12 Summer Favorites 2018 | The Gleam of Skin
Summer Favorites
The Gleam of Skin
There are so many products available these days, and I thought instead of just rounding up some of my favorites for summer that I would break it down into “sets” with themes, so this set of summer favorites, which I’ve called The Gleam of Skin, and is designed to let the skin be the major focus so it’s paired with more one-and-done eyeshadows and my-lips-but-better hues. You can view swatches of all the products in this set here.
How do you make your skin the focus during the summer?  Share in the comments below!
While these are favorites I’ve enjoyed and would recommend, I hope each set I’ve put together also helps inspire you to try certain products, textures, or shades together. Every product I’ve mentioned I’ve reviewed, which means they also have a list of dupes, so you can check your stash for similar shades and put together your own The Gleam of Skin set with what you have. Pro tip: refine results to products you have in your vanity (see this post for more info if you’re like, “Say what?”).
Stila Boheme Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow ($24.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a medium, rosy copper with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It was richly...
Stila Boheme Shimmer & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow ($24.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a medium, rosy copper with warm undertones and a metallic sheen. It was richly...
ColourPop Fringe Super Shock Eyeshadow ($5.00 for 0.07 oz.) is described as a "shimmering champagne with gold and silver glitter." It's a...
ColourPop Fringe Super Shock Eyeshadow ($5.00 for 0.07 oz.) is described as a "shimmering champagne with gold and silver glitter." It's a...
Stila Perlina Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow ($24.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a bright, translucent white base with multi-colored sparkle...
Stila Perlina Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eye Shadow ($24.00 for 0.15 oz.) is a bright, translucent white base with multi-colored sparkle...
The formula is supposed to be a "customizable complexion booster" that can be used as a primer, highlighter, or mixed with base products. The line...
The formula is supposed to be a "customizable complexion booster" that can be used as a primer, highlighter, or mixed with base products. The line...
Charlotte Tilbury Original Hollywood Beauty Light Wand ($38.00 for 0.40 oz.) is a soft, champagne gold with warm, peachy undertones and a fine, pearly...
Charlotte Tilbury Original Hollywood Beauty Light Wand ($38.00 for 0.40 oz.) is a soft, champagne gold with warm, peachy undertones and a fine, pearly...
Black Honey Pop is a medium-dark pink with moderate, warm undertones and a natural sheen. It had opaque color payoff in a single layer, which applied...
Black Honey Pop is a medium-dark pink with moderate, warm undertones and a natural sheen. It had opaque color payoff in a single layer, which applied...
Glossier Dusk Cloud Paint ($18.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a soft brown with warm, rosy undertones and a natural-matte finish. It had sheer to semi-sheer,...
Glossier Dusk Cloud Paint ($18.00 for 0.33 oz.) is a soft brown with warm, rosy undertones and a natural-matte finish. It had sheer to semi-sheer,...
ColourPop Neat Freak Ultra Glossy Lip ($6.00 for 0.11 oz.) has a translucent base with flecks of gold and pink sparkle that has a high-shine,...
ColourPop Neat Freak Ultra Glossy Lip ($6.00 for 0.11 oz.) has a translucent base with flecks of gold and pink sparkle that has a high-shine,...
Fenty Glow (Universal) is a muted, medium coral with strong, warm orange undertones and a pearly finish paired that was very shiny and glossy. The...
Fenty Glow (Universal) is a muted, medium coral with strong, warm orange undertones and a pearly finish paired that was very shiny and glossy. The...
MAC Smoked Almond Liptensity Lipstick ($21.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a medium-dark pinky-brown with warm undertones...
MAC Smoked Almond Liptensity Lipstick ($21.00 for 0.12 oz.) is a medium-dark pinky-brown with warm undertones...
Urban Decay Sheer Rapture Vice Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.11 oz.) is described as a "dusty rose [with a Sheer...
Urban Decay Sheer Rapture Vice Lipstick ($17.00 for 0.11 oz.) is described as a "dusty rose [with a Sheer...
Marc Jacobs Beauty One Mauve Time Enamored Hydrating Lip Gloss ($28.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a soft, medium mauve with subtle, cool undertones and fine...
Marc Jacobs Beauty One Mauve Time Enamored Hydrating Lip Gloss ($28.00 for 0.07 oz.) is a soft, medium mauve with subtle, cool undertones and fine...
I don’t think my skin ever has been good enough to make it the focus. I look forward to what everyone else does so that I will know what not to do.
Sheer Rapture is my #1 ultimate HG lipstick. If I’m wavering on what lipstick to wear, I go with Sheer Rapture. It works well with every look. (NC20, muted skin tone.)
A favourite “one and done” eyeshadow for me, especially in summer, is a LE release from a Tarte palette from an embarrassing # of years ago – Barefoot from the Aqualillies palette. Nars Kalahari is another summer love. And I have a powder from IT that came in an LE face trio. It’s a CC powder and has no other name than that. What I especially like about it is that if I get a bit too shiny or oily in the heat, this powder corrects that but doesn’t make my face look too matte and powdery or lacking in a nice bit of healthy glow. Lipstick – gotta be Givenchy Fuchsia. Not MLBB but a lovely pinky red that lights up my face.
