"While everyone I know has been using their time at home to shop ‘til they drop, I haven’t really had the motivation. Some family financial troubles coupled with some minor anxiety about having a thousand packages delivered to my family home has pushed me to be a little more selective with my purchases. But as things are slooooooowly headed in a better direction (and going back to my apartment where my mom doesn’t ask me to detail every purchase I make), I’m allowing myself to pick up a few new things here and there. And LOL, what else would I buy other than beauty products?
Plus, you can pick them up at your local CVS right now!
I love the easy, breezy, light coverage beauty of summertime, but I rarely achieve it by using fewer products. Rather, I choose items specifically to target what I want, from dewy cheeks to beachy hair to soft, glowy skin.
From just-launched items to new-to-me products to a re-up on my summer faves, here’s what it’s in my cart at Sephora, Target, and Violet Grey for summer (and just overall life, you know).
Buying a new fragrance online sounds absolutely deranged, but it’s called “Beach” for crying out loud—can you blame me?! Don’t get your panties in a bunch though because I have smelled it before, and it is divine. It’s a quintessential summer fragrance, filled with notes of jasmine, sea spray, and mandarin—not like I know what that even really means. To me, it just smells like a vacation at the beach, except a little more sophisticated than your typical “Beach” body spray from eighth grade. I’ve wanted to pick this up forever, and this summer might just be the time.
I own the shade “Golden Hour” in this already, but I’m itching to pick up all the shades. This cream blush isn’t sheer, but it’s also not too pigmented either. I love cream blush right now because it blends in so much easier than a powder for me. This one keeps going in and out of stock, so you know it has to be good. I’m excited to grab “Magic Hour” next!
I consider picking this up every time I merely walk past a Sephora store, but I’ve been waiting because I knew it would make the perfect summer shampoo to complement beachy waves. Consider this product the shampoo version of a texturizing spray. Wash your hair with this, skip conditioner, and let your hair air-dry—your hair will have that grit and texture you love on second-day hair without all the oil buildup at the root. This product is practically made for fine-haired people like myself—finally getting the love we deserve.
Another product that keeps going out of stock, Kosas’s first bronzer has captured my heart. Based on the swatches, it seems like a satin-finish, meaning it won’t make my face overly-glowy (because I also like a shimmery blush and highlight), but it also won’t look flat. I love a bronzer that just looks like my skin has a natural tan, and this looks to be it. I’m not sure where to go in the shade department (light seems a little too light for my liking, but medium seems possibly too deep), so I might wait to see this in person (but IDK if I can wait that long, y’all).
Ever since I tried the Tinted Face Oil Foundation from Kosas (which I ~highly~ recommend for any person with dry skin this summer), I’m longing for every product in their line. After I grab the bronzer, this will be my next pick. Apply it onto your eyelids with the doefoot applicator, and you get 10 seconds to move the product around, and after that, it sets in place all day. I swatched a few a few months ago, and they’re not kidding—I had to wait until I got home to remove them with an oil-based makeup remover. They have bright colors, as well as some neutral options for every day. I, obviously, will be grabbing the lavender shade—so dreamy.
When I like a brand, I basically want to buy out their entire stock! This newly-launched scalp cleansing oil is like a dream come true. I’ve been oil cleansing my scalp with a natural oil (usually jojoba) for almost an entire year now, patiently waiting for a product like this to launch. The cap looks like it will make it really easy to put the oil straight onto your scalp and massage into your hair. My jojoba oil works fine, but since this is specifically made for hair, I think I’ll love it just a bit more.
I am OBSESSED with the smell of Banana Boat tanning oil, but ya know, I’m an adult now, so I have to get real sunscreen that actually protects my skin. This has a coconut scent, which I’m hoping will tide me over for the summer while I dream of beaches and vacations and sundresses. I love that it's a spray, because I mean who can really be bothered to slather sunscreen on their whole body? As much as I love my EltaMD sunscreen, I’m not to the point of convincing myself to splurge on a body sunscreen, especially when this one has tons of positive reviews that say it feels like nothing and really protects from sunburn.
