It is officially the year of the glow; yes, new eyeshadow palettes are full of those ‘boom-in-your-face’ foiled metallic shades, matte lipsticks have been kicked to the curb and glosses have taken center stage again, and aside from chunks of glitter, they now come loaded with that holographic, almost unicorn-looking quality that just takes your look to a whole new level. However, the biggest competition among beauty brands has definitely been in the facial and body glow department, and our mission today is to bring you the crème de la crème of old and faithful, but also new yet tried and tested glow products that will make you sizzle all summer long.

List of Best Summer Beauty Must-Haves

For the girl who doesn’t wear foundation

Aside from the glow, the year has definitely been marked by the emphasis on skin and proper skincare so you can flaunt that gorgeous healthy and luminous bare face that has nothing to hide, and Argan oil-based skincare is one of the best things you can do to bring your skin back to life and make it naturally radiant.  However, we can all use some additional help when wanting to achieve that perfect no-makeup strobe look.

This product belongs to the ‘old but gold’ category and it is the MAC Strobe Cream. Now, aside from its ultra-luminous properties that will give you the glow that you want, this is actually a high-quality moisturizer that has tons of nourishing botanical ingredients and it is packed with antioxidants, so it can be both, your skincare and glow-care go-to. You can wear it all over your face for that perfect Korean glass skin look or just apply it to the tops of your cheekbones and forehead – all the high points of the face. If a glow is what you’re looking for, pick the shade that suits your skin tone the most, and if you want that sun-kissed effect, definitely go with the shade Gold lite.

Lit from within

Summer is not the time for full-coverage foundations, it is a time to unleash your lit-from-within goddess, and the first item you’ll need – aside from a great moisturizer, is a luminous primer. The L’Oréal Paris Studio Secrets Magic Lumi Light Infusing Primer is an amazing, affordable option, and if you’re willing to break the bank and go high-end for the sake of the glow, there is the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer that you can either apply underneath your foundation, or for a stronger radiance effect, mix the two on a pan and then apply your luminous concoction.

Bring on the foundations!
When it comes to luminous foundations, not a single one does the job better than Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation. It provides that sheer, glowing, flawless summer complexion, especially when placed on top of the right primer. However, since it comes with a price tag that matches its powers, if you want to take the drugstore route, the True Match Lumi foundation is the perfect (and immensely more affordable) dupe, and with properly prepped skin, it will deliver almost the same results.

Take it up a notch

You can’t have a sun-kissed luminous face without the rest of the body to match, so just in case you haven’t gotten around to getting a real tan – get a gorgeous and realistic fake tan. You know the saying – fake it ‘till you make it, and the ModelCo Self-Tan Dry Body Oil will definitely get you there. The formula is non-sticky and non-greasy, which means no streaking and unevenness, just luminous and tanned skin that looks like you spent a great week at an exotic destination. The best part is – it’s safe to use on both your face and body, it dries down quickly so you don’t have to worry about a thing. Spritz, wait a minute and go about your day.

A touch of glitter

There are plenty of glitter fans out there, and we are here to make your sparkly wishes come true. For some additional body glow, even though there are tons of new products – Fenty Beauty’s Body Lava being one of them, if you aren’t willing to break the bank but still want that glowing goodness, Argan Body Butter in Lavender does the bling-y work like a charm, and on a budget, too. It nourishes the skin perfectly, dries down quickly and leaves your skin luminous and baby-smooth.

The main ingredient

No sun-kissed look can ever be complete without that perfect bronzer. The Becca Sunlit Bronzer gives just the right amount of shimmer, and even those who favor matte bronzers won’t be able to resist it. It glides and blends like a dream, doesn’t look muddy, and is just the perfect shade that will have everyone fooled. For drugstore lovers, there is always the Milani Baked Bronzer, which is honestly so good it can rub shoulders with the priciest bronzers out there.

Shine like a diamond

When you’re rocking a summer tanned glow, you have to finish off strong with a highlighter that will just slay. Now, beauty companies have been competing fiercely in the highlight department, but when it comes to summer, you have to go with something in a champagne or golden family to complement your bronzer, and in our opinion, the highlighter that takes the trophy here is Trophy Wife by Fenty Beauty. Yes, it’s incredibly pigmented, so use a light hand, and despite rumors, with a little tan this baby looks amazing even on fair-skin girls. However, if you can’t handle this amount of gold, you can always turn to something like the Mary Lou Manizer – the perfect champagne shade by The Balm, that blends like butter, and if you set everything with the new Fix+ shimmer, the powders will melt into the skin so perfectly that there will be no trace of powder, no cakey feeling, just Instagram-worthy skin that looks like yours – only a tad more glowing.