We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.
The GH beauty team’s essential guide to summer beauty
Get ahead with these buys for sunshine season
On the GH beauty desk, it's fair to say that summer beauty preparations start ahead of time. We try and test all the latest summer beauty buys to find precisely the right SPF formula for our needs; the perfect self-tan with which to top up; the right texture of skincare for warmer weather; and the very sunniest of the sunny holiday fragrances.
Helpfully, 2023 has been a particularly good year for beauty innovations. SPFs are cleverer than ever, and now come in sheer mists, weightless over-makeup powders, and broad-spectrum formulas that offer even more protection against UVA rays while leaving no white cast. High-tech tans, meanwhile, offer seamless coverage in natural-looking shades with skincare-grade ingredients. And skincare formulas themselves are more varied, with serums, lotions, gel- and water-creams offering light textures that belie their potent efficacy: Layering hyaluronic acid for lost moisture, vitamin C to combat sun damage, and SPF to protect has never been less weighty.
And summer scents needn't be limited to eau de parfum. For those whose skin reacts badly to (usually the alcohol in) perfume in hotter months, there are a slew of sunshine-filled fragrances available in different formats like body oils and hair mists.
Here editors on the GH beauty team have selected their most summer-savvy beauty buys that will work well throughout sunshine season and beyond.
Shop: Good Housekeeping beauty team's summer beauty buys
Yes, this is an investment, but a smart one – especially if you like to remove your body hair regularly. The brand’s newest and most sophisticated piece of IPL (Intense Pulsed Light) tech, this cleverly slows down hair growth and causes body hair to shed. There are four attachments for different areas that are great for getting to those hard-to-reach places, and the brand-new app has plenty of handy features to make the whole process easier. Our favourite? The audio-flash counter, that signals when you should move your device to the next area. Get ahead now to be smoother come summer.
This tinted lip oil from recent US import Merit is a new favourite for beauty director Eve; it's more pigmented than most, and it leaves a pretty stain when the shine from the plant oils and and shea butter wears off. They're available in plenty of wearable colours, and the doe foot applicator hugs the lip for really easy application.
Murad Exasoothe Daily Defense Cream
'Skin barrier-boosting products are having a real moment,' says beauty editor Fleur, 'mainly in response to powerful actives. As the owner of an irritable and dry complexion, I'm taking full advantage. My latest excellent find is this moisturiser. It uses colloidal oatmeal to soothe itchiness and a medley of niacinamide and shea butter to hydrate and protect.'
Ambre Solaire Garnier Ambre Solaire Invisible Protect Glow Sun Protection Spray SPF30 150ml
Over the last few years, we've said goodbye to sunscreens with streaky white casts and unpleasant lingering scents. With a 100% transparent, quick-drying formula, this is an SPF you can spritz and forget about. It is one of Eve's new finds that ticks all of her sun protection boxes.
"I’ve often struggled to find a self-tan that doesn’t trigger irritation, but Tan Luxe The Crème gets five gold stars from me," says beauty editor Anna Lao-Kaim. "It blends skin-barrier strengthening squalane and moisturising lipids with a low amount for DHA for a radiant glow that builds gradually."
Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum
A GH beauty team favourite, this skin-quenching hyaluronic acid serum is a summer holiday must-have.
"My rosacea tends to get worse during the warmer months and this cooling, gel-textured booster is my go-to soother," says Anna. "It provides immediate relief, with fast-absorbing hyaluronic acid to smooth and soften my rough, inflamed skin."
Fragrance obsessive Fleur Fruzza is the Beauty Editor we go to with all of our perfume probes.
"Being surrounded by smells that invoke and complement the season is important to me, and this oil is one of my summer must-haves," she says. "I liberally cover my arms and legs in it at every opportunity because I find its scent of white flowers, vanilla and almond can trick me in to thinking I'm still on holiday when I am, in fact, back home and on the London Underground!"
"My sensitive skin can get a bit temperamental with perfumes in the heat, so I tend to swap to a hair fragrance during summer months," says Fleur. "I love the new A Fragrance Hair Mists from Jo Loves – my current favourite Fig, which has all the gorgeous sun-filled juiciness of this late-summer fruit combined with the warmth of amber (and the bonus of pro-vitamin B5 to hydrate my hair)."
Teri Hatcher and Carol Vorderman go makeup-free
Glossier's best products, according to our editors
10 best collagen supplements to buy now
The best collagen creams, tried and tested
