We’ve officially reached summer in Texas. Somehow it feels like a swamp, you can hardly breathe with the humidity, and you’re scared to check the weather app because you’re only given two options: “Will it be brisk and 102 or 107 this afternoon?” But one thing I love as the weather shifts is spending an evening organizing all my bathroom products. I’ll throw my AirPods in with an audiobook {Currently listening to Same Time Next Summer} and I’ll swatch, toss, and sort until it feels perfect. Our bathroom is smaller, and there’s zero point in taking up space with rich body butters and powder blushes when I need serums and creams until October. I want all my options in backup, but I want a few at eye level to make getting ready a bit faster and filled with less decisions. As I’ve done my seasonal clear out, I wanted to cover my top body products for summer for you.

1. Bright & Smooth Body Serum– A body serum?! You may be thinking, “You just said a few products at eye level. This doesn’t feel like a few.” Once you try this, you’ll wonder how you lived without. We obsess over skincare routines. We buy overpriced jars of Vitamin C to help remove scarring on our cheeks, and yet, we ignore body care. We slap on lotion and call it a day, only to try and conceal uneven tone with self-tanner. iNNBeauty has us covered. Meet Bright and Smooth, their new body serum. I apply this about 3x a week out of the shower, let it dry down, and then put on my pajamas. This does it ALL. From ingrown hairs to hyperpigmentation to rough skin on the back of arms, it doesn’t simply act as a filter, it acts as an eraser for any skin issue. So how does it do this? It’s packed with 17% active ingredients to visibly reduce hyperpigmentation, breakouts {hello bikini season}, and rough bumpy texture. It’s an AHA + BHA acid blend, and so be SURE to use SPF if outside the next day. Once you start using it, you notice everything applies smoother, even self-tanner. My self-tanner doesn’t get darker in one spot or another because it’s not clinging to any scarring. It’s a post-shower must in my book.
2. Perfumes, Day & Night & Daily– While there hasn’t been a change in my fragrance, I thought I’d recap what I use for day and night come summertime. Last summer, I picked up Gelsomini Di Capri in Capri. It’s the most beautiful blend of jasmine and orange blossom with amber and vanilla. It’s a white floral that ends on a sweet note and makes me think of lemon gelato and tanned skin. For evening, I have been loving Love by Kilian Don’t Be Shy that I reviewed here. Think of it as Prada Candy’s mature older sister. With orange, honeysuckle, and marshmallow, it’s sweet but not as intense as Black Opium by any means. Don’t care to purchase a season-based scent? White Label by Talia has been something I reach for regularly. I have like 4 of the travel sizes and always have one in a purse! If you love Baccarat Rouge 540, you’ll want to bathe in White Label.
3. Lux Unfiltered Tanner– I have to thank my sister for this introduction. Self-tanner isn’t one size fits all. Some look great in photos. Some look good in video. Some look strong in person. Etc. And USUALLY, you never find one that works across the board. Trust me, with blogging and tanning mishaps, I should sadly know. 😉 My sister told me I should try this gradual tan lotion and I eye-rolled a bit. First off, gradual tan lotions are notorious for leaving streaks. Because you can’t see where you apply, it’s easy to miss around a wrist or ankle. Secondly, if I’m going to put up with smelling like self-tanner for a few hours, I’d like it to have a payout in pigment, not a light wash of color. Because I surely don’t want to reapply in a few days! She told me it was what all her friends used, and I nearly ordered on Amazon to prove her wrong. Well, now I’m on my second bottle and happily eating my words. This lotion doesn’t streak, smell, and gives a lovely color payout. In the photo of me in the blue romper above, this is what I have applied. Plus, it doesn’t feel too tacky on the skin, which is key in the summer months. I do apply this with a mitt and I think that helps make it smooth, but even without it, it’s the best tanning lotion I’ve ever tried.
4. Artis Body Brush– Now let’s talk blending tanning products. A firm-bristle brush is key! I like to apply this oil to my hands and feet before applying the lotion. Once I’ve blended the lotion on my legs and arms, I take this Artis brush and blend all over my hands. It makes the transition seamless without having tell-tale signs of tanner.

If you only want to try one thing from this post, I’d do Bright and Smooth– simply because it will change everything else in your body care routine! Skin is smoother and I find myself applying self-tanner less because everything looks even as is! What products do you love in the summer?