Beauty Faves for a Hot Girl Summer
It's the middle of summer. It's hot and sweaty and the odds of makeup actually lasting are slim to none.
Which is why I've given up on summer beauty hacks and started leaning into my oily/combo skin's natural state.
One might ask how I can even imagine looking decent in the summer heat if I'm not powdering every hour but I've found that when it comes to summer makeup, the lighter the better. The best products I've used for my skin are all liquid or cream, with light to medium coverage.
The only time I use powder products is when I know I'm going to a party (of the familial variety because I'm lame af) or going on a date (maybe not that lame). Other than those two instances, I'm rocking cream products exclusively.
What are my summer holy grails? Keep reading.
1) Milk Makeup Hydrogrip Primer ($30): This stuff is beautiful to look at and beautiful on the skin. For one and a half pumps, I can cover my face and the texture is so smooth and gel-like. And it truly does grip my makeup and help with longevity. It's $30 but I've had it since May and have barely made a dent. If glass skin is what you're after, this is the primer you need.
2) Milk Makeup Luminous Blur Stick Primer ($24): So a mattifying primer might seem like something that will undo the glowy gloriousness from the Hydrogrip but hear me out. I swipe this on my oily T-zone just to control shine and I still look radiant. Plus this blur stick has some shimmer so while it does mattify, I don't lose the glow.
3) Kosas Tinted Face Oil ($42)/Glossier Skin Tint ($26): In the summer, I want to keep my base products light because I will sweat and they will migrate. But the plus side of not using powders is that I can just blend them out with fingers and no one's the wiser. These two products are my summer saviors. The Kosas Tinted Face Oil offers surprising coverage for a face oil and it also blends out to a natural matte finish. A little goes a long way with this stuff, though, so I recommend starting small and building it up if you want more coverage. As for the Glossier Skin Tint, this is for days when my skin is looking flawless and I only want to minimize some redness. It's so light and offers virtually no coverage, but it adds a little something when you wanna look like you're not wearing makeup but don't wanna commit to that life.
4) Milk Makeup Bronzer in Baked ($24): This bronzer is all I need all year round. I swipe this under my cheekbones and along my temples and this blends beautifully to give me just enough color so that my face has warmth and structure. You can blend with your fingers or a brush and you get a seamless bronze every time. It's matte so you don't have to worry about glitter in your contour area and it's not orange so you won't look like an oompa-loompa either. Love this stuff forever and always. And did I mention it lasts FOREVER? I've had mine for a year and I don't think I've had to rotate the stick once. In the summer, I can't be bothered to chisel out my face so this is great for a swipe, blend, and out the door kind of look.
5) Glossier Cloud Paints ($18): These babies are so fun because they feel like paint and your cheeks are the canvas. Their color range is perfect because you can achieve really any type of look you want. I have every color in the range because they're all so unique. But be warned, it is SO easy to apply too much. Give these tubes the tiniest squeeze on the back of your hand and apply to your cheeks with your fingers or a brush. The color stays all day, too, despite the heat, and it looks completely natural, unless you want to amp it up with an extra coat.
6) Milk Makeup Highlighter in Lit ($24): This is my everyday highlight. I just take my middle finger and warm it up and apply directly to the high points of my face. This highlighter is shimmery without having unnatural, chunky glitter so I can achieve a glow-from-within look that is spot-on for my glass skin days.
7) Glossier Boy Brow in Blonde ($16): Summer is all about easy-breezy makeup. How much easier could it get than the Glossier Boy Brow? This baby packs a ton of pigment that lasts and gives my brow the grooming and punch they need to frame my face without looking like I've even "done" my brows. Honestly who wants to sit and do their brows in the summer? This product is perfect for those of us who just want to get out the door and to the barbecue.
8) European Wax Center Oh My Brow Highlighter ($19): In my everyday, I tend to forego eyeshadow but dabbing a little of this creamy crayon in my tear duct and along my brow bone gives my eyes a little bit more life, in a pretty natural way. If you don't wanna splurge on a $20 eye crayon, just grab a little bit of your cheek highlighter and place it in those areas.
9) Wander Beauty Mile High Club Volume & Length Mascara ($26): I received this in a beauty box but I have fallen in love with this mascara for my lower lash line. The wand is straight and on the thin side so you're not going to smudge this all over your undereye or stab yourself in the eyeball. It doesn't clump literally at all, and gives my lower lashes just enough of a coat so they match my lash extensions on top.
10) Milk Makeup Kush Lip Balm in Bubble ($16): This balm is GORGEOUS. It makes my lips look so glossy and juicy, without being sticky or uncomfortable to wear. And the color isn't too vibrant, it's the perfect my-lips-but-better shade for me. It is 100% my go-to lip color for my everyday.
So this may seem like a lot of products, but honestly my makeup takes maybe 15 minutes to do. That's the beauty of cream/liquid! Just dab a little where you want it, and blend it out with zero issues. You'll look radiant and natural in the summertime if you keep the powders to a minimum and focus on working with your sweat rather than against it. Because, guess what, sweat will win every time and cake face is not invited to hot girl summer.
Let us know what your holy grail summer makeup products are!