From a new drugstore foundation to a face mask and the blush of my dreams, these are the summer beauty favorites I can’t get enough of.   (Contains Affiliate Links)

Hello there, dreamers! Remember back when “Monthly Favorites” were a thing?

Over the weekend, I was dusting around my vanity when I started pulling together all the skincare and makeup bits I’ve been loving lately. Looking at them as a group, I actually had an impulse to share a June Favorites post…but then it dawned on me that I could just come right out and declare these my SUMMER beauty favorites instead.

After all, they are all essentially perfect for the warm hot season we’re in. 

I honestly can’t quite remember why I stopped sharing monthly beauty favorites here on Dream in Lace. Nor can I think of an explanation as to why beauty bloggers and YouTube gurus seem to have stopped sharing them as well. It’s almost like there was a collective agreement where we all got together and decided to call a quits on monthly favorites. Strange, right? 

Well, for now — I’m going to go ahead and call this selection of products my favorites of the season! Who’s to say, though. Perhaps I’ll fall in love with loads of beauty gems in the month of July and round up resurrecting the Monthly Favorites concept as a whole. At the moment, though? Let’s just take things one step at a time.

Summer Beauty Favorites

The best news of all? Many of these summer beauty favorites come from the drugstore! Here, here for affordable products that WERK.

I’m also happy to say I have a really nice variety of products to share with you today. When gathering my favorites, I honestly went into it with no rhyme or reason in my head. All I did was reach for the products I’ve habitually been reaching for over the last several weeks and what you see is what you get! There’s skincare, there’s makeup…there’s even a nail polish! (Which I feel I never talk about.)

No matter what you’re on the hunt for, I’m guessing you’ll find something you like below. Ready to get started? Let’s go!

The Balm Take Me Home Bronzer (Shop)

Have you ever heard of the store Riley Rose? They opened one up recently at my nearest mall and it’s been such a fun discovery. They stock all sorts of brands that are fantastic — but not readily available at Sephora or Ulta. Such as, they carry Lime Crime (who I LOVE and am so glad to find a place to buy in person) and The Balm. They also stock loads of Korean skincare brands that I’ve had fun dabbling in. Seriously, neat store if you can find one!

Anywho — I picked this bronzer up on a whim and am SO glad I did. The Balm is a brand I used to hear a lot more about, but it’s somehow fallen off everyone’s radar. Well, I’m here to tell you this matte bronzer is fantastic! I also think the price is pretty great. At $17.50 it’s more than your standard drugstore bronzer but much cheaper than the other luxe brands. It’s the perfect shade for me and I use it both to add warmth to my complexion as well as contour my nose. Highly recommend!

Maybelline Master Chrome Highlighter (Shop)

I shared this highlighter recently in my humidity-proof makeup post and my love for it only continues to grow! So, it goes without saying that it’s absolutely one of my summer beauty favorites this year. Even after using this for more than a month, I continue to get excited when I watch my cheekbones go POW every morning. Seriously, what a great feeling!

The texture is also surprisingly smooth. As much as I love other drugstore highlighters, I feel they do tend to be a bit chalky but somehow Maybelline has created a very velvety texture at such an affordable price. Definitely recommend snatching up “Molten Gold” or one of the other shades available. (Or, all of the above!)

Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Mask (Shop)

This is a newer release that I was sent from Biossance – and I’m really glad I did receive this as a gift because I don’t think I would have discovered it otherwise. When I first turned to this product, I was in the midst of testing out a full-coverage foundation by Huda Beauty. While I loved the foundation, my day-after-day wear test was starting to take a beating on my skin and I could tell I was on the verge of a major breakout or reaction. So, I applied this after thoroughly cleansing with my Clarisonic and immediately fell in love. It has a gel-to-cream formula that changes as you wear the mask. It also has a very soothing warming effect on the skin that I found really nice. But, those cushy details aside what I REALLY loved about the mask was how effective it was at totally rebalancing my skin. That screaming feeling I felt beneath my skin’s surface quickly subsided. I was left with a smoother complexion AND managed to escape a breakout.

Since this first use, I’ve continued to use the mask at least once a week and I continue to love it. It does have an ever so slight tingly effect when you wear it, which is all good news in my book. The directions read that you can use the mask for 5 to 15 minutes. Usually, I opt for 15…but I can feel that 5 minutes really would make a difference if you have to jet out the door. 

Loreal Lash Paradise Mascara (Shop)

Have you ever moved on from a mascara you love in an effort to try new things, then come back to it and wonder just why you ever left? That’s what’s going on between me and the Loreal Lash Paradise mascara. It’s so fricken good, I think it will continue to be one of my summer beauty favorites for years to — as well as a favorite of fall, winter and spring. It adds such dramatic length and volume to my lashes I end up doing double takes in the mirror. And you KNOW a makeup product is good when you find yourself checking your own self out in the mirror. That’s right, this is a keeper!