I’ve been skipping foundation. I’ve worn very little makeup actually. I bronze up my skin I guess to make it the focus and I still wear sunscreen
How I wish my skin looked nice enough to make it my focal point in my look! But large pores, patches of eczema, unevenness of tone with areas of melasma, episodes of breakouts and redness from rosacea plague my face. The only thing I do to slightly emphasize it, is by adding a little bit of MAC Strobe Cream or Marc Jacobs Dew You Dew Drops into my foundation for a subtle glow.
Skin was definitely my focus on Thursday and Friday of last week, and I loved my look so much I will probably do the same in the week ahead.
Beautiful skin starts with good skin care. In the mornings I use a pump of Drunk Elephant’s B-Hydra, one pump of C-firma, and three drops of Marula oil mixed in the palm of my hand, and this is both my moisture and treatment. This combination of products makes my skin look so lovely that I do not want to cover it up, but I need just a touch of color correction. I put the barest amount of Guerlain’s Lingerie De Peau BB (I mix less than a drop of Natural with less than a drop of Medium) on the center of my face and tap out with a damp beauty blender.) Guerlain’s BB has a luminous finish. It also has quite a bit of coverage, which is why I use so little and blend it out.
I use the barest amount of Sisley’s Phyto Cernes Eclat eye concealer tapped under my eyes, just enough to slightly even out the area without adding any texture or cakiness.
I set this with Hourglass Diffused Light (if I use any of my regular powders, the end result is no longer quite as beautiful). I use my Chikuhodo Z1 powder brush, which prevents me from overusing my Hourglass powder.
I use just a hint of bronzer on the outer perimeters of my face and cheeks (Hourglass Diffused Bronze Light).
I highlight my cheeks with Dior Strobe in Gold topped with Dior Strobe in White (from the Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette). These are so, so pretty together!
I place just a hint of cheek color on the apples of my cheeks (right now I’m loving Clinique’s Heather or Ginger Pop).
For eyes I place a soft wash of Makeup Geek’s Starry Eyed all over lid and use MAC’s Haux (very lightly) in crease and diffused into transition. At this point I only use mascara, as I do not want to take any attention away from my skin with eyeliners or darker outer V shades.
Lips: I like to do a clear balm (right now I’m loving Oribe’s Balmessence) topped with a clear sparkling gloss (I have been using either Bobbi Brown’s High Shimmer lip gloss in Canary or Lancome’s Color Fever lip gloss in Frosted Petal). A nude lip, such as Urban Decay’s Naked, topped with a clear sparkling gloss, looks equally lovely.
Now I can’t wait for Monday so I can do this look again!
Well, when my rosacea passed the point where people always noticed that first (or only), I started wearing foundation regularly and haven’t looked back, so when I make my skin the focus, I’m actually making my full-coverage foundation the focus.
The best method I have for making myself look like I have great skin is to moisturize heavily and let it sink in completely before I put on my foundation. And I don’t mean a gel moisturizer. I have combo/oily skin and gel moisturizers dry me out in a bad way. I use real oil-based moisturizer and it has gone a long way toward making my skin and foundation both look a lot better than when I was trying to stick to oil-free everything.
Outside of that, Playing up the color of my eyes with subtly gold (not metallic) eye shadows, barely there blushes, and either lip balm or mauve-y or plummy lip tints keeps me looking right for doing nothing of consequence on a warm summer day. Of course, that’s just weekend — during the week I go with more of a war paint look. 🙂
My skin is rarely good enough to make it the focus. When I go for more natural looks:
*Too Faced Hangover Replenishing Face Primer
*bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer in Opal 01
*TheBalm Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush
*bareMinerals All-Over Face Color in Rose Radiance
*bareMinerals Eye Color in Bare Skin
*UD Vice Lipstick in Sheer Rapture
*e.l.f. Beautifully Bare Satin Lipstick in Touch of Berry
I prefer to keep my skin unfocused!!!
But when I’m going for a more “natural” full makeup look I’ll use eyeshadow shades like MAC Malt, Kid, or Omega. For my cheeks, MAC Mineralized Blush in Sweet Enough works really well. And for my lips, shades like MAC Modesty or Hug Me, NARS Barbara, Chanel Mademoiselle, and Urban Decay Hi Fi Shine in Backtalk are some of my MLBB-ish favorites.
I’ve also found that when I wear a fuchsia-leaning lip color (like MAC Flat Out Fabulous) with a light wash of pink blush (like Chanel Pink Explosion), they make my skin look really healthy and vibrant. So in an odd way, I guess, those shades make my skin look better than it is!
(Hmmm, I’m not sure if I answered the original question correctly…lol)