Like the melody blaring from the neighborhood ice cream truck or the bottles of rosé perched in ice buckets at brunch tables, some of the summer’s biggest makeup trends are exactly what you’d expect to see—and crave—during the hottest time of the year. From an aesthetic point of view, it’s a continuation of the ever-enduring clean-girl aesthetic, but warmer, less dewy, and with “emphasis on lips, lip shapes, and eyebrows,” says makeup artist Jillian Dempsey. It means wearing warm-toned blushes that do the work of a blush and a bronzer and sticking to nude and neutral lip tones that don’t require a lot of touch-ups throughout the day.

“A lot of people just don’t want to wear [bold] color at the moment,” says Suzy Griffin Dunne, makeup artist and founder of Irish makeup brand Hildun Beauty. “On TikTok we’re even seeing a comeback of concealer lips.” London-based makeup artist Alex Reader agrees, based on what’s happening on runways and red carpets: “We’re seeing anything but bright at the moment. Instead, a lot of people are going for a contoured nude lip—defining the shape with lip liner in a contour-like shade and similar toned lipstick.”

Ulta Beauty customers in particular “are looking for products that work with the season, not against it,” says Kaitlin Rinehart, vice president of merchandising at the retailer. This includes “sweat-resistant formulas, innovative textures that feel like an extension of their skin care, and multiuse products that travel well to allow for touch-ups on the go.”

It makes sense you’d want to wear lighter weight or less makeup in general as temperatures creep to 100 degrees in parts of the country, but this summer is also full of surprises when it comes to makeup trends. For example, this year, emphasis on the eyebrows means lightening them, not tinting or filling them in, and skin and lip looks are taking inspiration from South Korea, a country that famously shuns the bronzed summer aesthetic so many people love in the US. From skin that’s as smooth and satiny as a stick of butter to lip products that offer a blurred, cloud-like finish, makeup artists like Griffin Dunne and Karol Rodriguez see K-beauty having an outsize influence on makeup trends as we head further into 2025.

Then there’s all the sparkle. With glitter freckles and sparkling lip glosses that twinkle like disco balls, makeup lovers are ready to embrace some glitz and glamour in their summer looks. Rinehart explains that Ulta Beauty’s focus for the summer is about “enhancing individuality and embracing self-expression.”

Makeup artist Alex Levy thinks it might go deeper than that. “I think people are looking for ways to make small beauty rebellions during this sense of rigidity that’s going on in the world,” he says. “Playfulness in everyday makeup is a nod to that idea of drawing attention to the individual; it’s a little middle finger to the structures we’re forced to operate within.” Keep reading to discover all the ways to do that this summer.

Butter Skin

This summer, when someone says, “I can’t believe it’s not butter!” they might be referring to your skin. Butter skin is the latest in a long line of trending, food-inspired skin finishes driven by TikTok, but in this case, it’s also fueled by what we’re about to see on beauty shelves. With loads of hydrating skin tints rolling out in time for warmer weather, the team at Ulta Beauty expects to see their customers make a shift from extremely dewy looks to more natural, luminous ones, says Rinehart.

Unlike the questionable trend of smothering one’s face with beef tallow, butter skin doesn’t require you to dip into actual animal fat. Originating from Korea, butter skin is about making your complexion look as smooth and satiny as the kitchen staple by using a combination of hydrating skin-care and creamy-makeup products. “It differs from ‘glass skin’ in that it’s not about looking shiny or wet, or filtered and flawless,” says Reader. Rather, it's a more controlled sort of glow, one that strikes the balance between hydration and smoothness without being overly shiny or flat.

Skin that’s hydrated and well-cared for is integral for the look. Reader recommends prepping with a deeply hydrating cream that doesn’t leave you looking oily or shiny, like La Mer Crème De La Mer or Augustinus Bader The Cream. (For a more budget-friendly option, we suggest Rhode Barrier Butter.) Many makeup artists like to start with a glowy primer, such as Vieve’s Skin Nova or Saie’s Glowy Super Gel, while others prefer to go right in with an ultra-hydrating skin tint, such as Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Skin Tint or Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Skin Sheer Glow Tint. Whichever method you choose is down to skin type and personal preference.

Any concealing should be done minimally and strategically with a creamy, lightweight formula, says Reader, who’s a fan of the Glossier Stretch Concealer. “Use [concealer] to minimize any redness or blemishes, but that’s it,” she explains. “We want to see the skin, not cover it!” Cream bronzer is also key to the butter-skin routine.

“Any formula you use needs to add moisture and dewiness, and cream bronzer gives the skin that plump, hydrated feel,” she continues. “It’s also more subtle than powder, making the skin look like warmth is coming from within rather than sitting or clinging on top of the face.” Our favorite formulas for achieving that healthy, glowing effect include the classic Nars Laguna Bronzing Cream and the balm-y Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer.

