The weather situation at the moment is best described as hot, sweaty, and more humid than we thought physically possible. Add those temps to the fact that we’re always on the go in the summer, and it’s safe to say that our beauty routines have gone through a major shake up. Most makeup will quite literally melt off our skin, there’s no time for a 20-step routine, and our beloved glowy makeup might be starting to look a lil greasy in the heat. But we’re not here to complain. Instead, we want to take a moment to profess our love for the new-to-market products that have saved us time and again in the thick of summer.
From tinted moisturizers that let our skin breath and easy-to-apply matte bronzers to beach day SPFs, we’ve discovered a handful of game-changing beauty products this month. To see what the Marie Claire team has been obsessing over, keep scrolling. We’ve rounded up our favorite July beauty launches—along with some application tips and tricks—ahead. (If you're interested in our favorite June launches or favorite May launches, you can check those out too.)
“My hair is ridiculously fine and flat, so I’m in a constant battle with grease. Dry shampoo does the job, but it leaves me with a ton of build up. It’s an annoyingly vicious cycle. That said, this new Olaplex shampoo has been revolutionary for my hair routine. It removes all the gunk from texturizers and volumizers in just one wash, and leaves me with volume that I’ve quite literally never experienced. I highly, highly, highly recommend.” — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
“I've waxed lyrical all over Marie Claire about my deep and enduring love for Shiseido's Waso Color-Smart Day Moisturizer—the tinted moisturizer that has fully replaced my foundation over the last few years—so imagine my excitement when Shiseido brought out a new and improved version: the SHIKULIME Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer. This is the most exciting thing that's happened to my (very simple) beauty routine in years!” – Jenny Hollander, Director of Content Strategy
“I’m a longtime fan of peptides and introducing a new pepti product (yes, I have nicknames for my faves) in my arsenal never gets old. Honestly, the thrill of slowly seeing and feeling my skin appear firmer and tauter gets me every time. This one is great for all skin types—dry, normal, combination, and even oily—and comes in recyclable packaging so you can do good, while feeling good.” – Deena Campbell, Beauty Director
“I've loved the Nudestix matte bronzer sticks forever, so these new matte blushes were an obvious choice. They come in five shades (all of which I'm currently testing) and provide high-impact color that's somehow blendable enough for even my most rushed mornings. I love the shades Nude Buff and Juicy Melons for a quick, flushed look.” – Julia Marzovilla, E-Commerce Writer
“I love this BIPOC-owned brand—all of their products are made with deep skin tones in mind. This cleanser in particular uses mandelic acid to gently exfoliate without stripping skin or aggravating post-acne hyperpigmentation. I have a feeling this cleanser is going to be my next go-to.” Gabrielle Ulubay, E-Commerce Writer
“If I told you the number of lipsticks I've tried over the course of my career, your head would spin. But regardless of the number of lippes I’ve sampled, my go-to formula is always matte. I’m all about high-impact with minimal maintenance; I’m not interested in applying a lip shade 50 times a day. Okay fine, fifty times a day sounds exuberant, but finding one that lasts at least 12 hours without reapplication is tough to find. Enter MAKE UP FOR EVER’s new Rouge Artist For Ever Matte. It’s lightweight and so comfy I forget it’s even there. And, I can get through breakfast and lunch without even thinking of a reapplication. Pro tip: use the slanted end to apply product from the outer corners of your upper lip towards the center. Fill in the lip and repeat on the bottom lip.” — DC
“Jennifer Aniston can do no wrong. Her hair brand, LolaVie, is easily my favorite celebrity-founded beauty line. I’ve been continuously restocking on the Detangling Primer and Conditioning Leave-In for months, but the newest addition to the lineup might just be the best of ‘em all. The coconut smell alone is enough to land this product on the list, but it also makes my hair look super shiny.” — SH
“I am nothing if not a Harry Styles fan, so I obviously love his brand, Pleasing, and their new 'Hot Holiday' summer collection. It includes two new body products plus the four new shades of biodegradable and 12-free nail polishes, one of which is named 'Nonna’s Sorbet,' which feels very on brand for me.” — JM
“This gloss comes in five bold, longwear shades, each of which are named after adjectives for confident, powerful women, (i.e., Feisty, Unapologetic, Purposeful, etc.). Their formula also incorporates Vitamin E, so you won't need to deal with dreaded lip dryness at the end of the day.” — GU
“In an effort to live my most low maintenance lifestyle this summer, I’ve been on the search for multi-purpose products. My best discovery as of late has been the body and face sunscreens from Humanrace. The body SPF is so nourishing that I’ve ditched my body moisturizer altogether, and the face SPF also delivers blue light protection. An added bonus? Both products leave no white cast behind.” — SH
“My biggest rosacea trigger is the heat, so you can imagine that my skin doesn’t get along too well with the summer. While not even a prescription can completely take away one of my flairs, this moisturizer has done wonders for my redness. With ingredients like centella asiatica extract and manuka honey, the product is able to calm down my inflammation and irritation. I won’t travel without it.” — SH
