10 New Beauty Products You'll Want to Get Your Hands on This July
From Essie's new at-home gel nail polish to the three-step system that will give you brighter skin in minutes, this month's must-buy products are total game changers
Cleansing oil has been having a moment for the last few years, and while there are plenty of great ones out there, some are loaded with foaming agents -- which kind of defeats the point. In true-to-their-name fashion, Simple Hydrating Cleansing Oil, $9.99, is incredibly simple. It's primarily grapeseed oil, which is one of the lightest, most skin-compatible oils. It leaves skin feeling silky and hydrated but never greasy, and it even gives you a boost of antioxidant protection. All those other cleansing oils should move over.
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Hair Extensions That Really Are Invisible
I am not a hair extension person, but I often wish I were. My fine, curly hair can look flat and lifeless when it's blown out, but extensions make me paranoid: What if someone can see them? The horror. Well, the Hairdo Invisible Extension, $79, really is invisible -- and it's idiot-proof to install (attach? I told you I wasn't an extension person). There's a clear elastic band you wear like a headband and then cover with your own hair -- no clips, no glue. Each extension is a blend of hair colors so it's really easy to find one that matches. And to say it makes the perfect summer side braid is an understatement.
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Perfect Legs in a Bottle
When British beauty editor Kathy Phillips created This Works, she had one primary goal: to make products that work. And This Works Perfect Legs Skin Miracle, $68, delivers. It's a serum-like hydrator that's packed with vitamins C and E to even out skin tone. And it's the perfect sheer shade of shimmery bronze -- legs look instantly prettier but not fake or overly tanned.
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A Summer Scent That Pops
Pop By Stella McCartney, $92, is pure joy in a bottle. While it was created with a young woman in mind ("It is about capturing and celebrating that very special and exciting time when you are finding yourself and coming into your own," says McCarthy.) -- it's also ideal for any woman who wants to feel happy and summery. Crisp tuberose is balanced out with warm sandalwood for a fragrance that's fresh and floral but also interesting and cool -- a.k.a. exactly the summer vibe we all want to personify.
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Brighter Skin in an Instant
I'm a skin care obsessive, but I'm really a brightening obsessive. At the risk of being redundant: I'll try anything that promises to lighten my freckles. The latest product to meet my criteria -- and pass with flying colors -- is Ole Henriksen Power Bright Vitamin C Intensive Treatment System, $55. Unlike serums that can take 12 week (or more) to work, this three-step DIY facial gives you immediately brighter skin. You start with a polishing mask, then apply a 25-percent vitamin C treatment and finish it off with a melting balm-like cleanser. And let me warn you: This sucker tingles. But if all that tingling gives me the glowing, less-speckled skin of my dreams, I'll galdly endure it.
There are so many big beauty trends right now: Gel nail polish, liquid lipsticks, cleansing oils, face masks, highlighters -- the list goes on and on. And there are hundreds of different products that fall into each category.
This month, many of the best new beauty products follow these beauty trends -- but with a twist. (The gel polish is a DIY version that requires no light. The liquid lipstick is balmy and leaves behind a pretty stain.) And because many of these trends have been around for a while, the products are getting even cooler. The best new beauty products hitting store shelves in July 2016 are some of the most innovative I've seen in their respective categories. Get your credit card ready because if you haven't tried these trends before, now is the time.