Summer 2026’s Biggest Makeup Trends Are Edgy and Unbothered — See Photos

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We know, we know. Your party invites are piling up. (Oh, to be so in demand!) But instead of garden get-togethers in the spring or buttoned-up galas, summer looks a little edgier. Think artist passes at concerts, club openings, DJ sets, and underground fashion shows. This summer, take your look from soft and romantic to effortlessly cool and provocative.

Summer 2026 makeup trends are meant to make it seem like coolness comes easy—and sometimes it does. A swipe of shimmery or metallic eye shadow, for instance, or a bit of waterline eyeliner takes almost no time to apply, but will have people at the party wondering who you are. Of course, some looks take a little more time—bronzy, glowy body makeup, a lived-in smoky eye, or super-glossy lips—but you’ll still telegraph the kind of ease that says, “I was born on the guest list.” And if party girl isn’t your vibe, matte skin and some bold, high-placement blush will ensure that you look modern and fresh.

Below, our experts break down the cool-girl makeup trends for summer that will have velvet ropes dropping for you.

Lived-in smoky eye

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She club hops from Miami to Ibiza, but never gets jet lag. She could probably run a half-marathon in spike heels; she just chooses not to. And the focal point of her makeup? This cool, lived-in, smoky eye, which looks as though she applied it with her fingers in the back of a limo, but it still reads sultry and purposeful.

It’s the kind of laissez-faire look that Gucci (and Prada and Nina Ricci and…) sent down the runway this spring (appropriately paired with short, skin-tight dresses on It girls like Gabriette, Amelia Gray, and the iconic Kate Moss). “There’s something about a lived-in smoky eye that’s just permanently cool,” says Morgane Martini, a Paris-based makeup artist. “It’s not about a specific product or technique; it’s about a mood. Something a little sexy, but never vulgar.”

Start by lining the top and bottom waterline before smudging and blending with a brush or your finger. “The idea is that the product gets into the lashes and creates that naturally smudged base,” says Martini, who always reaches for Christian Louboutin Glamliner. Kiko Milano Kajal also has a melty, smudgy texture that will make achieving this look a cinch.

“Then, build intensity from there," Martini adds, "depending on how strong you want it. A little black eye shadow on top to blend further and soften the edges is what takes it from liner to a real smoky eye.” Colourpop Blowin’ Smoke Eyeshadow Palette features a trusty array of rock-and-roll blacks, or keep it simple with a creamy eye shadow stick like Anastasia Beverly Hills Glidr Cream Eyeshadow Stick.

Reflective lids

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If a Euphoria episode flaps its wings on HBO, it will inevitably butterfly-effect into a sparkly beauty frenzy. Lo and behold, glittery eye looks are back! And not just glitter—it’s metallic! Frost! Shimmer! Basically, anything that catches the light when you bat your lashes.

Reflective lids, like many of this summer’s makeup trends, are “defined by finish rather than complexity,” says New York-based makeup artist Christian Briceno, who spotted this trend on spring runways at Prada and Versace. That means you can get away with a swipe-and-go application and still have an impactful look. The only rule? “Keep it minimal and placed,” he says. It’s not a rave; it's a cocktail party on the Riviera.

Briceno likes a metallic wash of RMS Beauty Eye Polish with a glossier product tapped onto the center of the lid (try a dab of Gucci Luminous Face and Lip Gloss or About Face Vinyl Effect Eye Gloss). For more of a glittery shimmer, Los Angeles-based makeup artist Sarah Walsh likes Half Magic Glitterpuck Pressed Glitter or Urban Decay 24/7 Moondust Glitter Eyeshadow.

Glowy body makeup

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Free the sideboob, the underboob, the cleavage, and the collarbone! After months of hibernation, they need a little glow-up. This year’s warm-weather red carpets at Cannes and the Met Gala were a showcase for eye-catching, lit-from-within skin. On one end of the spectrum, there was Tyla with painterly strokes of Y2K iridescent glitter. On the other, Blue Ivy or Tate McRae wearing a natural glow—as if their skin always looks like this, even under a turtleneck, and they’re just now sharing its radiance with us.

“The body is part of the canvas too,” says Los Angeles-based makeup artist Ash K. Holm. For a glow that says, “I’m well-hydrated and just walked out of a deep-tissue massage in Tahiti,” mix an illuminating product like L’Oréal Paris True Match Lumi Glotion into your body lotion or try a moisturizer-bronzer hybrid like Nars Manoi Body Oil. “Body makeup looks best on hydrated, smooth skin,” says Holm. She also likes Patrick Ta Major Glow Balm, which can be buffed onto your décolletage and arms as a highlighter. “Set anything that touches fabric with a translucent powder or use a transfer-resistant body formula,” Holm adds.

