This summer, holidays, festivals and life, in general, are back - we can go and do whatever it is that makes us happy. And the Get The Gloss team have got the next few months planned out to the max to ensure we’re making the most of every moment. That’s why we’ve teamed up with Boots and picked out some of their must-have buys that fit in with every summer moment so we can look fabulous and feel great, whatever we are doing.

Sarah-Jane Corfield-Smith, Get The Gloss contributing beauty director is spending her summer celebrating going out with friends and at parties galore.

“A lot of my friends have put celebrations - big birthdays, wedding parties - on hold for the last few years and this summer is when they have finally been rescheduled and I cannot wait. In my summer makeup bag, I need products that are easy to use, stay on as long as I'm on the dancefloor and have maximum impact.”

"I am a blusher addict and for nights out I always choose a cream blush so I can layer it up for a really flushed look. This has a creamy texture but dries down to a powdery finish and amazing pigment payoff. And there’s a handy mirror in the lid, making touch-ups super easy."

"This is one of the best budget mascaras I’ve ever used. It lengthens, volumises and when I say it doesn’t budge, it really doesn’t! I always choose the waterproof formulation because I have a tendency to cry like a baby at weddings so this is my go-to for special occasions."

"This is arguably one of the most versatile palettes out there; I use the four lighter matte shades during the day, but for party time I use one as a base, the darkest colour as eyeliner and then layer up all four of the glitter shadows on top - yep, all four! I say glitter, but they’re not 'teenagery' in any way. They have a shimmering pearlescence that I love and the colour payoff is spectacular."

"A bargainous gloss that is just the right level of feeling balmy and being ultra glossy. This shade works perfectly for my skin tone and as I’m not one for a full-on lip (I don’t think I have the pout for it tbh) this adds just the right levels of ‘something’ to my lips while still feeling very much in my comfort zone."

Get The Gloss editorial director and yoga teacher lives for Sundays when she can put her feet up - preferably in a pair of peel socks!

“In summer my hair and my skin really feel the benefit of extra hydration so my self-care Sunday always involves a hair and face mask. Every three months, I do a foot peel to slough away hard skin and get my feet 'pedi ready' and my self-tan game goes up a notch too.”

"Probably the best £8 you’ll spend in Boots! My teenage daughter and I share this creamy fragrance-free cleanser, which makes light work of her winged eyeliner and my lashings of SPF. I massage it in and rinse it off with a warm flannel for gentle exfoliation. The measure of the right cleanser for your skin type is whether your face feels comfortable, not tight, afterwards, and this always delivers.” 

“This two-step mask really gets the hydration going with an ampoule of creamy hyaluronic acid serum that I work into my face before sealing it in with the cooling Cryo Rubber mask. My flat gets unbearably hot in summer and so putting this kit in the fridge for half an hour first adds an extra dimension of 'ahhh' at this time of year. It takes the heat out of my face and really calms my mind.” 

“I’m meticulous about sunscreen, even on cloudy days, and a tan out of a bottle is the only one I’m interested in. Isle of Paradise, founded by professional tanning artist Jules Von Hep has something for everyone.  These vegan tan drops not only hydrate my skin but create a customisable glow – more drops mean a deeper tan. When I use these I barely need makeup.”

“As a yoga teacher I’m always looking at my feet – and so are my students! – so I like to keep them silky-smooth and free of hard skin. These Boots Foot Peel Socks are the most affordable and effective I’ve found. You slip your feet into the bags filled with AHA and BHA exfoliating acids for 90 minutes. You can’t really move around so it’s a great excuse for a binge-watch or podcast fest. The real magic happens a week later when all the dry skin starts to shed to reveal baby soft skin beneath. Addictive!

“This nourishing hair mask is all over TikTok and this is one trend I can really get behind. It's a delicious-smelling combination of banana and shea butter and keeps my dry, curly hair glossy and tamed. What’s more, it’s silicone-free – something I always look for in haircare, plus it's 98 per cent biodegradable. It comes in a generous pot and is designed to be used as a conditioner or a mask depending on what you have time for. I even use it between washes to redefine my curls and take down frizz.”

Amy Rostas, Get The Gloss beauty and social media assistant is spending summer in the sun and dreaming of being on a beach 

“Summer is my favourite season – it gives me major 'main character energy'. It's all about easy, chic clothes that say 'summer's here!' with a makeup vibe that is bronzed and glowy 'off-duty' goddess, as you'll see from my picks below." 

"Tight updo hairstyles are my go-to in summer, but combine that with sun exposure and you have a recipe for damage. To kill two birds with one stone, I'm using this powerful hair mask containing the ultimate strengthening combination of biotin, vitamin B5 and arginine. I slather it all over and slick my hair back into an ‘off-duty model’ bun to get my favourite look while treating my hair at the same time. Side note: the pot is huge, so great value for money and it smells delicious!"

"The Laguna bronzer by Nars is worthy of its iconic status. It delivers just the right level of bronze that leaves my skin looking naturally sunkissed and glowy while also 'snatching' (AKA 'contouring') my cheekbones. It's a one shade that suits all, is super buildable and blends seamlessly and I love the mirror for check-ups on the go. This and a bit of mascara are all I need all summer long."

"This is one of the best SPF formulas I have ever tried. It sinks in easily and quickly with no stickiness (just what you want when you are applying it on a sandy beach) and leaves zero white cast. There's no greasy residue and it's fragrance-free too. It has the high factor I look for!." 

"This nourishing dry body oil makes me look like the golden goddess I aspire to be every summer.  With a base of coconut oil, it smells deliciously of watermelon and dries down leaving a gorgeous non-oily and subtle sparkle to the high points of my body. It's great both over a tan and to add instant warmth to pasty limbs."

Jemma Thompson, Get The Gloss design and social media manager is prepping for the festival season

"Now festivals are back on and Beyoncé has dropped the ultimate summer 2022 anthem, I’m ready to get back outside, party my socks off and finally try out some of the festival looks in my TikTok saves. In my go-to makeup kit I need a rainbow of colour, lots of pigment and, as always, a tonne of dry shampoo."

"Making a statement is what festival makeup is all about for me, and these face jewels will get you seen from miles away, if not from space! The simple-to-apply gems last all day, are heat and sweat-resistant, and you can even reuse them repeatedly with just a dab of eyelash glue. Not bad for under a fiver!"

This on-the-go face mist is the perfect three-in-one festival saviour and space saver! Not only does it help to set makeup and provide a much-needed dose of hydration throughout the day, but it also delivers the all-important (and often forgotten at festivals) SPF protection. I love that the undetectable formula is suitable for all skin tones as it leaves no white cast and the aerosol bottle gives a well-distributed coverage!"

"My lashes are super short, so the last thing I want to do when I go to a festival is apply layers of mascara that will inevitably smudge. My solution? I always reach for a reliable pair of falsies. These Eylure lashes last for up to 18 hours and come with a really strong glue - which stays put all day long. Not only that, they are super wispy and open up my eyes."

"Whose hair is not going to get greasy at a three-day weekender? I for one will always have a can of dry shampoo with me to revive limp, greasy and lacklustre hair. This one also whisks me to a floral paradise thanks to the gorgeous scent and leaves me fresh in between wash days."

Nothing shouts festival makeup more than a 16-shade eyeshadow palette, right? This fulfils all my feel-good 'dopamine dressing' needs with the pigmented rainbow of high-performance shadows. I love that this pocket-rocket palette is super easy to blend and features a range of mattes, satin and shimmer colours. Now I just need more festivals to go to show the results off. 

Check out the full summer lineup at Boots here

Written in partnership with Boots

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