Bring the Heat With These 26 Summer Makeup Looks

1. Mermaidcore

Celeb makeup artist Emily Gray has been adoring the blues, greens, and shimmers of mermaidcore makeup looks. This true mermaidcore eye look comes together with a rich, shimmery teal shade in the outer V of your eyes and an iridescent blue in the inner corners that sweeps up toward the brow bone. Add a few jewels along your cheekbones or eye to channel Disney-princess glam, then finish with a natural lip color (like BEAUTY FOR REAL LIP REVIVAL Essential Hydration Serum Lipstick in Neutral) to let your eye look shine.

2. Playful Pastels

From the iridescent pastel eyeshadows to the lavender cat eye to the seamless pink cream blush, this summery look is all about keeping it light and lifted as you head into the warmer months. For the eyes, grab your favorite pastel shimmers (we love the shades in the CIATÉ LONDON I Am Woman 24 Shade Eyeshadow Palette V2), and buff them all over your eyelid and up to your brow. There’s no need for precision here, as shimmers are much more forgiving than mattes when it comes to blending. Then use a pastel-toned gel eyeliner to create your wing. For the cheeks, apply a light pink blush high on your cheekbones and brush it back toward your hairline. The end result is a fresh, fun contrast to the typical bronze looks you see in summer.

3. Airbrushed Base

At this point, glowing skin isn’t just a summer makeup trend—it’s practically synonymous with the season itself. But if super-radiant skin isn’t your vibe, try this airbrushed look that retains dimension and glow without overdoing the shine. The trick is to start with a luminizing primer like the DR. BRANDT SKINCARE Pores No More Luminizer Primer to give you a glowing base, then follow with a demi-matte foundation formula. Next, highlight with a cream product like the ANASTASIA BEVERLY HILLS Contour & Highlight Stick in Banana. Using a cream formula here is preferable to using a powder formula, since a powder may make you look a little too matte for this look. Follow with a liquid or cream blush à la LOVE+CRAFT+BEAUTY Liquid Cosmic Blush, then set everything with a light dusting of setting powder.

4. Sculpted & Sunkissed

Here’s a makeup look you can pair with virtually any plan you have this summer, whether that’s a day at the beach, an afternoon at the county fair, or a date night by the water. The key beauty products you’ll need are a bronzer and highlighter, but don’t forget to use a blush shade that complements the two, which will add to the overall cohesion of the look. One of our faves at the moment is the MISS FAME Crème and Powder Blush Duo, which gives you two gorgeous warm-toned shades to choose from.

5. Elevated Glow

Leave it to legendary makeup artist Lisa Eldridge to take our breaths away with understated glam. She makes dewy skin look effortless, bringing your attention to the high points of the cheeks with a soft sweep of highlighter. Try the look with a light wash of the GIVE THEM LALA BEAUTY Pressed Highlighter in Showstopper—but don’t skimp on the pre-skincare prep. You’ll definitely want to use hydrating products like moisturizer to make sure your skin can shine.

6. Festival Fab

Summer means festival season—and festival season means makeup that sparkles, shines, shifts, and totally steals the show. We’re in love with this multidimensional eyeshadow look by celeb makeup artist Daniel Martin, which features a bold, icy blue-green on the inner eyes and a vibrant purple on the outer eye area. He finished the look with an HONEST BEAUTY mascara, but you could also opt for the TOYFACTORY Hylash™ Hyaluronic Serum Mascara, which has a similarly shaped brush.

7. Tropical Winged Liner

If we could count how many times we hit “save” on inner corner eyeliner looks lately—well, we’d have a lot. This super fun eye makeup trend shows no sign of slowing down, and beauty content creator Ash Walker’s beautiful multicolored version (that reminds us of a tropical vacay) puts it at the top of our list of summer looks to try. To create it: Walker says to line your eyes with bright orange eyeliner from the middle of your lash line to the outer corner. Then, wing up and out. Use a flat angled eyeshadow brush to apply yellow shadow to your inner eye corner in a sideways “V,” and connect it to the orange on your upper lash line. Finish by adding light blue to your lower inner eye corner, about 1/4 of the way in. (Walker used yellows and blues from HUDA BEAUTY Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette in Sapphire). 

Pro Tip: “I like to start with mascara first so I don’t have to worry about it getting on my eyeshadow when I apply, and it also helps me get a bolder, longer lash,” says Walker. 

