THE SUMMER COMPLEXION
For skin that looks like you’re living your best life.
Written by LENA RAFF
While three of the four seasons allow for various aesthetic takes on the complexion, there is something uniquely singular about summer skin. When asked to picture it, we’d be willing to bet that the image conjured is of a radiant, dewy visage that’s touched by a hint of (ideally faux) sun.
In polling our experts on how to create this warm-weather look, a few clear commonalities emerged: being thoughtful when it comes to coverage, adding warmth and dimension to mimic that which is naturally bestowed by time outdoors, and opting for luminous cream, gel, and liquid textures over powders. Below, we dive in deep.
FOUNDATION AND CONCEALER
This time of year, there are two paths to take when it comes to these perfecting products: sheer or strategic. Those feeling confident in their skin may want to go extremely minimal, makeup artist and VIOLET GREY Committee member, Katey Deno, advises, “A summer complexion is one that looks like you’ve just returned from vacation, so concealer and foundation can be replaced by something lightly tinted and sheer like Saie’s Slip Tint Tinted Moisturizer.” Another crowd-pleasing (and perennially sold-out) vehicle for this barely-there effect: The Foundation Drops with TFC8® by Victoria Beckham Beauty, which, as of the writing of this piece, will be back on THE SHELVES in a matter of days.
If slightly more coverage appeals, we recommend the buildable, sweat-proof, blurring Face Flex Concealer & Complexion Enhancer from Sarah Creal, which allows you to spot correct, buff out, and somehow look like you’ve never had a blemish in your life. The trick to achieving that tropical island effect with a medium-coverage formula like this one is to ensure that the skin underneath is extremely hydrated. Go for Sofie Pavitt Face’s Omega Rich Moisturizer, especially if congestion is a concern, or U Beauty’s The Super Hydrator, which gives even extra-dry skin a glass-like glow.
BRONZER
It almost goes without saying that these golden-hued products are key during the sun-drenched months of high season. Not only does bronzer add dimension to the skin, it can play a pivotal role in ensuring that our faces match our bodies, where we’re often less fastidious about sun protection.
In order to achieve this cohesion, makeup artist Vincent Oquendo relies on bronzing drops to add a natural-looking touch of sun. He explains, “I recommend applying your complexion products using a damp sponge or a brush, and then coating the same tool in some bronzing drops and applying them to the perimeter of the face and the T-zone.” The liquid format of complexion-warmers like Westman Atelier’s Sun Tone or Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Bronzing Drops allows them to meld with the skin for an incredibly believable effect. These products also tend to be sheer, and can be mixed directly into moisturizer or foundation—very forgiving for those who might not yet be master artists.
Though similar to liquid in their ability to melt into the skin, cream and gel bronzers often contain more pigment, which makes them ideal for shaping and defining features. The shades of Sarah Creal’s Just Like Paradise 12H Peptide Sculpting Cream Bronzer maintain an excellent balance of warmth and depth, allowing them to both subtly contour and add that seasonally appropriate hit of bronze.
BLUSH AND HIGHLIGHTER
According to Deno, this is the defining category of a warm-weather complexion. The artist instructs, “For quintessential summer makeup, a cream highlighter and/or cream blush are the stars of the show—pressed onto eyelids, cheeks, cupids bow, clavicle—wherever the sun would naturally make you glow. In the winter I often reach for more powder products, but in the summer, it’s all cream.” With their sheen and light reflection, these emollient textures have a way of enhancing skin’s natural vitality.
For an intense flush lasts even in humid weather, choose MAKE BEAUTY’s Heat Stroke Dewy Gel Cheek Tint (Pro tip: there are shades of the product that also make great bronzers). If a softer look is more your speed, you can’t go wrong with the endlessly buildable Dew Blush™ Blendable Liquid Cheek Flush from Saie—and, don’t be afraid of our exclusive red shade Cherie, it’s deceptively wearable and flattering. Last, but certainly not least, top off your look by pressing glimmering formulas like Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Reflect Highlighter Stick or the Westman Atelier Lit Up onto the high points of the face for skin that looks hydrated, radiant, and alive. As makeup artist and VIOLET GREY Committee Member Lisa Aharon says, “A summer complexion should look like skin that’s been living its best life.”
