Summer Beauty Essentials 2026 | My Top Makeup, Skincare & Body Care Products

Now that we are well into summer, I wanted to round up the products I’ve been reaching for the most! These are my top makeup, skincare and body care essentials for summer 2026 - simple, effective formulas that have been keeping my skin hydrated, fresh and comfortable all day. If you’re looking to update your routine for warmer weather, this is a great place to start! 

Starting with body, and being a huge fan of the original Brazilian Bum Bum cream, when I saw the Sol de Janeiro Body Badalada Vitamin Infused Lotion Cheirosa 62 I knew I had to get it! I tried this a couple of times when I was in duty free at the airport and loved the lighter texture so picked it up earlier this year with a view to using in the summer and I love it! It smells like the original and sinks in quickly keeping my skin soft and smooth and smells amazing!  

 

Moving onto skincare next and the Skinfix Barrier Balancing Water Cream* has been my go to for my combo skin this summer! It is formulated for combination and oily skin, and delivers fast-absorbing hydration that supports the skin barrier, and keeps shine under control. It works well for me under makeup and has lived up to its shine control claim while keeping my skin hydrated and balanced! Ingredients include zinc PCA, niacinamide, and green tea to absorb oil and boost skin’s radiance, prebiotic peptides to support the barrier for healthy-looking skin and hyaluronic acid. I also love the hygienic pump mechanism to dispense the cream!  

 

An oldie but a goodie, this is the second bottle of the SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic Serum* I have used and it really does live up to its hype. It contains 15% pure Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), 1% Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol to replenish skin lipids), and 0.5% Ferulic Acid to enhance protection against environmental damage caused by free radicals that can contribute to visible signs of atmospheric aging and is ideal for dry, normal and sensitive skin. It is a beautiful formulation that absorbs quickly, helps brighten my skin and keeps it looking more even while marks from any spots that pop up while using it fade much quicker! See my full review here!   

 

I had a hard time picking out an SPF for this as I’m using a few at the moment and they are all great so I went with the Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Fresh Sun Serum SPF 50*. You really can’t go wrong with a K Beauty SPF, this one is enriched with hyaluronic acid, squalane and allantoin to soothe, hydrate and strengthen the skin barrier. It’s a chemical formula, feels lightweight and suits my combo skin, leaving a moisturised finish. There is no pilling and it works well under my makeup, keeping my skin hydrated and protected! I have fair skin and don’t experience any white cast with either! Don’t forget, you can get up to 5% more off at YesStyle with my discount code DANIELLESBB5   

 

Makeup next, and after finishing a mini of the Caliray So Blown Blurring and Hydrating Tripeptide Primer I had to grab the full size! My combo skin errs on the side of oily during the summer and I sweat so I wanted something help with excess oil and shine. This does just that and mattifies and blurs my skin without drying it out. I typically focus it on my t-zone, and it doesn’t make my foundation pill or separate while keeping it intact even when I feel oily or sweaty!    

 

Since I tend to reach for mattifying products in the summer months, I like to add a little glow back into my skin and the Jones Road Bright Skin Illuminating Drops in Gilded* has been doing just that! I have not stopped using these since I got them! They give my skin a soft, natural illumination while hydrating and brightening. I have been mixing these into my foundation and the ultra fine pearls are perfect at adding some glow! They can also be mixed in with moisturiser (face or body) or used on bare skin. Gilded is a white gold shade that doesn’t pill with my makeup or skincare and I love how the packaging looks too!   

 

The Jones Road Lip Recharge Glossy Treatment Balm in Rosé* has been my most used lip product over the last month! It’s a sheer pink with gold shimmer which has a metal applicator tip which feels so cooling for summer! The shade is gorgeous, it has some shimmer but doesn’t leave my lips looking glittery and the formula is perfect! It leaves my lips smooth, hydrated with a lovely shine to them and it’s long-lasting too! It contains peptides, vitamin E and shea butter and also has a subtle mint scent!    

