Make the most of glowy summer skin with vibrant, less-is-more makeup that’s super easy to apply and wear.
A pop of colour on the eyes, lips or cheeks is a quick and effortless way to brighten up your entire face without wearing too much makeup – here’s our pick of the perfect summer makeup products, and how to wear them.
SMUDGY, SOFT-FOCUS LIPS
Take your makeup inspiration from dreamy summer daylight with softer, blurred-looking lips for a less ‘done’, more real, feel.
“Smudged, soft-focus lips are really on trend right now,” says Lily Lolo founder, Vikki Khan. “There’s something really modern about makeup that feels easy, and relaxed, which is exactly what you want during summertime.” Dabbing the same colour onto lips and cheeks creates an easy, pulled-together look that’s really flattering, and couldn’t be easier to re-apply throughout the day. Try Lip & Cheek Cream in Peony, a sunset-pink shade that gives skin and lips a subtle and warm flush of colour, but is easy to build for a bolder look.
VIBRANT EYES
“Using sheer, intense colour on the eyes feels really fresh,” says Vikki. “Plus, it even looks great smudged and a little worn-in, which isn’t always the case with a perfectly winged eyeliner!”
One of Vikki’s favourite tricks for high-impact, long-lasting eyeshadow is applying Mineral Shadow with a wet brush, which intensifies the colour for a bright, summer vibe. Try Mineral Shadow in Pixie Sparkle, a gorgeous aquamarine eyeshadow the colour of warm, tropical seas – and is pretty much the perfect summer shadow for an easy, breezy pop of colour. With bright eyes done, all you need is a slick of lip balm or lip gloss, and you’re good to go.
COLOUR-POP LIPSTICK
Can’t get through summer without your signature lipstick? Switch it up with vibrant pinks and corals that will add summery warmth and energy to your makeup look. For a coral lipstick that’s bold yet really easy to wear, try Vegan Lipstick in Coral Crush – we love its instant brightening effect, while Flushed Rose is a great, warm pink lipstick that looks fantastic on every skin tone.
RADIANT, SUPER-NATURAL SKIN
A bright lip or eyes means that you can go for minimal makeup on your skin, so apart from SPF, why not leave your skin completely natural and makeup-free? For those days you do want some lightweight, feel-good coverage, a BB Cream is the perfect summer alternative to foundation. Lily Lolo’s BB Cream creates an instantly glowy skin effect, and blurs blemishes and discoloration, all while giving skin a really fresh, dewy finish that looks like great skin, not makeup.
SUN-KISSED BRONZER
It wouldn’t be summer with bronzer, but the secret to the most natural-looking bronzer is all about subtle, real-skin shades and getting the placement just right.
“Bronzer should always, always look as close to real sun-kissed skin as possible, so instead of dusting bronzing powder over the entire face, apply it strategically,” says Vikki.
Vikki’s tip is to start with a small amount of bronzer on your brush, first applying to the larger areas of your face, the cheeks and jawline. Then take a step back and look at your entire face in the mirror, and continue with the bridge of those nose, cupid’s bow, and the bonier areas of the forehead, where the sun would hit your face. If you feel that some areas need extra definition and colour, apply a little more bronzer to each area one by one. This’ll help you avoid bronzer overload, and keep the look natural – and don’t forget to dust a little bronzer on your neck and décolletage, too.
“Every skin colour can use bronzer,” says Vikki. “Whether you have fair skin or black skin, our bronzers are available in shades that can work for everyone. Pressed Bronzer in Honolulu was created for darker brown and black skins, Montego Bay is great for olive skins, and fairer skin tones can’t go wrong with Miami Beach, a light golden, matte-finish bronzer.”