Summer is the season when I like to have as much fun with my beauty routine as possible. There’s no other time when it’s as socially acceptable to wear bright pink blush, colorful eyeshadow, or graphic eyeliner than the hot-weather months. It’s like all of my favorite brands read my mind because July’s best new beauty products are nothing short of joyful.
A ton of fresh and fun makeup products crossed my desk this month that have found permanent spots in my summer beauty routine. There’s the innovative Victoria Beckham Beauty Colour Wash, a watery liquid blush that delivers a buildable flush of color with all-day wear. Then there’s Sarah Creal’s No Further Questions Lip Gloss, which makes me feel like a bona fide It girl with its pretty shiny finish. Meanwhile, my go-to eye makeup got a major upgrade with new easy-to-use eyeshadows and mascaras.
It’s safe to say that July was a big month in the makeup department, but I’d be remiss not to mention the other products that impressed me and the rest of the Marie Claire team. For the full lowdown on every new beauty product MC editors tested and love this month, keep scrolling.
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Best New Mascara Overall
Kosas
Soulgazer Lengthening Mascara + Lash Serum in 1 for Sensitive Eyes
“Not only are my eyes sensitive, but I have pin-straight, short lashes, which means I need to be picky with my mascara. This one, however, checks all my boxes and then some. In just a few swipes, it adds a great amount of length and definition, and the curl lasts all day long. It gets major bonus points for its peptide-packed formula, which works to visibly lengthen natural lashes. While I haven’t used it long enough to notice a difference just yet, this formula has made its way into my daily routine, so I’m excited to see my results in a couple more weeks.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Brooke Knappenberger tests Kosas Soulgazer Mascara.
(Image credit: Brooke Knappenberger)
Best New Hair Tool
Dyson
Airwrap Co-Anda2x™ Multi-Styler and Dryer – Straight+wavy
“I’ll always be a diehard Dyson fan, and it’s thanks to the brand’s constant innovations like this. They continue to one-up themselves with every new release, and the Dyson Airwrap Co-Anda2x is no different. This new-and-improved Airwrap is incredibly powerful—as in, dries-your-hair-in-five-minutes powerful. The intense airflow has also made a world of difference in the longevity of my Airwrap curls. Dyson, you’ve done it again!” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Brooke Knappenberger tests the Dyson Airwrap Co-Anda 2x.
(Image credit: Brooke Knappenberger)
Best New Eyeshadow Stick
Danessa Myricks Beauty
Colorfix Stix – Multi-Use Pearl Pigment Stick for Eye, Cheek & Lip
“These new Colorfix Stix are yet another reason why Danessa Myricks Beauty continues to remain one of my favorite brands. They take the brand’s hero Colorfix liquid formula and turn them into creams, with each stick containing a complementary foil and metallic formula. Like the original formula, these deliver incredible color payoff on the eye and once they’re set, they don’t budge. Another hit from the land of Danessa Myricks!” — Ariel Baker, Beauty Writer
Best New Serum
Drunk Elephant
Amino Rain™ Glasswater Serum
“I always thought it would take a lot of work to achieve glass skin, but Drunk Elephant made it possible in one step with this serum. It delivers long-lasting hydration with four types of hyaluronic acid, amino acids, and peptides, but its real magic lies in its opalescent formula. It contains the barest hint of shimmer for skin that’s reflective like glass.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Post-Hair Removal Product
Fur
Flash Repair Jelly
“No matter how carefully I shave (and despite using the best shaving creams!) I always end up with bumps and irritated skin. Thankfully, this gel solved my shaving woes. It’s powered by hypochlorous acid to soothe redness and heal ingrown hairs and bumps. I applied it one night on a particularly bad case of bikini rash, and I woke up to it nearly gone.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Cream Blush
Summer Fridays
Blush Butter Balm Hydrating Cream Blush With Peptides
“I’m a huge sucker for blush, especially creamy formulas. Summer Fridays’ official entry into the category is a hit in my book for its buttery, hydrating formula. It’s so creamy that I can simply use my finger to blend the pigment out on my cheeks—the final result is a pretty flush of color that’s natural-looking and so glowy.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Lip Oil
Charlotte Tilbury
Unreal Lips Healthy Glow Nectar Oil
“I know there’s been plenty of lip balms and oils launched over the last few months, but Charlotte Tilbury’s formula has made me excited for them again. This tube contains an ultra-juicy oil that leaves my lips looking noticeably plumper and shiny. The Pink Watermelon shade provides a pretty pink wash of color and tastes absolutely delicious, too.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Liquid Eyeshadow
MAKEUP BY MARIO
Master Mattes® Long-Wearing Cream Eyeshadow
“I’m a bit hopeless when it comes to eyeshadow, so I rely on easy-to-use liquid formulas. This new launch takes the cake for the smoothest, most long-lasting liquid eyeshadow I’ve tried. It feels like butter on the skin with a creamy texture and intense color payoff. You only need a tiny dab to blend out and cover the eyelid, and once it’s set, it’s not budging.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Sunscreen
