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We’re nearing the dog days of summer, but beauty brands are showing no signs of sluggishness. In fact, July’s new beauty releases are downright refreshing, with launches ranging from icy-cold face masks to genius makeup application tools. Our WWD Shop editors are privy to these new releases, often conducting hands-on testing before the makeup, skin care, and hair tools officially make their way onto shelves. We’ve been evaluating July’s best beauty launches all month long to bring you this list of the latest and greatest finds to reinvigorate your routine.
July’s new makeup launches offer a sweat-free, stress-free approach to summer glam. Kosas, for one, debuted a gel eyeliner that’s so thin you don’t need to sharpen it — and has waterproof staying power for a spontaneous jump in the pool. Hourglass Cosmetics and Morphe released potent liquid blushes that you can tap on your cheeks, eyelids, and lips for a monochromatic makeup look. On the skin care front, we’re seeing plenty of problem-solving releases, like Clearstem’s acne-fighting face mist that prevents and treats breakouts while tamping down redness and Versed’s featherweight eye gel that delivers the hydration power of a heavy cream.
WWD Shop editors test and review July’s best beauty launches in our New York City office. Captured with the Leica Q3 Camera.
WWD/ Adam Mansuroglu
Our WWD Shop editors always have product testing on our weekly to-do lists. We examine everything from the packaging to the feel of the product and how it wears throughout the day, allowing us to write honest reviews on launches. This list of July’s best beauty products highlights the standouts from extensive testing — read on to hit refresh on your summer glam routine.
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Kosas Soulgazer Intensifying Waterproof Gel Eyeliner
A waterproof eyeliner may sound unforgiving — particularly for those who haven’t quite aced the perfect cat-eye flick. Kosas’ Soulgazer Gel Eyeliner, on the other hand, is impressively easy to apply. The pencil is thinner than your favorite lip liner and has a buttery-smooth glide, which makes fine-lining your lashes a breeze. Because it offers about 30 seconds of playtime before it sets, you can quickly smudge it for a smokey look or drag the outer corner of your liner up and out towards your brows for a soft flick. An included smudging tool and sharpener allow you to do just that without extra tools or cotton swabs for clean up.
Price upon publish date of this article: $24
Shani Darden Skin Care Mini Triple Acid Signature Peel
This Shani Darden facial peel is a product I swear by for acne, dullness, blackheads, and — believe it or not — dry skin. The two-step process starts with a tingly concoction of exfoliating acids that you leave on for just two minutes max, then follows up with a neutralizing clay mask that grabs gunk out of pores. This new travel-sized edition will be coming with me on beach vacations and destination weddings; there’s no better way to quickly give your skin a glow up.
Price upon publish date of this article: $39
Prada Paradoxe Virtual Flower Eau de Parfum
Prada may have worked with artificial intelligence to craft a perfect jasmine accord to the newest addition to its Paradoxe perfume family, but to me, it’s a perfume that reads comforting and unexpected rather than AI-generated. In addition to notes that are core to the classic Paradoxe perfume like amber-forward orange flower, there’s a touch of musk. I’ll be wearing it through summer’s last days and well into fall.
Price upon publish date of this article: $135
Versed Water Rush Hydrating Eye Gel
It’s the season to skip on the heavy creams and oily balms that feel thick and suffocating on even dry skin types. But for the sake of fine lines and dark circles, you don’t want to fully forgo eye cream. That’s where Versed’s Water Rush Hydrating Eye Gel saves the day: This gel is impossibly lightweight for the moisture it delivers. I find that a pea-size amount is plenty to cover both of my eyes, and I award it bonus points for its ability to create the a crease-free canvas for concealer.
Price upon publish date of this article: $12.99
By Rosie Jane Missy Everyday Body Oil
An already-luxurious body oil got an upgrade this July. By Rosie Jane’s Body Oils are WWD Shop editor-loved for their simple ingredient list of plant oils and never-greasy finish. Now the Everyday Body Oil is available in the brand’s uplifting Missy scent, which wafts notes of coconut, green mandarin, and pineapple. It’s deliciously sweet but not cloyingly so.
