The 12 Best Summer Makeup Tips Ever, According to Professional Artists

Walking around in 100-degree heat with sticky, stuffy humidity can do a number on a full-face beat. All the smudges, smears, and sweat — gross. To avoid the weather-worn mess, Hollywood-based makeup artist Molly R. Stern recommends lightening up your routine for the season by only reaching for what you need, like a concealer to cover shadows and spots. Dab a creamy concealer, like the Uoma Beauty Stay Woke Concealer, under eyes and on areas of concern with a tap of a finger.

New York City makeup artist Amrita Mehta agrees. Her summer base pick is the iconic Maybelline New York Instant Age Rewind Concealer. The featherlight fluid blends with ease and offers ample coverage for any discoloration or blemishes.

If you can't bear to go bare (pun intended), blend a light layer of tinted moisturizer, like the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Natural Skin Perfector, into the skin for a sheer glow. Or, you could always whip up your own barely-there base, says makeup artist Robert Sesnek. "Mix oil-free moisturizer with [your favorite] foundation for a softer, sheerer appearance," he says.

"Most of us like to have a light base just to even out our complexion during the summer, but if not properly applied, it will slide off the face and end up looking like an oil slick," says Los Angeles makeup artist Monika Blunder. To avoid a makeup landslide, buff your tinted moisturizer into the skin with a synthetic buffing brush, like the Best of Beauty-winning Sigma Beauty F80 Flat Kabuki Brush. "This technique helps foundation last much longer and keeps it from looking oily," she says.

Work with a product that does it all — for lips, lids, and cheeks, Sesnek says. Multipurpose makeup keeps your bag light and creates a soft, monochromatic focus for your look. We're fans of the 2020 Best of Beauty-winning Live Tinted Huestick because of its buildable pigment available in a variety of gorgeous shades, like the rusty orange Rise or bronze Change (shown above).

Allure associate news editor Gabi Thorne loves these as cream blushes. "When I'm looking for a quick wash of color on my cheeks, I like swiping the plum hue, Free, onto the apples of my cheeks before blending out with dense, fluffy powder brush," she shares. "It adds a beautiful flush to my brown skin."

Nothing's worse than midday mascara or eyeliner blunders. Avoid the raccoon-eye look by swapping in a waterproof version of your favorite eye product — especially, in the dead of summer. "With the heat from the body and the summer's high temperatures, most eyeliners end up either running or have to be reapplied all day," Sesnek says. "A waterproof eyeliner won't smear, run, and can even handle the swimming pool." We highly recommend the multiuse, Best of Beauty-winning Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfixes, especially the vibrant hot pink Freedom (shown above) and bright orange Carrot Top.

Instead of pigmented eye shadows for sweltering days, try gluing on gems, pearls, and chunky butterfly glitter with Kiss's Strip Lash Adhesive. The aloe vera-infused glue prevents anything from sliding off skin with its waterproof formula, so your embellishments are sure to outlast sweaty summer activities.

There's never a wrong time to play with color, but something about the hot summer air makes experimenting with bright hues more fun. For Carrillo, orange is the color of the summer, and he recommends focusing the shade on lips and cheeks instead of eyes to avoid potential creasing or running. For lips, Dose of Colors x Nyma Tang Coral Lip Set gets his stamp of approval with its two rust orange lipsticks designed for multiple skin tones, a shimmery gold-toned lip gloss, and coral lip liner.

He's also a fan of the Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Divine Blush in Paradise Venus (terracotta) and Electric Bloom (coral) to brighten up cheeks. Orange can be intimidating, but, he says, "for fair skin, peach is the perfect way to go. Coral [works better for] a more olive tone." If you have a deeper skin tone, look at your undertones first. Golden undertones should lean into true orange blushes while red undertones should lean more towards red-based oranges, he shares.

Fact: a long-wearing matte lipstick surely outlasts any summer plans. A formula that doesn't fade, move, or leave behind markings is exactly what you need. Carrillo swears by the budge-proof Best of Beauty-winning Maybelline SuperStay Ink Crayon Lipstick. "Take that sip, give a kiss, or leave your mask on," he says. "It won't transfer."

If you're not into the matte effect, opt for something more hydrating, like a tinted balm, lip oil, or gloss, for a gorgeous sheen. You won't have to worry about keeping those formulas as nice and neat as they wear throughout the day. Mehta's favorite is the Dior Lip Glow Balm because of how it "adjusts to the pH of your lip, so it complements every skin tone."

Believe it or not, setting spray works. Los Angeles-based cosmetic chemist Victoria Vohland broke it down for Allure's Beauty Detectives — a setting spray is comprised of three ingredients (water, alcohol, and film formers) that work to form a barrier to keep your makeup in place. Carrillo is all about Huda Beauty's Resting Boss Face Setting Spray, while Mehta recommends fan-favorite, three-time Best of Beauty-winning Urban Decay All-Nighter Setting Spray for the warm season.