I've Replaced My Heavy Makeup With Sheer Products—These Are My 18 Favorites

Fun fact about me: I live in the South, where humidity during the summer months envelops you every time you step outside and temperatures can hover around 100º for days on end. In my opinion, the summer heat is relentless enough to make me want to do a complete overhaul of my makeup bag. In the cooler months of the year, I'm perfectly fine with matte products and powder formulas, as well as more opaque shades, but come summer, I want all of my makeup to be sheer and light. Glowing skin is the name of the game for me May through August.

In the summer, I tend to favor tinted products and more cream formulas, as well as lip products that are subtle and moisturizing. If it's something I'd wear to the beach and not feel crazy doing so, it makes the cut. So what exactly have I ditched in favor of said sheer, glowy formulas? Well, I'll tell ya. Keep scrolling to shop the sheer, summer-friendly makeup products I've temporarily ditched my heavy ones for.

Replacing MATTE POWDER EYE SHADOW with CREAM EYE SHADOW

While powder eye shadows naturally look like they're sitting on top of your skin, cream eye shadows feel like they're a part of it. And if you're thinking, But the creases, I say embrace them (or just blend them out throughout the day).

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(Image credit: @stellasimona)

Replacing LIPSTICK with LIP TINT

Especially since mask-wearing is the new normal, I've put my lipsticks away for the time being. Whether glossy or more of a stain, sheer lip tints are the only lip product I plan on wearing this summer.

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(Image credit: @cassdimicco)

Replacing FOUNDATION with TINTED MOISTURIZER

Nothing will suffocate your skin more than a veil of heavy foundation when it's hot out, so sheer tinted moisturizers that let your skin shine through are the way to go.

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(Image credit: @champagnemani)

Replacing POWDER HIGHLIGHTER with LIQUID LUMINIZER

I'm sure I'll be back on the powder-highlighter train come fall, but for now, I'm only tapping liquid luminizer onto my cheekbones. Luckily, there are so many gorgeous formulas on the market. I had trouble narrowing it down for this story.

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(Image credit: @aysha.sow)

Replacing THICK CONCEALER with LIGHTWEIGHT FORMULAS

If you've ever worn heavy concealer in the summer, you know that running and creasing the moment you step outside is a real possibility. So I'm reserving those heavy-duty formulas for winter and swapping them out for lighter ones that still provide good coverage. (Yes, they exist.)

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(Image credit: @sabinasocol)

Replacing POWDER BLUSH with DEWY CREAM BLUSH

I love powder blush, but it just doesn't always look right in the summer when you may or may not be sweating (or "glistening"). A creamy formula that blends seamlessly into the cheeks makes me feel (or at least look) so fresh in the summer.

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(Image credit: @peonylim)

Next up, the best SPF-spiked lip balms to protect your lips this summer.

Allyson Payer
Senior Editor

Allyson is a senior editor for Who What Wear. She joined the company in 2014 as co-founder Katherine Power's executive assistant and over the years has written hundreds of stories for Who What Wear. Prior to her career in fashion, Allyson worked in the entertainment industry at companies such as Sony Pictures Television. Allyson is now based in Raleigh, North Carolina, and is originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. She holds a BFA in theater. Her path to fashion may not have been linear, but based on the number of fashion magazines she collected as a child and young adult, it was meant to be.