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Throughout winter you can find me wearing full coverage foundation in probably the palest shade available. The glow is sadly nowhere to be found! When summer finally comes around though, especially like it has this past week with a classic #ukheatwave, I love being able to transition to a lighter, glowier makeup look.
Although I do love to fake tan on occasion, I’ve found that it’s often easier to switch up a few products in my routine to achieve a natural and subtle summer glow.
So if you’re looking for a bit of summer makeup routine refresh to give you a radiant glow, check out my top cruelty-free picks from Boots.
The Base
For the summer months, skincare becomes even more important to achieve healthy & glowy skin. I like my skincare products to be just as amazing alone on bare skin as they are with a light layer of makeup on top.
That’s why I’m loving the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Face Primer* as a light, skin-smoothing layer before makeup or even worn alone before my SPF on a no-makeup day.
It gives you radiance and hydration with a vitamin C boost but still keeps skin smooth and not too shiny, making your face the perfect canvas for a light summer makeup look. I’m keen to try more of the Banana Bright range now!
The Highlight
There’s no summer glow without a blinding highlight, right? Well, unless you’re blessed with amazing skin. I love a liquid highlighter in the summer months, as it gives you a much dewier finish than powder.
The Sleek MakeUP Highlighting Elixir in Poppin’ Bottles* is unreal. It comes in a few different shades and you literally only need the tiniest drop of product.
I usually just pop a few dots on my cheekbones and blend it in with my fingers, but you could also apply under the arch of your eyebrows, on the tip/bridge of your nose, just above your top lip, on your collarbones & shoulders… the list is endless!
My best advice is to use a tiny amount first and then you can build it up gradually if you want more glow.
The Bronzer
Anyone else a bit scared of bronzer? I was for years. I always seemed to end up with orange-tinted bronzers that made me look patchy, so I didn’t bother with them until fairly recently.
The e.l.f. Bronzer in Warm* is a godsend though, especially for pale skin, as it has four different shades in one compact palette. You can swirl them all together for a glowy bronzed look or use them individually.
A light touch is key with bronzer, as you can always build up the colour with a nice fluffy brush. Buff some into the hollows of your cheek (always great to do that sucking-in, pouty face when you do this), as well as around the edges of your face and the sides of your nose.
I sometimes buff some into my chest too as it doesn’t seem to fake tan as well as the rest of my body.
The Eyes
It’s all about the eyes. I don’t like to go too heavy with my eyes in the summer, unless I’m at a festival where glitter makeup is my go-to, so shimmery nudes are the perfect partner for a light, glowy makeup look. The Too Faced Natural Eyes Eyeshadow Palette* has all the naughtily-named nudes you could dream of.
This palette even smells of summer, with their exclusive coconut butter-infused formula worked into 9 matte, pearl & sparkle eyeshadow shades. Use the matte shades to define & sculpt and the shimmery shades to add that all-important glow & dimension.
Grab your fluffiest eyeshadow brush and blend, blend, blend. Softer lines give a more natural look.
The Finishing Touches
An easy way to send your glowy look from day to night is always with a bit of lippy. I like to dot & blend the No7 Match Made Moisture Drench Lipstick in Nutmeg Spice* across my lips for a light but hydrating lip tint in the daytime or go all-out with it in the evening.
Don’t forget a spritz of your go-to summer perfume to really finish things off too. I love anything with a coconut scent for summer, or even just a quick spritz of the Sanctuary Spa Fragranced Body Spray, which is cruelty-free.
What are your makeup & skincare essentials for glowy summer skin?
