As a beauty editor, I’m not typically one for subscribing to seasonal makeup trends—by all means, you do you whenever you damn well please—but there’s just something about summer, especially this summer, that begs for a beauty shake-up. A departure from the same old in the form of unique color combos, bold adornments, sparkly accents, graphic shapes, and more. Basically, I’m craving makeup, hair, and nail looks that don’t play by the traditional rules. Aren’t you?
If you’re with me, go ahead and lock away your neutrals until September, bust out your boldest eyeshadow palettes, lipsticks, and alllll the face gems, and try your hand at one of the five epic beauty moments below. They’re unexpected, unconventional (some might say a little bit delightfully unhinged), and perfect for our first true post-pandemic summer.
Be the coolest girl at the Eras Tour with this face gem and metallic lip combo. Start with a thin layer of liquid foundation (in my experience, gems don’t stick very well to heavy layers of face makeup, so keep it light with your base), then grab a pair of tweezers to place different-size rhinestones on your cheeks and across the bridge of your nose. The motto is “the more the merrier” with this one, so once you think it’s starting to look borderline excessive…push the boundaries and pile on some more. Last, layer on a bluish-purple metallic lip color and top it off with a swipe of thick clear gloss for extra sheen.
Okay, Now You Try
Dior Backstage Face & Body Foundation
ColourPop Individual Crystal Face Jewels
Byredo Color Stick for Cheeks, Eyes & Lips in Ultramagnetic
First it was millennial pink. Next was slime green. Then digital lavender was everywhere. And now? Hot coral is officially *the* It Girl makeup color of summer 2023…and it looks even cooler when you apply it with a heavy hand on your eyes, lips, and cheeks. Use a densely packed eyeshadow brush to press and blend a pigmented coral powder onto your lids and the inner corners of your eyes, and then dust a little more on your cheeks and chin. Swipe on a matching lip color, and before the color sets, tap some loose glitter across the bridge of your nose.
Re-Create This Look With These Essentials
Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Color Fuse Talc-Free Powder Blush in Dragon Fruit Daze
Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick in 92 Flaming Flamingo
Lemonhead LA Spacejam in White Rabbit
Glitter liner for summer? Groundbreaking. Two-tone glitter liner that extends past your lash lines and turns into brow art? Now that’s actually revolutionary—and especially fitting for your post-pandemic-gives-no-fucks persona. DIY this look with cosmetic glue and loose sparkle pigments…just be sure to map your whole design using a white eyeliner before laying your glue and glitter on top. Oh, and don’t forget to pop on a set of crystal-adorned press-on nails for bonus ’tude.
Add These Products to Your Kit
Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Loose Glitter in The Moment
NYX Professional Makeup Face and Body Glitter in Violet
Unicorn Snot Glitter Primer
You know that old Coco Chanel adage “before you leave the house, take one thing off”? I want you to pretend like you’ve never heard it before. Erase it from your memory and commit to this fully loaded beauty look, complete with silver graphic eye paint, a rocker-chic shag that would make queen Tina Turner proud, and jewelry-adorned chrome claws. And because you’re really going for it, you’ll want to line your lips with a pencil that’s a few shades darker than your natural lip color for a touch of gothcore too.
Your Time to DIY
Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix Eye, Cheek & Lip Cream Pigment in Titanium
Makeup by Mario Ultra Suede Sculpting Lip Pencil in Dark Chocolate
JinSoon Nail Polish in Nifty
Good news for you: Even though this sleek and spiky bun + multicolored falsies duo looks high-maintenance, it’s actually one of the easier trends in this story to replicate. Start with the eyes and prep your natural lashes with a black volumizing mascara, then go in with two different sets of individual false lashes (one black, one orange) and place them along your upper and lower lash lines in clusters so the whole thing looks sort of spidery and clumped-up. For your hair, just pull it back into a sleek bun and then add some colorful extensions—it doesn’t really matter where you stick them because the goal is just to add another bright pop of color. P.S. Sorry if you’re suddenly craving breakfast.
Now It’s Your Turn
Mary Kay Lash Intensity Mascara
Wendy Lashes Volume Lash Extensions in Orange
Kiss Couture Faux Lash Extensions
Stylist: Andrea Zendejas. Beauty direction: Lauren Balsamo. Photographer: Ace Amir. Producer: Ruben Chamorro. Visual director: Kristin Giametta. Assistant visual editor: Berkeley Brooks. Creative director: Mallory Roynon. Digital creative director: Abby Silverman. Digital art director: Katie Buckleitner. Hair: Peter Matteliano. Makeup: Christyna Kay. Manicure: Elizabeth Garcia. Models: Sonia Okumu, Megumi Rooney, and Emma Gu.
Lauren Balsamo is deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for nine years at Cosmopolitan and has contributed to Women’s Health and Seventeen magazines as well. Follow her on Instagram.