8. Pretty Pastel Shimmer

Nothing reminds us of breezy summer days like a pastel eye look—and this gorgeous, shimmery version is the perfect touch of glam for day or night. Bonus: Shimmery pigments will catch the light for an instant glow (no filter needed). Here’s how to get the look: Walker says to use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to blend light brown shadow (she used SHAINA B MIAMI Eyeshadow in Wynwood) on your outer eye corner and into your eye crease. Then, use a mauve eyeliner to create a soft wing. Follow up with shimmery, light blue shadow on the inner corner of your eye, blended straight up toward your crease. Finish by tapping rose gold shadow (like CIATE LONDON Marbled Metals Eyeshadow in Entwine) all over your lid for dimension.

Pro Tip: “I used the THEBALM COSMETICS AutoBalm Pic Perfect Palette in shade Ocean Drive (medium brown shade) on the outer corner of my eye close to the lash line to create depth, and to make my lashes look thicker,” says Walker. 

9. Playful, Pink Wings

We’ve tried every shade in the book when it comes to winged liner—purples, greens, and (of course) black—but we’ve got to admit it just doesn’t get more fun than pinky coral wings. Swapping your traditional liner for something that pops takes your summer liner looks to a new level. Here’s how to get the look: Walker says to use a coral eyeliner to line and wing out your eyes. Then, very lightly blend golden-brown shadow from the outer edge of your lash line up into your outer crease, and down onto your lower lash line. Take a bright yellow-green shadow (she used HUDA BEAUTY Obsessions Palette in Sapphire) and use your finger to dab a small circle of it 1/4 of the way onto your lid.

10. Brights and Blues

Blue shadow is making a big comeback—but it’s nothing like those solid washes of color from the ’80s. Horizontal layers of neon yellow, green, and blue make for one of the most eye-catching shadow looks we’ve seen to date. To create it, Walker used a mix of brights from the HUDA BEAUTY Obsessions Palette in Sapphire (but you can do it with just about any mix of brights!). Just blend light green from the inner corner of your eye, through your eye crease to the end of your brow. Add a sweep of light blue or teal below the light green. Take a deep, shimmery blue shade and blend it lightly from your upper lash line toward your eye crease. Use a liner brush to wing your eyes with the same shimmery blue shade.

11. Purple Haze

A wash of bold color all over your lids is one of our favorite summer trends—and it’s perfect when you want maximum impact with minimal effort. You just need five minutes and a few of your fave shadows to make a bold statement. To create it, Walker suggests using a fluffy eyeshadow brush to blend medium brown and gold brown shadows (she used LAURA GELLER Urban Garden Eyeshadow Palette - Central Park in shades Turtle Pond and Bethesda Terrace) into your eye crease and up toward your brow, then along your lower lash line. Apply shimmery purple shadow (like CIATÉ LONDON Marbled Metals Eyeshadow in Wicked) all over from your lash line up toward your brow. Finish with a touch of rose gold on the inner corner of your eye.

12. Pink Pop

Makeup artist Andy Truong uses bright eyeliner to easily incorporate color into a look. The pro then tops it off with bright cheeks and a wash of pink or peach on the lips. Truong used the MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Resist Color Ink Liquid Eyeliner in Pink Blaze.

13. Golden Sunset

Truong keeps it classic with a touch of rose and all the dewy bronze. The pro uses a warm bronzer to warm up the cheeks, and eyes and then adds a touch of gloss to the lips for the perfect lightweight, glowy summer look. Truong’s favorite bronzer for this look is the CHARLOTTE TILBURY Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Cream Bronzer because of its radiance and easy-to-blend formula.

14. Summer Heat

Nothing screams summer like fun, bright colors—and when Truong feels indecisive between a pink or a peach, the pro opts for this bright coral shade. You can then keep it simple with the eyes and cheeks, using monochromatic tones that pair well with a fun bright lip. The lip used for this look was the DIOR Rouge Dior Lipstick in Dioramour.

15. Beach Party

Contoured eyes, bronzed, peach-kissed cheeks, and a nude pink lip is the go-to look for someone who’s not shy of full glam on a hot summer day. Truong’s look is perfect for a pool party or a day on the sand.

16. Pretty in Pink

All the pink and all the glow! Truong recommends this look for anyone who loves their gloss and pink cheeks. You can keep the look monochromatic with pink eyes, lips, and cheeks for a girly girl’s staple! Truong’s favorite product for emphasis on the cheeks is the DIOR Backstage Rosy Glow Blush.

