Essie summer nail polish collection

Photo: Gregor Halenda

Polish By Number
Not to get all artistic on you, but after one look at Essie's six new nail polishes, we were seeing brilliant tropical flowers, vivid avian plumage and a very pretty way to brighten our summer...right at our fingertips. Try the blazing orange, deep pink, or, for a quieter but still provocative look, the pale, sea-foam green. Completing the palette: a fiery coral, rich tangerine, and glimmering periwinkle.

Essie's Summer Collection, $8; Essie.com
Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Sheer Moisture Mist

Photo: Gregor Halenda

Midsummer Night's Dream
A warm July evening. A luxuriously long bath. And then, before you slip into your silk shift (or your ten-year-old terry robe), you spritz a veil of jasmine and skin-softening moisturizers on your arms and décolletage. Light and subtle, Chanel Chance Eau Tendre Sheer Moisture Mist is one cool way to be unmistakably, gorgeously hot.

$40 for 3.4 ounces; Chanel.com 
Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows

Photo: Gregor Halenda

Eye Brighteners
One of our favorite ways to shimmer this summer: Giorgio Armani Eyes to Kill Intense Eyeshadows. They come in 15 stunning shades, each a blend of complementary metallics—from soft, light pink with a hint of red to bright purple with shimmery gold. The creamy, waterproof pigments glide on easily and dry to a powdery finish that won't crease. Blend with your fingertips for a touch of color or use a brush for a more vivid payoff.

$32; GiorgioArmaniBeauty-USA.com
Toleriane Ultra Intense Soothing Care Daily Moisturizer

Photo: Gregor Halenda

Flying High
If baggage fees have you heading to the airport this summer with only a rucksack, you'll need a set of pared-down, TSA-friendly beauty products. Consider the Collective Wellbeing Travel Kit. The hemp bag is stocked with two-ounce versions of a day cream, night cream, face cleanser, body butter, shampoo, and conditioner. We appreciate that all the ingredients in the formulas are easily biodegradable (unlike some beauty products that take longer to break down after use, these turn into water, carbon dioxide, and organic matter in less than a month) and include no harmful chemicals (like phthalates).

$25; CollectiveWellbeing.com
Beauty Fixation Kits

Photo: Gregor Halenda

Get Your Fix
Just when we thought cotton swabs couldn't get handier (they clean mascara smudges and baby neck folds!), along comes Japonesque's new Beauty Fixation collection. Each kit contains 24 swabs filled with a remedy for almost any beauty predicament—from dry lips to ragged cuticles to overdone eyeliner. Just snap off one end, let the treatment saturate the swab, and toss it when you're done. Practical magic.

$5 per kit; AveYou.com
Collective Wellbeing Travel Kit

Photo: Gregor Halenda

A Prime Pump
How many times have you wondered, as you're pumping out the last of your moisturizer, how much is still in there? You know there's some left, if only the pump could get to it; yet if the formula happens to need an airtight container, you don't want to open it and compromise the product's effectiveness. Now skincare company La Roche-Posay has figured out a way to make sure you can use all the product and prevent contamination of the formula. Toleriane Ultra Intense Soothing Care Daily Moisturizer comes in a hermetically sealed pump and an airtight pouch that collapses as the moisturizer is used. The beauty part: no contamination, no oxidation, and no waste.

$35; LaRoche-Posay.US