DORÉ

Summer is the season for a lot of exciting things: barbecues, warm rooftop social gatherings, and as G wrote about last week, beach days where we can grapple with self confidence and grace as we maneuver the sandy beaches in a bikini we aren’t ready for enjoy the sun rays and ocean breeze! It’s true, summer is great for a lot of things. Heavy makeup is not one of them.

In an effort to find the perfect beauty look for summer, you know, the one that will cover my blemishes while simultaneously making me look like I’ve achieved the perfect glow with flirty eyes and luscious lips that required little to no effort, we worked with makeup artist Samantha Lau to come up with three go-to looks for the warm months ahead.

It turns out, you don’t have to be Beyoncé to master the effortless beauty looks, you just need a few staple products, and these tips and tricks from Sam, as shown on our beautiful friend of the studio, Athina.

For the Lips – There is something nostalgic about a glossy lip that brings me right back to the early 2000s and makes me think (for a second) about hanging a Britney Spears poster back up on my bedroom wall. While I’m not going to do that, I am going to embrace the gloss.

Before you lather up those lips, apply SPF balm to moisturize and protect, and if you need some serious help, exfoliate your lips prior. Apply as many coats of your favorite lip gloss (might I suggest Dior’s Addict Ultra-Glass in Cruise?) as you desire, and make sure to bring that baby on the road with you! Re-application throughout the day is encouraged.

For the Eyes – If you’re anything like me (that is, a total makeup amateur) you’ve experienced the “I put on eyeshadow this morning where has it disappeared to?” or worse, the eyeshadow filled creases on your lids, panic one too many times. The secret to avoiding this isn’t a professional live-in makeup artist as you may have imagined (no? Just me?), it’s actually just a cream based shadow and a little eyeliner.

If your day is looking like it’s going to be a little more adventurous than usual, you can add a shadow primer, but most cream based shadows are waterproof and tend to last through the elements! Add a water-resistant eyeliner and mascara to make the look slightly more dramatic, and you’ll be ready for whatever the day (and night!) throws at you.

For the Face – Lather up with a moisturizer and SPF (or as we’ve mentioned before a moisturizer that contains SPF) to prep your skin. You know the saying, “work smarter, not harder” ? It’s applicable to your beauty routine too.

Once you’re lathered up, apply a powder bronzer with a rounded brush in circular motions on the cheeks, across the nose, forehead, and chin to add just a dusting on the skin. Add a touch of translucent powder under the eyes and forehead to prevent shininess. Pro tip: bring the bronzer compact and brush with you to touch up as needed.

Swipe a few strokes of waterproof mascara on your lashes and coat your lips with that SPF lip balm again to pull the look together. You can thank me for the extra few minutes of sleep tomorrow.

And voila! You are perfectly bronzed, glossy, and sun kissed. The best part? It’s fool proof. Trust me.

So what about you, what’s your go-to summer makeup look? Any tips I should know about?