Glass skin, blurred lips, boyfriend blush – there are loads of beauty trends to inspire your look. But with so many different vibes to choose from, how does one pin down the ultimate summer make-up routine? Celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner help coin these trends so I thought, why not turn to the source to determine the make-up look of the summer? Luckily, pro make-up artist Mary Phillips (the woman behind some of Bieber and Jenner’s most memorable beauty moments) was ready to share her insights with Vogue – giving us a peek at the routine she’s using on some of our favourite stars.
Our top picks
- The Foundation: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation, £50
- The Blush Stick: Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks, £23
- The Lip Gloss: Rhode Peptide Lip Tint, £16
- The Bronzer: Gucci Poudre De Beauté Éclat Soleil Bronzing Powder, £47
- The Everything Palette: Make Up For Ever HD Skin Face Essentials, £67
What’s the summer 2024 make-up vibe, I ask her? Dewy, fresh and blush-y. “I’ve been doing a lot of fresh skin, lots of blush and really curled lashes with a thin coat of mascara,” Phillips says. This kind of look is timeless and looks great on everyone.” A sun-kissed, radiant glow is appreciated each year as the temperatures heat up, but this year, Phillips says it’s all about vibrant colours and unique finishes. “I feel that this year is all about the blush, faux freckles, tinted balmy lips and even a pop of colour on the eyes,” she says. As for specific hues, lean into peaches and pinks on the lips and cheeks. Or, play with pastels instead. All in all, it’s about effortless make-up that enhances natural beauty. “That’s the essence of summer make-up.”
Contour and highlight
Phillips says that Make Up For Ever’s HD Skin Face Essentials palette has everything you need for your summer make-up routine base because it has contour, highlighter, blush, and concealers. (I agree, it’s my desert-island make-up pick and a mainstay in my primary make-up bag.) “I would lightly contour the cheekbones, jawline and hairline and highlight the centre of the forehead, down the bridge of the nose, under the eyes and on the sides of the nose,” she says. Or you could reach for the classics like Tom Ford’s Shade and Illuminate. Both are favourites of Bieber who used them in her last Beauty Secrets video to create a date-night look.
Make Up Forever HD Skin Face Essentials
£67
Sephora
Shade And Illuminate Cream Contour Duo
US$90
SEPHORA
Fresh skin
The pro who brought the underpainting technique to the forefront of course recommends contour before complexion. “I’d blend contour and highlight together, then add a lightweight foundation or tinted moisturiser on top,” she instructs. I’m still saying the gel-cream is the optimal tinted moisturiser of 2024, and BareMinerals’ formula never lets me down – it’s incredibly hydrating and even has SPF. As for summer-friendly foundations, Chanel Les Beiges is incredible – weightless, dewy and composed of 40 per cent water, it has all the makings of a warm-weather complexion hero.
Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Moisturizer
£33 £23.10
Look Fantastic
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation Hydration and Longwear
£50
Sephora
Cream blush
“Then, add a pop of cream blush to the apples of the cheeks, forehead, nose and even on the eyelids to create that blush-y ‘in the sun look’ without actually being in the sun,” Phillips details. For the occasion, we’d highly recommend Saie’s Dew Blush – a collection of nine creamy, water-based gels that blend like a dream. Someone partial to a stick blush, however, should look no further than Westman Atelier’s Baby Cheeks. I’ve been hearing lots of buzz about it because it has incredible staying powder; reach for shade Poppet for a sunrise-sunset effect.
Saie Dew Blush
£20
Cult Beauty
Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Lip + Cheek Cream Blush Stick
£23
Westman Atelier
Setting powder
Often, setting powder is the most important part of the look – especially if you’re prone to summertime oiliness. “After applying all the creams, lightly set them with a powder like the Laura Mercier translucent powder or the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder,” she says. “Both are great because they’re so lightweight. I like the powder in the T-zone, under the eyes and on the sides of the nose. The rest of the face I like to leave unpowdered so it still looks glowy.”
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
£38.50 £28.88
Sephora
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder
£38
Cult Beauty
US$48
SEPHORA
Powder bronzer & blush
“This is when I would go back in to add powder bronzer and blush and I’ve been loving both from Gucci Beauty!” Phillips tells me. This step is essential to warm up the skin again and lock in your cream pigments beneath. Personally, I like to sweep my powders on with a super fluffy make-up brush which delivers a filter-like, soft-focus wash of colour.
Gucci Poudre De Beauté Éclat Soleil Bronzing Powder
£47
Sephora
Luminous Matte Beauty Blush
US$49
NORDSTROM
Eye accents
This summer, Phillips is keeping it simple with the eyes. Accentuating the eyes is as easy as “a dust of the Gucci bronzer on top, curl the lashes and add a coat of the L’Oréal Panoramic Mascara.” I find that bringing your bronzer hue onto your lids brings the entire make-up look together, but if you want to make them pop more, consider a vibrant hue by Merit, sweeping of your favourite eyeshadow or a statement liner.
L’Oreal Paris Voluminous Panorama Mascara
£13 £7
Amazon
£12.99
Look Fantastic
Shiseido Eyelash Curler
£26
Boots
Glossy lip tints
We know you’ve been into the matte lipstick resurgence but hold off on that for now and pick up a lip gloss (or two!). Phillips loves the Lancôme Juicy Tubes (a classic) and I love Rhode’s Peptide Lip Tint. Both are Vogue editor favourites – delivering a high-octane shine and hydrating ingredients your lips will love. Other lip options include: lip stains, tinted lip balms and lip oils.
Peptide Lip Tint
US$16
RHODE
Lancôme Juicy Tubes Original Lip Gloss
£26 £20
Feel Unique
