Summer maxxing isn’t about doing the most. It’s about making the most of the season while keeping your beauty routine easy enough to actually enjoy it. Think long afternoons, late dinners, beach days, humid commutes and nights that somehow stretch to 2 a.m. Your makeup, hair and skincare just need to get through it all with you.
As we navigate through the last stretch of the season, we’re keeping the summer beauty bag to the things you’ll actually reach for; SPF that feels good on the skin, makeup that lasts past noon, scents that come alive in the heat and a few little luxuries that make sweating through August heat feel a little less brutal.
The Protection
Summer starts with SPF. Augustinus Bader’s The Solar Shield SPF 50 makes a good case for body sunscreen, with a lightweight, fast-absorbing formula powered by TFC8®. It offers broad-spectrum protection while helping improve the look of skin tone, texture and luminosity.
For your face, Augustinus Bader’s The Sunscreen SPF 50 uses the same TFC8® technology in a non-greasy formula that sits comfortably under makeup or on its own.
The Sweat-Proof Base
The secret to summer makeup is accepting that some of it is going to move. The trick is making sure it moves as little as possible. ONESIZE’s Secure The Sweat Anti-Sweat Primer was made for exactly this. The formula absorbs sweat and excess oil to help keep makeup looking matte through heat and humidity.
For brows, Anastasia Beverly Hills’ ArchiBrow creates fine, hair-like strokes with its 0.5mm blade tip, while its buildable, smudge-proof formula is designed to last for up to 12 hours.
Then comes blush. Magic Touch Blush Trio combines three shades in a cream-to-gel formula that can be built up or blended down depending on how much colour you want. You can even press it onto your lips for a quick monochromatic look.
And because summer skin occasionally has its own plans, star-face’s Party Pack BIG PACK Hydro-Stars keeps hydrocolloid patches within reach for those inevitable breakouts.
For the days when you want your skincare to do more with less, Double Duty combines a red camellia serum with a hydrating squalane moisturiser in one easy step. The formula uses red camellia, silver ear mushroom and peptides to hydrate, brighten and help strengthen the skin, while still feeling lightweight.
It’s especially suited to dry, dull or tired-looking skin and uneven tone, with a simple, low-effort approach that feels very right for summer.
The Glow
Summer is basically an excuse to be shiny. Patrick Ta Beauty’s Major Glow Body Balm gives skin that just-came-back-from-somewhere-expensive sheen, sweeping over the body with a luminous finish that looks especially good in the sun.
For the face, REFY’s Skin Base keeps things fresh with a lightweight gel formula containing hyaluronic acid and Inclusium. Available in 18 neutral-to-golden shades, it leaves skin looking even and hydrated without completely covering up its texture.
And if you want to lean into the glow rather than fight it, Rhode’s Highlight Milk adds a soft, pearly sheen while giving skin the hydrating feel of the brand’s Glazing Milk formula.
For body care, Bio-Oil Body Lotion keeps things light without skimping on moisture. Its shake-before-use formula contains more than twice the oil content of many moisturisers, but still has a feather-light feel that sinks into the skin easily.
The Lips
Tower 28’s ShineOn Plumping Lip Jelly gives lips a high-shine finish with VibePlump™, a plant-based ingredient designed to create a fuller-looking effect without the burning sensation associated with traditional plumpers.
For something more versatile, Tower 28’s OneLiner Multi-Use Face Liner works across eyes and lips, making it an easy addition to a summer makeup bag when you don’t want to carry six different products.
And for days when even lip colour feels like effort, Starface’s Coconut Blast Star Balm keeps things simple with shea butter, cocoa butter and coconut oil in a tiny tropical compact that can live permanently in your bag.
The Scent
There’s something about summer that makes fragrance feel a little more personal. Warm skin brings out different notes and changes the way a scent develops, so you want something that smells good on you, not something that disappears the moment you step outside.
Maison Crivelli’s Hibiscus Mahajád Extrait de Parfum, created with perfumer Quentin Bisch, brings together earthy leather, airy vanilla and hibiscus in a scent that feels rich and warm, with just enough unexpectedness to keep it interesting.
And for a quick refresh, Touchland’s Body & Hair Mist in Peachy Lychee gives skin and hair a burst of ripe lychee and sun-warmed peach. Basically, bottled summer.
Jouissance’s En Plein Air Eau de Parfum takes its cue from French writer and art critic Catherine Millet, opening with bright citrus before softening into white flowers, rain and musk. Fresh but slightly sharp, it has a clean, airy quality that still leaves something sensual behind. The first 300 bottles also come with an individually numbered collage by artist Katrien De Blauwer, making them a nice little collector’s piece.
The Hair
Summer hair has to put up with a lot; heat styling, sun, salt water, chlorine, humidity and, eventually, the inevitable decision to tie it up because you’ve had enough.
K18’s HeatBounce Heat Protectant is the non-negotiable if you’re still reaching for your hot tools. Its Resilicore™ technology provides heat protection up to 450°F while helping reduce breakage from blow-drying.
For hair that’s already feeling the effects of summer, Harklinikken’s Hair Hydrating Crème works as a rich leave-in treatment to bring softness and moisture back to dry lengths.
Briogeo’s ultra-lightweight leave-in conditioning spray uses a blend of rosehip, argan and coconut oils to nourish the hair and help keep frizz under control. It’s light enough for summer, when you want your hair moisturised without weighing it down.
Then there’s La Bonne Brosse’s N.02 The Essential Detangling & Conditioning Brush, designed to gently work through wet or dry hair while helping distribute natural oils from root to ends.
Finish with Slip’s Courtside Jumbo Scrunchie for those days when your hair inevitably ends up in a ponytail by 4 p.m. Its soft design helps minimise creasing and breakage without leaving your hair feeling pulled too tight.
The Summer Reset
For an easy summer body-care step, Nécessaire’s Deodorant comes in Eucalyptus, Fragrance-Free and Sandalwood. The creamy formula uses mandelic and lactic acids to help with odour while caring for the skin, without synthetic fragrance or parabens.
For the end of a long, sweaty day, Isla’s Snow Scrub turns exfoliation into something that actually feels refreshing. Its creamy formula transforms into a silky lather before rinsing away with a cooling finish.
Because summer beauty isn’t only about what goes on your face, Cymbiotika’s Irish Sea Moss also fits into the wellness side of the routine, with individual sachets that can be taken throughout the day.
