Here are the best French makeup products that will guarantee you’ll look glowy and golden all summer long. Being French, I love to write about makeup, especially when it comes to natural makeup or makeup for everyday wear.
In today’s post, I wanted to dive a little more into the specificities of summer makeup and how to recreate a very natural makeup look with the best French summer makeup products. From brilliant hues, iridescent effects, and refreshing textures that evoke the radiance of a sunny day on the French Riviera, discover the best French makeup products for summer.
By Terry Tea to Tan Face & Body
When it comes to changing up makeup for summer, I usually focus on super-lightweight, sheer and creamy products as this helps lessen the chances of makeup turning into a sweaty, cakey disaster the second the sun hits.
And in summer, I love to have a gorgeous just-back-from-the-beach bronzed glow —without direct exposure to the sun rays. To achieve this look I’m using the By Terry Tea to Tan, a formula for your face and body, giving skin a sheer bronzed or silky amber glow. It’s easy to wash off, too, as it doesn’t contain tanning agents.
Sisley Phyto-Teint Nude
Summer is all about makeup that allows your actual skin to peek through it. That is why it’s key to keep formulas on the lighter side to feel comfortable. You can switch from a full coverage foundation to a tinted moisturizer, BB or CC cream, sheer powder, or a water tint like the Sisley Phyto-Teint Nude (I just love this product, one of the best tinted moisturizers that I’ve tried).
Le Correcteur de Chanel
Or this summer, just skip foundation and apply your favorite concealer (mine is the Le Correcteur de Chanel) where you need it on bare skin. Remember, if you want to prevent your makeup from creasing and caking: less is more.
Sisley Paris L’Orchidée Highlighter Blush
In summer, I love the idea of glowing, radiant skin displayed through the use of highlighters and plenty of blush for flushed cheeks. Blush adds balance and healthiness to any look. This season, the idea is a softly invigorated flush, like that healthy vibrance your cheeks get after a jog out in the cold.
In terms of formulas, creams enhance dewy sheen, stains are great for longevity in hot weather, while powders last longer, especially on oily complexions. My favorite blush this summer is the Sisley Paris L’Orchidée Highlighter Blush. I apply it slightly higher on my cheekbones and across the bridge of my nose to fake a sun-kissed look. Then, I blend upward at an angle for a soft, lifting effect.
Guerlain Terracotta Sunkissed Natural Bronzer Powder
Powder bronzers are the easiest to apply and least likely to slip around in summer heat. Bronzer makes your eyes look brighter, your teeth whiter —I do think everyone looks better with a little warmth added to their skin.
To keep the result looking fresh and natural, apply bronzer just to the high points of your face, where the sun naturally hits: forehead, cheekbones, chin, and nose. You can also sweep a little bronzer onto your neck to blend, especially if you have short hair. The major bronzer mistake is to cover all your face with bronzer; it’s precisely what gives you that fake, baked look.
When it comes to choosing your bronzer, look for one that contains fine flecks of copper and gold like the Guerlain Terracotta Sunkissed Natural Bronzer Powder —it’ll blend together for the most natural-looking results.
YSL Touche Éclat Brightening Pen
For a natural dewy look, use highlighters with parsimony. Also, prefer highlighter in cream and liquid formulas to powders. Indeed, a water-light liquid highlighter like the YSL Touche Éclat Brightening Pen can be mixed in with a tinted moisturizer for a delicate dewy finish.
Also, opt for brighter gold, copper, and rose gold shades for a natural look. Just apply a little bit of highlighter above your cheekbones; it will give that definition as if you’ve sculpted out your cheeks.
Chanel Ombre Première Cream Eyeshadows
Summer is the perfect season to wear sheer, gold, nude, or tan eyeshadows. In terms of formulas, I’m a huge fan of cream and liquid eyeshadows that can be roughly applied with fingertips like Chanel Ombre Première Cream Eyeshadows.
You can blend one color all over the eye area, from the lashes to just above the eye crease. Or you can use the subtle nudes as a base, the shimmery shades for a pop of color in the center of the lid, and the darker shadows as a smoky liner under the lower lash for a night out.
Guerlain Maxi Lash So Volume Mascara
Then, curl your lashes and apply some black mascara. Guerlain So Volume Mascara is an absolute must. It brightens the eyes and gives the lashes the perfect natural curl so that you can make a statement with just a couple of coats.
Chanel Rouge Coco Baume
In summer, opt for lip products that bring out your natural lip color like the Chanel Rouge Coco Baume as opposed to adding on a lot of bold pigment. Try sweet pink or peach shades, or go bold with tangerine and grape colors for something more daring. You can use a lipliner pre-application if you need extra definition but go for a nude shade to keep that carefree feeling.
Chanel Le Vernis
If summer nails are all about brighter and warm colors, personally I prefer to wear more natural shades like whites (Chanel Le Vernis 548 Blanc Whites), blushes (167 Ballerinas), and taupe hues (504 Organdi) on short nails.
Minimal colors allow you to play around with detail or not, depending on your preference. For more details about nails, you can read my previous article on how French women do their nails.
Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. When you purchase through links on the site, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely love. Here’s why you can trust me.
Thank you so much for creating this website. Recently, I have begun to transition to all French products due to E.U. standards and figuring out what products to replace my currents with can be overwhelming. I appreciate the information here!