The Beauty Essentials Actually Worth Buying This Season

Beauty in the summer can be a tad bit tricky. Warmer weather means more glorious hours of sunshine, girls’ night out on a gorgeous patio, summer night adventures, and a jam-packed social hour. It unfortunately also means runny mascara, full glam that’s melting off after hour two, and pits that warn you when you’ve been outside for a bit too long (if you know, you know).

After many summers of separated makeup, frizzy hair, and one too many beauty malfunctions, I’ve cracked the code. The key to an effortless vibe in the summer is all about switching up your products, and no, this isn’t a ploy for you to buy more—think of this as your beauty guide, along with tips and tricks for a cool girl summer. You’ll look effortless, smell fresh as a daisy, and you’ll be able to enjoy your summer with confidence because, let’s be real, when you look and smell good, you feel good!

What are my qualifications? Well, dear reader, I have unruly curly hair that never frizzes, I seem to receive endless compliments on my makeup after hours of wear, and I worked at Sephora for four grueling—I mean amazing—years, so I know a thing or two!

Now, first things first: glam.

Bronzer: Powder, Cream, and All Formulas in Between!

Whether you’re a clean girl or you like a full beat, in the summer, less is always more!

Now, before I lose my full-glam girls, I simply mean fewer products. Skin is in this summer, and bronzer is how you get there without sacrificing coverage where you need it. Though it can be used year-round, bronzer is a welcome addition in the summer! It can be used for the obvious, like warming up your complexion, but it can do so much more! You can pop some in your crease for an effortless eye look, or mix it on the apples of your cheeks with your favorite blush for some extra warmth. You can add a bit under your bottom lip and cupid’s bow to increase your pout—the possibilities are endless!

The right bronzer can save you from needing a summer foundation altogether—or at least let you stretch it further, depending on how deep your tan gets. I’d recommend a cream or liquid bronzer, since underpainting relies on something extremely blendable.

Apply the slightly warmer hue along the perimeter of your face, right where you’d normally place foundation; it’ll automatically darken your base. Then add concealer on the high points of your face for a bit of extra brightness.

Bronzer comes in so many different formulas—radiant, cream, powder, liquid, etc.—perfect for every skin type. A more luminous bronzer can give radiance and glow, a cream one offers more coverage, a liquid blends in beautifully, and a powder can act to set contour for my full-glam girls.

Sunscreen: Face and Body, Ody, Ody, Ody

SPF is a must, and a good sunscreen can make or break your summer. We’ve come a long way from the white-cast, gloopy, thick formulas of the past. But is there anything worse than sunscreen sweating into your eyes—that burn, and the fear you’ll be temporarily blinded? Just me? Cool, cool, cool…

Now we have spray-on body sunscreens that are non-sticky and smell like a tropical oasis. Face sunscreens can now hydrate the skin and go on translucent. Some double as a primer; others act as a setting spray. What more can a girl need?

It’s one of the only skincare ingredients that’s proven for anti-aging, so who are we to argue with the experts? Women in STEM, amirite?

Like bronzers, sunscreens come in a plethora of formulas and finishes—whipped foams, sticks, lotions, sprays, oils, shimmer—so you’re bound to find one that smells good and suits your taste. Bonus points if it’s not a pain to reapply every two hours, which I know you’re doing… right?

Summer Scents, BO, and Bacteria: Put Down the Vanilla…Please!

I strongly believe we need to switch out our scents in the summer. When you think of scents like vanilla, amber, and cedarwood, it’s likely your mind takes you to fall/winter, and as the temperature rises, those musky notes tend to pull overpoweringly sweet. For summertime, we’re opting for scents that don’t compete with the heat: zesty citrus (bergamot, lemon), fresh aquatics (sea salt, ocean breeze), and, my personal favorite, tropical fruity notes (coconut, mango). Who says you have to be on vacation to smell like one?

Pro tip: match your sunscreen’s scent to your perfume. It creates this perfectly layered scent that lasts all day.

Speaking of scents, summer body odor becomes public enemy number one. And a quick PSA for the gworls, because I care: now is not the time to test out those natural deodorants, mkay? We need FULL aluminum over here, especially if you’re in a more humid climate.

Now that that’s out of the way, de-odoring starts in the shower. I love a double cleanse—first, go in with an antibacterial bar of soap or a body wash with acidic qualities. Mandelic is my favorite, since it both combats odor and exfoliates the skin, which is great when we’re showing more skin. Then we go in with the good-smelling stuff, keeping our preferred summer scents in mind. I recommend applying a whole-body deodorant to combat sweat, and a body serum to keep you hydrated but not sticky—save the body butters for before bed!

Gloss, Set, Go!

This is very girlie-pop of me (and I am painfully aware), but nothing screams summer like lip gloss. There’s something so seasonal, girlie, and youthful about a gloss! Whether it’s clear, a fun pink sparkle, or a neutral, it doesn’t just make your lips look fantastic—it draws all the attention to those luscious lips, meaning you don’t have to do too much with the rest of your look. Win-win. Bonus points if the lip gloss has extra SPF—or if it doubles as a chic accessory, because (if you know, you know) a certain aesthetic-girl brand makes a phone case that conveniently holds said gloss.

I grew up thinking hairspray wasn’t a product for me. My earliest memories of the stuff involve clouds of toxic chemicals I had to hold my breath through during dance recitals, hair left dry to the touch, a little crunchy, and slightly white—very ’80s, in the worst way. But like sunscreen, hairspray has made strides. These formulas smell glorious now (shoutout Ouai, Living Proof, and Amika), and they come in so many varieties that you’re bound to find one that protects your tresses from UV rays while keeping frizz at bay. These days, hairspray gives you flexible hold while leaving hair pliable, all while being kinder to the ozone layer.

Similar to hairspray, setting spray is a must in the warmer months, especially if you’re a full-glam girl. Like every product mentioned, there are so many formulas, and up until now, I’ve been very lenient with your choices. But here’s where I’ll put my foot down. The best setting sprays for summer are the ones marketed toward oily gals. Those luminous, hydrating, dewy finishing sprays are not—I repeat, not—going to save you in this heat! Dewy gets sweaty and patchy real quick. I’d suggest going for the big guns. When you’re perusing the various formulas, look for words like “waterproof,” “matte,” and “finishing.” I find the mattifying setting sprays give you a glorious satin finish that’s impenetrable.

Now, if you’re still partial to a more skin-like finish, I’d still recommend going in with a mattifying spray first, and only then will I allow 1–2 spritzes max of a skin-finish spray. Longevity may vary, as results vary by skin type. You’ve been warned.

No Summertime Sadness Over Here: Sorry, Lana…

Sure, switching up your routine by season can be a hassle, I admit. But wouldn’t you rather do the work up front instead of figuring it out as you go, perfecting your summertime routine just as the leaves change, only to forget it all by next year? These tips and summer must-haves save you from a summer’s worth of trial and error—I’ve done the work for you. All your energy can now be spent perfecting your seasonal routine and embodying a different energy: a summer renaissance, if you will.

Also, who doesn’t love a seasonal beauty haul, especially one that’s justified and basically rooted in science? Summer you is bronzier, fresher and more confident!

So go and be free. Enjoy those long summer days without worrying about separated makeup. Say yes to the second round of drinks and the dessert spot because you’re not worried about frizzy hair, and go sing and dance your heart out at the karaoke bar because you know BO is not knocking on your door!

When you’ve learned all the hacks and the fuss of beauty is out of the way, you can enjoy summer to the fullest, the way it was meant to be enjoyed. And you’ll leave people wondering just how you’ve mastered the art of the summer glow, skipping the awkward transitional phase entirely.