The Beauty Ed®’s Note: For those new to The Beauty Ed® you may not know that I mentor high school and university students and up-and-coming journalists for my mentorship program THE LAB. This is something that has become very important to me, especially in this era of AI and algorithms full of #ads, and the lovely Gia was one of my first mentees. As you will read, her writing is beautiful - so fluent and warm - not to mention honest and thoughtful. Gia is a beauty obsessive and honestly, knows her stuff! Her product recommendations come from a genuine place - she is always so honest in her reviews, not to mention thorough, and as always, I loved reading this article and I know you will get so much from it too. Thanks Gia ♡
I spent spring-summer in Italy, then came back to London briefly, packed up again, and headed to America. Somewhere between the airports, unpacking and repacking, I realised I had accumulated a rather good collection of products I used almost every day. So, after being a little MIA from The Beauty Ed®, I thought what better way to return than with a proper summer beauty edit?
These aren’t products I have simply had sitting on my shelf. Some were kindly sent to me as PR, others I bought myself, and none of this piece is sponsored. I have used all of them properly & all opinions are my own.
I am also quite particular about what I recommend. I don’t think something is automatically brilliant because it is expensive or trending on TikTok. I want to know what it is actually like to use, particularly when you’re travelling, dealing with summer heat, washing your hair more often, wearing less makeup and generally asking your beauty products to do a little more.
So these are my favourite summer beauty products from skincare and body care to hair, fragrance and the pimple patches that came with me on a ten-hour flight.
1.Tatcha The Melting Lip Balm (£27): The Summer Lip Balm I Couldn’t Stop Reapplying
I am very loyal to Tatcha. Their moisturisers have been favourites of mine for a long time, so I was always going to be interested when The Melting Lip Balm launched.
I had actually first spotted it on Troye Sivan and Sarah Pidgeon at the Vanity Fair after-party in March’ 26, which immediately put it on my radar. I was then very happy to finally try it properly this summer.
(Troye Sivan wearing ‘The Melting Lip Balm’)
It comes in four sheer shades: Papuru, Moka, Reddo and Pinku.
It is very glossy, but not sticky, which is probably my favourite thing about it. It gives that glass-like finish to the lips without feeling as though you have covered them in a layer of thick gloss. The application is also incredibly smooth, and the formula feels really moisturising.
I wore it on days when I wasn’t wearing much makeup, by the pool and over lipstick when I was getting ready in the evening. It has been one of those products that keeps finding its way back into my handbag.
The formula contains Japanese tamanu oil, and I really like the softness it gives the lips.
My favourite shade is Moka because I tend to gravitate towards nude and slightly brown-toned lip products, so this was always going to be the one for me!
My only criticism is the staying power. When I wore it on its own, I found that I needed to reapply fairly regularly. It isn’t a deal-breaker for me; I actually don’t mind reapplying a balm but it is worth knowing if you are looking for a lip product that will last through an entire meal.
2.Sol de Janeiro Badalada Body Lotion (£26): The Lightweight Body Lotion I Used Every Day
I have tried quite a lot from Sol de Janeiro, so I was particularly interested in the new Badalada Body Lotions.
There are three permanent versions: Cheirosa 62 for shimmer, Cheirosa 48 for refreshing hydration and Cheirosa 39 for soothing hydration.
My favourite was Cheirosa 48, and I have been using it every day.
My skin tends to be dry, and travelling doesn’t exactly help. Between flights, air conditioning and being in a much hotter climate, I wanted something that would give me proper hydration without feeling heavy.
The texture was the first thing I noticed.
It is much lighter than a traditional body lotion and has this lovely water-gel consistency that sinks into the skin very quickly. I particularly like that in summer because the last thing I want after a shower is to apply something thick and then immediately feel as though my clothes are sticking to me.
Cheirosa 48 contains star fruit and multi-glycerin, and my skin felt noticeably softer after using it.
It smells incredibly fresh to me. I am quite sensitive to very strong body products in hot weather, so I appreciated that this was noticeably tropical and fresh without feeling suffocating.
The pink packaging is also very cute, but it is the formula that has kept this in my routine.
