When the temperatures start to rise, summer makeup mode immediately kicks in. Vivid lipsticks and peachy-pinks a la NARS Orgasm become my go-tos with copious amounts of bronzer and glossy lips. May kicked off what will be a very long summer season here in the south, full of navigating high humidity, even higher temperatures, and tropical vibes. Below are my five favorite beauty products that got me through the month.
- NARS Blush in Reckless ($30)
- Although this is part of NARS’ blush collection, this is squarely a highlighter. It’s perfect if you have very fair skin with cool undertones because of its faintly pink tone with silver reflective micro glitter. Don’t let the glitter throw you off because once this highlighter is buffed into the skin with a brush like the Anastasia #23 or the Colourpop Small Fluff Brush (what I use), the glitter melds with the skin to create a beautiful, ethereal sheen. Photos don’t do this shade justice (including my own), so be sure you swatch it next time you’re in stores.
- Wet N Wild Perfect Pout Lip Liner in Never Petal Down ($2.89)
- These lip liners were an accidental discovery and one of my favorite finds of the year. This thin, pigmented formula isn’t the type you’d use to overline your lips or extend the longevity of lipstick, but it is the perfect texture & consistency to use under lip glosses. Never Petal Down, in particular, is beautiful under Pat McGrath’s LUST: Gloss in Twilo and matches perfectly with Rimmel’s Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick in #104 (mentioned below). I have two other shades in this formula and at under $3 plus store coupons, there’s nothing stopping me from owning every color.
- Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Concealer in C4 ($7.00)
- I completely fell for the hype of this supposed Tarte Shape Tape Concealer (which I’ve never tried) dupe and I’m so happy that I did! Much like my favorite foundations, Makeup Revolution’s inexpensive concealer sets, so I often don’t need to set it with powder, even under my eyes. C4 was a beautiful winter shade on my fair skin, and although I am nearly already through my first tube, I’ve already purchased a second in C6 for the summer. It doesn’t exaggerate fine lines or creases and conceals enough of my undereye darkness that I’m comfortable without corrector. Love, love, love, love!
- Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick by Kate Moss in #104 ($4.99)
- I’ve been working on a comprehensive post featuring the best red lipsticks at the drugstore, which has pushed me to look at my entire drugstore lipstick collection. I tried this shade on a whim one day and I was blown away by how full it made my lips look. The only other lipstick formula that has made that kind of impact was the first time I wore Charlotte Tilbury’s K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipstick in Bitch Perfect if that tells you anything. Although this is the matte formula from Rimmel’s Lasting Finish line, it does have a small amount of slip thanks to silicone, but it is thinner in texture than both Maybelline’s Color Sensational Mattes and Bite Beauty’s Matte Lip Creme Crayon. Any lipstick lover could benefit from having several shades from this line in her arsenal.
- L’Oreal Voluminous Mascara ($7.99)
- I’ve been in a bit of a mascara crisis. Everything I’ve used hasn’t created the full, fluffy lash that I crave until I used Charlotte Tilbury’s Full Fat Lashes Mascara. As my mini tube began to dry out, I began my quest to recreate the look without the price tag, but it wasn’t until I came upon a tube of L’Oreal Voluminous on clearance at Walgreens that I found what I was looking for. If you’ve never tried this cult classic, it’s a drier formula, which helps to lift lashes and create the full look that I love without weighing my lashes own (no matter how much I curl them). Voluminous was my go-to mascara in college and although I will always dabble with other formulas, I’m certain I will always have a tube on hand from this day on.
Do we have any favorites in common? Tell me about them in the comments below!
