The best makeup for hot summer nights

If summer days are synonymous with natural skin and barely-there color, then summer nights surely go hand in hand with smoky eyes, electric lips and a champagne shimmer. To up the ante when the sun goes down, make sure you pack a punch with one of these warm-weather favorites…

Nothing says sultry-evening skin quite like cheekbones that have been kissed by the day’s illuminating rays. This eye-catching trio features shades that will work for all skin tones, while the finely milled formulas go on like powders but diffuse into the skin like creams. Use your ring finger to press on to cheekbones, temples and your cupid’s bow.

If the thought of applying a full face of makeup is too much come cocktail hour, just use one versatile product instead. This glide-and-glow stick formula is available in a range of shades and intensities and provides a subtle but healthy tint to offset all skin tones. Application couldn’t be easier: sweep it onto the apples of your cheeks, lids and lips straight from the bullet and use your fingers to press it into your skin.

Transition from hot summer days to warm summer nights with ease, thanks to this heat- and humidity-proof mascara. Like the original formula, you can expect lashes that look longer and fuller, but this time the glossy, inky finish won’t flake, fall or smudge, no matter what you put it through or how high the temperature gets.

If mini dresses and camisoles are your summer-wardrobe staples, you need to dress your skin accordingly. Step forward this illuminating body oil, which is infused with just enough shimmer to give limbs a healthy sheen, as well as argan oil and shea butter to banish any dryness brought about from being in the sun. The heady rose and sandalwood scent is enough to invoke the vacation spirit, plus it comes in three shades, so everyone can experience the glow.

Summer evenings are incomplete without a smattering of sparkle, but take the easy option and choose a formula that requires nothing more than your fingers to apply. These seamless metallic shadows can be smudged onto lids without a mirror and won’t drop or diminish during the evening. For a double dose of luminosity, up the ante with a clear gloss like Kevyn Aucoin Glass Glow Liquid Illuminator in Crystal Clear pressed over the top.

Matte lipstick that’s comfortable enough to wear from sundowners to sunrise is no longer an enigma: this velvety option is infused with natural oils so it’s comfortable to wear, as well as being durable. It’s highly pigmented so you get a rich, suede finish with just one sweep, and the striking golden vial (which comes on a ribbon) also doubles up as a necklace, should you be in the market for a new accessory.

A natural, glowing complexion is desirable year round, but it’s a look that really comes into its own after dark. If you can, eschew your usual base altogether in favor of skincare with benefits. This gold-standard moisturizer that promotes healthy cell turnover is now available in a bronze-tinted version that will add the prettiest golden boost to all skin tones.

Hot summer nights are the perfect time to try something out of your usual comfort zone. This gel-like formula comes in a variety of shades and offers color without the commitment; simply add a slim stroke of color along your upper lash line. Best of all, the hard-wearing formula lasts 12 hours without smudging and is humidity- and water-resistant, so there’s no need to forgo that midnight swim.