Look, there are definitely ways to keep your makeup on your face and looking good even in the heat of the summer, but how many of us really want to wear a full face of foundation and a matte lip when we’re sweating buckets? Personally, I want my skin to be able to move and breathe and, TBH, to be able to put on a fresh layer of SPF as needed, without messing up my makeup. That said, since I was a little girl with a satin purse full of 15 Lip Smackers, I have been thoroughly obsessed with lip products. (Today there’s usually an average of five lippies in my purse at any given time.) Come summer, I want easy, breezy, lightweight summer lip products that make me look and feel my best without a fuss. These are the 10 products that always deliver.
The Iconic Easy, Breezy Lip That Started It All
If you’ve never tried one of Clinique’s Almost Lipsticks, you have to. This product launched in 1989 as a new category between a balm and a lipstick to give you a sheer wash of natural-looking color. Black Honey (a cool-toned berry shade) is their most famous hue, but the Almost Lipstick comes in Nude and Pink Honey too. Clinique’s Black Honey shade has been around since the ‘70s in various formats, and I dare say no other color will ever be as universally flattering.
The Perfect Travel Product For Lip & Cheek Color
I swear by the RMS Beauty Lip2Cheeks. The little pot is so slim and incredible to travel with or keep in your purse, and the color payoff is somehow pigmented enough to make a difference in your face but sheer enough to look like you’re just naturally gorgeous. I’ve been using the same pot for literal years with no sign of running out, so don’t balk too hard at the price tag. It’ll last you a good long while.
A Soft, Feels-Like-Nothing Matte Lippie
SheGlam just released their Marshmallow Puff Lip Blur Pens, and I think they’re a fantastic and affordable option for a lightweight summer lip color — you can barely even feel it on your lips. I love a glossy lip pretty much always, but if I’m going to be outside in the breeze, even I opt for something more matte so my hair isn’t getting stuck to my mouth constantly. The soft triangular applicators on these are perfect for blending out a little bit of color for a blurred lip effect, or doing an even coat for maximum color payoff.
The Juiciest Looking Gloss To Ever Do It
On the other hand, when I want my lips to look glossy and full and aggressively kissable, I reach for Fenty Beauty’s Gloss Bombs. I have the shades FU$$Y and Fenty Glow, and the latter is this gorgeous rosy shimmer shade that is literal perfection for a summer lip. The strawberry scent on these is insane, and I just want to keep applying them forever.
This Gloss Stick That Went Viral For A Reason, Y’all
Tarte’s Maracuja lip product line went bananas on social media when it came out a couple of years ago, and for good reason. They have a beautiful plumping, hydrating formula with great color payoff. Personally, I love having the travel-size one to carry around in my purse — it instantly makes me look alive and more put together — and a little goes a long way, so you may not even need the bigger size.
A New Lip Cream From An Old Favorite Brand
Fresh makes one of my favorite tinted lip balms ever, so I was excited to try their new Sugar Melt Lip Cream in the pink shade Watermelon Rind. The formula is infused with peptides to enhance your lips’ plumpness and hydration. The sheer pink color is just enough to be perfect for no-makeup days, and the watermelon scent practically screams summer. It’s a perfect throw-in-your-purse lip balm, in my opinion.
A Four-Pack Of Tinted Balms So You Have One In Every Bag
Each one of these lip balms smells absolutely amazing; they’re like Lip Smackers for adults. They’re perfect for keeping in your various beach bags, purses, and fanny packs so you always have a hydrating, beautiful wash of color at the ready. Plus, you quite literally cannot beat the price.
Your New Daily No-Makeup Makeup Product
Sorry, but $6 for a lip and cheek stain that looks this good? How?! I wear this stain every day on my lips and cheeks — it blends out with ease and really lasts, and brings so much life to your face in a matter of seconds. It feels like you have nothing on when you wear it, and it just doesn’t get much easier or breezier than this.
A Drugstore Gloss To Rival Any High-End One
Here’s another absolute gem for those of you who love an ultra-glossy lip in the summer. CoverGirl’s Clean Fresh Yummy glosses are so pillowy and fill in your lip lines for a super plump-looking pout. I wear the shade You’re So Jelly — a gorgeous sheer red — constantly during the hot summer months.
A Lip Liner That’s Perfect For All-Day Wear
Buxom released their Power Line Plumping Lip Liners last year, and they quickly became one of my favorite liners. The triangle-shaped tip means you never need to sharpen it to sketch a sharp line, and it comes with a soft brush to blur your lip lines if you want a more lived-in look. They’re perfect for adding a touch of definition to your lips or applying lasting color before topping with a gloss.
Here’s to kisses on the beach and lip colors that last through margaritas on hotel rooftops.
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