Price upon publish date of this article: $42
Nécessaire The Body Vitamin C Radiance Serum
Summer sun exposure leaves us with freckles on our faces — and our arms, legs, and chest. Nécessaire’s new Vitamin C Radiance Serum arrives right on time to resolve those concerns with a wallop of antioxidants that brighten skin tone and help to fade dark spots. After testing it for a few weeks, my legs feel smoother and look more radiant. It also layers well under body lotions and oils, never feeling greasy or slick.
Price upon publish date of this article: $55
Hourglass Unreal Liquid Blush
If it seems like every other beauty brand has a new liquid blush launch this summer, you’re not wrong. But Hourglass’ Unreal Liquid Blush formula is a standout in the crowded category for its highly-pigmented shades that only require two drops to enliven your cheeks (hello, value!). I love how easy it melts into skin, plus the tightly-edited shade range. For best effect, apply it with the brand’s new blush brush.
Price upon publish date of this article: $36
Irene Forte Pistachio Body Oil
Irene Forte is a longtime favorite of WWD Shop editors for its rich, sensorial formulas that draw on natural ingredients. This new body oil isn’t just hydrating; it also helps to encourage skin cell renewal for brighter, bouncier skin. It’s full of antioxidants and omega fatty acids that give dry skin just what it needs after a summer spent lounging by the beach or spending hours on arid airplanes.
Price upon publish date of this article: $165
Dae Cactus Fruit 3-In-1 Styling Cream + Taming Wand
Dae’s Cactus Fruit 3-in-1 Styling Cream is one of Sephora’s bestselling hair styling products for its frizz-taming, split-end sealing benefits. It’s newly available in a wand format that I’ve been using daily for weeks — this is a must-have tool for taming flyaways, perfecting your slicked-back bun, and touching up frazzled ends. It’s also become a go-to for vacations; on top of touch ups, I’ll also squeeze out a pea size amount of the formula for a blowout prep.
Price upon publish date of this article: $18
Skinceuticals P-Tiox Peptide Serum
Skinceuticals may have just packaged up the skin-smoothing effects of Botox in a bottle. The brand’s newest anti-aging serum is created with a slew of peptides plus niacinamide and poly hydroxy acids that work together to smooth existing fine lines. According to the brand, the wrinkle-fighting benefits are in full effect after 12 weeks of use, but I’m happy to report that I’m one step closer to my glass skin goals after two weeks of applying it daily.
Price upon publish date of this article: $148
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Stix High-Shine Gloss Stick
Rihanna soft-launched this new lip gloss stick during a recent outing in New York City. Her go-to shade is the dusty rose Is It Fu$$y; mine is the hot pink High’Biscus. The formula goes on like a tinted lip balm with the high-wattage shine of your favorite lip gloss.
Price upon publish date of this article: $25
Coola Dew Good Illuminating Body Melt Lotion
Body sunscreens may seem like an afterthought in your everyday skin care routine, but rest assured that they won’t be when you get your hands on Coola’s Dew Good Illuminating Body Melt Lotion. This mineral sunscreen does the impossible — it brightens and hydrates your skin without a white cast or greasy residue. I love that it has a very subtle shimmer to it that makes my limbs look radiant, too.
Price upon publish date of this article: $42
Vitamasques Vegan “Snail Mucin” Plant Serum
File this as a first. Vitamasques debuted a vegan take on the ultra-popular snail mucin serums that celebs reach for when they want calmer, bouncier skin. Rather than the animal-derived ingredient, Vitamasques employs a bevy of vegan ingredients like glycolic acid, amino acids, allantoin, and betaine for a similar effect. Tap it onto clean skin for a boost of moisture with long-term benefits in your skin texture and elasticity.
