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Refresh Your Makeup Bag with These 11 Spring Must-Haves

A tri-fold image with concealer containers on the left, a woman wearing fresh spring makeup in the middle, and a highlighting palette on the right.
ILIA/Kosas/Beauty Bakerie

You might be more than ready for spring, but is your makeup bag? Get prepped for warmer longer days with these fresh, light, easy-to-use beauty products!

Makeup trends are shifting toward simpler, lighter looks overall. After years of heavy contouring and smoky eyes, many people are now opting for fresh more natural looks that take a lot less time. No matter what your preference is, refresh your makeup bag for spring with a few of these products!

Luminizing Lip Balm

An open container of EM Cosmetics lip balm, next to a closeup of lips with the balm on.
EM Cosmetics

Lipstick can be lots of fun, but it demands careful application and frequent touchups. Why not lighten up with a hydrating tinted lip balm? It’s so easy to apply, you won’t even need a mirror!

This EM Cosmetics balm is sheer, but still delivers a bold dose of color in shades like tangerine, rose, and berry. It’s the perfect way to delve into spring color with minimal effort, while keeping your lips soft and shiny.

Tinted SPF Moisturizer

On the left, a bottle of Tarte Tinted Treatment Primer on a turquoise background, and on the right, a bottle of primer on a white background.
tarte

This is a great season to skip the heavy foundation and let your natural skin shine through. If you’ve ever been caught in full-coverage foundation on a hot day, you know it gets uncomfortable fast: You can almost feel your pores clogging up. But with a lightweight tinted moisturizer, you’ll forget you ever put it on.

We love that Tarte’s tinted treatment primer also contains SPF. You can save a step in your skincare routine by skipping sunscreen because this product’s got you protected. Just blend it on with your fingertips for a natural long-wearing look.

tarte BB blur tinted moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen Fair 1 oz

A revolutionary matte, tinted moisturizer with SPF 30 for a no-makeup look.Coverage: MediumFinish: MatteFormulation: LiquidSPF: 30 Highlighted Ingredients: - Amazonian Clay: Delivers better, longer, truer wear.- Hyaluronic Acid: Intensely hydrates.- Vitamin E: Is a natural preservative...

Lightweight Serum Concealer

On the left, a woman holding ILIA serum concealer, and on the right, the same woman with the concealer dotted under her eyes.
Ilia

Like foundations, full-coverage concealers can feel unpleasantly heavy when it’s warm out. ILIA’s serum concealer is an ultra-light alternative, with a natural-looking satin finish and medium coverage.

It’s also formulated with skin-loving ingredients like vitamin C, so it helps keep your skin healthy each time you wear it. No need to shy away from the fun of long days and late nights when you’ve got this concealer to help hide the evidence!

ILIA True Skin Serum Concealer with Vitamin C Birch SC7 0.16 oz/ 5 mL

A creamy, ultra-lightweight serum concealer that evens and brightens the look of skin over time with vitamin C—now available in a range of shades.Coverage: MediumFinish: Natural Formulation: LiquidHighlighted Ingredients: - Stabilized Vitamin C: Visibly brightens, evens out skin...

Creamy Cheek Color

On the left, a Kosas Color & Light Palette on a white background, and on the right, a woman wearing the product on her cheeks.
Kosas

Powder blush will always have a place in many makeup drawers. However, cream formulas are a great alternative for spring: light and easy to apply for a healthy flush in seconds.

We love the Kosas Color & Light Palettes for their perfect pairings of blush and highlighter in blendable creamy formulas. With nothing more than your fingers, you can brighten up your face with a natural glow. Even if you don’t have time to apply any other products, you’ll be reaching for this one again and again.

Soft Neutral Highlighter

On the left, forearm swatches of Beauty Bakerie's Milk & Honey Highlighting Palette, and on the right, the palette on a white background.
Beauty Bakerie

Not ready to give up powder highlighter just yet? Beauty Bakerie’s got you covered with their stunning Milk & Honey Highlighting Palette. It’s the perfect alternative to glittery blinding highlighter, giving a fresher look for spring.

This creamy powder formula is both easy to blend and buildable, so you can get the perfect level of glow. With soft pink and neutral shades, it gives a lit-from-within look with the right touch of color. You can even layer shades because they mix perfectly together.

