10 Summer Makeup Must-Haves You Need In Your Beauty Collection

Summer is fast approaching, and there’s no better way to prepare for those long, hot, sunny days than by tipping out your makeup bag and starting afresh. My summer and winter makeup routines are worlds apart, so I find that it doesn’t make sense to keep using the same products throughout the year. For me, summer is all about barely-there makeup which feels light and breathable on the skin. Whereas winter lends itself to stronger colours and more full-coverage products.

Which makeup products are actually worth the spend? And which are most suited to the summer heat? Find out below!

Saie Glowy Super Gel

Illuminating primers are a big thing at the minute, and Saie’s Glowy Super Gel is definitely one that you’re going to want to try. A thin layer of this gives you a really soft, pretty glow that instantly brightens your face. You can wear this alone, under makeup, or even on top of your makeup, dotting it across your cheekbones like a highlighter.

The formula is light and hydrating which makes it feel less like a primer and more like an extra skincare step. This actually contains a bunch of great ingredients like squalane, vitamin C and papaya seed oil, so it’s not too far off!

Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturiser

Full-coverage foundations aren’t the most comfortable to wear in summer, but skin tints and tinted moisturisers aren’t always the solution. When it gets hot, I want something lightweight that’s still going to conceal the odd blemish or two. Many skin tints I’ve tried are so sheer that you can barely see a difference on the skin!

That’s why I love the Rare Beauty Light Tinted Moisturiser – it’s light, but not so light that it blends into nothing. I like to rub this into my skin with my fingers and it just melts right in. If I have a spot or some discolouration, I’ll still need to follow it up with some concealer, but usually it’ll only be the smallest amount.

Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Soft Radiance Setting Powder

While powdering dewy makeup sounds a bit counterintuitive, if you want your makeup to beat the sun and sweat, it has to be done. Recently I’ve been taking a bit of the Rare Beauty Setting Powder and placing it in my T-zone. This means that the places I’m most likely to get oily don’t look quite so shiny at the end of the day.

What I like most about this powder is that it’s not drying so it doesn’t make your skin feel tight or leave your makeup looking overly matte. The finish is really natural and you’ll be pleased to know that this isn’t a ‘one shade fits all’ kind of situation (as is the case with many ‘translucent’ setting powders). The shade range means that you can actually pick a good match for your skin.

Glossier Boy Brow

Need I introduce this product? Glossier’s Boy Brow is loved by SO MANY and for good reason, it makes doing your brows a breeze. I’ve always been terrible at shaping my eyebrows so I wish this brow gel was around when I first got into makeup!!

The brush is nice and small which means it’s really to apply the gel in the areas you need it. The gel also manages to keep your brows in place without leaving them feeling hard or stiff. I’ve got the Blond one which I feel looks really natural on fair brows, but Glossier also does a clear gel which would look even more subtle. If you’re looking for a ‘your brows but better’ product, this is it.

Spectrum Sunbounce Bronzer

If you’re looking for a natural, sun-kissed glow, the Spectrum Sunbounce Bronzer has you covered. This refillable compact comes with its own mini A05 angled brush that allows you to subtly sculpt the parts of your face the sun would naturally hit.

I bought this in the shade Rise which is perfect for fair skin as it’s warm-toned without being too orange. In total, there are currently four matte bronzing powders, each one with different undertones for different skin tones. I’d love to hear opinions on any of the other shades, so let me know in the comments if you’ve tried them! Plus, you can find more info about this bronzer (and a little Benefit Hoola Lite comparison) in this post.

Tower 28 BeachPlease Luminous Tinted Balm

This is an amazing multi-purpose summer product. It works both as a blush and lip balm, so it’s very much lazy girl friendly. Because it has a slightly tacky consistency, it stays on your cheeks throughout the day, without feeling overly sticky or heavy. The pigment is insane and you only need a tiny dab to give you that perfect summer flush.

Personally, I love this tinted balm because the compact case makes it really easy to chuck in your beach bag. I also think the formula lends itself to touch ups throughout the day – you can literally dab your finger in and apply this without a mirror! I would still recommend using one though, just to avoid any Bridget Jones style disasters!

Want to find out a bit more about this balm? Read my Battle of the Blushes: Tower28 vs Rare Beauty comparison.

Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette

I’m not usually a highlighter type of gal but this Dior face palette has changed everything! The glitter is super fine so you don’t get harsh, streaky lines when you brush it on. In fact, the finish completely changes depending on the way you apply it. Applied with a brush, you get a diffused glow that’s pretty subtle; applied with your fingers, the shimmer is more concentrated and therefore a bit more noticeable.

This is a multi-use palette so it can replace various products in your collection – making it perfect for travel. I mostly wear the pink and white shades as highlighter, the gold and brown shades work best for me as eyeshadow. For others it might be the other way round, I think that’s what makes this palette so universal.

Glossier Lash Slick Mascara

Water-resistant mascara is a must for summer and Glossier’s Lash Slick 100% has my vote. The formula is lengthening and super lightweight. It’s probably one of the only mascaras I can wear and feel like I’ve not got anything on my lashes – in a good way!

Lash Slick doesn’t clump and it doesn’t really smudge throughout the day. It’s not going to give you tons of volume, but when the weather’s hot I don’t really find that this is my priority anyway! This is the kind of mascara that’s going to give you that natural, no-makeup makeup look – it defines your lashes without weighing them down.

Tower 28 ShineOn Milky Lip Jelly

I couldn’t create a list of summer makeup must-haves and not include a gloss. My favourite at the minute is the Tower 28 ShineOn Milky Lip Jelly. The formula is shiny but not sticky which makes it really comfortable to wear. On top of this, the gloss actually feels hydrating so you’re not left with dry, chapped lips when it comes to removing it at the end of the day.

The shade range is pretty decent – I think there’s currently twelve on offer – and these are fairly pigmented. My go-to picks for summer are Magic (everyone could do with a bit of shimmer in their life) and Oat (this looks amazing with a dark lip liner).

Spectrum Glowful Mist

This is the product that’s going to bring everything together. Though Spectrum doesn’t describe it as a setting spray, it does help your makeup ‘melt’ into the skin. This mist is enriched with glycerin, hyaluronic acid and pink grapefruit extract which help illuminate and hydrate the skin at the same time.

The glitter might look intimidating, but if you spray from the right distance it gives you a subtle all-over glow. Oh, and I can’t forget to mention the scent! This smells like pink grapefruit – citrusy and slightly fruity. In my opinion, the scent makes it feel 10x more refreshing on those scorching summer days.

This is a summer makeup must-have that very much deserves its spot in your makeup bag. Just make sure to shake well before you spray! And, if you’re interested in discovering a few more summer makeup essentials, why not read my full Spectrum Core Cosmetics review?

What are your top makeup picks for summer? Let me know in the comments!

*All products in this post were bought by myself. This article is not sponsored and I have not been asked to include any of these products in the blog post.