It's finally above 60°, and my peach tree is showing its first signs of fruit, which can only mean one very important thing: It's summertime, and the living is easy. All I want to do is clear space in my closet and revamp my entire makeup routine. Can you blame me? My social media feeds (and my "saved" folders) are currently dominated by all things beauty. This year, the summer makeup trends that I'm actually going for can all be filed under one category: joy-inducing looks. I'm talking radiant skin that shimmers in the sun, fresh pops of color, and luscious lashes that can only be achieved with a really special mascara—which brings me to the Covergirl Exhibitionist Stretch Strengthen Mascara ($9).
This mascara isn't your typical formula. It's lightweight and infused with biotin, peptides, and provitamin B5 for protection against breakage. Plus, the premium wire-bristle brush wraps and stretches each individual lash from root to tip, opening up the eyes in ways you never thought were possible. My very stylish co-workers say it's the secret to turning up the volume on any summer makeup look. Need the proof? Below, they're all sharing the beauty trends they're most excited about for the warmer months ahead, all of which highlight this mascara's lengthening powers. Keep scrolling to see which looks made the list, and get ready to add these to your own "saved" folder.
"I usually keep my everyday makeup look simple, but once summer hits, I like to take things up a notch," says senior beauty editor Erin Jahns. "I'm not the most daring person, but that just makes it all the more fun when I do try something new! I always forget how much a bold lip or fun eye can do for your self-confidence. Life is too short to take makeup and beauty too seriously!"
There are so many good summer beauty trends right now. What's the one you can't stop talking about?
Sky-high lashes that are better than extensions and a fiery, orange-red lip that will rake in the compliments!
We want the scoop: How did you create this look?
I started with my base and used a damp sponge to apply my foundation and concealer to any areas that needed a little more love in the coverage department. Then I used a fluffy brush and bronzer to warm up my skin for a sun-kissed finish along my cheekbones, underneath my jawline, around my temples, and on the top of my nose. Next was eye shadow! I took a light pearlescent color and used it all over my lid as a base and then deepened it up around my crease and lash line with shimmery shades of plum. I wanted to make it subtle and slightly smoky with just enough definition to keep it suitable for daytime. I filled in my brows with the brow pencil and then went in with the mascara. It's insanely buildable and lightweight, so you can go in with a few coats (I did three!) and get major lift and length with zero clumping. It quite literally looks like extensions! Last but not least, I finished my look with lipstick—a bright pop of red on my lips.
What do you love most about the Exhibitionist Stretch Strengthen Mascara?
I'm so picky about mascara. I have long lashes, but I still always crave length. Most formulas are way too heavy and make my lashes look wet, clumpy, and droopy. This one does the opposite! I couldn't believe how light the formula is, but somehow, it doesn't flake or clump. Instead of getting clumpy and spidery with more layers, your lashes simply get longer and more fluttery. It's magical, and I love it for giving me the extension effect that I crave.
"I love refreshing my makeup looks and taking beauty risks," says assistant shopping editor Grace O'Connell-Joshua. "Putting on makeup every morning is like a fun art project I get to do on my face. It's also the time of day when I get to be alone with myself, so it's almost meditative for me."
There are so many good summer beauty trends right now. What's the one you can't stop talking about?
I'm really embracing all things shimmery and gold. I've always loved the way gold and bronze shades complement my skin tone and brown eyes, so it's a beauty trend I can easily get behind.
We want the scoop: How did you create this look?
I started with concealer as a base for my eye shadow, sort of how you would apply an eye-shadow primer. I find that concealer works just as well, if not better. Then I applied soft brown and nude shades to my crease and outer edges using my TruNaked eye shadow and followed up with a gold shade all over my lid. I topped it all off with some liquid glitter shadow. Next came the mascara, and I applied a few coats to my top and bottom lashes. I finished my look with a pop of color on my cheeks and some gloss on my lips.
What do you love most about the Exhibitionist Stretch Strengthen Mascara?
I love the way it grips each of my lashes individually, lengthening them one by one. It also opens up my eyes and is the perfect finishing touch to any makeup look.
"I usually stick to a simple and glowy makeup look, but for summer, I like to play around with saturated eye shadows," says our assistant market editor, Yusra Siddiqui. When I get to play around with color or a new makeup product, I'm reminded why the beauty space gets me so excited."
There are so many good summer beauty trends right now. What's the one you can't stop talking about?
Bright eye shadow! I've been seeing videos of people applying a few swipes of bright eye shadow in matte or glitter, and it just pulls everything together. You can also match the color to your outfits for a cohesive look!
We want the scoop: How did you create this look?
To be honest, there's no rhyme or reason to it. I definitely don't apply my makeup in a conventional way. I applied some foundation, tapped on a little concealer, and pretty much started blending the bright-purple eye shadow across my entire eyelid until the color popped to my liking. The most important part for me was adding a good amount of mascara to my top lashes—it really brought the look together.
What do you love most about the Exhibitionist Stretch Strengthen Mascara?
I love how lightweight it is while adding a great amount of volume and length. Some mascaras claim to strengthen lashes but will come out clumpy. This one does quite the opposite of that.
