The Summer Style Edit: Beauty ☀️💄

The Hair, Skin, Makeup and Nail Heroes Finishing Our Summer

We made it.

We’ve dressed the women, men, children, teenagers and babies, which means our Hayls Beauty Tales Summer Style Edit is almost complete.

But obviously I wasn’t going to finish a style series without talking about the thing that started HBT in the first place.

Beauty.

Because you can give me the perfect summer dress, fabulous sandals and sunglasses worthy of a minor celebrity avoiding the paparazzi…

…but I still want to know what we’re putting in the makeup bag.

So this is the final chapter.

Welcome to the Summer Beauty Edit.

First Things First: SPF

I know.

It’s not glamorous.

Nobody has ever dramatically opened their bathroom cabinet and whispered:

Darling, look at my sunscreen.

But if we’re talking summer beauty, SPF deserves to be right at the beginning.

Find one that works comfortably with your skin and routine and that you’ll actually use as directed.

Because the fanciest serum in the world isn’t going to make me stop nagging you about sun protection.

HBT has spoken.

Summer Skin Should Look Like Skin

I’m not interested in covering every inch of my face when it’s warm.

Summer is when I naturally start reaching for lighter bases and asking:

Do I actually need foundation today?

Sometimes the answer is yes.

Sometimes it’s a skin tint or lighter base.

Sometimes it’s concealer exactly where I want it.

And sometimes it’s moisturiser, SPF and absolutely nothing else.

The goal isn’t to create perfect skin.

It’s to create a routine that still feels comfortable when the temperature rises.

Cream Blush Is Having Its Moment

If there is one makeup product that screams summer to me, it’s blush.

Peach.

Pink.

Coral.

Berry.

That slightly flushed I’ve just returned from somewhere fabulous look — even when the somewhere fabulous was actually Tesco.

Cream and liquid formulas can be lovely when you want something fresh and easy.

Tap a little onto the cheeks.

Blend.

Then stop before you accidentally enter Victorian-doll territory.

Unless that’s the look.

In which case, carry on.

Bring Back the Bronzer

Summer and bronzer have been friends for decades for a reason.

A little warmth around the face can completely change a simple makeup look.

But we are not attempting to repaint ourselves three shades darker.

Think warmth rather than transformation.

A soft sweep where you like it, paired with blush and a little highlight, can be enough to make minimal summer makeup feel finished.

Lip Gloss Has Entered the Chat

Matte lipstick, I love you.

But summer makes me want something juicy.

Gloss.

Tinted balm.

Lip oil.

Sheer lipstick.

Something I can apply without needing a mirror, three brushes and the concentration of a neurosurgeon.

Peachy pinks, soft berries, rosy nudes and sheer reds all belong in my summer makeup bag.

And if it makes my lips look ridiculously glossy?

Even better.

The Five-Minute Summer Face

There are mornings when I’m delighted to spend time doing my makeup.

There are also mornings when I have approximately six minutes and would rather spend four of them drinking something cold.

This is when we simplify.

SPF. A little concealer or light base. Cream blush. Mascara. Brows. Gloss.

Done.

Add bronzer or highlight if you fancy it.

The trick is deciding which products actually make the biggest difference to you.

Maybe mascara is non-negotiable.

Maybe you’re a brow girl.

Maybe you could abandon everything except blush.

Build your five-minute face around your priorities rather than somebody else’s routine.

Waterproof Mascara: Know Your Occasion

Beach?

Pool?

Wedding where somebody is definitely going to cry?

Waterproof mascara suddenly makes an excellent case for itself.

For ordinary days, wear whichever formula you prefer.

But I like having a waterproof option available during summer because sometimes you don’t know whether you’re going to encounter a swimming pool, unexpected rain or an emotional speech from somebody’s aunt.

Prepare accordingly.

Summer Hair Does Not Need to Behave

Here’s something I have decided.

We’re giving hair a little freedom this summer.

Humidity happens.

Frizz happens.

Hair changes texture.

Trying to force it into absolute submission every single day can become exhausting.

So embrace the ponytail.

The bun.

The braid.

The claw clip.

The headband.

