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In the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty & Personal Care Lab, our team of scientists and beauty editors receive almost every new beauty product launch, from face and body skincare products to haircare and styling, makeup, tools, devices, and fragrances. Luckily, after decades of experience testing products, we can easily spot the winners in a crowd. In this monthly series, GH Beauty Lab experts sort through the hundreds of samples crossing our desks to share the ones that stood out enough to earn a spot in our routines.
As we battle the days of excessively high temperatures and even higher humidity, our GH Beauty Lab team is embracing the best that summer has to offer, including when it comes to beauty. Among the piles of products flooding the Lab this month, we’re loving makeup that keeps our skin looking polished in sauna-like conditions, tools that cool sweaty skin on contact, treatments to repair frazzled summer hair, and scents to keep the season going long after the sun sets on it. Read on for all of our new favorites!
Meet our experts
Credit: Good Housekeeping/Dori Price“I am recently obsessed with this new tool from Dermaflash. Not only is it chic and portable, it depuffs, soothes, and refreshes my undereye area in literally 60 seconds. I tend to wake up puffy and this has become a must in my morning routine.” — Dori Price, GH Contributing Beauty Editor
Credit: April Franzino / Good Housekeeping“Summer scents can veer into sunscreen or overly sweet tropical drink territory, but not this unique take, part of my favorite home fragrance brand’s first foray into perfume. The blend of sandalwood, green mango, and coconut water smells fresh yet sophisticated and a little balmy, like an exotic beach after a thunderstorm. Since I started wearing it, people often comment on how beautiful the scent is. I love this travel size for toting in my bag; it comes in a glass spray bottle that features the same marbled cap as the full size.” — April Franzino, GH Senior Beauty & Style Director
Credit: Good Housekeeping / Cameron Jenkins“This tinted moisturizer has been one of my favorites for the summer. It's lightweight and non-irritating, which is always at the top of my list for face products as an acne-prone girl, plus has SPF. I apply one pump with my hands and it has enough coverage to camouflage my acne scars while leaving a fresh, skin-like finish. I recently wore it during some of the hottest days on a trip to Italy and it held up all day long without melting off my face. It also wears beautifully with liquid blush and concealer without pilling or looking cakey.” — Cameron Jenkins, GH Staff Writer
Credit: April Franzino / Good Housekeeping“As someone who usually uses richer leave-in conditioning creams on my dry hair, I didn’t have high hopes for this water-like spray formula. Wow, was I wrong! Despite its weightless feel, this treatment packs rich conditioning ingredients like ceramides and plant oils and left my strands feeling unbelievably soft and easy to detangle. Perfect for those with thin or fine hair that are hesitant to use leave-ins or anyone who wants quick application with real nourishing effects.” — April Franzino
Credit: Chiara Butler / Good Housekeeping“I’ve been loving this body wash, which has such a realistically yummy scent. It really smells like an almond croissant, one of my favorite treats! I was lucky to meet the perfumer Dana Schmitt from Givaudan who created the fragrance. She worked with the brand to perfect the three parts of the scent: almond paste, flaky croissant, and butter. If you can’t wait for fall, this body wash will help you get cozy season started.” — Chiara Butler, GH Beauty Lab Reviews Analyst
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Credit: Celia Shatzman / Hearst“It often takes weeks or even months to know if a skincare product is actually working, but you can almost instantly feel the tightening effect of this light-as-a-feather eye serum. Its cooling metal tip applicator delivers a cryo effect to immediately depuff. There are plenty of long-time perks, too: It lifts, plumps, smooths, brightens, and firms. I also love that the head is detachable for cleaning.” — Celia Shatzman, GH Temporary Beauty Editor
