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30 Summertime Beauty Essentials For Looking (But Not Literally Feeling) Hot
Think: dewy balms, refreshing face mists, sea salt-induced waves, and more.
Hot girl summer is here again — literally. In the heat, it can be tough to work up enthusiasm for pretty much anything other than frozen margaritas and air conditioning. The moisturizer you bought over the holidays suddenly feels suffocating, your makeup slides and smudges off, and even when shielded by a hat and sunglasses, your skin is at risk for sun damage.
Alas, you can still feel cute. With the right products, you can look glowy instead of sweaty, sun-kissed rather than sunburned. Think: dewy balms, refreshing face mists, sea salt-induced waves, soothing shave gel, a fragrance that smells like a luxury vacation, and SPFs that don't leave that annoying white cast (just remember to reapply every two hours).
You deserve to spend your free time reading poolside or road-tripping, not wandering the aisles of Sephora to compare seemingly identical items. To save you the effort, Bustle's writers and editors have rounded up the best body care products of summer 2024 — both tried-and-true favorites and newer items that might develop a cult following by Labor Day. All you have to do is tuck them into your beach bag. Ready to dive in?
The Mineral Face Protector
At long last, a face sunscreen that provides enough protection (in this case, SPF 50) without leaving your skin feeling greasy or too scented. Use it alone for your beach days or underneath makeup during sunset soirées this summer — no chance of pilling or breakouts. Extra points for Vacation’s vintage-looking packaging that TikTok users rightfully can’t get enough of.
The Light-As-Air Gel
This invisible gel sunscreen is everything you could ever want in an SPF. Not only does it go on completely clear, it’s also packed with skin-boosting ingredients that’ll moisturize your mug, improve dark spots and redness, and reduce fine lines, all while protecting your skin from the sun.
The Moisture Drench
It’s a moisturizer, it’s an SPF, it’s an anti-aging cream — it’s Clinique’s Smart Clinical Repair SPF. This supercharged sunscreen is also packed with plumping peptides, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin D to repair the skin and protect against future damage.
The Do-It-All Tint
Though Supergoop! is known (read: beloved) for their Unseen Sunscreen, they’ve got a huge range of SPF makeup that is not to be slept on. Thanks to them, your full glam routine (eye shadow, powder, setting spray, etc.) can be SPF 30 or more. If you’re new to the SPF makeup world, start with their Protec(tint) Daily Skin Tint, which comes with SPF 50 protection and light, natural-looking coverage.
The Dewy SPF Stick
This barely-there sunscreen stick is just as juicy as a skin serum, leaving you deeply hydrated, beautifully dewy, and protected from harsh UV rays with SPF 45. Made to be worn on bare skin, as well as below or on top of makeup, this easy-to-apply essential never, ever leaves a white cast. A summertime must.
The Sheer Superstar
The Outset’s Hydrasheer 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 is the sunscreen of your clean beauty dreams. Its lightweight formula makes it perfect for daily use, especially since it’s fragrance-free and doesn’t leave a white cast. The final effect? Velvety, protected skin. Trust us, your sensitive skin will thank you.
The Blendable Blush
Just about every launch from Rhode is pure gold, and honestly, the newest Pocket Blushes are no different. Each of the six juicy shades are not only beautifully pigmented but packed with tamanu oil and peptides that give your complexion the most radiantly dewy finish. Hello, summertime staple.
The Dry Lip Hero
Sisley's Phyto Lip Balm has heard the SOS call of your dry summer lips. Between the soothing hydration from shea butter and vitamin E and the subtle natural hue, one swipe and you’ll fall in love. Plus, it comes in two other tinted shades that give lips a soft, flushed effect.
The Angel-Skin Highlighter
If you’re looking for a product to enhance your natural summer glow, SHEGLAM’s liquid highlighter is equal parts hydrating and pearlescent. The lightweight and buildable formula is an added bonus — the adorable packaging is the cherry on top.
The Paris Filter In A Tube
Whether you’re going for a no-makeup makeup look or full-on glam, this long-lasting liquid foundation can truly do it all. It offers buildable coverage that stays breathable, even if you cake on the layers. It’s also infused with hydrating fruit extracts like goji berry and pomegranate for an I’m-so-moisturized finish.
The Glossy Lip Plumper
Among all the plumping glosses in the world, Huda Beauty’s comes out on top for giving your lips a healthy, juicy glow this summer. The gloss is infused with vegan collagen and Vitamin E for a fuller-looking lip and a hydrating, slick feel. The cherry on top is the precise applicator tip.
The Lash Lengthener
If you’re looking for a mascara that’s financially attainable even without a trust fund and makes your lashes practically 6-foot-5 — no matter your eye color — here you go. This vegan formula lifts, volumizes, and curls your lashes, and thanks to this product’s five amino-acid peptides, they’ll get thicker with regular use.
The Milky Toner
Dry skin girlies, listen up. Byoma’s hydrating toner goes on like a dream and the cute packaging offers peak summer vibes. The milky formula drenches skin in moisture, the PHAs gently exfoliate, and the cica combats redness and irritation.
