It’s early June, temperatures are climbing, and sunsets refuse to wink out until way past 8 p.m. Time to brush up on summer makeup trends! The season doesn’t technically begin until June 20 (semantics), but it’s certainly not a bad idea to get acquainted with the looks poised to dominate the next few months. There’s nothing like a bronzy flush or glassy, wet lip to help you embrace a summery spirit, right?
While classic summer beauty trends (like faux freckles and loads of blush) will undoubtedly re-enter the zeitgeist, some of this season’s looks are quite the departure from what we usually see this time of year. Think intricate statement eyes and—gasp!—skipping lip liner. Curious which trends to hop on first? Find our extensive report below, backed by celebrity makeup artists with a knack for identifying early buzz.
1. Saint-Tropez Skin
According to celebrity makeup artist Buster Knight, “That fresh, suntanned Saint-Tropez skin will be a big hit.” What in the world is Saint-Tropez skin, you ask? Imagine warm, sun-kissed, toasty makeup with an emphasis on bronzer. Knight describes it as “flushed, beach skin but slightly more elevated than surfer-girl skin.” The latter is a tad more playful, while Saint-Tropez skin is all about a snatched glow. To nail this aesthetic, he recommends using a “really bronzy blush” to create loads of dimension and warmth.
Shop the Trend
rhode
Pocket Blush in Toasted Teddy
Dior
Rouge Blush Colour & Glow
Saie
Glow Sculpt Multi-Use Cream Highlighting Blush
2. Eye Shadow Summer
Say goodbye to minimalist lids, as we’re on the brink of an eye shadow summer! Take it from celebrity makeup artist Kelli Anne Sewell, who declared the trend on TikTok, encouraging her followers to play with pigments and palettes. “It sounds silly, but I just want people to have fun with makeup and eye shadow!” she says. “Smoking out shadows, rocking liner, whatever makes you feel hot.”
Be it with an eye shadow stick, a full 12-pan palette, or even a quick, eyeliner-as-shadow moment, don’t be afraid to play with bold eye looks. “My favorite way to wear eye shadow is with no-makeup-makeup skin and a subtle hydrated lip to balance,” Sewell adds.
Shop the Trend
MAKEUP BY MARIO
Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette
Jane Iredale
Colorluxe Eye Shadow Stick
3. Diffused Lips
Okay, lip liner isn’t necessarily going away—but people are using less of it, according to Sewell. “People are dissolving filler [and opting for] just softer lips … whether it’s a liner with blurred edges, a product that gives that effect (Rhode lip liners), or doing it yourself with your finger to soften the edges! Everything soft and diffused,” she explains.
Knight agrees with the “less is more” liner approach, noting that diffused lip stains and flesh-toned pencils are rising in popularity this summer. “Everyone wants to go for something really similar to their lip shade, rather than a ’90s-esque overline,” he says.
Shop the Trend
rhode
Peptide Lip Shape in Balance
WONDERSKIN
Lip Stain Masque
Tower 28 Beauty
Oneliner Lip Liner + Eyeliner + Cheek Pencil
4. High-Gloss Looks
A blurry, matte lip has been en vogue for a while now, but this summer, the pendulum will swing in the other direction. “Lip balms, lip oils, [and] lip butters are definitely in,” Knight notes, and Sewell has similarly noticed “a lot of glossy balm lip sticks launching.” Even celebrities have cosigned the mirror-like shine: “The wet lip look is back,” Amanda Seyfried once told us about nostalgic, candy-flavored glosses. Consider this your sign to stock up on juicy (non-sticky!) lip products.
Shop the Trend
Lancôme
Juicy Tubes Original Lip Gloss
Summer Fridays
Lip Butter Balm
Glossier
Lip Glaze Hydrating Cooling Sheer Lip Oil
5. Contoured Creases
Yes, it’s officially an eye shadow summer, but for days you just can’t be bothered to whip out a palette, a smudge of contour on the eyes works wonders. “I really love a natural contour through the crease [and] pushed into the brow in the front corner,” Knight shares. “It’s an old glam trick, but it really does open the eye. I’m also always loving bronzer under the bottom lash line, as it does really make the eyes pop [and] look bigger [and] fresher. It’s my forever go-to, and I really feel its back.”
