This year’s summer collection from the French beauty brand is inspired by a “beachy and effortless” glow – or as its founder Francois Nars says: “Like skin warmed by the sun.” The six blush shades in this limited-edition palette use vivid pigments and a lightweight powder texture to impart a sunkissed finish.

The brand’s Summer Essentials collection has, as you might expect, fresh and juicy scents perfect for hot weather. A standout novelty is the mosquito repellent spray (yup, you read right) in which the grassy floral smell of citronelle – which naturally wards off insects – gets an elegant perfumery upgrade. Talk about scents and sensibility.

From the French Riviera-inspired Les Beiges collection come four new shades of the brand’s wildly popular Le Vernis Longwear nail polish that elevate earthy nudes. Shades 893 Glimmer and 897 Golden Sand (far left) are limited edition, while 895 Sunlight and 899 Solar (far right) join the permanent range.

Desert dunes were the inspiration of the brand’s summer collection, which explains not only the glamorous take on desert tones like gold and orange in this eyeshadow palette, but also the wavy sand texture pressed into its powders. According to Peter Philips – the brand’s creative and image director – it also boasts a unique blend achieved by experimenting with random combinations of pigments that create a “solar” effect no matter the makeup look.

The Italian fashion house’s beauty line recently debuted in Singapore with the opening of a boutique at Ion Orchard. This liquid bronzer, which is dispensed with a dropper, blends easily to create the illusion of a healthy tan. A slightly frivolous upside: the brand’s signature Sicilian tile motif is perfectly right for the summer season.

How about a lightweight primer that reduces the appearance of pores as both makeup and skincare? This new release has a formula that – in addition to smoothening skin – controls shine and keeps one’s foundation on for longer. It also promises to improve the appearance of pores after four weeks of use.

The latest generation sunscreen from the French beauty giant promises elegant, all-bases-covered protection from a host of external aggressors. That includes atmospheric, pollen and indoor pollutants in the air; blue light damage; as well as UVA and UVB rays. Key to its defence: an organic mango leaf extract with antioxidant properties that acts as a shield for the skin.

Part of the Blu Mediterraneo line, this limited-edition perfume uses a “sponging” (spugnatura in Italian) method to extract its key bergamot essence. It’s a hand-wrought process: 200kg of bergamot yields just 1kg of the essential oils needed for the scent. The result is a multidimensional rendering of zesty Calabrian summertime, with strong sillage and great longevity.

When it’s time to show a little skin, how about some makeup for the body? This new tint imparts shimmer in addition to coverage. It’s also got a humidity, sweat and transfer-resistant gel-cream texture that’s going to enhance skin with a healthy glow. Under sunlight, expect to look positively shining.

The whole of Tom Ford’s summer beauty collection is about golden sunlight. This seasonal lip gloss in a luxurious golden tube has a pearlescent sheen that changes colour from golden to a shiny rosepeach when it’s applied onto the lips. Wear on its own as a soft wash of shiny colour or layer it above lipstick as a glossy topper.

Pre-styling hair creams tend to only protect tresses from the heat of styling products like dryers, straighteners and curling irons. Not this new number that uses heat to activate the repairing properties of its camellia and moringa oil-enhanced formula. The non-rinse texture means you can also apply it to dry hair for a silky and nourished shine.

When it gets hot out, a multi-layered skincare routine can feel overly dense. Consider a hard-hitting hydrator like this one – infused with cordyceps, ginseng, hyaluronic acid and bamboo grass extract. The serum intensity and lotion texture means your skin gets an instant pick-me-up without needing to pile more product on.

If you like the brand’s best-selling Micro Essence lotion, you might consider this lighter version that’s infused with sakura ferment. It’s got the same hydrating and plumping benefits with a more watery texture that’s great for warmer days. The limited edition packaging created in collaboration with Swedish manga artist Asa Ekstrom adds to the playful day-off vibe.

A version of this article first appeared in Female‘s June 2021 Fashion Activity Book