If there’s one thing that defines Britishness more than anything, it’s talking about the weather.
When we’re not constantly refreshing our apps, comparing the information from different sources, and talking about it with our colleagues and friends, we’re complaining – it doesn’t matter if it’s hot or cold. And this is especially true when the temperature reaches boiling point (or at least it feels like it in stuffy London).
When the heatwaves comes – and it always does eventually – our diaries fill with pub gardens, rooftop bars, picnics in the park, festivals and BBQs in the sun, all occasions where most of us would prefer our makeup to stay firmly in place, rather than slipping, sliding and smudging down our faces. Ditto for the gym, the sauna-like commute, or resisting the drip of air con-less offices.
We want foundation that sits evenly, concealer that won’t crease, liner that won’t budge, lipstick to withstand endless cupfuls of Pimm’s and mascara that won’t flake or leave you with panda eyes – really, is that too much to ask?
Well, no. You just have to make sure you fill your makeup bag with the right long-lasting and hard-wearing products that will see you through the summer and beyond with all-day wear. Setting powders and sprays will be your best friend.
Preparation is key so pay attention to your priming skincare regime and opt for more lightweight formulas than your traditional winter routine - the same is true for your bodycare. Gel moisturisers have a more cooling effect than cream, facial mists will always be a treat and popping a handheld fan in your handbag will be a godsend to keep you cool, calm and collected (pair the two together and you’ll kiss goodbye to beads of sweat all season long).
Shop the warm weather makeup must-haves below
Best festival makeup and beauty products to perfect your look
Best hydrating under-eye concealers for dry skin
Best eyebrow products for sparse brows: makeup, pencils and gels
Best facial cleansers to suit dry, combination or oily skin
Best smudge-proof mascara to keep your lashes looking great all night
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup
Many people opt to forgo foundation entirely during the summer months in favour of lightweight formulas like tinted moisturisers, BB or CC creams but if you’re not ready to give up the full coverage as the base of your makeup routine, you need something that will feel light but will look flawless well into the night. Enter Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place foundation.
The coverage is medium to full and it offers a mattified finish that should help with excess shine, oil and sebum. It has only SPF10 protection though, so wear a face SPF underneath. It is, however, water, heat, humidity and swear-resistant to stay fresh throughout your summer plans. There are 52 shades to choose from.
Buy now £35.00, lookfantastic
Laura Mercier Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation
Longwear by name, long-wearing by nature, Laura Mercier has created this product to last 15 hours through rain and shine. The buildable formula is medium to full coverage where the product glides onto the skin, evening out tone without changing colour or becoming patchy over the course of the day. The matte finish is also welcomed. Find your match from 20 shades.
Buy now £38.00, Boots
Huda Beauty #FAUXFILTER Luminous Matte Liquid Concealer
Instead of foundation, a pop of well-placed concealer may be enough for a warm summer’s day or if you’re about to embark on a HIIT workout.
Huda Beauty has expanded its #FauxFilter collection from just the foundation (a full coverage formula that is ultra long-lasting) to include concealer. The formula was put through its paces to ensure that it is crease-proof and moves with your skin, rather than giving the game away. It’s blendable and buildable with the nourishing additions of sweet almond oil and vitamin E that are kind on the delicate under-eye area. There are 29 shades.
Buy now £24.00, Feel Unique
IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Concealer
This is one of the best-selling concealers and there is a very good reason why. From the true-to-life shades, to the kind-to-skin ingredients, it applies seamlessly to provide the buildable coverage of your choice. Imparting a radiance with every swipe, it works particularly well for dark circles and has a smooth finish. Best of all, it will stay put through any of your wild summer activities.
Buy now £26.00, IT Cosmetics
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
It’s a mainstay in makeup artists’ kits the world over, a multi-beauty award winner and considered up there with the best setting powders on the market, Laura Mercier’s translucent product is a must as the temperature rises. The lightweight formula sits on the skin, providing a blurring effect, a flawless finish and absorbing shine with its mattifying effect. It makes skin look expensive, adds a diffused glow and comes in three colours for a range of skin tones - is it any wonder we’re so obsessed?
