Summer Beauty Must Haves

Summer is officially only one month away which means it’s the perfect time to talk about summer beauty must-haves. I live in Arizona so it’s pretty much Summer for at least half of the year and luckily, I enjoy all that sunshine and warmth! But with the temperature and humidity changes, it means I swap a few things in my beauty routine and am drawn to more glowy, bronzy, warm looks.

Sunscreen First!

First things first friends…you gotta be wearing sunscreen. I’ll admit when I live in Cali I wasn’t as diligent because I didn’t feel I was in the sun all the time, but living in AZ has shown me how critical it is to protect your skin at all times. Whether you are cooking under the sun at the river or sitting in your living room watching TV or on your laptop. Our skin needs broad-spectrum protection from UV damage which causes hyperpigmentation and wrinkles. I mostly stick with mineral-based and think the Cerave Hydrating Mineral Sunscreen is an awesome affordable, tinted mineral option, while Drunk Elephant’s Umbra Sheer SPF 30 is untinted, gives a slighted moisturized look, and plays nicely under makeup products. If you want something completely matte I would suggest Mychelle Sun Shield Liquid SPF 50. It vanishes into the skin and does not leave behind any glow or stickiness. 

Don’t forget the hands, though! We may not realize it but being outdoors more and even driving exposes our hands to potential sun damage since we don’t think much about putting it on our hands. Supergoop Hand Screen with SPF40 is an awesome option to consider for hands. It’s non-greasy, reef-friendly, and does a fantastic job of hydrating and moisturizing with sea buckthorn oil, meadowfoam seed oil, and argan oil. Another one I want to try but haven’t been able to get my hands on yet is the Sun Bum Hand Cream with SPF 15.

Like A Bronzed Goddess

When I think of Summer, one of the first makeup products that come to mind is bronzers. I use them year-round, really, but even more in the Summer! I prefer matte bronzers over shimmery ones. There is ONE shimmery one that I love and it no longer is made. It was from Pixi Beauty in their Rosy Radiance palette. I’ve managed to hold onto it for years and will guard it even more carefully now that I know it’s no longer made. But there are some great matte ones like the budget-friendly Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Bronzer which smells like a tropical vacation, and the more prestige brand, Colorescience Pressed Mineral Bronzer in Santa Fe gives a nice warm bronze to the complexion. Prefer a palette? Pixi Beauty Summer Glow palette has a mix of a few bronzers as well as shimmery cheek colors for you to play makeup artist with. 

I love a good sheer lip color without much fuss. Lipstick is fun, but tinted lip balms are kinda my jam for their simplicity and usually their price. The Pacifica Beauty Glow Stick Lip Oils are amazing! They go on thin, moisturize well, give a hint of gloss and color, and can be found at Target! I also like the Colorescience Total Protection Color Balm SPF 50 which are actually multi-purpose and can be used on the cheeks as well while offering their amazing mineral-based SPF 50 protection. There are only a couple of shades available, but I do hope they expand that range a little more. 

Get Your Glow On

A good luminizer can add a little summer-y oompf to your look when used on the body. I’ve relied on Buxom Divine Goddess Luminizer for a few years now because it’s true perfection in a tube. You can mix some with your body lotion or use it straight out of the tube without fear of looking ridiculous. The champagne-gold tone adds just enough glow to the skin leaving a healthy, subtle sheen. I’ve yet to find anything that comes close to comparing to this beauty!

Summer to me is filled with shades of gold, champagne, copper, and warm metallics. I love a good wash of color on the lids and there are tons of options out there. Some good ones that I reach for over the years are my Wander Beauty Wanderess eye shadow palette, Too Faced Naturally Pretty palette, Urban Decay Naked 1st edition, and ELF Cosmetics bite sized eyeshadow.

I prefer face makeup to be lightweight year-round, but in particular during the Summer when you sweat the minute you step outside. I can’t recommend Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint enough for its ability to offer mineral-based sunscreen, and light to light-medium coverage in evening out skin tone with a dewy finish. It looks great on everyone, and I really like that their ads show people of all ages, skin types, with or without acne, etc. Another great one that I like is Pixi Beauty H20 Skin Tint. It does not have sunscreen in it, but it’s a water-based gel face tint and blends into the skin well with light to light-medium coverage. It feels like you’ve just put moisturizer on and then it dries down nicely within a few minutes. It’s on the higher end of drugstore prices but I think it’s absolutely worth it. 

Make It Summer Proof

If I’m going to wear makeup at all, I’m definitely going to use a setting spray so everything doesn’t melt off my face or drip into my eyes. I’ll never forget the smeared eyebrow of Summer 2020! Never again! I don’t compare setting sprays a whole lot, I just go with Urban Decay’s All Nighter setting spray because it works well throughout the entire day! And now I see that they have an ultra glowy version that I’ll have to get my hands on!

Staying Cool

While they may not be the MOST necessary, I still find myself reaching for face mists more in the Summer when I’m inclined to use them through the day. Last year, my entire family got into using facial mists and my daughter would get a kick out of being my official sprayer. It feels good when you’re relaxing by the pool, after finishing a run, or any time you feel you need a quick burst of moisture to cool you off. My favorite is the Fresh Beauty Vitamin Nectar Face Mist – that mist smells SO good and contains vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are beneficial for the skin. A long-time favorite of mine is the Pixi Rose Glow Mist. It’s a dual phase and I love the added moisture from the rosehip oil. Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir has a hint of peppermint to add some extra cooling to its pore-tightening mist.

What items would you add to your Summer beauty essentials list? Share in the comments below!