Each season, one of my favorite things to do is to clean up my beauty routine. Maybe it’s because I love makeup and skincare so much, but I always like to switch up my routine based on the weather. Winter calls for heavier creams, darker colors, and overall more makeup, but once summer hits I keep things pretty minimal. Now that I’ve packed away a lot of my products until fall, I wanted to share my minimal summer beauty routine with you. You can easily copy this list to simplify your own routine, too.
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Nourish
I wanted to mention this first because I do truly think it’s one of the most important steps to a minimal beauty routine. I notice such a difference when I’m skipping workouts, not drinking enough water, eating unhealthy food…and drinking too much wine. So it’s all about moderation for me! Being healthy shows in my skin and I can get away with wearing less makeup and can usually skip the highlighter.
Consistent skincare routine
Just like it’s necessary to wash your makeup off each day, same goes for a consistent skincare routine. I never skip my routine, not even when traveling. I’d suggest finding the following items for a simple summer skincare routine: cleanser, toner, serum, hyaluronic acid, eye cream, and moisturizer. You can, of course, add in more products like retinol or face oil, but those 6 are what I see the biggest improvements from. Once you have your products, it only takes about 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes at night. Plus, investing in this routine pays off when your skin looks great and you can wear less makeup.
Facemask Sundays
Once a week, usually Sundays, I’ll wear a facemask as I’m cleaning up my house or talking to my sister on the phone. Depending on what my skin looks like that week, I’ll switch it up but lately, it’s been the Summer Friday masks in rotation. They are so good!
Multi-tasking face product
One of the best things to come out of makeup in the past few years is the number of multi-tasking products, especially for your face. I never buy a moisturizer that doesn’t have SPF anymore, and some brands like Nars even have Tinted Moisturizers + SPF (which covers 3 tasks at once). If you’re not already using a product that multi-tasks, simplify with one.
Spot conceal
When following those tips above, I rarely need full-face coverage. In fact, I’ve had a lot of makeup artists tell me that most people wear too much foundation and I think it’s true! Especially for summer, try eliminating foundation and using your concealer in areas you might need it (around the nose for redness, on a blemish, under the eyes). It might take a few days to get used to the feeling of more natural skin showing, but see if it works for you! This L’Oréal concealer is amazing for summer since it’s waterproof yet covers well.
Brows + lashes
It’s crazy how much attention brows have gotten over the last few years, but I understand why. When your brows are maintained and full, everything on your face looks more complete. I try to get my brows done regularly or I’ll keep them up myself if I’m traveling. I notice that when I do, I can get away with a clean face and a bit of brow gel and mascara on curled lashes. So if you’re wanting to go super minimal, other than a good skincare routine, just worry about your brows and lashes. I really like Tom Ford’s brow sculptor for a defined yet natural look.
And that’s about it! You can shop some of my favorite summer beauty staples below.