17. Metallic Magic

Makeup artist Nydia Figueroa loves sizzling gunmetals with pops of glitter and smoke for summer-night looks. The star of the show here is the silver metallic glitter in the center of the lid, paired with a soft smokey gray around the eyes. A beautiful shimmer for this look is the DANESSA MYRICKS Beauty Colorfix Metallics in Titanium. Figueroa advises to take a small amount of this shimmer on your ring finger and pat it on the center of your lid for a beautiful pop of color.

18. Bronzed Beauty

Glowy skin is always in, but Figueroa says this season is all about strategic placement of highlighter for a natural sun-kissed glow instead of a blinding highlight. A pro tip for applying highlighter that looks lit from within? Use an illuminator under your makeup first, then, using your fingers, apply the highlighter where the light naturally hits your face. A liquid illuminator she stands by for this technique is the LIMELIFE BY ALCONE Perfect Glow Drops.

19. Rosy Glow

Pink is a major win this summer for the eyes, cheeks, and lips. Figueroa uses the same shade of pink in different tones to give this look dimension. She uses blush on the eyes and cheeks, and loves the BE A 10 COSMETICS Be Cheeky Blush in Audacious to complete this type of look. She takes the blush and drapes it over the cheeks up to the temples and then takes the same shade and pops it over the eyelid and into the crease for a wash of color. She recommends pairing it with the BE A 10 COSMETICS Be Precious Lipstick Stain to complete the pretty-in-pink look!

20. Slip of Shimmer

Glazed skin was one of summer's biggest trends last year, and Figueroa says this summer will be all about clear gloss and tinted lip oils. We love the PINKLIPPS COSMETICS Lip Gloss Duo in Aglow & Star for a glazed lip with a tint of color.

21. Pinky Pout

Figueroa says soft matte is the vibe this summer. She suggests skipping the face powder all over and only using it where needed for oil to let the shine pop through slightly. A great foundation for a soft matte look is the L'ORÉAL PARIS Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation. This is a demi-matte formula that can last all day under the hot summer weather.

22. Powder Pop

After Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour took over the world in 2023, makeup artist Emily Gray has seen an emergence of metallic eyeshadow looks, especially in silver. She likes mapping out the eye look using a gray eyeliner, like the CATRICE 20H Ultra Precision Gel Eye Pencil in 20Grey. Smudge and blend the liner into the eye shape you desire, using a small flat brush before the pencil dries. Once you have that eye base down, go in with a silver eyeshadow. Gray loves the ISAMAYA Industrial Colour Pigments palette. The palette has several silver shades, so you can create a multidimensional metallic look. You can leave it as it, or add a winged liner for some added dimension.

23. Ocean Eyes

It’s giving deep-sea magic. Think: saturated hues and a dimensional shift that catches the light and draws you in. To achieve this, grab a blue liner to plan out the shadow shape. Gray loves the VICTORIA BECKHAM BEAUTY Satin Kajal Liner in Surfside, a medium blue. After the shape is blended out, top it with a liquid eyeshadow like the HALF MAGIC BEAUTY Serving Siren. You can keep the eye look matte or add some glitter to the center of the lid. Gray is into the LHLA Spacepaste in Phantom because it’s an iridescent sky blue.

24. Lip Liner Pop

Perhaps we’ll never get over ’90s makeup trends, and Gray is completely OK with that. Some of her best-loved makeup trends are from that era. Distinctive lip liner, especially brown, is big on the carpet. To get this look, choose a dark brown liner (Gray loves the CATRICE Plumping Lip Liner in Go All Out). Line your lips in your desired shape (Gray overlines a bit), and take a small lip brush or your finger and blend the liner very slightly. Then take a contrasting shape of lipstick, like a light nude, and tap in the center of your lips. Make sure not to blend the two colors, as you’ll want the liner to really stand out.

25. Blushing Babe

One of Gray’s favorite trends this summer is the super blushy makeup look. The blush effect, when applied to the apples of the cheeks, under the eyes, and on the nose, adds such life to the face and offers a youthful appearance. To achieve this look, Gray mixes cream and powder blushes. She starts with cream blush and bronzer. She blends the cream out with her fingers, a beauty sponge, or a dense brush. After applying setting powder to the face (you can’t go wrong with the BAREMINERALS Mineral Veil® Setting Powder Broad Spectrum SPF 25 in Translucent), add some powder blush in a slightly different color to add some dimension to look.

26. Barbiecore

We don’t know about you, but we’re still in our Barbie era. Super-feminine, Barbie-inspired makeup looks (think: pink blushes and shimmering, pink lips) have been giving us life ever since the movie came out last summer. We love how soft shades of pink are used to enhance your natural coloring, and we’re willing to bet that Barbie Pink will carry over in this summer’s vibrant color palette.

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