The beauty mood-board that we loved this August   

Your makeup bag does not need yet another product that promises to “revolutionise” your life. Instead, let’s make space for a blush that blends like a dream, a lippie with insanely glossy ambitions, and a body serum that makes moisturising feel exciting.

Add a deliciously scented shower gel and a fragrance mist straight out of a fairytale, and suddenly your everyday routine has plans that are kinda chic. 

Kylie Cosmetics Hybrid Blush - Cheeky Mood, ₹2,300        

If your ideal blush is pigmented yet super easy to diffuse, Kylie Cosmetics’ Hybrid Blush in Cheeky Mood deserves a spot in your rotation. The clever cream-to-powder formula gives you the easy blendability of a cream with the soft-focus finish of a powder, melting into the cheeks without leaving behind tell-tale patches.

The colour is buildable, too, so you can keep things at “I naturally look this cute” or turn up the volume when the occasion calls for it. Once blended, it leaves behind a smooth, soft-matte finish that looks remarkably like your skin after you’ve flirted with your crush.

Sephora Glossed Icy Shine Lip Gloss - Sorbet, ₹2,000 

Glossy lips are back on the agenda, and Sephora’s Glossed Icy Shine Lip Gloss in Sorbet is making a strong case for going full glass. The hybrid gel-serum formula sweeps on with a cool, minty sensation, leaving lips with a juicy, translucent shine that looks decidedly non-sticky.

Ultrafine pearls give the pastel shade an extra hit of light, while two per cent smoothing spheres help keep lips hydrated for up to 10 hours. The result is that coveted wet-look finish without the accompanying hair-stuck-to-your-mouth situation. Add the custom silicone applicator, and you have a gloss that is as easy to apply as it is satisfying to admire.

The Body Shop Velvet Fig and Pistachio Shower Gel, ₹595  

A shower gel that smells this good has no business being relegated to the “quick rinse” portion of your morning. Velvet Fig & Pistachio combines the juicy sweetness of sun-ripened figs with creamy pistachio and iris, before settling into a warmer base of milk, sandalwood, and soft musk. The light formula cleanses gently without leaving skin feeling stripped, making it an easy everyday staple.

But the real draw is the fragrance: green, cream, and softly sweet, with the comforting quality of something delicious baking nearby. It turns an otherwise hurried shower into the best-smelling part of your morning, and may even convince you to pause for a moment or two. 

Bath and Body Works - Rapunzel Fine Fragrance Mist, ₹2,490   

The limited edition Disney princess drop by Bath and Body Works just made all of us very nostalgically happy. Inspired by each princess’ defining quality, like Aurora’s optimism and Mulan’s courage. Consider Rapunzel’s curiosity your excuse to smell like bottled sunshine.

Bath And Body Works’ Rapunzel Fine Fragrance Mist is bright, optimistic and unapologetically cheerful, built around glowing sundrop flower, rich nectar, and golden musk. It starts with the breezy freshness of blooming florals before settling into a warmer, softly sweet finish. Light enough to mist generously and reapply whenever the mood strikes, it is made for the days when you want your fragrance to feel playful. 

Shankara Brightening Facial Gel, ₹1,290         

For those mornings when your face needs to look significantly more awake than you feel, Shankara’s Brightening Facial Gel comes through. The lightweight Ayurvedic formula uses a Triple Hydration Network alongside aloe vera, glycerin, turmeric, and pink lotus to surge the skin with moisture without the weight or stickiness of a richer cream.

Aloe vera gives it a wonderfully cooling quality, while turmeric and pink lotus help leave the complexion looking brighter and more even. The gel melts in quickly, making it particularly satisfying before makeup: you get hydrated, plumper-looking skin without having to wait around for your skincare to behave. Think of it as the refreshing glass of water your complexion wishes you would drink more often.

Staze 9to9 Twin Flame 2in1 Lipstick + Lip Liner - 03 Match-Made, ₹699  

Matching your lip liner to your lipstick should not require a detective investigation. Staze’s 9to9 Twin Flame duo in Match-Made has done the hard work for you, pairing a transfer-proof liner with a glossy lipstick in one perfectly coordinated package. Use the liner to shape and define, then sweep the lipstick through the centre of the lips and blend outward for a polished finish.

Want more drama? Add another layer. The beauty of the duo is its sheer lack of guesswork: you get a coordinated lip look without rummaging through five different shades trying to figure out which goes with what. One compact, two steps, zero overthinking.

Lonnue Thrive Body Serum, ₹2,375 

Face serum has had all the fun for far too long. Enter Lonnue’s Thrive Body Serum that brings the high-performance skincare treatment to the rest of you, combining multiple forms of hyaluronic acid with niacinamide, licorice root, centella asiatica, aloe vera, and antioxidants in an incredibly light water-gel texture.

It glides over the body and disappears quickly, leaving behind skin that feels pillowy-soft, hydrated, and smooth rather than coated in a heavy layer of cream. With regular use, the formula is designed to support a more even-looking tone and a stronger skin barrier, while its strawberry, orange, jasmine, and musk fragrance gives the whole experience a surprisingly sophisticated finish. 

Luminève Deep Revitalise Balanced Barrier Crème with 5 Ceramides 

Some moisturisers do the basics, others go the extra mile. Luminève’s Deep Revitalise Balanced Barrier Crème has a rich, cushiony texture that gives dry or stressed-out skin the kind of comforting dose of moisture it has been asking for, while a five-ceramide complex works to support the skin barrier.

The formula is also powered by the brand’s Advanced NightRenew Complex™ and is clinically shown to boost moisture levels by 77 per cent in 30 minutes. Translation? Skin that’s soft, replenished and considerably happier-looking. 

Un:fltrd Almost Blended™ Blush - In:love, ₹1,099         

Blush that comes already blended? Makeup just gets cleverer and cleverer. Unfltrd’s Almost bBended™ blush in takes the intimidation out of blush application with a cushion format that delivers a fresh, dewy flush with just a few taps.

The serum-like formula is packed with hydrating and skin-loving ingredients including hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, squalane, and shea butter. Plus, the compact comes complete with its own cute little puff and mirror, making it particularly nifty for on-the-go touch-ups, and because it is designed to resist humidity, your carefully placed flush needn’t disappear the second Mumbai decides to turn up the heat. Tap, tap, done.

Shyr Beauty Face It Concealer Stix – Hitched, ₹1,299   

Some days call for a full face of makeup, but on others, you need strategy that lets you pretend that you slept for eight hours. Shyr's Face It Concealer Stix has a creamy stick format that makes it easy to target exactly where you need a little backup, be it under the eyes, around redness, or over a stubborn pimple.

The wide range is suitable to all skin tones, and offers buildable coverage, so you can keep things sheer or layer it up. Apply directly from the stick, then tap out the edges with your fingers, a brush, or sponge. It is compact, fuss-free, and gloriously precise. 

All images: Featured brands 

Also read: Team Cosmo’s quirkiest doomscrolling addictions, revealed 

Also read: Hot off the beauty group chat: The best new launches of July