Is It Just Me, or Have Summer Makeup Trends Never Been This Good?

Summer is my favorite season for beauty trends. Something shifts in the summer—full-coverage foundations become weightless skin tints, carefully placed highlighter becomes all-over dewy skin, and anything heavy becomes completely obsolete. Summer is the time to play with your makeup, embrace your natural skin, and make fun, playful statements (that won’t melt in the heat!).

This summer is all about “skinimalism,” or letting your skin be the star of the show. Think glazed-donut skin, an abundance of blush, and natural-looking finishes. Top it off with a bright, playful eye, and you have your summer 2022 look down. I spoke with makeup artists to get the rundown on the summer trends they’re most excited about—and trust me, you’ll want to be ahead of the curve.

“I love the no-makeup makeup look for summer,” says Hailey Hoff, celebrity makeup artist. “Especially in hot places, I hate when I have a lot of makeup on and it starts to slide off. This is a great way to still look pretty and fresh all day in the summer.” You can achieve this look by using lightweight skin tints, glow-boosting sunscreens, and mascara that makes lashes look long and lush.

“I am excited about glowy and dewy skin this summer because glowing skin means healthy skin,” says makeup artist Manuel Espinoza. Espinoza stresses that the best kind of glow comes from taking care of your skin. “Protecting our skin with products like sunscreens, tinted moisturizers, and vitamin C serums is the most important step in any makeup routine. With clear and healthy skin, our makeup looks dewy and light all summer long.” Top it off with a lightweight highlighting fluid to let your skin really shine.

Nothing says sunkissed more than a dappling of freckles. Freckles give you a certain air of playful mischief (or maybe I’m just biased, as someone with a natural spattering). “I think the faux-freckles look is so cute and fun for summer,” says Hoff. “It adds a flirty effect to your makeup.”

Colorful eye shadow has been having a moment for a while, but prepare for it to really have a renaissance this summer. “Bright eye shadows are making their comeback,” says Espinoza. “This summer is all about highlighted liners and bright shimmery lids. It’s a fun and easy look to try out on summer nights that is easily customizable to you and your style.”

This summer’s vibe is having a heavy hand when you apply blush. “I’m really excited about the resurgence of heavy blush looks in our makeup routines, especially with cream and liquid blushes.” says Espinoza. “A touch of cream blush makes it look like you’ve spent days in the sun, without actually having to harm your skin. My tip is to opt for a cream blush over a powder during the summer. Cream blush is guaranteed to stay on longer and won’t melt away in the heat.”

If a full statement eye isn’t your thing, try a colorful accent instead. Go for a pop of color in your inner corner, bright nails, or a fun lip to try this easy accent yourself, says celebrity makeup artists Beck Wainner.

This summer is the time to be liberal with your blush. Don’t just apply it to the apples of your cheeks—try thinking outside the lines. “I’m really into blending my blush across my nose as well for an extra cute look that will make you look like you had just laid out in the sun all day,” says Hoff.