Surviving Sweaty Summer Weather

I don’t sweat, I glisten. That has always been my girly philosophy…

And then July happened.

Washington, DC has been a blazing hot oven this summer and on top of the heat, I can’t seem to escape the humidity that has come with it. I feel like I’m living in someone’s sweaty armpit!

So how is a girl supposed to beat the heat and look good while doing it? Here are Style Me Thrifty’s secrets for surviving this super sweaty summer.

Pack Your Purse with Oil Blotters
My good friend, Susanna, got married last month on hottest day of the year — it was an insane 104 degrees, gah! I kept a packet of oil blotting papers in my purse (reviewed here) and they were a life saver for soaking up the shine – which is a must if you’re taking photos. My boyfriend’s clever trick for survival was to put a handkerchief in every single pocket (no joke, he bought 13), so consider getting your man a few.

Embrace your Natural Hair
Summer is the perfect time to embrace what your momma gave you and go au natural. Humidity is your hair do’s worst enemy, so save yourself the headache of trying to tame your mane and wear your hair natural. Don’t fight humidity. Let your curls go wild or pin back limp bangs so they’re off your sweaty face.

And Keep a Ponytail Holder Handy
If you wear your hair down on a hot and humid day, it’s a nice sense of security to have a ponytail holder “on call” in case things start to fro, frizz, or otherwise rebel.

Wear a Color and Fabric that Will Conceal Sweat
This one may seem counter intuitive — black in the summer time? — but a dark color will hide any back or armpit sweat. And go with a cotton fabric so it has a better chance to breathe. Silk is the worst choice you could make! I’m mortified by the photo below, but I’m sharing it because it proves my point exactly. Black would never have shown that sweat ring after a long night of dancing! Ick.

Switch to a Non-Leather Purse
This is an odd little pet peeve of mine but I have to share: I hate standing in a crowded bar or overheated Metro with a leather purse making my side all sweaty. Stay cool and choose a fabric wrislet or straw clutch instead.

Keep Your Makeup Light
If you start to glisten, or sweat, you may feel like compensating by putting more makeup on to hide everything. Don’t do it! Keep your foundation and eye make up light so that it won’t run.