Light Effortless Bronzer

On the left, a Fenty cream bronzer on a white background, and on the right, forearm swatches of Fenty bronzer shades on four different skin tones.
Fenty Beauty

While contouring is an art in its own right, heavy contour doesn’t always fit with breezy springtime vibes. Get a similar but more effortless look with an easy cream bronzer that sculpts and adds color right where you want it.

Cream formulas are ideal because they can be applied and blended with the fingers—no fancy brushes or techniques required. This lightweight bronzer from Fenty sinks into skin and doesn’t get oily, so you can wear it all day in comfort. It’s sheer, but also buildable for when you want a more intense look.

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer 01 Amber 0.22 oz/ 6.23 g

A light-as-air, non-greasy cream bronzer that effortlessly melts into skin for a natural-looking bronze or soft contour—in a range of no-fuss shades for all skin tones.Ingredient Callouts: This product is vegan and cruelty-free.What Else You Need to Know: This bronzer delivers a...

Sheer Setting Powder

On the left, three forearm swatches of LYS setting powder on different skin tones, and on the right, a setting powder compact on a white background.
LYS

Setting powder is a staple in many people’s makeup routines: It reduces shine and sets makeup in place. However, opaque setting powders can feel like overkill in the spring sun. This season, try swapping heavy matte powders for a weightless translucent option.

LYS’s sheer finish powder keeps things light and fresh, giving a flattering diffused look. With this powder, you can keep your natural glow while controlling any excess oil. Because the formula is extra-fine, it blends right into skin for a look that won’t budge.

Translucent Brow Wax

The Anastasia Brow Freeze Styling Wax and someone applying it to a woman's eyebrow with an applicator.
Anastasia Beverly Hills

Dramatic brows have been huge in the beauty world for years. While bold brows are definitely still trending, clear brow wax offers a lighter more modern take on the trend. Put down the powders, pomades, and pencils and give this chic new product a try.

The Brow Freeze Styling Wax from brow-loving brand Anastasia Beverly Hills has quickly become a favorite among makeup experts. It’s designed to lift, sculpt, and set brows without adding color, for a fluffy yet totally natural look. Get full feathered brows with just one product and admire the long-lasting results all day!

Subtly Shimmering Shadow

On the left, a closeup of an eye look using Ash and Ember Eye Soot, and on the right, a container of the eyeshadow on a white background.
Rituel de Fille

An intense smoky eye will always have its place in the beauty world. However, spring often calls for lighter easier eye makeup that you can swipe on with minimal effort and wear from day to night—no hours of blending required.

Rituel de Fille’s Ash and Ember Eye Soot has a unique powder-cream texture that’s easy even for eyeshadow beginners to work with. It offers a soft flush of flattering color, and can be worn sheer or layered for more intensity, so it’s ideal for simple one-color eye looks. Use fingers or an eye brush to blend for beautiful results.

Gel Crayon Eyeliner

On the left, a black Marc Jacobs eye crayon on a white background, and on the right, three forearm swatches of eye crayons in many different colors.
Marc Jacobs Beauty

Liquid liner has served up some of the most dramatic makeup looks in recent memory. However, gel crayon liner offers a different smudged look that feels fresh and fun.

Use the pencil point to apply with precision, then blend or smudge as desired to get just the look you want. For spring, consider trading classic black liner for soft brown or even a bold bright color. With a wide array of colors and finishes from matte to glitter, the Marc Jacobs eye crayon offers endless springtime possibilities.

Beeswax Mousse Mascara

A tube of Covergirl Full Lash Bloom mascara and a woman's eye after applying it.
Covergirl

It’s hard to commit to stiff heavy mascara or dramatic false lashes when you’re surrounded by soft breezes and delicately sprouting plants. Instead, give your lashes life with this comfortable mousse mascara from Covergirl.

The natural beeswax in this formula keeps lashes looking bold, yet feeling soft instead of stiff. The innovative brush shape prevents clumps while subtly boosting length and volume. Try the Black Brown color for a more neutral look, or Very Black for a touch of drama.


If you love makeup, the changing seasons are a perfect time to try exciting new products. These picks are just right for spring, with natural-looking finishes and lightweight formulas that stay on all day. So, set your heavy winter makeup aside and lighten up with these fun alternatives!

Elyse Hauser Elyse Hauser
Elyse Hauser is a freelance and creative writer from the Pacific Northwest, and an MFA student at the University of New Orleans Creative Writing Workshop. She specializes in lifestyle writing and creative nonfiction. Read Full Bio »
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