Summer make-up guide: The lightweight formulas you need for glowy skin
A pared-back look doesn't mean you have to compromise on colour or staying power
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Your support makes all the difference.As much as we love our full-coverage foundations and matte lipsticks, when it comes to doing make-up in the summer, it’s worth making a few tweaks to ensure your face doesn’t melt in the heat nor pool into the tiny crevices round your nose, eyes and mouth.
Ditch the heavier products and instead stock up on the lightweight formulas that are sheer in coverage and take a pared-back approach to beauty.
This doesn’t mean that you have to compromise on colour, lasting power or experimenting with new shades, as there’s an endless list of cream, gel and powder formulas to play with for glowy skin that lasts all day.
The best products should look fresh all day, taking you from a sweaty commute to sundown, all while feeling your best.
Make-up artist Joy Adenuga explains that the right application technique is key to making your look last: “Try layering the products lightly as you apply instead of packing them on, as this will help with the longevity of the make-up," she suggests.
With all this in mind, we’ve cut through the noise to bring you our guide to summer make-up looks, approved by the experts.
You can trust our independent round-ups. We may earn commission from some of the retailers, but we never allow this to influence selections. This revenue helps us to fund journalism across The Independent.
Perfect your base
“I would recommend swapping your foundation for a waterproof oil-free concealer,” Adenuga says. “Use this lightly anywhere you have a dark blemish or to cover dark under-eye circles."
Rather than use a foundation product across your whole face, which are typically heavier formulas, use a concealer for the specific areas you want to cover up, conceal or brighten.
She also recommends setting your base with a light powder, applied with a large fluffy brush.
We recommend trying the Fenty pro filt'r instant retouch concealer (Boots, £19), a staple brand when it comes to failsafe complexion products.
When put to the test, it delivered a full but natural coverage, brightening up dull areas and easily blurring out any redness, spots or acne scars.
Described as "sweat-resistant", our tester wore it through a workout and found there was little breakdown, so rest assured this will last throughout a summer heatwave.
In our guide to face powders, the Huda Beauty easy bake loose powder (Cult Beauty, £29), was our best buy for a number of reasons.
A small amount goes a long way to blur the appearance of pores, and it's also non-comedogenic, meaning it won’t block your pores or cause breakouts. It held up through nights out (pre-lockdown, of course), rainy weather and even a quick workout too.
If you can’t do without your beloved foundation, even in the summer months, Adenuga recommends swapping your regular formula for a waterproof version, like the MAC long wear nourishing waterproof foundation (John Lewis & Partners, £30).
The oil-free formula provides a satin finish that can be layered to give you medium coverage or used sparingly for a weightless look instead.
Another method is to use a setting spray to dampen your beauty blender sponge instead of normal water. "This helps with extending the wear of your make-up,” Adenuga explains.
Add that summer glow
There’s nothing like the sun-kissed look that the right bronzer can give you, even if you’ve spent the entirety of lockdown indoors.
The Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood contour wand (Cult Beauty, £29), is a favourite of ours, as it blends seamlessly onto the skin for a natural bronzed finish.
We'd suggest opting for cream formulas rather than powders during the warmer months, as they will sit more comfortably on the skin and will give you a dewier glow. Sculpt your cheekbones by layering the cream product, or simply apply one swipe for a healthy glow.
During the colder months when you're more likely to wear fuller coverage products, you can also use the wand to contour more heavily, for a sun-kissed look during grey days.
The cushion applicator ensures an even coverage every time you apply it. We love to dot this on the hollows of our cheeks and across the forehead before blending with a densely packed brush.
For cheeks, a pop of coral-pink is a must and the simplest way to bring your skin to life. Adenuga’s favourite is the Clinique chubby sticks for cheeks (Feel Unique, £20.90), an oil-free cream packed in pen-form for precise application. Simply dot gently onto the apples of cheeks and pat in with a finger
The shade "robust rhubarb" is a bright orange, summer hue that will add a burst of colour and suit most skin tones.
For extra glow, you can’t go wrong with a liquid highlighter. We’d suggest avoiding powder formulas during the summer, as these can cake more easily and lose their luminosity the sweatier you are.
Try the Lumene invisible illumination instant illuminizer (Feel Unique, £19.10) in "rosy dawn", which you can mix into your foundation, or dab onto the high points of your cheek bones, eyebrows and cupids bow. The pearlescent pigments will leave your skin looking radiant.
Go bold with your eye look
Although a natural base is more comfortable in the summer, it's a great time experiment with colour on your eyes, to complement brighter outfits and lift your mood.
Using eyeshadow as the focal point of your make-up look will be especially useful now that we have to wear face coverings on public transport.
This recently launched Urban Decay naked ultra violet palette (Cult Beauty, £43) has a versatile mix of shimmery and matte shades in neutral colours, pastel hues and high impact jewel tones that will wear well long after summer has ended.
Whether you want a lavender look or an all-over copper shimmer, this palette has everything you need and is a great starting base to experiment with colour, especially if you typically stick taupe, brown and beige shades.
The powders are buttery soft and blend easily, giving you much more room for error too. If you want a more intense look, try wetting the brush before you pack on the colour.
Waterproof mascara is a godsend in the summer, keeping smudging and flaking at bay, no matter how high temperatures get.
In our guide to the best, we rated the Chanel inimitable waterproof mascara (John Lewis & Partners, £28). Thanks to the thin and fine bristles, it packs enough product to coat all your lashes in one sweep.
It’s simple to use too, as the precise wand allows you to reach those tiny hairs on the inner corner and on the lower lash line. Sunbathing in the garden on a hot bank holiday didn’t make a difference to how good this looked and lasted.
Choose a lip tint
This summer, your lip products will be somewhat dictated by the fact that we now have to wear face coverings on public transport, in hospitals and in Uber's.
While your favourite lipstick and gloss combo may look great, it’s probably not the most mask-friendly and you don’t want to be leaving lipstick stains on it.
Therefore we’d recommend using tinted products that still provide colour but won't leave a mess on your face covering. A tint will fully absorb on your lips rather than leaving the residue or stickiness of other products.
Try the Flower Beauty petal pout lip mask (Superdrug, £10.99), a two-in-one product that hydrates like a lip balm but delivers a sheer colour pay-off simultaneously.
Enriched with mango and cocoa butter, it’ll keep dry lips moisturised while you wear it and there are six shades to choose from.
For when you're not wearing your face covering and want an added sheen to your lips, we were also impressed with the Nars orgasm x oil-infused lip tint (Cult Beauty, £23) from the new Nars orgasm x blush collection that launches on 1 July.
Inspired by the brand's classic orgasm blush shade, our reviewer said: "The hot coral colour just screams summer and the formula is perfect for those who hate the stickiness of a gloss but want something less heavy than a matte or satin lipstick.”