BRONZED, GLOWING SUMMER MAKEUP | MY EVERYDAY LOOK

- Advertisement information: this post contains paid-for advertorial content for Boots. Products marked * were gifted to me for inclusion in this post. I also have / have had a brand relationship with Stila, Maybelline and Benefit (gifting). My blog has Skimlinks and RewardStyle installed to automatically monetise purchases of products I link on my blog, therefore my content may contain affiliate links.  All opinions remain my own and please refer to my Disclosure Page  for further detail -

Today we're talking summer beauty at Boots! They have everything from high-end to affordable makeup, sun protection, summer perfume and glitter makeup for festivals. I'm a child of summer through and through; it's my favourite time of year and I love an excuse to do some bronzed, glowing makeup. So I'm going to talk you through how I create this sort of look and the products I'm reaching for... 


First up I like to prep my skin with the Ole Henriksen Banana Bright Face Primer* | £28. I love a skincare-makeup hybrid product and this is a great primer as well as having added skin benefits. Vitamin C is amazing at brightening the complexion and making it look its absolute best  - and this is full of it! It also contains brightening pigments for a subtle version of the effect you can get with a banana powder. I personally think this is great because it's not one of those shimmery brightening primers; it's subtly radiant and just gives me that 'healthy skin' look. It smooths my skin nicely so my pores and fine lines are less visible and my base doesn't settle into these imperfections. My makeup stays in place nicely when I wear this primer and I also like that this doesn't pill up when you're wearing sunscreen under it - which is essential for this time of year. It also smells really good!

I'm becoming more and more low-maintenance with my base makeup and right now I'm all about the BareMinerals Original Loose Mineral Foundation SPF15* (Golden Medium 14) | £28. I actually tried the Matte version last summer as something to wear on holiday and, whilst I liked that, I've fallen for this! I think the Matte version is good if you have oily skin but the Original is best for me because it still gives me that natural radiance. I love how build-able the coverage is so for a day in the sun; I just give my complexion a light dusting, but for something a but more made-up it's very easy to gradually build on without my base ever going cakey. Despite being a powder, this has a luminous finish that's perfect because it absorbs oils and keeps my t-zone shine free in the heat without looking flat. It's long-wearing and - although the oils will start to come through around my problem areas by the end of the day - I don't even need to set my base when I use it. I finally feel like I'm part of the hype around this product!

For the cheeks - I'm all about peachy-golden and bronzed tones. I highlight with the Elf Baked Highlighter in Apricot Glow | £5 | for this sort of look. This does have a little bit of an overspray but once you get down into it - this formula has a gorgeous, soft quality, adding a glitter-free, natural but glow-giving highlight. I love this colour too - it's a warm peachy tone with a golden sheen running through it, so is perfect for summer and my skin tone. It will be no surprise to regular readers that the Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer in Bajan Gyal | £23 | is in this post! It's honestly the best matte bronzer formula I've ever used; it's easy to blend, smooth and long-lasting. It also has that perfect level of pigmentation - although it definitely shows up on initial application, it isn't too much and you can build up the colour to a natural look. This shade is spot-on for me, adding a sun-kissed warmth to my skin without being too orange. As blusher - I've been reaching for an old favourite: the Becca Mineral Blush in Songbird | £24. The base tone of this is a sort of luminous matte warm peach with a subtle golden sheen running through it. This is pigmented but nothing too crazy and has a creamy, long-lasting and easy-to-blend formula.

I try to go a little more low-maintenance with the eye makeup for summer - partly because I like to keep things less fussy in the heat and partly because I get pretty bad hayfever! I'm actually really impressed with the mostly-matte Barry M In the Buff Eyeshadow Palette* | £6.99. This does have two light shimmer shades in here, which I use as highlights, however I really love these warm, matte browns. The formula does kick up some fallout but I really don't mind, given how nicely they blend out. These sorts of matte shades are perfect on their own or with a long-wearing shimmer on the lid (which I'll get on to shortly) just to add that definition in the crease and outline the eyes. This colour story really works for me as something natural and everyday or you can use some of these deeper shades to really smoke out the look. These also have such good longevity! Overall this is an impressive palette for £6.99 and I'm wondering what other great makeup could be hiding in the Barry M stand...

For a bit of shimmer - if I'm feeling like it - I use my NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Pure Gold | £5.50. This is so affordable and I really like this formula because it's creamy to apply, opaque and can be blended out using your fingers. It sets down to a longwearing, crease proof finish. It's a gorgeous warm pearly gold colour that's perfect for summer. As I mentioned - I do suffer from hayfever, and there are only so many antihistamines you can take... so I've found myself skipping the black winged liner this summer. I just tight-line for that definition using the Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eye Liner in Vivid Smoky Quartz | £16. This is a gorgeous warm dark brown shade that's perfect for transfer-proof, natural liner. I've mentioned before that I'm not the hugest fan of waterproof mascara so I've been reaching for an old favourite - the Benefit Roller Lash Mascara* | £22. I'd forgotten how great this is! The brush has quite a thin, comb-like shape so you can get right into the root of your lashes with the product to get the most incredible length. It curls and separates the lashes, making them look naturally fluttery and gorgeous. It also doesn't smudge or flake on me - which is essential for hot summer days.

For lips - I obviously love a warm-toned nude, which is great for lying together the rest of the makeup look. First I use my beloved Maybelline Colour Sensational Creamy Matte Lipstick in Clay Crush | £6.99. I'm close to running out of this because it's a shade that just always works! It's a comfortable, smooth, non-drying formula and this is the perfect warm terracotta-nude tone. I then top it up for a glossy look with the Smashbox Gloss Angeles Lip Gloss in Beachy Keen* | £15. I'm a recent convert to gloss but this is such a nice formula - it's not sticky and has a really good level of pigmentation so you can definitely use it on its own, however I like it to convert the matte lip shade to a more summery, glossy finish!

Have you picked up any new bits from Boots for summer yet?

Don't forget to follow me on:

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram

Read more posts from this series here!