July came in hot, and so did the beauty drops, bringing a truly exciting mix of launches that span everything from humidity-proof base products and barrier-loving skincare to luxe lip colours and wonderfully fresh deodorants – all designed to survive sticky commutes, air-conditioned offices, and long dinners. Think of it as a cheat sheet to what to work into your rotation right now.
Here, our favourite new products – not just the hottest trends, but what feels beautifully made for the way we really live (and sweat) through a sunny summer.
Louis Vuitton Beauty, LV Crayon Lip Pencil (896 – Monogram Rouge), HKD$440
You can always trust Louis Vuitton Beauty to enhance the everyday, and this new lip pencil will not disappoint. Enter the LV Crayon Lip Pencil, co-created with Creative Director Pat McGrath. Its graceful Monogram Flower profile isn’t just decorative – it truly improves grip and control. The semi-matte formula feels light yet controlled, serving up enough pigment to last for hours, while the edited shade range spans luxurious nudes and eye-catching reds – believe us, it’s a little object of beauty luxury that slips perfectly into your daily rotation.
AUNU, Mānuka Moisturizer (50ml), HKD$685
This new Mānuka Moisturizer from AUNU is formulated with medical-grade mānuka honey and a barrier-identical ceramide complex, leaving skin plump, fresh and perfectly primed – without ever fighting your sunscreen or makeup. Its water-based gel-cream absorbs instantly, imparting a natural glow via squalane, jojoba, niacinamide and Narcissus bulb. AUNU is really answering our priming moisturiser prayers with this one!
Chanel Beauty, Rouge Coco Hydra Gloss (432 – Cristal), HKD$350
French women know a thing or two about naturally glossy lips, so when Chanel launched the Rouge Coco Hydra Gloss, our expectations were high. Thankfully, it delivers. This viscous yet non-gloopy formula feels more like a hydrating treatment than a traditional gloss, wrapping lips in a slick, glassy finish without any of that sticky situation. Packed with camellia ceramides and a hydra-peptide complex, it leaves behind no tackiness, just a cushiony, high-shine veil you can throw on over bare lips or layer over your usual lipstick. With 18 shades to experiment with – from milky pinks and deeper reds to vivid pops like citrine yellow and jade green – there’s a colour for every mood. If you’ve spent years avoiding glosses that feel heavy or gluey, this may well be the formula that changes your mind.
Rare Beauty, Soft Pink Lip Oil Stick (Wish, 3.4g), HKD$225
If there’s one launch that’s dominated our beauty group chats recently, it’s Rare Beauty’s Soft Pink Lip Oil Stick. Like everything Selena Gomez touches, it’s sold out almost as quickly as it dropped. What we love most is how cleverly this solid stick melts on contact into a glossy, oil-like finish with actual colour payoff – a three-in-one hybrid that’s less slippery than traditional lip oil and more comfortable than a full-on gloss or lipstick. Rich in apple-seed oil, it gives off a whisper of fresh apple scent while other nourishing oils lock in moisture without stickiness, keeping lips juicy for up to eight hours. The shades mirror the Soft Pinch blush universe, spanning rosy pinks, brick reds, soft berries and more, making this a bag-friendly workhorse for flawless touch-ups. If you’re someone who wants your lips to look hydrated, smooth and kissed with just the right amount of colour, you’ll soon understand the hype.
Charlotte Tilbury, UNREAL Highlighter (Glazed Goddess), HKD$350
Charlotte Tilbury’s glow-giving touch has long earned an ardent following, and this highlighter might just be the smartest launch yet. Powered by 92% skincare ingredients – hyaluronic acid, vitamins C and E – and supercharged with Glow-Light Mapping Mesh Tech, it focuses on a dewy, soft-focus glaze rather than a chunky shimmer stripe. The stick format makes application foolproof, and the single universal shade, Glazed Goddess, adapts to every skin tone. It won’t give you an obvious metallic streak, but it will give your skin a second-skin luminosity that sits beautifully over foundation or bare skin. Stick with this soft, lit-from-within finish and your complexion will thank you.
Salt & Stone, Lily & Yuzu Deodorant (75g), HKD$195
Deodorants can often feel purely functional, but Salt & Stone’s Lily & Yuzu Deodorant is a proper treat. Offering 48-hour protection desperately needed on hot summer days, it takes an addictive scent and tucks it into a wearable stick that glides on smoothly without residue or chalkiness. Aluminum-free, packed with prebiotics to neutralise odours and utilising seaweed extracts to moisturise the skin, this is a formula you look forward to applying. The fragrance favours citrus over sugar, with top notes of yuzu, green apple and bergamot, a heart of matcha, bamboo and jasmine, and a base of lily, musk, amber and cedar. It sits comfortably alongside any perfume rather than competing.
One/Size Beauty, On ’Til Dawn Bronze Veil (Caramel Glow, 143ml), HKD$345
If your setting spray just sets, this is the sun-kissed twist you’ve been waiting for. Patrick Starrr’s On ’Til Dawn Bronze Veil from One/Size Beauty works a sheer, luminous bronze tint into the brand’s hero formula, still helping your makeup survive heat, sweat and humidity. Vegan, paraben-free and dermatologist-tested, the ultra-fine aerosol adds a soft veil of warmth that reads as a natural sunkissed glow – never a spray tan – while bronze pigments, a coconut glow complex and witch hazel keep everything smooth, matte and shine-controlled. It’s one of those products you mist on without even thinking about it, knowing your makeup will last all day and look beautifully bronzed.
Born in Korea and raised in Hong Kong, Min Ji has combined her degree in anthropology and creative writing with her passion for going on unsolicited tangents as an editor at Friday Club. In between watching an endless amount of movies, she enjoys trying new cocktails and pastas while occasionally snapping a few pictures.