Price upon publish date of this article: $19.99
Morphe Hot Shot Blush Drops
Morphe may have a reputation for excellent eyeshadow palettes, however the brand’s newest launch shows major prowess in the cheek department. The Hot Shot Blush Drops go on sheerer than traditional liquid blushes, allowing me to build it up from barely-there to statement-level intensity. I’m impressed by how beautifully it diffuses on my skin given the price point; you could apply it with a brush or tap it on with your fingertips and get the same seamless result.
Price upon publish date of this article: $14
Rms x Heretic: Scarlet Moon Fragrance
For Rms Beauty’s first-ever fragrance collaboration, the clean beauty line teamed up with Heretic on a juicy citrus perfume. Scarlet Moon has notes of blood orange and Italian mandarin when you first mist it on, settling down into a warmer scent with cedar leaf and Hinoki wood at the base. Refreshing and grounded, it’s my new favorite for summer date nights.
Price upon publish date of this article: $150
The Outset Cool Cream Smoothing Mask With Electric Daisy
Cooling beauty products are trending this season, and the Outset’s new face mask brings the chill with its new Cool Cream Smoothing Mask. The key ingredient in the cream is electric daisy, which provides a tingling sensation while helping to smooth out rough texture on the surface of your skin. I love using this first thing in the morning after a bad night of sleep to bring some life back to my face: The initial cooling sensation feels great, but it’s the glow and skin-softening result that keeps me coming back.
Price upon publish date of this article: $44
Clearstem Skinspray All Day
Hypochlorous acid is a trending ingredient that soothes redness and fights acne in a flash, courtesy of its anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties. Clearstem’s Skinspray All Day delivers the ingredient in an ultra-fine mist that’s become my favorite first step in my skin care routine, as well as post-workout refresher to clear my skin. Best of all, it hasn’t irritated my sensitive skin like some strong acne spot treatments tend to do.
Price upon publish date of this article: $38
Skkn by Kim Nude Lip Gloss
Kim Kardashian practically invented the modern-day nude lip, so we ran to try her line’s nude lip gloss collection when it launched this summer. The shade range covers every skin tone under the sun, with options that flatter fair to ebony skin tones. I was expecting a sheer gloss with a hint of color, but these lip glosses go on more like a liquid lipstick. That’s alright, though, considering that the shades are so carefully color-balanced that you don’t have to worry about getting a perfect match for your skin tone.
Price upon publish date of this article: $25
Real Techniques Makeup Saver Sponge
Why spend your precious pennies on a luxury foundation only for your makeup sponge to soak up the formula? Real Techniques has a solution. The Makeup Saver Sponge features two planes of material that transfer your liquid and cream products onto your skin without soaking them up, and you can easily wipe down the surface when you’re done.
Price upon publish date of this article: $8.99
Benefit The Porefessional Matte Primer
Those with oily and acne-prone skin know that makeup primers can be hit or miss, sometimes exacerbating breakouts rather than helping to conceal them. Benefit’s Porefessional Matte Primer, on the other hand, has a weightless, silky feel to it that won’t feel suffocating on your skin. I love that it also includes ingredients like niacinamide that work to brighten my skin in the long run.
Price upon publish date of this article: $35
Brochu Walker Morning Light Perfume
Brochu Walker’s Morning Light perfume transports you to a lavender field by the sea. This airy fragrance has notes of the plant plus energizing bergamot and cardamom. It’s a perfume that feels summery in a sophisticated way; try layering it with your favorite single-note floral for a custom scent.
Price upon publish date of this article: $98
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Meet the Author
Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD, where she writes and edits beauty, fashion and lifestyle stories. She has over six years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She keeps her finger on the pulse of all things related to beauty and wellness, as well as the latest shopping trends and clothing brands. Sullivan reports on beauty launches from leading brands on a daily basis, and personally tested each product that made our list of July’s best beauty launches.
Source: Shop – wwd.com