What’s summer without a new highlighter? This one from Revlon has rave reviews, some comparing it to expensive high-end highlighters I never got a chance to pick up (I’m talking about ABH Amrezy here, people). Revlon has been killing it in the last year with their new releases (the Candid line is tres magnifique), so I’m excited to support a brand I swore by when I first started wearing makeup again. Also, the prices, man—you can’t beat ‘em.
A thick body butter is a must in summer. The sun, warm weather, and A/Cs on high can really dry out your skin, and who doesn’t want soft, supple skin to complement their summer glow? Pineapple and mango sounds like everything I want to smell like right now, and this has great reviews. I also love that it comes in a squeeze bottle instead of a pot that you scoop out; it makes the product a lot easier to use and more sanitary.
I’ve already expressed how much I live and breathe the "OG Jergens Wet Skin Moisturizer,
so I want to pick this up for summer. I use a self-tanner (also from Target!) already, but I read something somewhere (a phrase I say quite often) about using this to prolong your tan in your shower. GENIUS, people!!! The darkest shade is medium/tan, which frustrates me a lot, but I’m hoping since it’s a light coverage it will work for a lot of skin tones.
Oh, beautiful Chanel. I have a love-hate relationship with the cult-favorite beauty line (it just might have to do with a few less-than-stellar shade ranges), but I can’t deny the lust I have toward this skin tint. I’ve seen some compare it to Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter (a TEG favorite) because it can be used in a few different ways. Chanel recommends using it as a primer, as an all-over skin tint (read: very light coverage foundation), or as a touch-up product to refresh and add a little extra moisture to the skin. I’ve seen it described as a tinted serum because of how lightweight it feels, which is perfect for super hot days. I dream of applying this with a light concealer on days where I’m just going for a walk and hoping to have the most perfect meet-cute of life.
I really tried to limit this list to one blush, but I couldn’t pass up an opportunity to gush about Kjaer Weis. I’m head-over-heels for the company, a clean-beauty brand by Danish MUA Kirsten Kjaer Weis that is completely organic, luxurious, and all available in sustainable refillable packaging. But we’re not here to talk about that. This blush is heavenly. I tested this IRL before, but I’ve held off on purchasing because the price tag is pretty steep. I’ve thought long and hard about which shade will work the best for my collection and my needs. I think I’ve finally decided on “Sun Touched.” It’s the perfect peachy-nude for summer and beyond.
Do I really have to explain myself here? A time will come where a Bumble match enters my apartment and thinks, oh wow, it’s a college dorm, but then BAM, I pull out this sexy lube, and all of a sudden I’m the most sophisticated woman they’ve ever met. IDK, I’ve had a lot of time to fantasize lately.
But in actuality, this is a Violet Grey best seller. It’s clean, water-based, fragrance-free (v important!!), and a pH of 4.0-5.0, which is perfect for vaginal use!
I fall into the camp of people who gets a brazillian wax every five weeks. I mean, if I’m like ~uber~ single, maybe I’ll go six, but overall, I like the feeling of a wax, especially in the summer. Well, that isn’t possible right now. I’m about to foray into the Wide World of ShavingTM, and this is the first product I put on my wishlist to get the job done. I’ll be honest: I was drawn to this brand initially because the bottles are simply gorgeous, but I’ve also heard AMAZING reviews. This product is full of oils that we all know are great for skin—coconut oil to soften, tea tree to clear pores and kill bacteria, and chamomile to soothe and calm irritated skin. Sounds like a summer staple to me!
Another Violet Grey best-seller I’m dying to try, this Kardashian-approved at-home facial is basically what isolation dreams are made of! Although this isn’t particularly a buy ~for summer~, I’m justifying it by saying it’s a great way to give my skin a nice kick in the butt before I go makeup-less much more often. This kit comes with everything for one mask. Basically, you mix it up and apply it with the included brush. The mask dries, and you look INSANE—as seen on Drew Barrymore. The reviews are wild, saying it makes your skin appear tighter, firmer, brighter, and more even the day after you use it. I’m a sucker for a transformation, and this mask might just do it for me.