Here at Cosmo UK, we never tire of beauty. Testing, swatching, spritzing, we are all in for finding you the best picks that are worthy of your coins. And actually, summer is the season we probably feel the most responsible for our beauty choices because, truthfully, the warmest months suck for our beauty standards. (Heck, we wrote an entire Summer Beauty Bible for you because we know summer beauty admin is a pain in the neck).
With the mad dash for SPF and navigating makeup that won’t break you out when you’re sweatier than usual, we see ourselves as your lighthouse for summer beauty buys when the market is supersaturated and hard to navigate.
So, with that being said, we tested hundreds of products in just shy of 70 categories across skin, hair, makeup and body that you need to consider for your next holiday, staycay, or if you’re just packing your essentials for a mammoth park hang. The products below wowed the Cosmo Beauty Team and have been in heavy rotation since we started testing.
Skincare
Cleanse, hydrate, treat, protect and repeat, with this summer skin line-up
Planes can be the biggest culprit for sandpaper skin, so save space in your carry-on for this, your skin’s ideal travel companion.
Not only does this formula leave your skin hydrated and glowy, the cooling tip is a welcome touch as the heat steps up.
Soothes redness and sun-induced irritation with 1% PGA (polyglutamic acid) and plant algae.
We love a hardworking product and this one delivers vit C over 12 hours, meaning that there’s zero irritation but aaallll of the glow.
Overdone the actives? ILIA can help! Overnight, slather on this rich formula and awake to hydrated, calmer and less red skin.
First, we’re in love with the sweet scent. But better still, even waterproof mascara doesn’t stand a chance against it.
Acne-prone, sensitive skin girlies listen up – this gentle foaming cleanser is the one. The oil-free formula helps minimise breakouts with pore-clearing salicylic acid.
Hyaluronic acid and primrose extracts hydrate and leave skin with a luminous glow, both over and under makeup. A quick fix with a quick spritz.
Heat rash or just hot summer skin, this mist instantly calms and helps prevent irritation with skin-soothing aloe vera.
The Ordinary Multi-Active Delivery Essence 100ml
Your skincare could work even harder. This liquid boosts skin’s hydration levels, making your next skincare steps penetrate deeper. So clever!
The combo of hyaluronic acid, ectoin, niacinamide and collagen gives this serum serious podium status. Brighten, plump and hydrate in a daily dose.
Charlotte Tilbury Dark Spot Correcting Radiance Recovery Serum
CT’s new serum helps fade the appearance of dark spots and discolouration.
Prevent the pain of sun- burned lips with this – it’s adorable, protective and moisturising, too.
Say hello to glossy, hydrated lips with this juicy offering. Glazed doughnut lipcare has never looked better!
Wake up tired peepers. The texture’s so dewy, you won’t believe your eyes! (Soz…)
This SPF melts in and is loaded with vitamin E and squalane.
Dynamite sun protection in a totally undetectable formula. You’ll be asking yourself where you put it straight after swiping on.
This formula proves that SPF can and should be worn every day. It’s good for all tones, lightweight and layerable.
Hair
Chlorine, sun damage, humidity... save your hair with these hot-weather heroes
This lil set is perfect for testing out the incredible Cécred line-up.
When the OG talks, we listen. This dry shampoo is Batiste at its best, but with a gentler formula to suit all.
Polyglutamic acid and squalane team up to fight your hair demons.
This delivers silky-smooth strands at a purse-friendly price.
Enjoy shiny strands with this oil. It gives glass-like hair that lasts for days, keeping frizz completely at bay.
Luxe? Absolutely. But luckily you can savour every drop, as a little of this light cream goes a very long way.
In this, a hard-working trio of botanical mango, kokum and shea butters repairs and rehydrates for a shine like no other.
When excessive washing kills your colour, this high- tech protectant revives and secures vibrancy.
Fuss-free, affordable products formulated with all-natural ingredients is the name of Q+A’s game, and this silicone-, SLS-free offering is no exception.
As JVN would say, ‘Honey, it’s giving healthy hair!’ A quick wash with this duo banishes summer hair damage.
This duo (free from SLS and silicones) rehydrates textured hair for soft and defined locks.
Rock & Ruddle The Blue and White Collection Small Hairbrush
In the market for a fail-safe, smoothing (and gorgeous) hairbrush? Look no further.
This lightweight, leave-in treatment calms an itchy scalp. Plus, its clever formula helps balance the skin’s pH for healthier hair growth.
This pre-shampoo scrub is the key to a refreshed scalp. Gently exfoliate excess oil or build-up with its detoxifying argan shell and tea tree blend.
Frizz has never been tamed more boldly than by a few spritzes of this shine spray, which also protects up to 230°C.
Chlorine and sunshine can strip hair of its glory. This treatment will correct things, fast.
Calling all fruity floral lovers. Gisou’s lavender, blackberry and sweet honey-infused hair perfume is where it’s at.
Wide plates = quicker styling = more time on the beach. Universal voltage means you won’t blow the power.
Makeup
These are the formulas that’ll be fighting for space in your liquids bag
When highlight meets blush, things get cheeky. Blendable, luminous and high pigment, this feels as good as it looks.