Beauty of Joseon
Day Dew Sunscreen Lightweight SPF 50
“When news broke that my holy grail Korean sunscreen was no longer able to ship to the U.S. (darn you, FDA regulations!) I was devastated. I thought my life would be a never-ending search for a decent replacement, but alas, Beauty of Joseon came through with a formula that’s nearly as good. This one, which uses US-approved sunscreen filters, has a non-greasy, moisturizing feel and dewy finish. While it has a sunscreen-y smell where the original didn’t, it still ranks far above plenty of sunscreens I’ve tried in the past.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Brown Mascara
Colorescience
Total Lash® Serum Mascara
“As I mentioned before, I have strict standards for mascara, and Colorescience’s formula passes them with flying colors. I used the black formula until the wand completely dried out—it’s that good. It’s a great tubing mascara that adds definition and length to my lashes, plus it doubles as an eyelash growth serum that provides major results. Now I’m using the brown shade for a more subtle, everyday look—I’m just as obsessed.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Lip Gloss
Sarah Creal
No Further Questions High Glide Peptide Lip Gloss
“Lip glosses can be a hit or a miss for me—some are sticky and goopy while others are grainy. I’m happy to report Sarah Creal’s new lip gloss is none of those things. Instead, it has a silky smooth feel that leaves my lips feeling hydrated for hours after application. I’m a big fan of the shade Calm Down, too—dare I say, it’s the perfect pink lip gloss for fair skin?” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Cheek Stain
Victoria Beckham Beauty
Colour Wash
“Victoria Beckham can do no wrong in my eyes. Just like all of her products, Colour Wash is as innovative and luxe as can be. Instead of a liquid blush, consider it more of a cheek stain that sinks into your skin for a long-lasting flush of color. Its unique watery texture is unlike anything else on the market, as is its impressive longevity for a blush—color me impressed. Senior Beauty Editor Samantha Holender agrees, stating in her blush review that, ‘I’ve never experienced a product that stains the skin so seamlessly, remains workable for just enough time, and melts into the face with such an invisible texture that it looks like an extension of my own, natural color’.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Powder Blush
ILIA
Soft Focus Blurring Blush
“Powder blushes don’t tend to last long on my skin, which is why I tend to use them as a topper rather than on their own. For the sake of a fair review, however, this was the only blush I used one day, and boy, did it blow me away. This compact packs a ton of pigment, so you only need one swipe along your cheekbones for a pretty pop of color. It also delivers a pretty blurring effect and the color lasts all day long.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Eyeliner
Sacheu
Long Wear Liquid Eyeliner STAY-N
“To know me is to know my love of winged eyeliner—I wear it every time I wear makeup. I prefer liquid eyeliner to achieve the look, too, and dare I say this pick has changed the game for me? For starters, I love the warm-toned brown shade for a more natural look. It’s its innovative tip, however, that’s the real star of the show. Its ultra-thin tip is flexible, allowing you to achieve your desired angle for ultra-sharp lines. Now I have even, straight wings every single time I do my makeup.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Eye Cream
Estée Lauder
Advanced Night Repair Eye Lift + Sculpt Eye Cream
“I’m sure you know and love Estée Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair serum (it’s a favorite of Marie Claire Beauty Director, Hannah Baxter), well, the brand turned its attention to the eye area to give the same firming results. This eye cream uses a patented peptide technology to transform four major areas of the eye: the lid, inner corner, crow’s-feet, and undereye. The result is smoother, more lifted eyes in as little as four weeks.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
Best New Lip Balm
Prada
Prada Balm – Banana Yellow
“I’m obsessed with this new Prada balm, made viral by Sabrina Carpenter and heralded by editors at the Marie Claire International conference this summer. It has a fun banana-y scent, feels light and effortless on the lips, and leaves behind a golden, summery shimmer.” — Jenny Hollander, Digital Director
Best New Body Mist
By Rosie Jane
Bday Suit Body + Hair Mist
“You don’t need me to tell you that body mists are having a major moment this summer. Out of the launches this month, By Rosie Jane’s Birthday Suit left me the most impressed. It’s a light scent that’s full of juicy apple and tangerine water. With its fruity freshness, it makes for the perfect summer body mist to spray on extra hot days.” — Brooke Knappenberger, Associate Commerce Editor
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For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.
How We Tested
Our team of editors receive hundreds of new beauty launches every month, which we personally test and evaluate based on wear, effectiveness, and formula. We only chose products to include on this list that we would personally recommend.
