This is How to Look Dewy—Not Greasy—This Summer

There’s dewy, and then there’s greasy. One glistens in whatever lighting, the other clings like a bad decision in April. In the furnace that is summer (especially in sweltering Asian cities), the line between the two thins fast. So, how do you stay luminous without looking like you lost a battle with the heat? These are some tricks that separate the sweet from the sweaty.

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Skip Oils in the Morning

Facial oils in the morning feel good, but unless your pores enjoy suffocating under a heat dome, skip them. What feels rich in colder months becomes reckless come summer. This season, stick to a water-based, light moisturizer—one that hydrates without leaving a film. Save your jojoba oil for your evening skin ritual.

Go for Gel Sunscreen

Would you wear a thick, knitted sweater in the summer? Neither would your skin. While sunscreen is a must, creamy ones can leave your face feeling weighed down. Opt for a gel-type sunscreen that can melt into skin, offer UV protection, and dry down like nothing happened.

Powder With Purpose

Powdering your entire face is so 2012, so here’s a better strategy. Focus your setting powder where shine shows up uninvited—the T-zone, corners of the nose, and the chin. Leave the cheekbones alone; they’re doing the Lord’s work reflecting the light. And throughout the day, blot like a minimalist, not a maximalist in crisis.

Set It and Forget It

The final line of defense? A setting spray that stays. We all love our hydrating mists, but reach for a longwearing, matte-finish formula that says “I will not budge” and means it. Think of it as the skincare version of a signature scent—invisible, but always working overtime.

Be dewy on purpose, and never by accident. Radiance on your skin should be selective.

Featured Image: CAMILLE ROBIOU DU PONT, MEGA April 2023