TRY THESE SOULFUL, SOFT SUMMER MAKEUP LOOKS

From strawberry makeup to sunset blush, these makeup looks come to life with a little help from summer’s vibrant color palette.

– KEYS SOULCARE

We’re obsessed with everything about summer makeup. Hot days evoke warm reminders of dewy, sun-kissed skin, easy-breezy no makeup makeup looks, and vibrant lips on an otherwise bare face. There are so many makeup looks for summer where your skin is the real star of the show!

In this guide, we’ll dive into all things summer beauty, from how to prep your skin for makeup (that won’t end in a pool of sweat) to a handful of the top makeup trends of the summer.

SUMMER SKIN PREP FOR MAKEUP

Keeping your skincare ritual minimal in the summer means you’re out the door and enjoying the sun and spoils of summer faster. Prepping your skin for summer heat isn’t easy, but a simple 3-step ritual can help you avoid ruining your makeup after a sweat sesh.

STEP 1: CLEANSE

Start your summer skin prep with a clean, fresh-feeling canvas. Lather up your favorite cleanser (we love the soothing sage + oat milk scent of Golden Face Cleanser with Manuka Honey!) and gently massage the face and neck to remove traces of makeup, impurities, and built-up SPF or skincare. Use morning and night.

STEP 2: HYDRATE

Following your cleansing step, you’ve got options.

A dewy makeup base deserves as much hydration as it can possibly get. You can reach for a lightweight serum like Truly Becoming Multi-Benefit Peptide Serum for immediate hydration while helping to plump the look of skin.

Want to up your glow even more? Introduce an exfoliating step like Be Luminous Skin Exfoliating Powder anywhere from 1-3 times to your ritual each week to help gently buff away dullness with the help of kaolin clay plus lactic acid, hojicha powder, and mung bean.

STEP 3: PROTECT

Your skin isn’t ready for summer makeup until you’ve applied SPF. Protect Your Light Daily Moisturizer and SPF30 Sunscreen multi-tasks as both a hydrating moisturizer and a daily sunscreen, so it offers a two-in-one effect when you’re in a rush to get out the door. Plus, the niacinamide in the formula works to help brighten and balance the look of skin.

Optional step to refresh your radiance? Pack your Reviving Aura Face Mist and spritz onto the skin whenever you need a revitalizing boost of witch hazel, rose water and glycerin — whether you’re waiting on a subway platform, at the beach, or at the office.

Psst…Shop our curated summer skin essentials for everything you need.

GLOWY BASE ESSENTIALS

Now that you’ve got a solid summer skincare ritual, you’re ready to build your glowy, natural makeup base.

Prime your skin for makeup with Let Me Glow Illuminating Priming Serum with niacinamide, which helps brighten, plump and smooth the look of skin. Let Me Glow can be worn alone or used as a non-comedogenic primer, prepping your skin for lasting wear makeup (even in the summer!)

You can apply over the entire face for a lit-from-within vibe, or to areas like the decolletage and high points of the cheeks for extra emphasis.

After, go in with a layer of buildable, light-to-medium coverage of It’s Like Skin Tint 2-in-1 Concealer and Tint, which doubles as a skin tint and spot concealer. Use our Shade Finder quiz to find your perfect match among 40 distinct shades.

BLUSH & HIGHLIGHTER MUST-HAVES

Our top blush pick: Sheer Flush Cheek Tint with Sunflower Seed Oil, which comes in 8 buildable yet lightweight shades.

Our highlighter rec: Gleam On Highlighting Balm a crystal-infused cream highlighter that nourishes skin and delivers a dewy, natural-looking glow.

Best skincare-makeup hybrid multi-tasker: Let Me Glow Illuminating Priming Serum, which delivers a lit-from-within glow while prepping skin for makeup application.

HYDRATED LIPS

Complete any look with hydrated, soft-feeling lips. Comforting Tinted Lip Balm with Camellia seed oil, avocado oil, and shea butter offers hydration and a sheer wash of color in five shades to suit any summer mood — from bright berry to warm terracotta.

TRENDING MAKEUP FOR SUMMER

Now that your glowy base is set, let’s get into exactly how to recreate these X trending makeup looks for the summer.

1. STRAWBERRY MAKEUP

Strawberry makeup is exactly what it sounds like: a bold flush of pink to the apples of the cheeks, and it’s surprisingly simple to put together:

• Apply your chosen shade of Sheer Flush Cheek Tint to the apples of the cheeks, layering two colors if preferred for a bolder hue. The raspberry red of shade Powerful immediately made us think of this trend.

• Swipe on Comforting Tinted Lip Balm in a zippy shade of pink to complement the rest of your berry look.

• If you like, add fake freckles (ala Hailey Bieber) and apply your favorite brow gel to really seal the deal.

2. SUNSET BLUSH

(Before we dive into the sunset blush trend, read up on the best blush for your skin tone first.)

Sunset Blush burst onto the TikTok scene a while back, and we suspect it’s here to stay. This look uses the C-shaped blush technique to bring full 80s glam smack dab into the 2020s.

Here’s how to create your sunset blush look:

• Grab two (or more!) shades of your favorite cream blush like Sheer Flush Cheek Tint.

• The sunset blush trend uses pinks (like peach pink of Awakened, or the rosy shade of Grace), orange (like the bright tangerine of Magnetic), or red shades (the brick red of Enigmatic, or Liberation in deep cherry red).

• Use your fingertips — or our natural complexion brush with vegan bristles — to lightly dab the color onto the cheeks. Blend blush upward toward the temples, and layering for deeper color.

• Once your blush starts to resemble golden hour, dial up the glimmer with a few strategic swipes of Gleam On Highlighting Balm to finish the look.

3. CHERRY RED LIPS

One trend that never goes out of style, the bold cherry-red lip is effortlessly easy and here to stay. Matte, glossy, or two-toned with the help of a little lip-liner? Well, that’s all up to you.

According to Vogue, the so-called “red lipstick theory” is alive and well. It’s the idea that a pop of red against an otherwise bare face will make the skin appear more even by drawing attention to the lips.

Make the Cherry lip look happen with the silky-smooth feeling Comforting Tinted Lip Balm in Sheer Bliss. The buildable bright berry color grows brighter with each swipe. For a dash of drama or go from day to night, use a darker brown lip liner to up the contrast. If you like, layer the shade Lucid on top for a pop of glossy sheen.