12 Summer Beauty Favourites

These skincare and makeup products will keep you gorgeous and glowing all summer

The best way to enjoy summer to is to keep your beauty routine simple. It’s also the time of year when you’re going to want to switch up your skin-care routine and play with colour.

So ditch your cut creases and precision lips and morph into a beachy, summer goddess with the help of these 12 products…

 

1. Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Mousse by St. Tropez

This new self-tanning mousse by St. Tropez is absolutely crystal clear so there’s no chance of any colour transfer onto clothes, sheets or towels. You’ll start to see colour develop in a couple of hours, and in 24 hours you’ll have a medium-bronze glow that will last about three days. If you continue using this product, your faux tan will last much longer (but never get darker).
Available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Murale, London Drugs and other independent retailers, $54

 

2. YUMI™ Lash Lift by Tianna Tran

This lash lift gave me the lashes of my dreams—permanently curled, fluttery and low-maintenance. Unlike lash extensions, you don’t have to obsess about keeping them dry and away from oil-based products, so you can use any eye makeup products (and makeup remover) without worrying about killing the curl. They’ll last until your lashes naturally grow out, anywhere from six to 10 weeks.

Even better, I used a mobile service that was essentially a hair and beauty studio on wheels. I literally walked down the block during a lunch break, entered the Mercedes van-turned-plush-beauty-room and an hour later was back at my computer.
Tianna Tran, $150 (plus travel fee, starting at $15 for Metro Vancouver, $100 for Whistler)

 

3. e-spray by Electric London

UK-based Electric London recently launched in Canada with its high-performance products. This hairspray is both nourishing and dry with zero sticky residue. For anyone with slippery hair who finds it difficult to maintain a style for more than 20 minutes, this is a game changer. Spray onto hair before heat styling, then finish off with a light spritz to lock in your hard work and your curls/waves/blow-out will last for days.
Available at select salons and Electric London, $40

 

4. Prisme Libre Loose Powder by Givenchy

This loose powder is so finely milled it looks flawless on the skin. Moreover, each of the colour options (packaged in four separate quadrants) offer subtle colour correction once blended together. This is a perfect year-round palette, but during the summer it will subtly blot your skin without looking cakey.
Available at Holt Renfrew and Sephora, $68

 

5. Idéal Soleil Anti-Shine Dry Touch Lotion SPF60 by Vichy

Overall, sunscreens are improving greatly year over year. Vichy’s offering this summer is a standout with its matte finish. The texture isn’t thick and gloopy; it doesn’t leave a white film; you won’t experience pilling when applying makeup; and it won’t leave you greasy. This lovely lotion is also sweat- and water-resistant.
Available at select drugstores and at Vichy, $28.95

 

6. Bio-Oil

Considered the original beauty oil, Bio-Oil has long since been eclipsed by newer, prettier and considerably pricier oils—but it remains an incredible product for radiant, glowing skin. It’s especially known for its ability to even out skin tone, soften stretch marks and improve the appearance of scars (and bug bites). It’s packed with vitamins A and E, along with calendula oil, lavender oil, rosemary oil and chamomile oil. Despite all these hefty, nutritious oils, the consistency is thin and quick-to-absorb, making it an ideal after-shower moisturizer, and perfect for glossing over bare summer arms and legs before heading out.
Available at major drug and mass retailers across Canada and online at Amazon, Walmart and Fresh Glow, $6.99 (25ml) and $21.99 (125 ml)

 

7. Gentle Cleanser Cream by SkinCeuticals

SkinCeuticals just relaunched several of their top cleansers, including the Gentle Cleanser Cream. The name says it all: it’s gentle and creamy, yet effective at softly removing impurities. It’s emollient-rich and contains glycerin so it’s best for dry skin—ideal if you’re often in the sun. While it can tackle makeup and sunscreen at the end of the day, I prefer using it in the morning to gently remove any residue leftover from my nighttime skincare regimen and to freshen the skin, especially if it was a particularly warm and sweaty night.
Available at medi-spas, dermatologists’ offices and Skinceuticals, $44

 

8. Volupté Liquid Color Balm by Yves Saint Laurent

The texture of this lip balm is rich and creamy with medium coverage—but it’s the applicator that has earned it a spot in my regular rotation. The tip is dense and plush with a detailed point that allows for precision application even on the go without a mirror. The look is gloss-like and as it wears, it leaves an even, natural stain.
Available at Sephora, Hudson’s Bay and Yves Saint Laurent

 

9. True Match Lumi Glotion Natural Glow Enhancer by L’Oreal

In my spring beauty column, I recommended a multitasking, glow-enhancing product that was fabulous but pricey. Drugstore dupes for this type of product have quickly caught up—and the Lumi Glotion is a great option.

This one comes in four shades that provide a tint of colour. Go a bit deeper for a bronzy glow, or lighter for a highlighted look. Use this alone for an all-over luminosity, under makeup/sunscreen to provide a subtle glow, or as your last step for highlighting.
Available at select drugstores and Amazon, $20.49

 

10. Stay All-Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner Micro Tip by Stila

Stila’s best-selling waterproof liquid eyeliner now comes with a superfine microtip that’s perfect for dotting between lashes. It’ll last through the hottest, muggiest days and even looks great after a day at the pool. Because the tip is so fine, use this for a pro hack that internationally renowned, UK-based makeup artist Lisa Eldridge does for her celebrity clients: instead of lining the lower lashes, fill in the lower lash line by drawing in vertical hairs that mimic your own (similar to how you draw in individual eyebrow hairs). This will help define the eye without any harsh lines.
Available at Shoppers Drug Mart, Murale and Sephora, $29

 

11. Ambient Lighting Bronzer by Hourglass

This range of bronzers is already a cult favourite, but Hourglass’s newest shade—Nude Bronze Light—addresses the very real, very common problem of many bronzers simply being too warm, especially as they oxidize on lighter complexions. Like all Ambient Bronzers, this is a sheer but buildable formula with a subtle glow that mixes the illuminating effects of Ambient Lighting Powder with bronze pigments. This new shade is a true neutral bronze that beautifully mimics subtle warmth—it’s best for light to medium complexions.
Available at Sephora, $63

 

12. Power Play Foundation by Cover FX

This medium-to-full coverage foundation is ideal for summer weather when skin tends to produce more oil. This isn’t the best choice for those with truly dry or dehydrated skin though, but everyone else should do fine with it as long as you prep your skin with the appropriate level of moisturizer. The finish is near flawless, but it does set quickly so work on sections at a time and use a damp beauty sponge to prolong work time. If you do have oily skin, finish off with a little dusting of powder, otherwise this foundation sets itself nicely.
Available at Sephora, $52