Lightened Brows

There’s been a lack of brows on the red carpet recently—from Miley Cyrus at the Oscars to Jenna Ortega at the premiere of her film Hurry Up Tomorrow—and it’s inspiring people to experiment with their brows beyond just brushing them up or filling in their arches. “Thinner brows have already made their comeback [on social], but now we’re seeing brows being bleached or lightened,” says Dempsey.

These practices may sound similar, but there are a few subtle differences between bleaching your brows (which has been around forever) and lightening them. “Eyebrow bleaching is taking the color completely out of the eyebrows, whereas eyebrow lightening lifts the color a few shades lighter than your original brow color," makeup artist Samantha Lau previously told Allure. "Eyebrow bleaching can be quite harsh in general, but it gives a stronger, often more editorial look. Eyebrow lightening is great for someone who wants a slight change to their appearance.”

When it comes to lightening your brows with bleach, do not do this at home. Otherwise, you run the risk of turning your brows brassy orange, aggravating sensitive skin, or accidentally singeing them off altogether. However, you can create a similar (and, more important, temporary) lightened effect with makeup. “The fairer you are, the easier it will be,” says Reader. “If you have softer hair and mousy-to-medium-brown coloring, you can use a light blonde brow gel to knock them back.” (Reader recommends Anastasia Beverly Hills Tinted Brow Gel in Blonde or Glossier Boy Brow in Blond.)

If you have darker, coarser brow hairs, you’ll need something more heavy-duty. Take a peach or warmer-toned cream concealer, apply some product onto a mascara wand and run the product through your brow hairs. Says Reader, “It’ll take away the darkness and create the effect of lighter brows.”

For a more full-on bleached effect, you can follow a technique we've seen makeup artist Pat McGrath use backstage for years: With a disposable mascara wand, comb eyelash adhesive through your brows and let it dry for a minute. With the stick end of the mascara wand, press down on the brow hairs to flatten them. Wait five minutes for them to completely dry, apply your concealer over top, and, finally, set the brows with a sheer loose powder.

Blonzer

Whether it’s the threat of a recession or people’s growing desire to cut steps from their beauty routines, makeup products that multitask have become one of this year’s most enduring trends. This summer everyone’s talking about “blonzer,” specifically: “Blonzer is a single product that looks like it combines a blush and bronzer in one,” says Reader.

Buyers at both Ulta and C.O. Bigelow expect the growing TikTok trend to impact the type of blushes people will be buying this summer. “Blush as a category will continue to trend,” says Caroline DelRio, C.O. Bigelow’s general manager of beauty, “but we’ll see people going for colors like rusty red and orange to mimic a slight (faux!) sunburn, as well as warm-toned hues that double as bronzer.”

When it comes to choosing a shade, Reader’s advice is to find a blush that mimics the color of your skin after being in the sun. “Some people go more pink, others more red or more peach.” Reader gives a shout-out to Rhode Pocket Blush in Toasted Teddy and Merit Flush Balm in Terracotta, but there are many amazing options at a wide variety of price points. Saie SuperSuede Powder Blush in Ciao is lovely on fair skin (see Hunter Schafer at the Independent Spirit Awards), while Haus Labs Color Fuse Blush in Fire Moon is gorgeous on deeper complexions. A bronze-rose tone like Pat McGrath Labs Divine Blush in Desert Orchid is a good investment that works across multiple skin tones, while CoverGirl Cheekers Blush in Soft Sable (for light-to-medium skin tones) and E.L.F. Camo Liquid Blush in Bronzed Bombshell (for dark complexions) offer two budget-friendly options with legions of fans on TikTok.

In addition to picking the right tone, the placement of your blonzer is key. Whatever formula you use—powder, cream, or liquid—apply it over the bridge of the nose, cheeks, and forehead. “Basically,” Reader explains, “you want to put it anywhere the sun would naturally catch you.”

Faux Freckles

The consensus among every expert we spoke with? Faux freckles are back in a big way this summer. But then, if you’re on social media, you already know this. According to Spate’s Popularity Index, searches for “freckle pen” rose 63.1% since February of last year, a number the trend-forecasting company predicts will increase over the next 12 months.

There are so many different ways to apply faux freckles. There are plenty of popular freckle pens, too, like the ones from Freck and Tarte (both Allure-editor faves), but a lot of makeup artists prefer to use brow products. “Brow-specific formulas allow the skin to show through for a more realistic effect, plus their colors tend to be cool-toned, like actual freckles,” says Reader. She uses two different shades of the Glossier Brow Flick for a natural-looking effect: “I start on the bridge of the nose and lightly dot the tip onto the skin, working my way over to the cheeks.”

Rodriguez uses a brow pen on days when they’re only wearing sunscreen or tinted moisturizer. Instead of applying the pigment straight to the skin, however, they apply a bunch of dots on their fingertip and then press it along the note and high points of the cheeks. On days when they wear a full-coverage, powdered base, Rodriguez opts for dry brow pencils, like the Benefit Gimme Brow Volumizing Pencil, dotting it directly onto the skin.