Credit: Sabina Wizemann / Good Housekeeping“I'm impressed by how easily this mascara comes off. Most traditional volumizing formulas cling stubbornly to lashes, while tubing mascaras generally focus more on length than on fullness. This one strikes a rare balance, delivering soft, buildable volume that makes it look like I have far more lashes than I actually do. The result is subtle but noticeable: fuller-looking lashes, a denser lash line, and naturally enhanced eyes, all without the hassle of difficult removal at the end of the day.” — Sabina Wizemann, GH Beauty Lab Director
Credit: Celia Shatzman / Hearst“I never, ever skip my facial skincare routine. But, admittedly, body care is a different story. When I’ve slacked on moisturizing and my arms and legs are looking dull and dry, I slather this on for an instant glow. Oil-infused and quick to absorb, the formula features hyaluronic acid, lipids, and flaxseed oil to deliver major hydration. Since it’s fragrance-free, I never have to worry about it competing with my perfume.” — Celia Shatzman
Credit: Danusia Wnek / Good Housekeeping“This is an all-around impressive product, from the long-wear formula to the unique and truly practical packaging. It allows you to apply the product with either a wand or a pump, giving you more control over how much product you dispense and how you apply it. The formula is beautiful and the best part is that it blurs my pores, so I don’t even need to use a primer. The coverage is medium and easily covers my redness while still feeling comfortable and light. It’s also buildable, making it perfect for concealing my acne spots.” — Danusia Wnek, GH Beauty Lab Senior Chemist
Credit: April Franzino / Good Housekeeping“The original Fresh Soy Face Cleanser is a GH Beauty Lab test winner, so I was excited to try this new version, in a fun, innovative jelly formula. The balm, made with softening glycerin and citrus oils, felt like heaven as it melted into my dry skin. It dissolved all the sticky summer-in-the-city grime and left my face feeling silky yet fully cleansed.” — April Franzino
Credit: Celia Shatzman / Hearst“I was already addicted to the OG version of this beauty tool and the new upgrade features three more modes, bringing the total to seven. The K-beauty multitasking device basically brings the spa into your home with its range of timed treatments, including Booster Mode to maximize the absorption of skincare products, Microcurrent Mode that claims to support collagen, and Air Shot Mode to soften the look of pores and texture. My new favorite is the Mask Mode, which is supposed to make sheet masks even more efficacious. Even after one quick session I can always see an immediate difference in my skin.” — Celia Shatzman
Credit: Sabina Wizemann / Good Housekeeping“Recently, my hands developed dark spots, and I hope that Thiamidol, the skin-brightening ingredient from Eucerin in this formula, will help fade them over time with regular use. For now, I enjoy having soft, hydrated hands and really, really love that I can still type right after applying. I like how lightweight and non-sticky the lotion feels; it absorbs into hands without any tackiness or greasiness. It has a clean scent, but it quickly fades. The brand also launched a cream formula that I’m saving for colder weather.” — Sabina Wizemann
Credit: Danusia Wnek / Good Housekeeping“I was first introduced to Ouai’s Melrose Place fragrance through a colleague and immediately fell in love with it, so I was excited to see the leave-in conditioner launch in the fragrance. The scent is a mesmerizing musky floral and the packaging dispenses a fine mist that distributes easily throughout my hair. It leaves my hair feeling silky and smooth and looking shiny, even when I let it air-dry. When I do heat-style, I like that it provides thermal protection up to 450°F.” — Danusia Wnek
Credit: Sabina Wizemann / Good Housekeeping“The new Bespoke versions of the beloved lip mask blend two flavors into a whimsical swirl. My favorite is Soda and Champagne; it feels like an instant throwback to childhood, with sugary, juicy aromas, bright colors, and the promise of a cozy night's sleep. And, of course, softer, plumper-looking lips by morning. I love how it melts onto my lips as soon as I apply it, yet stays put all night.” — Sabina Wizemann
April (she/her) is the senior beauty and style director at Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman's Day. She has over 15 years of experience under her belt, starting her career as an assistant beauty editor at GH in 2007, and working in the beauty departments of SELF and Fitness magazines.