And, as we’ve already established in our July hair adventures, dry shampoo earns its place in the summer beauty cupboard.

I’m also still very much enjoying argan oil for adding that little bit of nourishment and polish to the lengths.

Summer hair can be slightly undone and still look fabulous.

Hair Accessories Are Fashion Too

This is where our Beauty Edit joins the rest of the Style Edit.

A scarf tied around a ponytail.

A pretty claw clip.

A padded headband.

A bow.

A colourful scrunchie.

Suddenly your hair isn’t just done.

It’s part of the outfit.

And accessories are a wonderfully inexpensive way to bring a colour or trend into your look without committing to an entirely new wardrobe.

Beauty and fashion really aren’t separate worlds.

They’ve been sharing a wardrobe all along.

Summer Nails Get to Have Fun 💅

If winter is where I start reaching for deep burgundy and sophisticated neutrals, summer is where the nail drawer gets interesting.

Give me:

Coral.

Hot pink.

Pastels.

Milky whites.

Peach.

Bright red.

Little flowers.

And perhaps something sparkly because apparently I’m incapable of writing a beauty edit without eventually suggesting glitter.

Your nails are such a small canvas that you can experiment without changing your whole look.

Try the ridiculous colour.

It’s summer.

The Beauty Bag Needs an Edit Too

I don’t want to carry my entire dressing table around with me.

For summer days, my handbag beauty kit can be tiny.

Lip product.

SPF for reapplication as appropriate.

Powder or blotting product if I want it.

A little fragrance.

Hair tie.

Mini brush or comb.

Maybe concealer.

That’s enough.

You don’t need seventeen emergency beauty products unless your afternoon plans involve unexpectedly becoming the makeup artist at a fashion shoot.

Don’t Forget Your Body Care

Summer beauty isn’t just happening above the neck.

Warmer weather means arms and legs tend to make more appearances, so this is when body care comes back onto my radar.

Moisturiser.

Exfoliation if it suits your skin.

Hand and foot care.

And whatever hair-removal routine you personally choose — including none at all.

It’s your body.

The aim isn’t to become impossibly polished from forehead to little toe.

It’s simply to give the areas we’re often neglecting through winter a little attention.

And Then There’s Fragrance

Summer fragrance is one of my favourite seasonal switches.

I naturally start wanting things that feel lighter.

Citrus.

Fresh florals.

Fruity scents.

Coconut.

Something aquatic.

Something that smells vaguely like you’ve spent the afternoon beside a swimming pool at an expensive hotel.

Even if you’re actually hanging washing in the garden.

We create our own glamour around here.

The HBT Summer Beauty Capsule

If I were stripping everything back, my summer beauty collection would contain SPF, a lightweight base or concealer, cream blush, bronzer, mascara, brow product, a glossy lip, dry shampoo, a little argan oil, a great hair accessory, body moisturiser and a couple of fabulous nail colours.

That’s your foundation.

Anything else is there because you enjoy it.

And that’s an important distinction.

Beauty doesn’t have to be an endless shopping list.

Sometimes the best seasonal refresh comes from pulling out products you already own and thinking:

Oh, I forgot how much I loved you.

And That’s a Wrap on the Summer Style Edit ☀️💕

Women.

Men.

Children.

Teens.

Babies.

Beauty.

Our first full Hayls Beauty Tales fashion and beauty edit is officially complete.

And I think we’ve established what I want this new chapter of HBT to be.

Not buy everything.

Not you need this.

And definitely not here are 47 trends you’re apparently doing wrong.

I want us to talk about clothes and beauty the same way we’ve always talked around here — with curiosity, practicality and a healthy willingness to admit when something is ridiculous.

Style is supposed to help you express yourself.

Beauty is supposed to be enjoyable.

Neither should feel like homework.

So wear the dress.

Try the lipstick.

Put the ridiculous sunglasses on.

Dig that forgotten product out of your makeup drawer.

And if the British summer lasts approximately eleven minutes?

At least we’ll be fabulously dressed for all eleven of them.

That’s the HBT Summer Style Edit complete.

Now I’m ready for whatever the next season throws at our wardrobes.

Love,
Hayls x