Summer beauty buys
Make-up and skin care are tricky to get right in the heat of summer – your usual trusty products can feel too heavy or cakey – or simply melt away in moments. Does your bathroom shelf or cosmetic bag need a summer rejig? Or perhaps you’re about to whizz off on holiday and pondering what products to pack? Either way, we’ve compiled our Top Summer Beauty Buys from some of our favourite brands. All are available in store or online!
MAC Eye Shadow x4 Desert Dusk
How gorgeous is this? Palettes are a great space-saver in your suitcase, MAC’s eye products are always excellent quality and this one is enough to persuade me to try blue eyeshadow for the first time since 1986.
£35
Smashbox Photo Finish Scented Primer Waters
Gotta love a cooling facial spritz when it’s sizzling outside. These come in coconut, citrus or cucumber and also refresh make-up, rehydrate and act as a primer underneath make-up.
£22
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Compact
I’ve bought a lot of these over the years. It’s a highlighter and bronzer that give your cheeks such a gorgeous glow even Jennifer Lopez would be jealous. I go for ‘bronze’ in the summer and switch to one of the pinkier shades at other times of year.
£35.50
Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow
This is ideal for summer months when you don’t want to wear full foundation. It’s light, sheeny and give your face a subtle, healthy gleam (even if you stayed up too late drinking rosé). You can use it on its own, under make-up as a primer or over it as a liquid highlighter.
£38.50
Aveda Stress-Fix Concentrate
Aveda’s organic essential oil blends always smell divine and this one is no exception, with lavender to soothe frazzled nerves. This little rollerball is perfect for travelling – when, let’s face it, nerves are easily frazzled. Plus it’s only 7ml so aeroplane hand luggage-friendly.
£22
MAC Haute & Naughty Waterproof Lash Mascara
Whether you’re jumping in the pool or just sweating profusely, if you’re going to wear mascara at the mo, best make it a waterproof one. This MAC one give you natural or va-va-voom coverage depending on which opening you pull the brush out from. Clever, eh?
£20
Aveda Daily Light Guard Defense Fluid SPF30
In my experience, it’s a good idea to buy separate, high quality sun protection for your face – the bog-standard ones send my skin haywire. This is lightweight (but SPF30) and won’t clog pores.
£34
Smashbox Petal Metal Shimmer Drops
These are rather nifty – little drops of shimmer that you can use as a highlighter, to pimp your tinted moisturizer or to add a glimmer on top of matte lipstick. They’re part of Smashbox’s pretty new rose-gold range which couldn’t be more summery if it tried.
£30
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Cream Shadow Stick
It’s hard to get eye make-up to stay in place in the summer but Bobbi Brown has nailed it with the soft, smudgeable, waterproof sticks that come in 18 shades. They’re technically eye shadow but I use them close to my lashline as a smudgy eyeliner.
£23
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or
If I’m on holiday in France, I always pick up a bottle of this from la pharmacie. It adds a sultry sheen to tanned limbs so it’s perfect for holiday nights out.
£21
Neal’s Yard Comfrey & Mallow Foot Balm
Don’t forget your trotters! No point in wearing your prettiest summer sandals if you’ve got yucky cracked ankles. This stuff smells delicious, cools and moisturises.
£13.50
