The impending return of the pumpkin spice latte might signal that we’re entering the final stretch of summer, but the season isn’t over just yet. There’s still plenty of time to book a last-minute Euro trip, organize an afternoon at the beach, and sip happy hour spritzes on a sun-soaked rooftop patio. Another sign that you should live in the moment? August 2026’s best new beauty products are formulated with hot, sunny days in mind.
Yes, this month’s skin care, makeup, hair care, and body care launches will ease any late-summer struggles. There’s Neutrogena’s hyaluronic acid eye patches to help fake looking like you slept on your flight to Mallorca. Speaking of travel, L’Oréal’s cushion compact is TSA-friendly, and NARS’ lengthening and volumizing mascara is smudge-proof for afternoons spent at Spanish beach clubs. For hair, Chris McMillan has created a non-stripping clarifying shampoo that’s great for getting saltwater and chlorine buildup out of your strands, while Ghd’s latest flat iron is equipped with technology that prevents heat damage — a game-changing feature when your hair is dry and brittle from swimming, sun exposure, and styling with hot tools.
Below, a complete rundown of August’s most exciting beauty launches.
August 2026 Skin Care Launches
Best New Eye Patches
Have travel plans this month? Stash these eye patches in your plane bag so you look refreshed and awake coming off a long-haul flight. They’re infused with hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and caffeine to hydrate, plump, and brighten the under eyes.
Best New Face Oil
This lightweight gel-oil is your first line of defense against visible signs of skin aging, such as uneven texture, dullness, loss of firmness, and enlarged pores. It works best as part of your nighttime routine when skin is in renewal mode.
Best New Eye Treatment
PDRN is the skin care equivalent of the current protein craze in food – it’s being added to every product. If the concept of slathering a salmon sperm-infused cream on your face weirds you out, you can still reap the ingredient’s smoothing, firming, and hydrating benefits with The Ordinary’s latest launch. This eye cream is made with a microbial-derived vegan alternative to fish PDRN and also contains folic acid to help address fine lines, wrinkles, and dryness.
Best New Cleanser
Thanks to a luxurious mix of royal jelly, honey extract, propolis, cocoa extract, willow bark, green tea, and sugarcane extract, this gentle cleanser leaves skin refreshed and radiant.
August 2026 Makeup Launches
Best New Cushion Foundation
This K-beauty cushion compact offers soft matte medium coverage with a blurring effect that rivals a beauty filter. What’s more, it’s travel-friendly and comes with a puff applicator for easy touchups.
Best New Shimmer Eyeshadow
While 2016 matte makeup might be having a moment, a little sparkle will never go out of style. That’s why Makeup By Mario has come out with shimmer shades of its beloved long-wear cream eyeshadow.
Best New Blurring Foundation
Packed with an all-star blend of skin care ingredients — including exosomes, peptides, and antioxidants — Westman Atelier’s first liquid foundation works to brighten and firm skin while providing medium coverage with a natural finish.
Best New Do-It-All Mascara
This smudge-resistant mascara lifts, lengthens, and volumizes lashes in a single coat. And if you’re Team Brown Mascara, it comes in a rich chocolate brown hue, too.
Best New Full Coverage Foundation
Don’t get thrown off by the name of Drunk Elephant’s first foundation. It offers full coverage that blends seamlessly, thanks to skin care ingredients like peptides and antioxidants. If you prefer lighter coverage, add a few drops to your go-to moisturizer for more of a tint.
Best New Sculpting Stick
Available in sculpting and highlighting shades, use these slim, creamy sculpting sticks to define and enhance your favorite features.
Best New Liquid Lipstick
Complete your glowy summer makeup looks with these glitter liquid lipsticks. The high-pigment formula has staying power, but feels light and non-drying on the lips.
August 2026 Hair Care Launches
Best New Flat Iron
Powered by proprietary AI, Ghd’s Sculpt styler continuously monitors hair temperature, when the hair is loaded between the plates, how much hair is added, and how fast the tool is moving through each tress. The result is smoother, shinier strands or long-lasting curls.
Best New Clarifying Shampoo
This detox shampoo by celebrity hairstylist Chris McMillan acts as a reset for the scalp and hair by removing excess buildup, stimulating the scalp, and balancing oil production with a blend of niacinamide, peppermint oil, and sodium sulfonate.
Best New Styling Primer
Just like doing makeup, the key to a long-lasting hairstyle is a primer. This one from Bumble and bumble is made specifically for those with an oily scalp and hair and/or fine strands. The seaweed keeps hair nourished without weighing it down, and royal sugar kelp and zinc PCA help control excess oil.
Best New Blowout Brush
If you struggle with at-home blowouts, this multitasking brush makes achieving salon-level volume and shine nearly effortless. It has 360° airflow, infrared technology, and a tourmaline-infused ceramic barrel so you’re drying and styling your hair all at once.
Best New Filtered Showerhead
Maintaining your hair color between root touchup sessions shouldn’t stop at the products you use. Minerals in your water can also lead to fading, which is where Sans’ Filtered Showerhead comes in. The filter system reduces chlorine, chloramine, and odor so hair stays vibrant and feels less brittle, and it’ll help prevent skin dryness, too. You can choose between modes: rain for softer water fall and jet for a more targeted spray.
August 2026 Body Care Launches
Best New Body Balm
Summer Fridays is tapping into the pistachio fragrance trend with this scent from its debut body care collection. The rich body balm leaves skin soft and smooth (not greasy!) and smells like your favorite gelato flavor.
Best New Body Lotion
Despite its lightweight, non-sticky texture, this body lotion delivers the deep hydration and barrier-strengthening benefits of a thick cream. In other words, it’s perfect for hot late summer days.
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