3.Gustav Fouche Fabulosity ‘Hottie’ (£32): My New Favourite Heat Protectant
I take my haircare quite seriously, largely because I spent so many years doing the exact opposite.
My hair is naturally wavy-curly, prone to frizz and naturally quite dry, so after years of heat styling and experimenting with my hair, I am much more conscious now about what I put on it before reaching for a hairdryer or straighteners.
I was kindly sent ‘Hottie’ by Gustav Fouche, which costs £32, and I was curious to see whether it could justify the price.
It promises heat protection up to 230°C, as well as pollution defence, frizz reduction, shine enhancement, colour protection and reduced breakage.
The first thing I noticed was the scent.
It has that fresh, slightly tropical salon scent that makes your hair smell as though you have just walked out of a really good hair appointment. I am ridiculously fussy about the fragrance of hair products, and this is probably one of my favourites!
More importantly, it doesn’t leave my hair sticky.
This is one of my biggest complaints with the overwhelming majority of heat protectants on the market. I have used plenty that leave my hair feeling coated and slightly grimy after styling, which then makes me want to wash it again. ‘Hottie’ didn’t do that.
I noticed the shine almost immediately. My hair looked glossy before I had even added my usual hair oil, which is usually the step that gives me that final polished finish.
For someone with naturally frizzy hair who still enjoys heat styling, this is one I would genuinely recommend.
4.Sol de Janeiro’s New Limited Edition: Leite Néctar Perfume (£25)
I have always associated summer with lighter, sweeter fragrances, and this year I became particularly obsessed with fruity gourmand scents.
Sol de Janeiro Leite Néctar Perfume Mist came with me to America and quickly became the fragrance I used the most.
It is inspired by a Brazilian peach dessert and combines peach, coconut milk and sweet cream. It is undeniably sweet, but I don’t find it sickly, which is where a lot of gourmand fragrances can lose me.
Sol de Janeiro also released Leite Café, inspired by Brazilian coffee. I actually found that one much heavier and slightly too sweet for my personal taste, so I kept to Leite Néctar instead.
I wore it throughout my holiday and particularly liked it during the day when I wanted something easy to reapply.
It is very much a summer holiday perfume mist rather than the fragrance I would reach for in winter, but that is precisely why I enjoyed it.
5.Pimple Patches (£12): The Travel Essential
I wasn’t expecting more pimple patches to make it into my summer beauty edit, but here we are.
I bought the grace & stella hydrocolloid pimple patches shortly before travelling because I had just run out of my limited-edition Rhode ones.
They come in three shapes: a lilac flower, pink heart and blue cloud, and contain tea tree and salicylic acid.
I have had to become much more comfortable with acne over the last few years. I didn’t grow up with acne, so dealing with breakouts as an adult was something I found surprisingly difficult at first.
I actually think pimple patches have made the whole experience a little easier.
I tested these properly while travelling, including on a ten-hour flight, by the pool and overnight.
Two stayed on throughout the flight, while the cloud-shaped one started peeling slightly at the corner. The pink heart was definitely the strongest in terms of staying in place.
I also noticed that the patches helped to flatten my spots and draw out some of the gunk. I would give them a solid 4/5.
The one thing I would mention is that the different shapes didn’t all perform exactly the same. The cloud patch peeled more easily, although that could have been because of where I had placed it; on my chin, where there was naturally more movement from eating and talking.
I ended up giving some to my sister, too. She had never used pimple patches before and actually preferred the clear versions from grace & stella because she likes her skincare to be much more discreet.
The Summer Beauty Verdict:
The Tatcha lip balm is permanently in my beauty pouch. The SDJ lotion has become part of my everyday routine. Hottie is what I reach for whenever I am heat styling. Leite Néctar has followed me around America. And there is currently a small collection of pastel pimple patches living in my bathroom.
I don’t want to recommend something simply because it is new or because everyone else is talking about it. I want to be able to tell you how I actually used it, what I liked, what I didn’t and whether I would buy it again.
So, after a rather long summer away, these are the products that have genuinely made the cut.
And yes, I am very happy to be back!
Let us know what products you’d like me to review next in the comments!
-G xoxo
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