Summer is here and no doubt your bathroom is filled with bronzer, sunscreen, and spray tanner. Everyone is looking for the common ground between bronzed-goddess and natural beauty, but if you’re heading to beach parties or lying out on a lazy afternoon this season, less is more when it comes to makeup. All you need to get that dewy sun-soaked skin is a little lip-gloss, a touch of bronzer, and maybe a sundress.

The point of summer is to bare it all. The hot sun, cool water, and warmer climate coerce us to slide into daisy dukes and tank tops before we even know what hit us, but with the changes in weather can come changes in your skin. You can’t be a fresh faced beach-bunny with blemishes and under eye circles. So dab a little concealer where you need it, leave your skin bare where you don’t, and you’re on your way to a glowing summer face. Cle de Peau Beaute has won multiple awards for its concealer formula and ensures flawless skin in any light. So feel free to chat up that new lifeguard under the heavy midsummer sun. Cle de Peau Beaute Concealer is available at Neiman Marcus and priced at $70.



Bronzers are magical. With just a swipe of the brush you can accent your features and give yourself a sun baked glow. Finding bronzers with glints of gold or highlighting powder are going to do double duty: giving your face definition and depth, while also highlighting your features. It’ll look like you’ve been lying out worshipping the sun all week long. Guerlain’s new bronzer Terracotta Ora Powder is comprised of a pearly white gold and matte beige and is said to be suited for all skin tones. Guerlain Terracotta Ora Powder is available at Saks Fifth Avenue and is priced at $72.



Lips can be very hard to take care of in the summer. The heat can aid in the drying, cracking, and peeling of what should otherwise be a juicy pout. Short of running to the store for some Bonnie Bell Skittles flavored Lip Smackers and a little nostalgia, a lip gloss with the added benefits of moisturizer and maximizer is going to be your best friend. Keeping all of your makeup soft and light and using seasonal colors like peaches and corals should be easy enough to wear during the season. Dior’s Addict Apricot Lip Maximizer plumps, smooths, and moisturizes lips with just a hint of color, giving a laid back and undone appearance to that flawless face of yours. Dior Addict Apricot Lip Maximizer is available at Nordstrom and is priced at $31.







In the spirit of nudes, golds, and sandy beach tones, your eye makeup should be minimal. Designers are always creating new summer palettes with ready to blend colors that complement each other well. Earth tones keep you looking au natural and make your eyes pop in a subtle way. Bobbi Brown’s Navy & Nude Eye Palette has 8 eye shadows that range from the palest beige to an inky navy. Plus the shots of darker colors can be mixed to create perfect day to evening looks. And what woman has ever said no to a sunset walk along the beach? Bobbi Brown Navy & Nude Palette is available at Bloomingdale’s and is priced at $60.



With your soft fresh look don’t forget to pack in a little punch of color. Instead of running black mascara through your lashes try an electric blue. The color won’t be as bold on you as it looks in the tube but it will make the whites of your eyes whiter. Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof comes in 4 different shades: black, brown, blue and violet. Plus, with all your free time spent lounging poolside how could you not want to try a pop of blue? Yves Saint Laurent Mascara Volume Effet Faux Cils Waterproof in Majorelle Blue is available at Yves Saint Laurent and is priced at $30.











I love a fresh summer face as much as the next girl, but what I need even more desperately is bold nail color. With nail art and lacquers being so on trend it stands to reason that your summer look isn’t complete without it. Pick your favorite summer colors; mix and match if you wish, it’s all about experimentation. Cover your digits in lime greens, burnt oranges, fiery reds, or sea green hues. Tom Ford’s nail lacquers are bright and come in shimmer and matte colors. Tom Ford Beauty Nail Lacquer in Coral Blame is available at Saks Fifth Avenue and is priced at $30.







Summer is all about fragrances: the smell of the sea, the flowers, the summer wind blowing through the trees…and maybe a signature scent? Something light and fun is all that’s needed for the season. Your wood and patchouli fragrances can go in the closet until the fall, but for now choose something with a little youth. Marc by Marc Jacobs Honey is a new fragrance with notes of jasmine, strawberry, orange blossom, peach nectar, and pear with an underlying base of honey and vanilla. Marc by Marc Jacobs Honey is available exclusively at Sephora and is priced at $92.