Our pick of the best summer beauty essentials
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Beauty & skincare
Reading time: 5 minutes
Overhaul your summer beauty routine with these affordable must-buys
Whether you’re front and centre at a festival, attending a long-awaited wedding or enjoying a picnic in the park, look and feel your best – while staying within budget – thanks to our biggest-ever summer offers.
Simply put, there’s 1,000s of great-value summer essentials on offer. To save you time, we’ve rounded up some of the top-rated, bestselling and new favourites (with a few hidden gems thrown in) that will help you and your family get the most out of the Great British summer for the best price. Summer better be ready for us!
Best toiletries
Best budget razors
Try: Gillette Simply Venus 2 Women’s Disposable Razors
• Four in pack
With two blades, an aloe-infused moisturising strip and an easy-hold teardrop handle, these disposable razors make it easy and comfortable to get a close shave. Perfect for throwing in your suitcase without worrying about spare blades, get smoother skin where and when you want it this summer.
Best budget body spray
Try: Boots Enchanted Mist Body Fragrance
• Size: 75ml
With warmer days spent in the sun, freshening up during the day becomes even more important in the summer. But when you’re not able to jump in the shower during picnics in the park, trips to the airport or alfresco nights at a festival, this uplifting, scented mist, fragranced with fruits and amber, will ensure a delicious, fuss-free freshen up in seconds.
Best budget lip balm
Try: Nivea Original Care Caring Lip Balm
• Size: 4.8g
You might love days on the beach, but the sea breeze and UV exposure means your lips can be left feeling dry, cracked and stressed out. Infused with nourishing shea butter, 100% natural jojoba oil and panthenol, this balm will help lips feel soft, supple and cared for.
Best hair products
Best budget mousse
Try: Boots Curly Hair Mousse
• Size: 200ml
• Lightweight formula
If the humidity of summertime leaves your curls or textured hair unmanageable, this ultra-lightweight mousse will help give your hair some oomph and control without the usual sticky after feel or flaking. Simply smooth evenly through damp hair and style, then brush out when you fancy changing things up.
Best budget dry shampoo
Try: Batiste On The Go Dry Shampoo
• Size: 50ml
When travelling, partying or simply enjoying time in the sun, taking time out to wash our hair can be low on our list of priorities. So, why not stretch out wash days and shake, spray, massage and style hair with this beauty-editor favourite? It gently removes excess oil from the scalp and provides long-lasting freshness and a 'just-washed' look - minus the hassle.
Best budget shampoo
Try: Boots Fresh Mango & Papaya Shampoo
• Size: 500ml
This fresh and fruity mango and papaya-scented shampoo is what summer smells like and is guaranteed to transport you to a tropical beach, when all you’ve done is sit at your desk all day. Simply work into wet hair for a luscious lather that cleanses and refreshes to leave hair feeling soft and looking shiny.
Best budget conditioner
Try: Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Hair Conditioner For Dry Hair
• Size: 400ml
• Cruelty-free
Dive headfirst into deep hydration for your hair with this conditioner that’s formulated with coconut extract to help restore and replenish moisture to dry hair. Perfect for reviving frazzled locks after a long day spent in the sunshine.
Best make-up
Best budget concealer
Try: 17. Second Skin Enhancing Concealer
• Vegan
• 10 shades
As the temperature climbs, your make-up bag should get lighter. That’s why this highly pigmented concealer is all you need to wear over your SPF on summer days. The formula is enhanced with a mineral-mix complex to help mask imperfections, blending seamlessly for a velvet-like finish and is available in 10 shades that suit a range of skin tones.
Best budget brow pencil
Try: W7 Super Brows HD Brow Pencil
• Two shades
Barely there make-up is a must in the summer: think brushed up and groomed brows with minimal product. This pigmented and long-lasting pencil will tame and define eyebrows without weighing them down, and won’t melt in the heat or sweat or splash off. Simply comb the hairs in place with the mini brush, then lightly fill in gaps with soft, hairlike strokes before brushing through again. Simple.
Best budget lip colour
Try: 17. Créme Lip
• Vegan
• Eight shades
To prevent lips drying out this summer, this castor-oil enriched lip colour can help limit moisture loss, leaving lips softer and smoother-looking. With a natural-to-shiny finish and amazing coverage, choose from eight rich shades that go from pale nude to ruby.
Best budget eyeliner
Try: wet n wild Color Icon Kohl Eyeliner Pencil
• Four shades
For smudge-and sweat-proof eye definition, these long-wearing liners are a no-brainer. Rich, hyper-pigmented and creamy to apply – whether you’re looking for subtle definition or a more trend-led, graphic-liner look – this is the perfect slip-in-your-bag solution.
Best budget eyeshadow
Try: 17. Shadow Pop
• Vegan friendly
• Eight shades
If you’re heading to a festival, this sweep of colour can take your look from day to night in a single sweep. The eight beautifully pigmented colours in both vibrant and more neutral shades are enriched with vitamin E and almond oil to help blend, avoid creasing and party as long as you do!
Best skincare
Best budget sheet mask
Try: Boots Sheet Mask with Added Glycolic Acid
• Size: 16g
• Vegan
• Plastic-free fabric
Sheet masks are perfect for on-the-go skincare. Apply this fuss-and mess-free mask to clean, dry skin after you’ve been on a plane or in a tent, or wherever the summer takes you. Leave for 25 minutes before patting, removing and allowing any excess formula to absorb into the skin. Glycolic acid gently exfoliates, leaving skin looking smoother, while panthenol helps hydrate.
Best budget cleanser
Try: Simple Kind to Skin Refreshing Facial Wash
• Size: 50ml
• Soap-free
• Non-comedogenic
This face wash refreshes and revives tired, hot skin as it washes away sweat, suncream and the day’s impurities without drying it out. With no artificial perfume, colour or harsh chemicals to upset sensitive skin, it’s dermatologically approved to cleanse gently and effectively.
Best budget eye cream
Try: Boots Cucumber Eye Gel
• Size: 15ml
• Vegan
Enriched with cooling cucumber and vitamins to gently care for the delicate skin of the eye area, this refreshing eye gel is perfect for when you need to seriously chill after a day spent at the beach or park. A little goes a long way: simply dab a pea-sized amount around each eye with your ring finger to leave the eye area feeling soothed and soft.
Puffy eyes? Here’s our guide to the best products that can help.
Best beauty accessories
Best budget nail file
Try: Boots Nail File
• Colours may vary
These cushioned nail files are ideal for smoothing nail edges, maintaining nails and finishing off your manicure or pedicure. Cheap, cheerful and effective, simply toss one in your bag to make sure you’re never caught out by a snagged nail while out and about.
Master an at-home manicure by following our expert step-by-step guide.
Best budget tweezers
Try: Boots Slanted Tweezers
• Colours may vary
Ideal for removing stray facial or body hairs and shaping eyebrows, these tweezers have a slanted tip for lifting hair from the skin before you pull out the strand from the base – great for precision and preventing breakage when you pull.