Buy now £34.00, Boots
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray Travel Size
Urban Decay’s setting spray has stood the test of time over the years and is the product of choice for effectively sealing your base textures onto your skin until the removal process, up to 16 hours later. The staying power is superior to most other products on the market and will be able to withstand melting, fading and the likes. This travel-sized option makes it easy to slip into your carry-on for city breaks, beach vacays or when you’re heading for an all-day party, but it also comes in a larger 118ml option (£27).
Buy now £12.00, lookfantastic
Too Faced Waterproof Better than Sex
Too Faced released a waterproof version of once the UK’s bestselling mascaras, Better than Sex, and we think it rivals the OG.
What makes it so great? It starts with the formula. Enriched with porcelain flower extract to condition lashes without any flakiness, peptides for intense black colour, as well as film-forming polymers and collagen, this is a mascara that’s designed to be put through its paces. From a sweaty gym session, hot shower or teary moment, it provides smudge-proof, all-day wear no matter what’s thrown at you.
This works alongside the hourglass-shaped brush – allegedly inspired by Marilyn Monroe’s form – that ensures every single lash is covered, and lengthens, curls and lifts for a full doll-eye look.
Buy now £24.00, lookfantastic
Estée Lauder Sumptuous Extreme Waterproof Mascara
With a name like Extreme Waterproof, Estée Lauder is setting up its mascara to have high expectations and thankfully for all involved, this is a dramatic product that lives up to the hype.
Instead of clumping together when lashes are wet or sweaty, this formula works to multiply each individual lash for volume, length and curvaceousness all rolled into one - just make sure the brush is as clean as possible when you apply. The mascara provides at least 10 hours of wear where you wont find pieces of it under your eye even in hot and humid temperatures.
Buy now £24.77, FeelUnique
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Waterproof Mascara Black
Over the years, Maybelline has produced some of the best mascaras on the market that punch well beyond their price tag. This is another makeup bag essential for a dramatic eye look in one fell swoop. Just a few swipes of this buildable formula gives the complete false lash effect that will have everyone you encounter asking what mascara you are using. It’s waterproof too and combines bamboo extract and fibres within the formula to gently coat the lashes instead of weighing them down. Look for an oil-based eye makeup remover to take this off as it can often be challenging.
Buy now £11.49, Boots
KVD Beauty Tattoo Liner Trooper Black
KVD Beauty has gone big in the pigment stakes with this liquid eyeliner. The ultra black colourway is entirely opaque and provides a good amount of product for cat eye flicks. As the name suggests, this is designed to stand the test of time in much the same way as a tattoo would - and with the same precision.
Buy now £19.00, Boots
BADgal BANG! 24 Hour Eye Pencil
If you have had better long-wearing results with a pencil over a liquid liner, look to Benefit’s BADgal BANG! 24 Hour Eye Pencil that is transfer-resistant and finishes with a matte texture. The formula has been put through its paces to ensure that it should see you through the day and well into the night - and there’s a built in smudger so you can change up the liner after hours into a sensual smoky eye.
Buy now £19.00, Benefit
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel - Clear
This gel is like a glue for the brows. Create your style with the spoolie brush - whether its shaped, straight or arched - and then this topcoat formula will set them there with a slight glossy look.
Buy now £23.00, Boots
NYX Professional Makeup Soft Matte Lip Cream
Opting for a gloss or a balm may be a more foolproof option but if you still want to add some tint to your lips, for just over a fiver, NYX has got you covered. The lipstick stays on all day. All day. No exaggeration. We’ve had entire nights out and come home and the makeup was perfectly in place. There are 15 shades.
Buy now £5.60, lookfantastic
Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint Longwear Fluid Lip Colour in Underdawg
Fenty’s Stunna lip paint leaves other long-lasting lippies in the dust. Lips are sealed in a selection of reds, nudes, pinks and purples - there’s even a gothy black Uninvited shade for those who want to express their dark side. We’re taken by Underdawg, a bitten cherry colour with a touch of 90s vamp.
As one of the most inclusive beauty brands around, the colours have been chosen to look sensational on every skin tone. Twelve-hour high impact colour that you don’t have to reapply every five seconds. Love.
Buy now £22.00, Harvey Nichols
