Beat the Heat: Summer Beauty and Makeup Tips

If you're a summer bride, your wedding can literally be a day in the sun. And although the warm weather is glorious, it can also pose a challenge when it comes to looking and feeling your best: Hot temperatures can melt and move makeup and turn complexions shiny, and high humidity can be downright hair-raising. But armed with the right strategy, you will prevail -- and look your prettiest.
See More: 13 New Wedding Cake Trends We Love

For Your Body


The day before your wedding, cut back on dehydrating alcohol and avoid spicy foods, which can make you flush.

Lighten Up
Instead of a thick body cream, which can cause perspiration, try a fast-absorbing dry oil, such as Huiles & Baumes Gentle Dry Oil (spacenk.com). Its mist-on formula is lightweight yet potent.

Shower Smart
On your big day, give yourself two to three hours to get ready. Racing around only raises your body temperature and stress level. In the shower, use a moisturizing cleanser, then rinse with brisk water. If you start to feel hot later, run your wrists -- which are pulse points -- under cold water for a quick cool-down.
Related:12 New and Unexpected Wedding Food Ideas

Stay Dry
Dust a moisture-absorbing powder from your bra line to your feet. And use a powerful antiperspirant. Put it on the soles of your feet as well, to avoid slipping out of sandals.

Pour More
Water is key to feeling refreshed. Add a few cucumber slices, which have cooling properties, and keep sipping throughout the day.

For Smooth Hair
Choose a style that gets your hair off your neck -- a soft updo will ensure you're comfortable.

Try a Top Knot
When deciding whether to wear your hair up or down, consider this: Updos stay neater longer, and they really flatter your bone structure and neckline. Equally important, hair left down can feel like you're wearing a scarf in the summer! For a modern look, opt for soft variations on the classic chignon instead of severe or product-shellacked buns.

Frizz-Fighting Tips
Avoid alcohol-based gels, which can dry hair, attract moisture, and give strands a fuzzy finish. Instead, apply a smoothing serum to damp hair before drying it, like L'Oreal Professionnel Texture Gelee Rich. To keep curly hair soft, blow-dry hair and recreate the curls with an iron, which seals hair's cuticle, preventing frizz. Style and set it with spray. Then blast neck and face with the dryer's cool setting. Avoid touching hair, and stay out of the heat until the last moment.

For a Pretty Face
Your wedding is your day to shine, but not literally. Stay photo-ready with sheer, long-lasting cosmetics that can take the heat without wilting.

Wear Light Layers
To make makeup last and stay in place, layer on cosmetics; use eye shadow primer before brushing on neutral-colored shadows, and apply a cream blush, then top it with a similar shade of a powder. Likewise, line your eyes with pencil first, then go over them with a thin liquid liner. For lips, apply a stain. That way, you'll have some color on even after you've been kissing a lot.

Retool
To create flawless-looking skin without piling on heavy makeup, use a foundation brush, which makes it easier to deposit the right amount of product, and Nars Oil-Free Foundation. Use it only where you need it -- like on blemishes or the red areas around your nose and chin. Then finish with a light dusting of Laura Mercier Mineral Powder right before you head down the aisle.

Go Matte
To prevent shine, first apply an oil-absorbing treatment like Biopelle OC Eight Professional Mattifing Gel. If you have very oily skin, consult your doctor about Accutane, which can permanently shrink oil glands.

More from Martha Stewart Weddings:
The New Wedding Rules
Dos and Don'ts of Wedding Registries
21 Gorgeous Engagement Rings of Real Brides
How to Give a Great Wedding Toast