The Moisture-Boosting Moisturizer
If there was ever a spa treatment in a tub, it might be this decadent moisturizer. Testament’s rose moisturizer smells like fresh-cut Turkish damascene rose and is filled with chamomile and probiotics to balance and minimize the effects of stress on the skin.
The Skin Protector
Category is: setting sprays that truly do it all. Yon-Ka’s face mist will hold your makeup in place, while protecting your skin from environmental pollution. Consider this the midday pick-me-up your tired skin’s been waiting for. With 4.3 stars on Amazon, it’s a solid win.
The Hydration Hero
This Laneige essential is basically a "skin slugging" mask in the form of a daily moisturizer. With just a bit of product, it truly delivers next-level hydration (that actually lasts). Formulated with hyaluronic acid, squalane, and ceramides, this must-have is especially perfect for those with dry and normal skin types.
The On-The-Go Skin Essential
A moisturizer in stick form is the on-the-go girlie’s best friend and Deinde’s balmy formula boosts moisture with all its winning ingredients: hyaluronic acid, squalane, and ceramides (yep, all three again). It also reduces redness over time — a win on multiple counts.
The Acne Fighter
If you're someone who struggles with unwanted blemishes (and don't have super sensitive skin), this actives-filled powerhouse of a face mask from Sofie Pavitt is the best-kept secret. The benzoyl peroxide helps to tame your acne, while the kaolin clay soaks up any excess oils for a more healed complexion.
The Body Soother
Rare Beauty’s soothing body lotion has a rich, buttery formula that also magically sinks in instantly. Infused with vitamins and antioxidants like niacinamide, peach flower extract, and ashwagandha extract, it’s a chill pill in lotion form, and will be the best part of your nighttime routine.
The Shower Essential
For a luxurious feel, Malin & Goetz’s brand-new eucalyptus scrub should be at the top of your list. Made to deeply cleanse, smooth, and improve the overall surface of your hands and body, it also just smells like summer and turns your shower into a spa experience. Plus, the grittiness is the Goldilocks of body scrubs — not too harsh, not too gentle, but just right.
The Glow Giver
If you yearn for glowing skin look no further than this illuminating oil from Chanel. The formula combines jasmine-flower oil and light-reflecting pigments to leave your skin feeling luminous and satin-like. It delivers “lounging on a yacht in Saint-Tropez” radiance, minus the actual sun damage.
The Bath Ritual
Give your “everything bath” an instant upgrade with this luxe essence made with good-for-you ingredients like camellia oil, rice bran oil, and Japanese Yomogi leaves. Pour a drop into the tub and watch as it turns into a milky, silky emulsion that soothes and moisturizes your skin.
The Bloat Fighter
This body mask promises the same level of detox as a lymphatic massage from a spa but with the equivalent of just $6 worth of product per use. Not only does it help skin appear firmer, but it also offers immune and circulation support that will keep you comfortable all day long.
The Overachiever
Boob sweat, thigh chafing, underarm odor — if you haven’t experienced one or more of these body issues, have you even experienced summer? Dove’s whole body deo is a do-it-all cream that keeps your, well, whole body smelling like coconut and vanilla all summer. The packaging makes it easy to swipe and blend for an instant boost of freshness.
The Instant Beach Waver
Pacifica’s Salty Waves line is a godsend for adding definition, texture, and volume to natural waves. The balm works best scrunched into the ends of wet hair before you air-dry or diffuse. Even if I’ll never be a cool surfer girl, this at least lets me look like I’ve been chilling on the beach.
The Shine Gloss
Charlotte York once posed the question, “Is my hair too shiny today?” And that’s probably because she’d just used Fekkai’s Clean Stylers Glossing Cream. (She looked great.) This air-light cream will give even the dullest hair a high-shine finish, without sacrificing volume.
The Scalp Remedy
Invigorating, cooling, and gently exfoliating, Beyoncé’s beauty line includes a shampoo and scalp scrub with the most lush, fragrant formula. If you want to feel as if you're relaxing in a spa, this is for you (no matter your hair texture).
The Air-Dry Necessity
Say goodbye to being at the mercy of unpredictable hair with Crown Affair’s Texturizing Air Dry Mousse. This air dry-friendly hack defines curls while keeping hair so, so soft. It’s a low-maintenance product with maximum payoff. Straight hair? Apply to damp strands, then twist and let your hair air dry for instant, effortless waves.
The Volume Boost
If you have hair that lacks volume and bounce, you're likely always on the hunt for something that gives you serious texture. Especially for those with medium to thick hair types, this is the answer. With a few spritzes of the stuff, quickly revive your tresses and create that sky-high, beachy vibe (while still feeling soft to the touch).
The Scalp Saver
Dyson’s new Nural Blow Dryer is an industry game-changer. It's light and easy to travel with, but the main thing is that it automatically adjusts the temperature to protect your scalp — and everyone knows healthy hair starts at the scalp! Plus, it comes with every attachment you’d need to define curls, boost volume, or add shine.
