Let's Talk Looks: Summer makeup tips for a fresh face

Despite the unbearable heat, summer also brings some of the year's most fun activities. The months of beach outings, road trips and music festivals come during the hottest time of the year, and adding makeup to the mix just makes it that much more uncomfortable.

So I’ve decided to put together a list of tips and trick to help you tackle the sweltering months with a light, au-naturale look.

For me, this look only works when I feel confident enough with my skin, so make sure to use a good facial cleanser and moisturizer to keep your face looking its best.

I've said it before, and I’ll say it again, I absolutely swear by organic coconut oil; I use it as my all-in-one makeup remover/face wash/moisturizer. Just warm it up in your hand and apply it directly to  your face.

Massage it into the skin to break up eye makeup and foundation, then remove with a warm, thoroughly wrung-out washcloth in a circular motion. That's it!

Since there's no soap to dry out your skin, you can always repeat the process. If there's still a little bit of oil residue left, leave it; that's your moisturizer! You can even add a bit of lemon juice and raw sugar to your oil, and viola! You have an au-naturale face scrub.

When it comes to foundation, stick to something nice and light, like a tinted moisturizer or BB cream. Apply evenly over a dry, clean face, always making sure it's well blended down onto your neck. Instead of using a red base under-eye concealer like I would with full-coverage foundation, try a lighter shade of concealer (my personal favorite is MACs Pro Longwear Concealer).

Place a few dabs under your eye, down the bridge of your nose, your Cupid's bow, chin and the center of your forehead. Using a flat foundation brush, stipple in a circular motion to blend in the concealer. You can go back with a translucent setting powder on your T-zone, depending on how oily you get during the course of the day.

Finish your foundation with a bit of matte bronzer in the high spots of your face, where the sun would normally hit (the tops of your cheek bones and the bridge of your nose and chin), add a little coral blush to the apples of your cheeks, and you have a perfect, barely-there foundation.

Normally, mascara and I have a deep spiritual relationship, but it really doesn't work for this look. Instead, I like to take liquid liner and water it down just a bit so it has more of a tint. Then paint your lashes, top and bottom, making sure to wiggle the brush or felt tip through all your lashes. When it’s dry, you can go back over that with a clear brow gel to get a bit of sheen, but I prefer to keep it matte.

Now that you have your barely-there face on and an arsenal of summer makeup tricks, you're ready to conquer the world with your floppy hat and a bit of sunscreen.