Maybelline Dream Urban Cover Foundation (Shop)

The newest foundation release from Maybelline is the Dream Urban Cover foundation and it has an SPF 50!! As such, you better believe I was racing to test this out because I just can’t get enough sun protection these days. Last week I shared a full review of the foundation here, so I won’t bore you with all the details much more — but suffice to say I am in love. The foundation holds up beautifully in the summer heat and humidity, has great coverage and has a beautiful blurring effect that smooths over fine lines and pore. Seriously, what more could you want? 

NKD SKN Daily Gradual Tan Moisturizer (Shop)

One of my summer beauty favorites over the last few years has been NKD SKN’s fool-proof gradual tanner. After firmly canceling my membership and vowing off tanning beds, I dabbled a bit into self-tanner but never really got on with it. Generally speaking, I find the whole experience kind of gross and so just don’t bother with it anymore.

What I DO enjoy, though, is this gradual moisturizer. At first, I thought there was simply no way it would work. After all, it’s a white gel product. How could THAT make me tan? Well, bypassing the science of it all…I’m happy to report that the stuff works remarkably well. (Even if I don’t know how.) You can apply this as you would any other moisturizer and go about your business. Next day? You’ll wake up to tanned skin. It’s magic! 

Note: When using, definitely remember to wash the product off the palm of your hands. Since the moisturizer applies invisibly, it’s easy to walk away thinking nothing of it. But, I promise you’ll have tanned palms in the morning! (Not my personal favorite look but if you are – go for it.)

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish in Orchid-ing Aside (Shop)

I’ll be honest, I’m completely on the fence with this formula of nail polish. Over the last couple years, I’ve purchased several different shades and all-in-all I find the formula incredibly inconsistent. Even with the coordinating gel top coat, many colors I’ve picked up start chipping in a day. But when the polish works…it WORKS and this is one of the lucky shades that does.

#534 Orchiding-Aside is such a cheerful colorful for the warmer months, but also lasts a good week on my nails. No clue what makes one shade work better than the other, but this one is so good I had to include it as one of my summer beauty favorites this year.

Loreal Rouge Volupte Shine Lipsticks (Shop)

Oh goodness, it’s been more than a year and I STILL can’t stop obsessing over Loreal’s Rouge Volupte Shine Lipsticks. Before buying these, I was beyond obsessed with YSL lipsticks…which is quite an expensive hobby to have. These, as it turns out, are better than a dupe in my eyes as they have even MORE color payoff. They wear so comfortably on the lips, are packed with color, come in increasingly more colors and are $10. I love these so much, I have doubles of some shades because I don’t want to run the risk of ever being without them. That’s stalker level love of a lipstick I tell ya — and I’m not ashamed to admit it!

NARS Mosaic Glow Blush (Shop)

Straight up, if you’re at all interested in this blush be sure to order fast. I say this as I originally ordered it from Nordstrom where it’s now sold out. There’s some still available from NARS directly, but for how long there’s no telling as this is truly a BEAUT!

I quite like how this is actually a rather versatile product.

You can apply the bronzer, blush and highlight shades separately. OR, you can swirl your brush through all three for a nice affect atop your cheeks. I actually don’t even have a solid preferred method to apply this as it works beautifully however you choose to use it. Look at NARS, coming through once again with a dream blush. Winning!

Boscia Cactus Water Moisturizer (Shop)

In the winter months, I think I pretty much bathed in CeraVe’s heavy moisturizer every day. I simply could not get enough of it – but in the summer months? I always prefer a gel cleanser. Don’t ask me why, it’s a nonsensical thing but for some reason summer = gel time in my moisturizing world.

This is the second summer in a row I’ve been using the Boscia Cactus Water moisturizer and I have to say, we’re getting along quite nicely. I like the way this applies evenly to the skin without any messy, greasy aftermath. The moisturizer itself has an interesting selection of plant-based ingredients that help even out the texture of your skin, relieve any redness, condition the skin and strengthen your moisture barrier. Oh, might I add it also feels GREAT when applying and works beautifully beneath makeup. 

Heal My Hands Cuticle Butter (Shop)

I’m terrible at maintaining my cuticles. I really, truly am. With that said, I can obviously use all the help I can get and this cuticle butter really does the trick! I apply this at nighttime just before I *try* to nod off to sleep and come morning everything looks better. I hate admitting this, but I have a really nasty habit of picking my cuticles. It’s one I’m desperately trying to break and this has been my lifeline cuticle butter has truly been my lifeline as I work towards that goal. Good stuff!

What Beauty Favorites Are You Loving This Summer?

Let me know! Because obviously I have room for more beauty loves in my life.

Shop the Post

The Balm Take Me Home Bronzer ($17.50)
Boscia Cactus Water Moisturizer* ($38)
Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Mask ($48)
Heal My Hands Cuticle Butter ($7)
Loreal Lash Paradise Mascara ($10.99)
Loreal Rouge Volupte Shine Lipsticks ($9.99)
Maybelline Master Chrome Highlighter in Molten Gold ($9.99)
Maybelline Dream Urban Cover Foundation ($12.99)
NARS Mosaic Glow Blush ($42)
NKD SKN Gradual Tan Moisturizer ($14.99)
Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish in “Orchid-ing Aside” ($9.99)

*Gifted Items

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XOXO
Kelly

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