It’s not all about natural-looking freckles this summer, though. Glitter freckles are also trending, with both Reader and DelRio predicting the look will be popular for summer parties and festivals. “It’s a cute way to add some fun to your makeup but still in a subtle way,” says Reader. Following the same techniques as above, you can use a glitter eyeliner pen like Urban Decay Moondust Liquid Glitter Eyeliner, or you can party like it’s 2009 and reach for a glittery gel, like ColourPop Glitterally Obsessed Body Gel, which features chunky sparkles in the shape of stars, hearts, or sequins. You could also take a page from Taylor Swift’s makeup book and try the Fazit Glitter Speckles—temporary glitter tattoos that add a smattering of sparkles across your face in a variety of shapes and colors.

Lip balms and glosses continue to reign supreme, but as summer approaches, K-beauty is influencing the category in more ways than one. Many of the experts expect to see a wave of next-generation lip stains, a K-beauty trend that many brands are adopting, says DelRio—and people are searching for them (Spate’s algorithm shows a 10% increase year-over-year for the category). “Rather than the drying lip tints of the past, the new formulas are hydrating and go on like a gloss,” DelRio explains. “You can let them wear off or blot the shine away to reveal the tint.” Tarte’s Maracuja Juicy Lip Tattoo is a perfect example of these hybrid gloss stains that are not only made to be applied and forgotten about, but also provide you with a lot of options on finish, opacity, and lip shape.

If you’ve been a lip stain fan for a minute, though, you can fully embrace the trend without having to invest in a new product. Ulta Beauty’s Rinehart predicts customers will continue to layer their lip balms with existing viral lip stains—like the Sacheu Peel Off Lip Liner Stay-N, Milk Makeup’s Jelly Tints, or the classic Benetint—for a layered effect.

Blurred Lips

This look is the second K-beauty-inspired lip trend experts see emerging for summer. “We will start to see blurred finishes, soft mattes, and whipped, cloud-like formulas enter the lip category,” says Rinehart.

After attending cosmetic-manufacturing events like Cosmoprof this year, Griffin Dunne agrees. “You have brands like Rhode and Refy that launched lip blur products, but you're also seeing some really exciting textures from the Korean manufacturers at trade shows,” she explains, “like beautiful, blurred finishes and nice, creamy mattes that create a lip flush effect.” Fwee Blurry Pudding Pot and Peripera Ink Velvet Tint are both incredible existing K-beauty formulas, while Vieve’s new Poutder (a soft matte lip mousse) and NYX Professional Makeup’s Smushy Matte Lip Balm (a soft matte tinted balm) are good examples of what we’ll be seeing more of from Western beauty brands in the coming months.

Disco Lips

Add a little glitz and glamour to your lip combo this summer with a glitter-flecked lip gloss or shimmery shadow. (We know you have questions, but hold that thought.) Dubbed “disco lips” by the internet, this sparkling lip look was first spotted on the spring and fall 2025 runways, and then recently on Miley Cyrus in her “Something Beautiful” music video. We expect it won’t be long until you see this sparkly look everywhere.

For the “galactic lips” at Christopher John Rogers’ fall 2025 show, Levy turned to MAC Dazzleshadows—both liquid and powder formulas, sometimes topped with MAC Lipglass—for a multidimensional look. “We wanted it to feel like party makeup, like the models had done it themselves, but still have that element of extravagance,” Levy explains, which gets at exactly what’s so appealing about this trend. It feels subtle and decadent at the same time, twinkling and transforming “depending on the lighting, your perspective, or your movement,” he adds.

For the runway, Levy played with a range of eye shadow shades and opacities on the lips, from sheer, pearlescent lilac to full-on, shimmering lime green. For wearing IRL this summer, though, we expect the more transparent variations of the look to be most popular. The gold-flecked lip that makeup artist James Kaliardos created for Cyrus is the perfect example of this: He whipped up the custom gloss on set by blending glitter eyeshadow with a few different glittery lip glosses to create a sheer, golden, shimmer-flecked hue. “We wanted to create something controlled but magical, like she had been kissed by starlight,” he explains. Since we don’t all have a professional makeup artist on hand, Pat McGrath’s Lust Gloss in Earth Angel, E.L.F. Glow Reviver Lip Oil in Crystal Baller, and Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Oil Luminizing Lip Oil ‘N Gloss in Fenty Glow create a similar effect when layered over your favorite neutral lip liner.

You can pair a glitter lip with any skin finish or eye look, but for Cyrus’s look, Kaliardos kept her complexion and lids matte. “Something about that contrast was so transcendent of time or genre,” he says. “I think that’s what made it special. She isn’t metallic all over. It’s a selection, a choice.”