July 2017 was the kind of summer where the heat decided what we were going to wear and what we were going to do. The Independence Day weekend came and went in a blur of barbecues, sunburn cream, and a reminder that SPF reapplication is the only routine that actually counts in this month. The bathroom counter had quietly shrunk to maybe seven products. We were tanning by accident, swimming in saltwater, and reading about the new wave of “skin minimalism” that the K-beauty conversation had been quietly evolving toward all year. The big news in beauty press through July was the rumor mill around Rihanna’s beauty brand — the launch had been formally announced for September, the campaign images were starting to leak through trade press, and the entire foundation conversation was holding its breath. The rest of the industry was still launching as if Fenty was not coming. We knew better.
The post-sun rescue routine, finalized
By the second week of July we had spent enough time outdoors to require a real recovery routine, and the products that emerged were the boring, effective ones. CeraVe Moisturizing Cream — the basic blue tub, recommended by every dermatologist on Instagram — became the after-sun cream of the month. A single bottle of Weleda Skin Food sat next to the bed and we used it on the worst-burnt patches. First Aid Beauty‘s Ultra Repair Cream rounded out the trio for daytime, and a green-tea face mist replaced the cocktail-friendly mist we had been using through June. The entire after-sun routine cost less than $50 and worked better than any prestige equivalent we tested. Sometimes the recovery answer is simply to use less and to use proven things.
The fragrance reset for the heat
Heavy fragrances start to sour in July; this is something we re-learn every year and try to plan around. The summer fragrance rotation in 2017 settled on three: Byredo Bal d’Afrique (still a rotation favorite, lighter than its packaging suggests), Le Labo Bergamote 22 (the citrus we put on for daytime), and Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walk (the most summer-coded fragrance we own — a literal photograph of Côte d’Azur in a bottle). The conversation in fragrance press through July was about the emergence of “skin scents” — fragrances that read as a slightly enhanced version of clean skin rather than a perfume worn on top of it — and we are squarely in this camp. The big mainstream fragrance brands are about to start chasing this category in earnest in 2018; we are watching.
The tan conversation, in 2017
Self-tanner had moved from a category most beauty editors would not admit to using to a category every beauty editor was loudly recommending. The leaders of the conversation by July were Bondi Sands (the Australian export that had finally cracked US distribution), St. Barth (the original everyone copied), and Tan-Luxe (the tinting drops you mix into your moisturizer for a gradual lift). We tested all three for the month and had an honest experience — the Tan-Luxe was the easiest to use, the Bondi Sands developed the most natural color, and the St. Tropez Mousse formula our friends still swore by remained the gold standard for full-body application. The 2017 tan conversation had shifted from “is it cheating” to “what is the most natural-looking option” — a more interesting and less judgmental conversation, and one we welcomed.
The Glossier Phase Two delivers
July was the month Glossier rounded out its Phase Two color cosmetics in earnest. The Cloud Paint cream blushes had hit a new shade — Storm, a dustier mauve — and the brand’s third major product of the season had quietly rolled out alongside a renewed showroom buzz in New York. The line was now a real makeup brand rather than a skincare brand with three lipsticks. We bought Cloud Paint in Storm, used it on cheeks and lids together, and hit the look we had been chasing since the spring — minimal, even, slightly flushed, slightly tan. Glossier’s particular contribution to the year was teaching the rest of the industry that minimal makeup needed to be sold and packaged like it was its own category, not a default for people who could not afford to buy a full face.
The drugstore dry shampoo wars, 2017 edition
July is dry-shampoo season at the drugstore, and the 2017 standings were fairly settled. Batiste remained the universal go-to for last-minute reset, the new Dove Refresh+Care formula had quietly become a sleeper hit because it did not leave a chalky residue, and the Klorane Oat Milk dry shampoo continued to be the editor’s pick for sensitive scalps. The entire category cost under $10 a bottle, and by mid-July we had three different formulas open in the bathroom for different scenarios. The prestige dry shampoos — Drybar Detox, Living Proof — were better, but the gap had closed enough that we mostly reached for the drugstore option for daily use and saved the prestige one for the night before something important.
Closing
By the last week of July the bathroom counter was a study in summer minimalism — three SPFs, the after-sun trio, a Tan-Luxe bottle on the counter, the Glossier line in a single drawer, and a Pat McGrath gloss for evenings. August is going to bring the back-to-school launches, the early fall preview previews, and the final stretch of pre-Fenty calm. The launch we are anticipating most for September is going to land — the rumors say 40 shades — and the rest of the foundation conversation is going to have to scramble. We will see you on the first Tuesday of August.