what she looked like in full- face eating zombie gear... I was thankful I wasn't working on THAT movie. :)