Three things I must admit at the start of this post: firstly, I know, I know. A summertime makeup blog post as summer is very nearly over, but I’ve been meaning to write this post for months, and I just haven’t had the mental bandwidth to do it earlier. Secondly, I am by no means an expert when it comes to makeup and have never considered myself to be particularly good at it, so take all of this with a grain of salt. Thirdly, I don’t love spending a ton of time doing my makeup (probably has to do with the fact that I’m not overly skilled at it), and this is even more true when the temperature starts to soar. With these things in mind, I think this is a makeup look that anyone can do, no matter how much time or skill you might have at your disposal, and is definitely not limited to the summertime.
This summer has been a hot one, at least here in Toronto (I think there was a heat warning for two weeks straight), and as a result I’ve been been drawn to super easy, simple looks both clothing and makeup-wise. I think the French cool girls like Jeanne Damas all the way back to Jane Birkin pull this off so well, and I’ve definitely been channeling that this summer. There is nothing I dislike more than the feeling of heavy makeup on my face during a steamy hot day, and worrying about whether it will just melt right off my face.
At 25, I think I’ve pretty much figured out what makeup looks work for me (read: natural, dewy, minimal), and I think this is just a slightly elevated, warm weather appropriate version of that, something I might wear to dinner or on holiday. It’s inspired by the natural complexion and slightly accentuated eye that those French girls do so well, with a worn-in, faint berry nude lip and just a touch of lived-in shimmer on the lids.
For my base, I started with a new-to-me product that I’ve quickly fallen in love with. The Armani Beauty Neo Nude Foundation has a super light coverage and feels like you’ve got nothing on, while still perfecting the overall complexion and leaving the skin radiant and dewy. It also holds up super well over time and in the heat. I wear shade 4.5 and just blend it out with a foundation brush. Next I throw on some concealer. I use Glossier Stretch Concealer under the eyes and Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer on any blemishes as needed. I then add some Chanel Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream, which is so nice for adding both a little dimension and warmth. Next is one of my favourite products, the Ilia Multi Stick in Lady Bird, which is the perfect pinky nude cream blush. I’ve been using it for years and just love that it’s a multi-use product that I can use every single day. I just apply it with my fingers on the apples of my cheeks and across my nose. Next I dab on a touch of the Ilia Liquid Light Highlighter in Nova wherever the light would hit, a quick sweep of the Laura Mercier Candleglow powder over the T-zone if I’m feeling oily, and that’s my base done.
For a little bit more of a glam look, I love the Roen Beauty 75° Warm eyeshadow palette. I apply the warm taupe shade with my finger across my lid, and the darker brown in the outer corner, and just blend it out with the Roen Everything eye brush. With whatever is left on the brush, I just run it across my bottom lash line. I love that the shadows are supposed to look super undone and imperfect, because I’m absolutely not skilled enough to make any eye makeup perfect anyways. Next is the scary part, which is just the tiniest flick of brown liquid liner. I recently discovered the Charlotte Tilbury Feline Flick eyeliner, and I think it makes a small wing a lot less intimidating both because of the brown shade and how easy the pen is to use.
For the lips, I applied the Bobbi Brown Crushed Lip Colour in Babe using my finger again for a lived-in, natural look that I find stays put better than applying straight from the bullet. A quick fill-in of the brows with this Hourglass brow pencil, a brush up with the Milk Makeup Kush Fiber Eyebrow Gel in clear, some Ilia Limitless Lash mascara, and that’s all she wrote. A 10 minute makeup look for those of us who like to keep it simple, but still want to feel a little glammed up for reacquainting ourselves with the outside world.
