July 2022 was hot. Not “warm Manhattan summer” hot, but record-breaking, heat-dome, the-hottest-week-on-record-in-the-U.K. hot, and beauty conversation followed accordingly. Sweat-proof bases, cooling tools, scalp care, and heatless curls dominated our routines through the month, and the makeup we actually reached for was at the lightest, most-forgiving end of every shelf. The Fourth of July weekend kicked off the proper summer travel rhythm, the wedding calendar was still going, and by the second half of the month most of our group chats had turned into mutual recommendation threads for whatever was actually working in the heat. Here is what survived July.
The base went lighter, then lighter again
Foundation came off the shopping list entirely for most of July, replaced by tinted SPF, a touch of concealer, and a powder if we were going to a wedding. Ilia Beauty‘s Super Serum Skin Tint kept its summer-favorite status. Fenty Beauty‘s Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint took the more affordable lane. For the spot-coverage step we kept reaching for Kosas‘s Revealer concealer, which felt like skincare in a tube and held up under afternoon perspiration in a way that felt close to magical. The whole base routine ran twelve dollars under what we had been wearing in February, took two minutes less, and looked materially better in heat. We were not interested in going back.
Cooling tools earned their place
Ice rolling — actually freezing a metal-and-silicone facial roller and pressing it across the face for two minutes in the morning — had been a Korean spa staple for years, but July was the month it crossed into editor and bride routines for de-puffing in the heat. ESARORA‘s ice roller was the cult drugstore-priced version that dermatology TikTok had recommended for two years. Charlotte Tilbury‘s Cryo-Recovery Face Mask, applied straight from the fridge, took the more luxurious end of the same cooling brief. The benefit we had not appreciated until July was that two minutes of cold compression first thing in the morning made everything else in the routine sit better — primer, SPF, makeup. It was the unsexy ritual that produced the visible result.
Scalp care got serious
Pool water, sweat, sunscreen on the hairline — July did its annual number on scalps, and the weekly scalp scrub had moved from optional spa step to non-negotiable home routine. Briogeo‘s Scalp Revival Charcoal & Coconut Oil Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo had been the editor reference for years, and through July there was no reason to use anything else. Christophe Robin‘s Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt took the prestige version of the same product. The Rooted Beauty, a small brand we had been quietly liking, had a single-bottle scalp serum that earned a spot on the bathroom shelf. Once a week, ten minutes in the shower, and the scalp itched less, the hair sat better, and the volume returned. Worth every minute.
Heatless curls showed up on every feed
The heatless-curls trend had been bubbling on TikTok since 2021 — the satin headband or sock-style curling rod you wrapped damp hair around overnight to wake up to soft waves — and July was the month the technique fully crossed over to mainstream beauty editor coverage. Amazon and Sephora alike were sold out of various branded kits through most of the month. The genuine appeal was that it was free if you owned a long ribbon and ten minutes of patience, and the result on most hair types was a beachy, undone wave that worked beautifully with sundresses and outdoor weddings. Editor’s note: do it on hair that is not entirely dry, sleep on a silk pillowcase, and adjust the wrap tension as you went. The result improved with practice.
Body bronzing drops continued their run
The dilute-self-tanner approach we wrote about in March carried through July with new urgency, since the bare-skin body-care category was at its peak. Tan-Luxe‘s The Body drops mixed into your daily moisturiser remained the gold standard. Sol de Janeiro‘s Glowmotions kept the buildable-shimmer end of the conversation lively. Charlotte Tilbury‘s Supermodel Body, which had been impossible to find at Sephora in May, had finally restocked. The look was warm rather than orange, layered rather than uniform, and worked beautifully on shoulders and décolletage with a halter top or a slip dress.
Closing
July closed with a refrigerated face mask, a bathroom scalp scrub, and a freshly air-dried wave of heatless curls — exactly the routine we had not known we needed three months earlier. The heat had simplified our shelves more meaningfully than any minimalist self-improvement essay had ever managed. August will be the back-to-school adjacent month with summer travel still rolling and a few important late-summer launches expected; expect us to come back for that on the first Tuesday. In the meantime, we will see you in the shade.
Shop the edit
- Sun Bum Cool Down Aloe Gel — after-sun relief for peak summer.
- L’Oréal Paris Skin Paradise Tinted Serum — a lightweight tinted base for the heat.
- NYX Fat Oil Lip Drip — a glossy nourishing lip oil.
- Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof — pool-proof lashes.
As an Amazon Associate, Tried & Tested Beauty earns from qualifying purchases. The links above are affiliate links.