While spring may be the unofficial kick-off of wedding season, summer weddings — and with them, summer wedding makeup — are just as important. With long, sunny days and warm temperatures, the season can feel especially generous for brides. That said, it can also be similarly tricky when it comes to makeup application, with ample sunlight, heat, and humidity potentially interfering with its wear time and performance.
The upside? With a little prep and the right formulas, you can ensure that your summer wedding makeup stays put throughout your big day. Consider incorporating these quick tips when you’re doing summer makeup for a wedding:
- Prep skin with a mattifying moisturizer
- Use a makeup primer that resists humidity and heat
- Opt for a lightweight yet longwear foundation
- Use an eye primer ahead of eyeshadow, eyeliner, and brow pencil
- Layer a lip color and gloss for an eye-catching look
- Use concealer to define the lips
- Set makeup with a setting spray
- Take a pressed powder and lip products for touch-ups throughout the day
With these pointers in mind, you’ll already be in a good place for a photo-worthy makeup look. Scroll ahead for the rest of our pro-approved makeup tips for getting the best summer wedding makeup look.
Choose Your Summer Wedding Makeup Look
Planning a wedding is full of decisions, from the music choice (band or DJ?) to your summer wedding makeup. And while many opt for a professional makeup artist for the big day, choosing to do your own makeup can be a way to get exactly the look you want—especially since no one knows your face better than you. That's where a summer wedding makeup tutorial can help.
Before starting there, though, consider all the options to narrow down your look. Are you going for a more romantic vibe? Gearing up for a destination wedding? Let the location, your dress, and your personal preference guide you to your summer wedding makeup look. Then, once you've decided, consider testing out your look before your wedding—ideally with a camera. Your engagement photos can offer a great opportunity to take your makeup look for a test-drive, as can a bridal shower.
Start with a Fresh Face
While your exact summer wedding makeup look may vary, a few key steps can make all the difference in both the final result and how it holds up throughout the big day. One essential step is to prep your skin by properly cleansing and moisturizing. Scrub up with an exfoliating cleanser, like the Refining Crème Polish; it gently sloughs off dead cells to boost radiance and smooth skin, creating an even canvas for the rest of your makeup.
Follow up with a moisturizer. Since skin produces more oil in the summer—leading to shine—consider swapping your usual formula for Mattifying Oil-Free Moisturizer. Its lightweight, oil-free formula hydrates skin, but leaves it matte and helps control shine throughout the day. Then, finish with a chemical sunscreen, which won’t leave skin with a white cast. While SPF should be a daily habit, but it’s even more important if your photos, ceremony, or reception are outdoors—which might just be the case for a summer wedding.
Prep with Makeup Primer
Consider makeup primer your secret weapon, especially when you’re doing summer makeup for a wedding. In addition to extending the wear time of makeup, this formula can offer unique perks. For instance, “to support makeup through heat and humidity, I recommend the Pure Canvas Primer Blurring,” says Tayaba Jafri, global beauty director at Laura Mercier. “It has 16 hours of shine control.”
Find Your Heat-Proof Foundation
The best foundation for a summer wedding has to strike the right balance: Not only does it have to provide buildable coverage without caking, but it also has to stand up to the elements, be it heat or humidity. For this, Jafri recommends Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Foundation, “because it gives 12 hours of wear that feels weightless and looks natural,” she says. The waterproof formula controls oil upon application, actively hydrates skin, and can stand up to humidity and sweat alike, making it a must-have for any summer wedding makeup look.
Apply Eye Primer and Eye Makeup
Along with makeup primer, a dedicated eye primer like Eye Basics Primer can go a long way in keeping your makeup on point. “Eye primer helps keep eyeshadows crease-free and extends wear,” says Jafri. Plus, you don’t need to use much. Here’s how to apply it:
- Keeping your eyes open, apply it lightly all over the eyelid before eye color.
- Use the Crème Eye Color Brush to smooth it along the lash line.
“This gives the most natural application,” Jafri says. Next, define the eyes. This happens in two ways: with eyeliner and with a brow pencil. Line the eyes with the Longwear Crème Eye Pencil in your shade of choice; try Brown for a more natural look, or Noir for more drama. Plus, it won't budge once you apply it: It lasts up to 12 hours and resists transferring, smudging, and tears. Follow up with your eyeshadow of choice.
Finally, complete the look with a brow pencil, since the brows are key for framing the face. Our Eye Brow Pencil fills in sparse brows with a hybrid formulation made of wax and powder; the wax allows it to glide on for short, smooth strokes, while the powder offers staying power.
Lock in Lip Makeup
The secret to a stand-out lip look for a summer wedding? A more pigmented lip color, which can help makeup stand out in photos. The same goes for shine. “For summer brides, I like to create a healthy glossy lip look,” Jafri says.
To start, she advises using a lip liner that matches the color of your own lips. Then, for even better definition of the lips, consider using a brush to apply Secret Camouflage Concealer around the outside of the lip line. “Then, set it with Translucent Loose Setting Powder,” she says. This allows for a sharper line, and the contrast also helps amplify the lip color.
Next, “use either a natural pink lipstick and light gloss—or flip it and use a light lipstick and a pink gloss,” she says. “This look is very flattering and will always be timeless.” She recommends pairing Rouge Essentiel Silky Crème Lipstick in Brun Pâle with the Lip Glacé in Baby Doll, or High Vibe Lip Color in Peek with the Lip Glacé in Macaron.
Seal It with Setting Spray
Once your makeup is complete, lock it in with a mist of setting spray, such as Translucent Pure Setting Spray 16Hr. The micro-fine formula won't disturb makeup; rather, it actively hydrates, helps control shine throughout the day, and keeps makeup looking vibrant and true to its color. Then, make sure you have the essentials on hand for touching up your summer wedding makeup look. “You should only need two things for touch-ups: your lip products and Real Flawless Luminous Perfecting Pressed Powder,” says Jafri.
With that, consider your makeup look for a summer wedding set—giving you one less thing to worry about ahead of the big day.