Summer Lip Colors: Our Top 5 Trending Shades for 2024

Picture this: you’re on the beach, the wind’s in your hair, the sun’s on your skin. You’ve packed a beach bag (romance beach read, anyone?) and are settling into that rickety old beach chair you know and love. You pull out your go-to lip gloss, pop on a little color, and lean back. It’s summer 2024. And at this moment, everything is totally perfect. 

Here at RMS, summer means one thing: a summer beauty routine. 

For us, there’s genuinely nothing better than putting together our bag with beach-ready beauty, and while yes, that does include sunscreen and our must-have favorite products, it almost always includes a gorgeous lip. 

Summer is the perfect time to experiment with bold lip colors, sheer washes, glossy pops, and more. So whether you’re out in the city or chilling by the water, we’ve got clean lip colors just for you. And yeah, they happen to be trending, too.

Sunset Reds

Gorgeous sunny, sunset reds are always a classic statement, and for summer there’s nothing better than a sheer, fresh wash for day or night. To snag a look inspired by long summer nights, we suggest opting for shades with orange undertones. Here’s a few of our favorites:

Daytime Nude Lip Pencil: This is a richly pigmented long-wearing, skin-caring creamy lip pencil, in warm ginger, expertly formulated to complement a wide range of skin tones. Use it as a liner or as a matte lip.

Sunset Nude Lip Pencil: A rich auburn version of our classic Go Nude Lip Pencil, inspired by rich summer nights and perfect for all skin tones. Made to be used as a liner underneath Liplights or on its own. 

Pretty in Pink

A pop of pretty pink never hurt anybody. For a wash of just-bitten, sun-drenched rose that looks like you’ve spent the day at the beach, tap on a few of our lip-loving RMS bests, infused with skin-nourishing ingredients.

Crush Liplights Cream Lip Gloss: These multitasking tubes scream summer. They work as a treatment balm, a sophisticated gloss, and a subtle, stingless volumizer in one. And Crush, a modern dusty pink, is everything you love about a neutral mauve and nothing you don't. 

Miranda Legendary Serum Lipstick: Our new Legendary Serum Lipstick is a first of its kind lipstick, lip stain, and serum, formulated for fully saturated, long-lasting coverage with just one swipe—ideal for long summer nights. Miranda is a classic soft rose that’s super lightweight yet deeply pigmented, and the non-drying water-based formula hydrates, smooths and revitalizes lips with a velvety, satin finish.

Crazy for Coral

A crush of coral? Yes, please. Inspired by sunrises, summery citrus, and, of course, gorgeous ocean coral, this slightly pink, slightly tangerine orange is the perfect addition to any outfit, whether it’s a flowy tank, vintage jean shorts, or that summer dress you wear all season long.

Bisou Liplights Cream Lip Gloss: Hydrate, volumize, and shine with this must-have, multitasking muted coral, made to be worn alone or on top of our Go Nude Lip Pencils. And thanks to its innovative painter’s tube packaging, it’s super easy to pop in your beach bag and go.

Melanie Legendary Serum Lipstick: This Legendary Lipstick is a completely new way of providing long-lasting color and hydration to the lips, and that’s perfect for bright summer days when lips can get just a little bit too dry. Melanie is a bold, orange-based Tahitan coral, perfect for summer months.

Nude Necessities

When the heat rises, it’s time to go nude. Our go-tos are our Go Nude Lip Liners (obviously), and for good reason—they’re made to match your skin tone and are infused with lip-loving ingredients to nourish and make your color last, but we also have a few other nudes up our sleeves... 

Bare Liplights Cream Lip Gloss: We love our Liplights for their lip-loving, skin-nourishing ingredients, and this shade is no different. However, there’s something very special about Bare. Bare is a uniquely you, subtle pink gloss that reacts to your body’s natural pH for the perfect, personalized flush of color.

Spell Lip2Cheek: Our original, cult-classic lip-and-cheek pots are the ultimate multitasker. They add buildable, nourishing color anywhere you pop them on, and are formulated with Wildcrafted Buriti Oil, Shea Butter, and organic, sustainably sourced Cocoa Butter. Spell is a modern, dusty nude rose—great for a slightly bronzed, totally natural flush.

Berry Bold

Dark purples are usually reserved for fall. But when you think about it, berries are, well, inherently summer. Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries—we take inspo from everywhere else, why not take them from our favorite summer fruits? 

Rhythm Liplights Cream Lip Gloss: By now you know all about our Liplights Cream Lip Gloss and its sensational skin-loving formula. This color, Rhythm, is a kissable cranberry that sheers out to a gorgeous pinky berry.

Monica Legendary Serum Lipstick: Our Legendary Lipstick in Monica is a year-round favorite thanks to its neutral berry tone, and that means it’s great for summer, too. To make it a bit less concentrated, our founder Rose-Marie suggests picking some up on your fingers and tapping it on the lips.

Linda Legendary Serum Lipstick: Ah, Linda. Our Legendary Lipstick in a vibrant raspberry is the perfect summertime hue. It brightens up complexions and adds a pop of romantic, berry-based pink to any look.

How to Make Your Lip Last

Finding your favorite summer color is absolutely necessary, but it’s all fun and games until that perfect hue seemingly disappears. Warmer weather can cause a bit of makeup meltdown, so we’ve got a few top, expert tips for making your lips last and last.

Prep Your Lips:

Prep is always key. We suggest starting with a gentle exfoliation to remove any dry skin, and following up with a hydrating lip balm or lip mask like our Lipnights Lip Mask, which can be used at night as the name suggests, or as a prep step to create a smooth base.

Layer Your Products:

For maximum staying power, we highly suggest applying a lip liner that matches your lipstick or lip gloss. Try our Go Nude Lip Pencils by filling in your lips with the liner, and then apply Legendary Lipstick or Liplights Cream Lip Gloss on time. Blot and reapply the liner as needed.

Opt for Long-Wear Formulas:

This might seem obvious, but especially in the summer, opting for lipsticks or lip products that are designed for long wear can make a big difference. Legendary Lipstick does wonders for that, but you can also make one of our sheerer formulas last and last by layering them to avoid frequent touch-ups.

Stay Hydrated:

Your lips don’t have oil glands, so they need to be moisturized on their own.  Keeping your lips looking fresh and plump with products is absolutely necessary, but it’s also essential to do so by drinking plenty of water throughout the day. You’re in the heat, afterall!

Ready for a Whole Lotta Lip?

Choosing the perfect lip color for summer is easy when you’ve got RMS (and some great weather) on your side. And if you ever have any questions or concerns, book a free, virtual one-on-one artist consultation with one of our Artist Experts.