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Shellac lips

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There’s something powerful and untouchable about a perfectly lacquered lip. It says, “I have the ability to eat a salad without my gloss budging,” which is a superhuman trait to be feared and respected. Of course, it’s also impossible. But you can still finish that salad incognito, swipe on a high-shine lip, then command any room you walk into.

“It’s the lip's hard pivot away from the blurred, diffused look (from last season),” says Holm. “Crisp, defined edges with a high-shine lacquer finish on top immediately make you look pulled together, even if the rest of your makeup is minimal.”

As with all “effortlessly cool” looks, shellac lips do require some effort. Start with a hydrated lip: Holm recommends applying a moisturizing lip mask while you do the rest of your makeup (try Fenty Beauty Plush Puddin’ Intensive Recovery Lip Mask or Ilia Lip Wrap Treatment Mask). Then wipe off the excess before the next steps. “Pat a thin layer of foundation onto the lips with whatever is left on your foundation brush and dust a touch of loose powder around the edges,” she says. “This helps the liner grip and keeps the line crisp.”

Next, line the lips with a sharpened pencil—Mac Lip Pencil is a perennial classic, while New York-based makeup artist Priscilla DiStasio has been loving Christian Audette Lip Liners—and fill in the lips with that same liner as a base. Top with a high-shine gloss like Hung Vanngo Glossy Lip Hue or Makeup by Mario Hydrating SuperShine Lip Gloss. “Press your lips together once to spread it,” says Holm, “but don't over-blot. The goal is lacquer.”

Matte skin

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“People are realizing that super dewy doesn’t always translate in real life,” says New York City-based makeup artist Joseph Carrillo. Instead, Carrillo says, a matte finish “is more believable. Skin looks like skin, just better.”

Matte foundation also offers more coverage than a radiant formula, says Walsh, who reaches for Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Matte Foundation to get this look. We also love Rare Beauty True to Myself Matte Foundation for big events where budge-proof coverage is key.

“But this isn’t the ’80s and ’90s matte face with tons of powder,” Walsh explains. She recommends spot-priming the T-zone with a matte primer like Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder, then using a matte setting spray like KimChi Chic Stage Proof Matte Setting Spray. That way, you get a natural finish without having to layer on powder.

High-placement blush

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We are in the midst of the great blush migration. Recently, blush has flown north of the apples and found itself perched at the very top of our cheekbones, extended upwards to our temples. Just look to the stars, including Sabrina Carpenter, Jade Thirlwall, Joey King, and Lola Young. Says DiStasio, “It’s probably one of my biggest client requests lately.”

Sure, we all love a fresh take on a look, but the real reason for this migration? High-placement blush adds an easy, plastic surgery-free lift to the face. “It replaces heavier contouring,” DiStasio says, “leaving the skin less sculpted and more lifted through color.” The effect is refreshed and buoyant. Or, as Los Angeles-based makeup artist Melinda Melrose puts it, “Like you drink water, mind your business, and glow naturally.”

Begin with a blendable formula (like the Tower28 BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Dewy Cream Blush), so the color can easily be diffused and extended upwards to the temples with a brush.

Waterline liner

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A pop star once said that a cat eye should be sharp enough to kill, but really, it’s a hyperdefined waterline that makes your look truly cutting. If no-makeup makeup is subdued and approachable, waterline liner is a femme fatale. Elegant, mysterious, and yes, sharp.

“It sharpens the eye, makes lashes look fuller, and subtly changes the shape,” says Briceno, who spotted it on runways during Milan and Paris Fashion Weeks. Deeper tones on the upper waterline can add definition, while a soft beige on the lower waterline can add brightness. Or you can go all-in with a black liner on the top and bottom waterlines for a sexy evening look.

Briceno likes Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner (as do so many makeup artists) or Lancome’s Drama Liqui-Pencil Eyeliner. Both are waterproof and can stand up to your tear ducts. Just be sure to “avoid overly creamy formulas that migrate,” he notes.

Meet the experts

• Christian Briceno is a New York City-based makeup artist.
• Joseph Carrillo is a New York City-based makeup artist.
• Priscilla DiStasio is a New York City-based makeup artist.
• Ash K. Holm is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.
• Morgane Martini is a Paris-based makeup artist for Christian Louboutin Beauty.
• Melinda Melrose is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist and a Dolce & Gabbana Beauty global beauty expert.
• Sarah Walsh is a Los Angeles-based makeup artist.