Shop the Trend
Fenty Beauty
Match Stix Matte Contour Skinstick
6. Hybrid Heroes
When temperatures rise above 85ºF, the thought of applying makeup can feel like a chore—even for seasoned pros! “Summer is the time where you don’t want to spend more than 10 minutes on makeup,” Sewell notes. Hybrid products you apply on your cheeks, lids, and lips help you save precious time and energy, so she expects products like these to absolutely soar. Bonus points if you use nothing but your own fingertips to blend. Knight agrees, especially when it comes to blush-highlighter duos. “[They] are more fashionable at the moment than using a separate highlighter,” he adds.
Shop the Trend
PATRICK TA
Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo
Westman Atelier
Super Loaded Tinted Cream Highlighter
7. Fresh Faces
“Really, really fresh, natural-looking makeup will be key this summer,” Knight adds. This is largely due to the fact that anything too “heavy” on the skin can melt and/or clog pores in sweltering temperatures, but there’s also something so bright and summery about a fresh-faced beauty look. Think swirls of blush and highlighter over sharp cheekbone contour, an ultra-dewy glow (“Glazed skin isn’t going anywhere, notes Knight), and allowing your natural skin texture to shine through. “I love enhancing beauty marks, freckles—just enhancing your natural skin,” adds Sewell.
Note, this doesn’t have to contradict with the eye shadow summer trend above. In fact, you can consider it an offshoot of the “minimal skin, maximalist eyes” 2025 trend we predicted back in January. You can certainly emphasize your natural skin texture (even eschewing foundation entirely!) while making a statement with the eyes.
Shop the Trend
Tarte
Go With the Faux Freckle Stamp
MERIT
Great Skin Instant Glow Serum
8. Soft Brows
Similar to lip liner, brow looks are becoming a lot less structured. “I think we have officially returned to soft, diffused brows that don’t take attention away from the face,” Sewell shares. Statement brows have their time and place (still a fan of bleached arches, personally!), but this summer, brows will take on more of a supporting role instead of immediately drawing the eye. That’s not to say you shouldn’t touch them at all; if yours need some love, Sewell recommends sprucing them up with a simple brow gel or tinted mousse—so easy.
Shop the Trend
Maybelline
Eyestudio Superfluff Volumizing Brow Mousse Gel
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Brow Definer
Why Trust Us
At Who What Wear, trend reporting is our bread and butter. Our editors have a knack for spotting the latest in-demand beauty looks—often before they hit the mainstream—while also working closely with trusted experts, like renowned manicurists, celebrity makeup artists, and other leading industry insiders for their personal takes. Together, this ensures every trend report is well-researched, inclusive, and relevant to you.
In addition, we focus on products that deliver, whether they’re affordable favorites or luxury investments. Our curated selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how, and what we’d truly recommend to our closest friends and family members.
Meet the Experts
Celebrity makeup artist Buster Knight has been submerged in art ever since he can remember and is a master of his craft. He has worked with the likes of Millie Bobby Brown, Vogue Williams, Naomie Harris, Niamh Walsh, Arlo Parks, and Patricia Allison. Editorially, his work has been featured in Vogue Scandinavia, Glamour, Attitude, and Petrie.
Kelli Anne Sewell is a celebrity makeup artist and content creator based out of New York City, originally from Texas, where she graduated from UT Austin and started MXKA from her apartment. After four years of balancing her side hustle with her full-time corporate tech sales job, she took the biggest risk of her life and moved to NYC to chase her dream of becoming a full-time artist. She’s since been able to work with clients, she’s always dreamt of meeting and has facilitated relationships with other creators, artists, and business owners. Recent clients have included Brooks Nader, Camille Kostek, Alix Earle, and Leonie Hanne. In November of 2022, Sewell launched Makeup by Kelli Anne, a subscription-based platform that features both long- and short-format makeup tutorials, how-tos featuring other celebrity artists (think Patrick Ta, Danessa Myricks, Katie Jane Hughes, Sir John, Daniel Martin, and more), discussions with female entrepreneurs (think Kendra Scott; Amy Liu, founder of Tower 28; Sheena Zadeh Daly, founder of Kosas) and grants subscribers access to a community platform that offers professional and personal connections, monthly events, and more.
