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It’s getting hot in here – 2 hot weather essentials!

Hey! How has everyone’s week been going so far? I am a lucky critter to be on holidays this week but of course (knowing my so/so “luck”!) it’s a week when the weather has been extremely hot. In my hometown, when we say that it means the weather is at least +35 degrees Centigrade. Today is forecast to be 37 degrees, I believe, and the hot weather is not due to settle down a bit till at least Monday.

Here are two products I have found to be very effective and helpful in this heat!

#1 – Face of Australia (FOA) Face Base Primer

Cost: $11.95 AUD

Where can I get it? Priceline and other selected chemists and discount department stores (e.g. Big W).

I’m a noob when it comes to primers but have heard a lot of good stuff about them. For those who are also noobs like me (! ;)), primers are now available for your face and also eyelids and lips. They are a type of cream or lotion which forms a protective layer over your skin, and then helps the makeup go on smoothly as well as last longer. Some are also very effective in evening out any fine lines or enlarged pores, so that these are much more hidden once make up is applied.

Laura Mercier‘s primer was recommended to me by friends but I decided that for my first foray into this area I would go more budget. FOA‘s products that I have used to date have been of good quality and so I decided to give their brand’s primer a try.

It has a light gel-like texture and absorbs into the skin quickly. There is no notable fragrance which is always a + for me! (I then know it is unlikely to irritate my skin.) I wait a few minutes after applying for it to kind of “set” before I then go ahead and apply my makeup.

This formulation also contains Vitamin E and chamomile to provide some extra goodies for your skin. I noticed that FOA also has an SPF 15 version of this primer, but I already use a day moisturiser with 30+ so didn’t think that one was necessary for me.

I have tried this product on cooler days, when putting on my makeup in the morning for work (and then having to go out at night straight after work), and also the past week when the weather has been scorching. It certainly works in keeping my makeup on; I’ve also noticed that my face doesn’t get as shiny looking during the day as it normally does (if I wasn’t wearing primer).

The only downside to this one is that I don’t think it does a very good job in camouflaging large pores or fine lines. I have a few enlarged pores and some fine lines around parts of my eyes and didn’t notice much difference on those. But hey, when it’s 37 degrees, if your makeup is not melting all over the place, you’re on to a winner! 😉

Beautiful Rating: quality 4/5, value 5/5 (overall it performs well for a budget product)

#2 – Garnier Deodorant: invisi mineral

Cost: I picked this up for $2.50 AUD when it happened to be on sale, typically it retails for approx. $5 AUD.

Where can I get it? Most supermarkets and chemists.

Yes, it does go without saying that deodorant is essential at any time of year. However, when it is boiling hot outside I want a deodorant that I know will provide super duper protection. Our climate can be so extreme here that I have had experiences where a deodorant that I thought was performing well completely bombs as soon as the mercury hits 30 or so! 😦 (Unfortunately this happened with the Nivea deodorant I have previously reviewed.)

I have been using this one for the past fortnight and find that it is working well so far. I have had a day or two where I did notice that I was sweating but there has been no odour, which was awesome! (However I wouldn’t leave it on for “48 hours non stop” as they suggest, I like my daily showers lol!). I have tried it wearing white, light, and dark coloured clothing and no marks or stains, so that aspect of the product works just fine too.

Additionally, this deodorant is different to many others on the market at the moment in that it is free of alcohol and parabens. However it does contain aluminium and I understand that there is some debate about whether or not that is a “healthy” ingredient to include in deodorants.

Nevertheless, I’m giving this product –

Beautiful rating: quality 5/5, value 5/5.

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What are some of your hot weather essentials? 🙂 To this list I’d also add sunscreen (I’m finding the Coles supermarket brand in the orange packaging to be working well for me and not causing any breakouts), sunglasses, and some form of hat or umbrella. Oh and let’s not forget a bottle of water!