Makeover Your Summer Makeup: 4 Summer Cosmetics Everyone Needs in 2021

Summer makeup is all about living that light, bright life. Dipping into summer cosmetics means trading in heavy, full-coverage winter wear for natural summer makeup looks. And in our experience, that means an instant lift — to your vibe, your look and your life.

And this year? This year we double deserve it, y’all. ICYMI, we *kinda* got screwed out of summer last year, which means we need to make up for lost time.

In 2021, that means:

— Using only the best summer cosmetics

— Skipping all the summer makeup steps that you don’t really need

— Doing only what you gotta do to get the natural summer makeup look that will usher in your return to the word in STYLE, baby

And guess what? We’re going to do it all in just 4 steps.

Best summer cosmetic #1: Oil-controlling primer

When it comes to how to apply light makeup for summer, primer is the secret step *way* too many people skip. Apply moisturizer with SPF the same as you do daily, and then grab a primer to lock in moisture, help your makeup stick and create a barrier between your skin and your makeup. And that last point is clutch.

In the summer, increased temps = increased humidity, which = increased oil production. Now, some oils and lipids are good because they protect your skin from drying out. But too many lipids = slick, shiny skin that’s not the base of any of the cute summer makeup looks.

The answer: The Leveler™ Pore Minimizing Primer. We formulated this mattifying primer specifically for oily skin, which means it can tackle any extra — let’s call it glow? — you might be facing. The Leveler helps smooth skin, alleviate redness (which is 100% needed in summer), decrease oil and create a humidity-proof barrier so makeup won’t slide off.

The Leveler is also packed with high-performance silicones, which strengthen your skin’s surface and help balance out oil production. And, since it comes in two shades — light-medium and tan-deep — it gives you a jumpstart in covering up any imperfections or redness. Now THAT’s a primer that will take you from breakfast to beach to happy-hour bevs!

Best summer cosmetic #2: Concealer as foundation

“What can I use instead of foundation in the summer?” It’s a question we get a lot, and we’re *supes* pleased to announce we’ve cracked the code for you! The solution = primer + concealer.

Executing light summer makeup ideas is all about simplicity, and nothing streamlines putting on your face more than learning to use concealer as foundation. Natch, we’ve created a whole concealer-as-foundation guide for you, but here’s the gist:

1. Grab your concealers.

In case you haven’t heard, BB founder Rea Ann Silva spent years perfecting BOUNCE Airbrush Liquid Whip Concealer. The result of all those sleepless nights and tossed-out wanna-be concealers is BOUNCE: a silky-smooth, weightless formula that conceals, brightens and contours in one swipe. In order to create the perfect summer makeup look, you’ll need one shade of BOUNCE concealer that’s darker (Concealer A) and matches your foundation, and one that’s 1–2 shades lighter (Concealer B).

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2. Spot-treat with Concealer A.

Cover any blemishes, dark spots and redness with your go-to concealer. Since you already applied The Leveler, don’t be surprised if you need less TLC in the blemish department than usual 😘.

Bounce Concealer A on:

— Blemishes

— Acne scars

— Red areas

— Nostrils where redness and discoloration are common

Wet your Beautyblender and bounce, bounce, bounce! Blending darker spots first will prevent you from accidentally highlighting blemishes by mistake after step 3, which is:

3. Brighten with Concealer B.

Brightening is another crucial summer makeup step many people skip. Once you get a little sun-kissed, it’s easy to want to conceal ‘n’ go. But natural summer makeup looks need contrast, so take the time to brighten, highlight and contour with trusty Concealer B.

Be sure to hit:

— Under eyes

— Cheekbones

— Bridge of your nose

— Tip of your chin

— Cupid's bow

Once you’ve rinsed your blender, bounce Concealer B up your cheekbone past your eye to lock in the highlighting. And boom! You just created the perfect summer day makeup look with 2 concealers, 1 Beautyblender and 0 need for heavy foundation.

Best summer cosmetic #3: Setting powder

Light summer makeup ideas — while they project that easy-breezy, just-out-of-the-ocean vibe — take a lot of work, and that work needs to be locked down, mmkay? If you think about it, summer makeup looks actually need more support than winter ones because you’re braving all the elements: sun, sweat, sand, spray, sea and a whole bunch of other “s” words that can wreck natural summer makeup looks in seconds. The best weapon? Setting powder.

Setting powder keeps your base makeup from rubbing off while controlling excess oil. The best way to cancel shine but keep your glow: BOUNCE Soft Focus Gemstone Setting Powder. Airy and milled super-fine, BOUNCE Powder blurs imperfections and softens skin using cool natural ingredients like rose quartz, ruby, sea minerals, aloe vera and even pearls! Just brush it on with your BIG BOSS Powder Brush to absorb oil without making your skin look dull, which is v. critical to all cute summer makeup looks.

In addition to ALL that, BOUNCE powder gives you:

— 5 super-blendable shades that work with all skin tones

— Light-reflecting gemstones for a prism-like effect that works for any summer makeup look

— Extra hydration from hyaluronic acid, so skin never looks too flat

— A second-skin finish that works with all natural summer makeup looks

Best summer cosmetic #4: Clear highlighter

If you’ve always wondered how to do summer makeup looks but keep missing the mark, check your highlighter. Lots of highlighters are tinted or treated, which brings unnecessary colors into a look that you’re trying to keep clean. Plus, if you’re layering it on top of shimmery bronzer or iridescent blush, using a highlighter that’s full of pigments and shades of its own can easily sink the soft summer makeup look you’re going for.

Keep it simple! Use GLASS GLOW Crystal Clear Shinelighter to take the guesswork out of contouring and highlighting. Since it’s completely clear, Shinelighter works on all skin tones to create radiance that’s subtle, stunning and never sticky. Apply it to the high points of your face and use your Beautyblender to bounce it into the perfect glow.

Swipe on Shinelighter:

— Below the eyebrows

— Apples of the cheeks

— Inner corners of the eye

— Bridge of nose

— Lower chin

— Cupid’s bow

— Collarbone (yes, really)

And that’s it! In just 4 steps you’ll be ready for the beach, the boardwalk or the boardroom (ugh, we know — do we really have to go back to that last one?!?).