 

The Basma Bronzer in Light* has been my number one bronzer this summer! The shade is perfect for my skin! Not too warm, not too cool, just a perfect neutral that doesn’t kick up a lot of powder or leave me with too much blending to do - love it! It’s a satin-matte finish and you can build it up very easily!    

 

Lastly, the Pixi Liquid Glow Blush in Warmth*, a lightweight serum blush that is seriously pigmented! This melts into my skin and leaves a beautiful fresh flush, and I only need the tiniest amount of product for maximum impact! It also contains brightening radiance pigments to leave a healthy-looking glow and Warmth is such a natural and pretty shade! It’s long lasting and there is no fading after a full days wear!   

swatches l-r: Jones Road Gilded and Rose, Pixi Warmth and Basma Bronzer in Light - not the best lighting, sorry!

And that’s everything I’ve been loving this summer — a mix of lightweight textures, hydrating formulas and makeup that holds up for me in the heat. Let me know what your summer essentials are, I’m always looking for new favourites to try next! 

 

Check out my 2025 Summer Essentials here!   

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.  

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.  

See my full disclosure here.    

 

Danielle xx 

 

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Skincare | Is Kiehl’s Worth It? My Honest Review of the Ultra Facial Collection

I picked up a Kiehl’s Ultra Facial gift set from Sephora quite a while ago, so now I’ve finished the products in it, I thought I would do a quick review! Bonus review of the Creamy Eye Treatment at the end too!  

Starting off with the Ultra Facial Cleanser, and this is a gentle, gel to foam formula containing squalane, glycerin and avocado oil. I love it as a second cleanse in my PM routine or a morning cleanser in the AM! It removed impurities and cleansed my skin well and never made it feel stripped or dry. It’s lightweight and doesn’t leave a film behind and is a really nice option for sensitive skin!     

 

The Ultra Facial Toner is gentle, alcohol-free and tones and hydrates skin. It is formulated with squalane, apricot kernel oil, avocado oil and Vitamin E, and feels milky and hydrating! I loved this throughout the winter when my skin can get a little sensitized and it felt so comforting – simple but effective!     

 

The Ultra Facial Cream is a cult favourite for so many people, and it is a lovely, lightweight, non-greasy moisturiser. It contains 4.5% squalane and pro-ceramides and kept my skin hydrated and comfortable, but because it’s so hyped up, I think I expected more - I have other formulas I prefer over this one. Good, but not life‑changing for me!  

 

Finishing off the Ultra Facial range is the Ultra Facial Overnight Rehydrating Mask with 10.5% Squalane. This is a thick balm to oil formula that worked well overnight to hydrate my skin and lock in moisture! I enjoyed it and I think it would be a good option for anyone with sensitivity to retinol or who needs some extra barrier repair overnight!   

 

Lastly, the Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado Oil is one of the first products I think of when I think of Kiehl’s! This is a rich, thick and creamy eye treatment that contains beta-carotene, shea butter and you guessed it, avocado oil. It claims to provide intense hydration for the delicate eye area and I agree! It definitely is rich and does take a while before it sinks in completely which is why I prefer it for overnight hydration rather than in the morning. I liked this for winter as it’s one of the more thicker eye creams I’ve tried, but if my skin is in any way wet from other products when I use it, it refuses to sink in. I didn’t get any milia from using this however if you have drier skin and can work with the finicky texture its worth trying!  

 

So, that’s a quick little walk through Kiehl’s! The cleanser and toner are my favourites of the products here, but the Ultra Facial line is really robust and perfect for those looking to keep their skincare simple but effective so I think worth it!  

 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me.  

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used.  

See my full disclosure here.  

Danielle xx 

 

If you want to keep up to date with my posts, don’t forget to follow me on 

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Skincare Review | K Beauty Favourites #5

K Beauty continues to be one of my favourite categories to explore, so today I’ve got a new round‑up of products I’ve been loving lately. These all fit perfectly into a hydrating, calming, glow‑boosting routine and don’t forget you can get up to 5% more off at YesStyle with my discount code DANIELLESBB5 (affiliated).