For a full face on the go, Morphe’s set has all the essentials for flawless application, in a hand-luggage-friendly size.
Forgo your foundation when the temps spike? This Huda find has you covered – literally – even when you feel like a sweaty mess.
This formula gives ‘just enough’ coverage for evening out skin.
A new high-coverage iteration of Collection’s concealer means: poof! Dark circles are gone!
In one swish, this bronzer delivers a glow. The eight colours are all highly pigmented.
A worthy opponent to streamy, hay-fever eyes – super pigmented and waterproof.
Glazed doughnut skin just met its match with this new stick illuminator. Glide on to your cheekbones, nose, brow bone and go!
Love at first swipe. This gem doesn’t smudge, flake or run – perfectly fluttery lashes every time.
Kiss-proof, transfer-proof and burger-proof (yep, we put it through its paces), this lip stain is the key to long-lasting summer makeup.
Is it a gloss? Is it a lipstick? Spoiler: it’s both. This non-sticky hybrid is nourishing and shimmery.
When the very best of an express face tan and bronzing drops combine, you’re met with this holiday glow in a bottle.
Lining your lips can often feel like a faff too far, makeup-wise. But this liner is creamy, blendable and stays put through sunset drinks.
If your makeup slides off quicker than you in a doughnut on a water slide, this will wow you.
This super-fine formula works harder than Kris Jenner – makeup looks freshly applied all day.
Mario has scooped best powder award, too. We’d like to thank him for reducing our oiliness.
Sad, droopy brows have no place in summer. Thankfully, this gel keeps them sitting pretty literally all day.
Body
Say it after us, ‘Skincare doesn’t stop at the neck.’ Now read on for our summer body care must-haves
We may not want to use thick butters come the summer but, sadly, dry skin still exists. CeraVe to the rescue with this rich but light-textured hydrator.
Nutrient-packed superfoods in this formula help shield and soothe skin for a noticeably smoother, brighter and more refined complexion.
The only thing better than being told you smell good is having smooth, baby-like skin. With this scrub, you can have both.
Palmer’s really popped off with this launch. The oil, which smells incredible, enhances your golden glow with little flecks of shimmer – you glow, girl!
This aluminium-free deo is the key to staying fresh from head to toe this summer – and all year round. Smelly ain’t in the Cosmo reader’s vocab.
If you remove your hair, you want it to be swift and as pain-free as poss. As waxes go, the process with this set ticks both boxes.
Transport yourself to the beaches of Rio, courtesy of SDJ, with this sumptuous shower oil. It cleanses but keeps skin super soft and smells delicious.
Sometimes you need a soap to slough off the sweatiness of summer, and this gentle bar gives a thorough clean without stripping skin.
Fruity and floral? Yes, please. This delicate apricot, sandalwood and bergamot blend is a magnet for compliments.
Another iteration of You we can’t get enough of. This is soft, floral and feminine. It’s You but in a summer garden in bloom.
After a day in the sun, apply this gentle lotion to calm hot summer skin.
Attract the Timmy to your Kylie with the warmth and sensuality of amber accord, complemented by pear, pink pepper and vanilla notes.
Non-sticky, softening and above all protective (even if you have a lil splash in the sea). Plus, the antioxidants help preserve the skin’s youth.
Does any scent scream ‘beach’ more than coconut water and a concoction of lime and mint? Didn’t think so.
Perfect for giving the skin a little glisten, enhancing the look of your glow as you protect. If you like fruity scents, you’ll love applying this.
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Keeks Reid is the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan UK. While she loves all things beauty, Keeks is a hair fanatic through and through. She started her career in beauty journalism in 2013 as editorial assistant at Blackhair and Hair magazines working her way to Acting Editor of Blackhair magazine at 23 years old. She spent much of her career working in trade hairdressing media at Hairdressers Journal, Salon International and the British Hairdressing Awards. Which is why she is a regular contributor to Cosmo's Curl Up franchise. Now, alongside her Cosmo work, she presents, creates content on social media and works with a range of beauty companies; from magazines and websites to beauty brands and salons.
Lia Mappoura (she/her) is the Beauty Writer at Cosmopolitan UK, with over four years of experience reporting across the brand's print, social, video and digital platforms. Lia covers everything from emerging trend analysis to viral celebrity hair and makeup moments, making her an expert at spotting the season’s next big beauty look (before it takes over social media feeds).
In 2025, she was named The Rising Media Star at the Love Perfume Awards with The Perfume Shop, recognised for her outstanding digital fragrance content and for building genuine authority within the space. She is passionate about challenging outdated beauty stereotypes, championing inclusive representation in beauty, and educating readers on the trends, products and conversations shaping the industry today. Follow her on Instagram or find her on LinkedIn.
Beauty Assistant Urmi works across Cosmopolitan, ELLE, Harper's Bazaar, Red and Prima.
She fell into the world of beauty following a Masters in Magazine Journalism, and has been knee-deep in maximalist makeup, seasonal nail trends, and skincare myth-busting ever since. Both in and outside the office, she is best recognised by her signature red hair and elaborate set of acrylics.
