Now that it's officially fall, it's time for me to look back at the past season and show you the makeup products I've loved the most this summer. And let's be real, sweater weather isn't going to start for another month, at least, down here in San Diego, so I'll keep using them for a few more weeks. How am I supposed to be into berry and plum shades when it's still in the 80s outside? Anyways, here are the 10 products I used and enjoyed the most this summer:




1- Dior Diorskin Nude Air Serum foundation (review): nothing new here, this lightweight, liquid foundation impressed me as soon as I first tried it when it launched back in 2015. Coverage is light to medium, and it looks like my skin but better. I just have a bit of a shade matching issue now: shade 20 that used to be a great match looks a little too dark and orange on me. I wonder if it's due to my more diligent use of SPF daily, all the brightening skincare I apply, or the IPL sessions I did last winter. Probably a mix of the three! Anyways, I either have to use my milky self-tanner every night, or add a drop of the foundation lightener from the Body Shop.

2- Yves Saint Laurent Volupté Tint-in-Balm in 4 Desire Me Pink (review): when I bought this, I wasn't sure that spending $30+ on a high-end lip balm was a great idea. Well, it turned out that it was! Not only is it super cute with the lip-shaped core, it's also super moisturizing (unlike some other tinted balm I've used in the past), the color is sheer but vibrant and leaves a long-lasting stain on me. Love it!




3- Too Faced Love Light highlighter in Blinded By The Light: it's one of these products that gets poor reviews, but that I honestly enjoy. First, it's really beautiful, no one can deny that the packaging is amazing. But more importantly, it works great for me as someone who prefers a subtle highlight. I don't want robot cheeks, I don't want metallic skin with emphasized texture, I want a soft glow that looks natural. And that's exactly what this highlighter delivers.




4- Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine Oil-in-Stick in 43 Rose Rive Gauche (review of other shades): the Volupté Shine formula is so incredibly comfortable, it really does feel like a nourishing oil on the lips, but without the excess slip and greasiness. Rose Rive Gauche is the perfect summer coral. Not too light, so it doesn't give me the dreaded "corpse lips" look, not too bright so it pairs with almost any eye look. I've worn this one so much in the past two months!

5- Yves Saint Laurent Glossy Stain Pop Water in 203 Eau de Corail (review): Yes, more YSL! What can I say, they're really good at doing fantastic lip products. I love, love this lippie. I've had it for 2 years now, so I'm trying to finish it before it turns bad. I'd be heart-broken to throw away the tube with product still inside! It's the perfect sheer nude coral in a glossy finish that lasts for hours, and it's also very comfortable to wear. I recently bought another shade of the Pop Water formula, and it's not quite as good (goes on unevenly), but this Eau de Corail is definitely my favorite gloss!

6- Nars Liquid Blush in Luster: I'm a fan of cream and liquid blush in general. Done right, they can give very natural flush of color to the cheeks that powder blush just can't replicate, as they melt on and "fuse" with the skin. Nars' liquid blush formula didn't disappoint: it's crazy pigmented, so you need a tiny, ridiculously small amount, yet once blended in it looks like your own skin, with a hint of dewiness. I absolutely love this blush and I hope Nars will make it in more shades! Luster is the perfect peach for my skin tone.

7- Smashbox L.A. Lights Blendable Lip & Cheek Color in Silver Lake Sunset (review): I've had this one for a few years now, and I still love the Golden Hour warm glow it gives to my skin. I don't like it on the lips at all, it's too dry there, but on the cheeks it's a beautiful blush and highlighter in one. I also use it as a topper with peachy blushes when I want to add sheen to the very top of the cheekbones.

8- Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in 5 Tangerine: I already owned and love this lip oil in Red Berry (review), so I was really excited when Clarins added more shades to the range last spring. The shades are very sheer, yet Tangerine looks completely different from Red Berry on my lips. This shade is actually supposed to be color adjusting, and it does turn into a deeper coral after a minute or two. And of course, it's the most comfortable, glossiest lippie out there!

9- Nars Bord de Plage palette (review): I've been really into Nars lately, I feel like everything they release is well thought-out, beautifully designed, and produced with the highest quality. This palette is amazingly pretty, and it gives me exactly the look I love to wear in the summer: naturally bronzed with a soft glow. The palette contains the bronzers Laguna and Casino in the beautiful new Sun Wash formula (I had an issue with the Laguna single, the pan got so hard I couldn't pick up color anymore. Luckily I haven't had this problem with the palette!), and four highlighters. Everything looks beautiful on the skin. I totally recommend this one!




10- Lancôme Le Métallique Liquid Eyeshadow in 4 Bronze Rivage (review): if you usually avoid liquid eyeshadow because you find it hard to work with, this is the one you should try (and hurry because it's limited edition, part of the brand's summer 2017 collection). It basically applies itself. You can coat your entire lid for a full coverage metallic effect and just blend the edges, or apply a small dot and blend it out for a sheer wash of shimmery color. However you choose to wear it, it never creases, never transfers and never fades. I also have the gold shade, but Bronze Rivage is my favorite of the two, more wearable on a daily basis.


As you can see my typical look this summer was quite natural, with a touch of shine on the lids, juicy coral lips, peachy cheeks, a bit of bronzer for a natural sun-kissed effect, and a soft glow with subtle highlighters.

For swatches of the Nars Bord de Plage palette check out my review

The products featured in this post were all purchased by me. I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links. I receive a very small commission when you click on those links, and the money generated covers a small portion of my expenses to purchase products for review. Clicking on those links helps ensure that Beaumiroir continues to publish reviews of new and exciting high end French products - at no cost to you!