Summer — it has so many great qualities: tanned skin, vacation time and (finally) the opportunity to brag to your high school friends about how cool you are now that you’ve really “found yourself” in college.  Unfortunately, it can also bring with it unbearable heat and not-so-cute side effects of serious sweat.

Naturally, once the warmer months roll around I like to transition my makeup products to work with the weather for an “effortless, dewy look” — rather than a “greasy, melting face look” that could either be a Halloween mask or the face of a real human (the jury’s still out).

As a base, I use Clinique’s CC cream. The coverage is a bit lighter than a typical foundation and creates a more natural look, as it allows my freckles and natural tan to show through. It also has SPF 30 in it, which is extra important since sun protection is an absolute must — especially during the summer.

Next, I do my bronzer/blush/highlighter. During a less-humid time I would use powder products. But in the summer, as I said before, I aim for a more luminous look, so I pretty exclusively use cream products. (Exception: when I’m in desperate need for something to control the grease-factor on my face — in which case I’ll use a light dusting of City Color HD Powder.)

Right now my favorite face color products are: Stila’s Convertible Color in Camellia for blush for a more bronzed look or Josie Maran’s Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil (why the long name, JOSIE?) in Timeless Coral if I’m going for a more flushed look. I finish off the face with RMS Living Luminizer as a highlight.

This is normally the point in my makeup routine where my sister yells that I’m taking too long, but homegirl is going to need to be a little more patient, because I am simply not done yet.

In the fall and winter I'm definitely an eyeliner girl, but once allergies kick in and my eyes are watering like I just finished watching “Marley and Me,” there is just no time for smudged eye makeup. So, instead I add a little somethin’-somethin’ (aka eye shadow) to my lids to make things more interesting.

I’m currently alternating between Clinique’s Chubby Stick for Eyes in Fuller Fudge, Wet ‘n’ Wild’s Eyeshadow Trio in Walking on Eggshells and OFRA Eyeshadow & Highlighter in Bliss.

I then like to finish off my eye look with not one, but two mascaras. I use L’Oreal Telescopic Shocking Extensions for length and separation in combination with Maybelline’s Full ‘n’ Soft for volume. Both work great on their own, but I am a self-proclaimed diva so one is just not enough for me.

 If I’m really feeling fancy I’ll add a lip color to my look. My summer favorites are Fresh’s Sugar Shine Lip Treatment in Nude and Nars’  Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl (aka T-Swift’s signature red lip color). I’m convinced if I wear it enough maybe I can date Conor Kennedy, too. (Sorry Calvin, Harry, Taylor, Joe, John, Jake and whoever else there is, but how can you expect me to deny Conor’s boyish charm?)

My beautification process is officially complete with a few spritzes of fragrance. This year’s summer scent is Land Over Sea Surf perfume. It does smell a bit like sunscreen, but that helps me distract myself from the fact that I’m sitting in a freezing office rather than a beach in Fiji.

Now that I'm done with everything, I can really enjoy my favorite part of my mornings: sweating off all of my hard work as I’m sandwiched between a tourist-mom and a businessman while commuting on the metro to work.