 

I have really been enjoying having a cleansing oil back in my routine in the form of the Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil*! This is a lightweight cleansing oil containing soybean oil, ginseng seed oil and micellar technology that easily dissolves makeup and dirt. It also replenishes skin moisture and has a subtle, relaxing ginseng aroma. I use a couple of pumps to massage into my face then emulsify with water and use a face cloth to remove. It leaves my skin cleansed and soft, ready for my next steps! Read more in my Current Cleansers post here!

The Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum* is such a great smoothing serum containing niacinamide and propolis that is calming, hydrating and refines pores. It’s got a thicker texture but absorbs quickly. It also contains BHA’s so works well to exfoliate - if you want a serum that calms, brightens, and improves texture without irritation, this is a must‑have!

Moving onto the current “it” ingredient, PDRN, and the haruharu wonder Rose PDRN Soothing Serum with Azelaic Acid* next. This serum supports skin renewal, calms and improves texture. I’ll talk more about traditional PDRN later but this is vegan PDRN that has been extracted from the stem cells of the Damascus rose, to aid skin renewal and rejuvenation while azelaic acid is known for targeting acne and soothes redness and calms skin irritation. Sodium PCA, Panthenol and Squalane deliver deep hydration. I love using this when I have some active spots as it helps calm them so quickly! The texture is creamy and gel like and sinks in quickly and with consistent use I am hoping to see good results with pigmentation too! 

Sticking with Azelaic acid and the Anua Azelaic Acid 10 + Hyaluron Redness Soothing Serum* is another great option for acne prone skin! It’s more watery in texture than the last one and features 10% azelaic acid, along with hyaluronic acid while the green colour comes from Anua’s Gentle Calming Complex of natural ingredients including green tea leaf water, aloe and cica. It’s soothing and calming, reuces redness and hydrates skin, another great serum to have in your skincare arsenal! I've had a breakout over the last couple of weeks and since using this consistently, my spots and residual marks have been clearing so much quicker!

Up next is the Anua Azelaic Acid 10 + Hyaluron Redness Soothing Pads* and these are some of the most saturated toners pads I have ever tried! They are drenched in azelaic acid and centella asiatica extract to reduce redness and inflammation as well as hyaluronic acid, ceramide NP and squalane to promote smooth and plump skin. The material of the pads stetches easily and means you can cover larger areas of your face. They are alcohol and fragrance free and suitable for sensitive skin. My skin feels instantly soothed when I use these and the tub is going to last a long time!

The Anua PDRN + Hyaluronic Acid 100 Moisturising Cream* is a lovely lightweight cream perfect for summer! Traditional PDRN (polydeoxyribonucleotide) is a powerful regenerative ingredient made up of DNA fragments derived from the sperm cells of certain trout or salmon. This cream is rich in salmon-derived PDRN (don’t worry, it’s fragrance free!) as well as hydrolyzed collagen, ten types of hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to moisturize, plump and strengthen the skin barrier. The cream absorbs quickly and my skin feels hydrated and balanced while looking brighter, smoother and plumper!

Lastly, the Anua Zero-cast Moisturizing Finish Sunscreen SPF 50+* and K Beauty never disappoints me with its sunscreen offerings! This is a chemical sunscreen containing hyaluronic acid, niacinamide and panthenol to moisturise, balance and brighten and the lightweight formula blends easily into skin to leave a glowy (not greasy) finish and no white cast! It wears beautifully under makeup and it perfect for daily wear!

These K Beauty favourites are such a joy to use and fit into my routine easily with their calming, hydrating, glow‑boosting formulas! If you’re looking to refresh your skincare lineup, any of these would be a great place to start. Don’t forget, you can get up to 5% more off at YesStyle with my discount code DANIELLESBB5 (affiliated).

Have you tried any of these products yet? Let me know what K Beauty you’re currently loving!

 

See my other K Beauty posts here! 

*denotes a PR sample that was sent to me. 

All opinions are my own. Affiliate links used. 

See my full disclosure here.

Danielle xx

If you want to keep up to date with my posts, don’t forget to follow me on

Instagram | Links and Discounts | Shop My Favourites | Pinterest