NEW YORK CITY — There's lots not to love about summer, especially when you want to look your best.
Sweat from heat and humidity as well as prolonged sun exposure cause a host of cosmetic and dermatological problems for even the toughest New Yorkers.
Makeup can melt. Perspiration can prompt ingrown hairs. And ultraviolet rays can result in premature aging — and deadly skin cancers.
Just as there are ways to beat the heat, however, there are ways to maintain your makeup — and minimize UV risk — even as the temperature and sunbeams ebb.
DNAinfo New York checked in with some experts around the city and got their tips for men and women.
Act Naturally
Johnny Gonzalez, a Washington Heights-based makeup artist, said steamy and muggy conditions call for "very natural, light makeup — not too much full coverage."
He's particularly fond of Armani and Laura Mercier's tinted moisturizers.
"Everybody is using them now," Gonzalez, 31, said.
These products are also great picks for fashion-minded men, he said.
Shannon Park, a 21-year industry vet who lives in Inwood and runs the Gotham Goddess blog, suggested Make Up Forever's HD Powder to complete that perfectly natural look.
"It's a loose powder. It is milled," she said. "It's so lightweight and adds zero color to the skin. Anyone can use it."
Play With Color
Khuraira Musa, who has been a makeup artist for more than 20 years in the metropolitan area and has her own cosmetics line called Khuraira, suggested bronzer for a glowing vibe.
"I love the idea of bronzer with a little bit of shimmer to give you that nice, sun-kissed effect," she said. "I would even do a quick lipgloss on my cheeks and just go over with that bronzer. That gives you that nice, dewey blush look."
Musa said the same idea can be applied to an evening look, too.
"You can do the same thing on your eyelid," she said.
Musa's recs include her own bronze glows and Guerlain's terracotta bronzers.
"The yellow-orange base — that's what inspired we with my bronzer. Before I had my own brand, I lived on Guerlain's bronzer," she said.
Park also said NARS' "Orgasm" is a great pick for peachy, pink cheeks.
"It really looks great on everyone. It's just a beautiful glow," she said.
Keep It Clean
Khadine Clarke, a Brooklyn-based makeup artist, said summer beauty is a constant battle against oil.
"You have to do things to combat that shine throughout the day," Clarke said.
She suggested oil blotting sheets — such as Clean and Clear's — to keep the shine at bay.
"I just pull it out and dab it on my nose and forehead," she said. "It absorbs the oil without disturbing the makeup."
Park emphasized exfoliation in summer months — including for men.
"They can get ingrown hairs, especially if they're waxing, if they're manscaping their bodies," she said.
She suggested Clearasil's "On the Go Rapid Action Wipes" for "anywhere you can trap sweat or bacteria," including cleavage and "on the backs of your thighs."
"They have salicylic acid, and salicylic acid is a really great exfoliator," Park said.
Musa added that one should exfoliate at least once weekly.
"When you have a sunburn you tend to peel and you don't want that dead skin on your face when you're walking around," she said.
To keep looking fresh-faced throughout the day, Clarke said one should conclude a makeup regimen with a setting or finishing spray.
"One example is Urban Decay All Nighter," she said. "It helps your makeup stay on for a longer time" rather than disintegrate after five or six hours, she said.
Tender Love and Skincare
For area beauty buffs, summer calls for sunscreen and regenerative skin creams — but neither have to break the bank.
Clarke suggested Neutrogena's oil free SPF 35 moisturizer.
"It's really affordable," she said. And "it's both a moisturizer and a sunscreen in one."
Gonzalez suggested Josie Maran's "Argan Balm" for feeding hungry, thirsty skin.
"It nourishes and perfects your skin," he said. "I like to use it at nighttime — you will wake up with baby-smooth skin.
"Then you put on makeup," he added, "and it's going to give you a very beautiful, glowing complexion."
