Your Ultimate Summer Glow Up 2026 – My BEST Tips

I was literally just sitting on my balcony this morning, looking at the calendar and I had this massive realization. Summer 2026 is literally right around the corner. Like, how did that even happen? I swear we were just in the middle of winter, crying over seasonal depression and wearing three layers of sweatpants. But now the sun is finally waking up and honestly? I am so ready for it. And I want you to be ready for it too.

We’ve talked about glow ups before, but this year feels different. I don’t know about you, but I am so done with the toxic “get a summer body in two weeks” culture. It’s so exhausting and just ruins the vibe completely. For 2026, our glow up is about energy, feeling good in our skin, and just radiating that effortless, magnetic energy. We want that inner and outer glow that makes people stop and say “wow, what is she doing?”

So I sat down and dumped all my thoughts into my notes app, and I compiled my absolute best, tried and true tips for your ultimate summer glow up. These are things I actually do, things that actually work, and stuff you can start right this second without spending a fortune. Let’s get into it!

1. Hydration – But Make It An Aesthetic

Okay I know you are probably rolling your eyes right now. “Water? Really Anne? Groundbreaking.” But listen to me! You cannot have glowing skin or good energy if your cells are literally crying out for moisture. And I had to learn this the hard way.

Story time. Picture this: it was July 2024. I was at this outdoor music festival with my cousin. It was like 95 degrees outside, absolutely sweltering. And what did I drink all morning? Three massive iced coffees. Nothing else. No water, no electrolytes. Just straight up bean juice and oat milk. I thought I was being so cool and energized. Cut to 2 PM, we are standing in the middle of the crowd and my vision literally starts going blurry. I felt so dizzy I had to sit down on the dirty grass, feeling like absolute garbage. My cousin had to drag me to a medical tent where they forced me to drink lukewarm water and eat a salty pretzel. I missed my favorite artist’s set because I was too busy being severely dehydrated. It was the least glamorous moment of my life.

Don’t be 2024 Anne. You need water. But because we are romanticizing our lives in 2026, we are making hydration an aesthetic. Go buy yourself a cute tumbler – whatever color matches your current mood. I’m obsessed with my sage green one right now. Fill it with ice, water, and add things to it. Squeeze a lemon, toss in some cucumber slices, or add a handful of frozen berries. If you make it look pretty and taste slightly interesting, you’re gonna drink so much more of it. Try to drink at least two of those big tumblers a day. I promise you, within a week, your under-eye bags will start packing their bags. Your skin will look so much plumper. It’s the cheapest beauty secret in the world.

2. The Skincare Routine – Less is Actually More

I feel like the skincare industry wants us to believe we need 15 steps to look good. But babe, who has the time or the money for that? Especially in the summer when you just sweat it all off anyway.

My biggest tip for this summer’s glow up is to simplify. You need three things: a gentle cleanser, a really good Vitamin C serum for that bright glow, and SPF. Oh my gosh, let’s talk about SPF. If you are not wearing sunscreen every single day, we can’t be friends. Just kidding, we can, but I will nag you about it constantly.

I used to be so bad at sun protection. Back in high school I used to put baby oil on my legs to tan – literally a recipe for disaster. One time I fell asleep on the beach with zero sunscreen on my face. I woke up two hours later and my face was the exact color of a ripe tomato. I couldn’t smile for a week because my skin was so tight, and it peeled in the most embarrassing way right before my best friend’s birthday party. I had to show up looking like a shedding snake. Never again.

Find a sunscreen that doesn’t leave a white cast and feels like a moisturizer. There are so many good ones out now in 2026! Layer your Vitamin C serum under your SPF in the morning. The Vitamin C makes the sunscreen work even better, and it gives you this gorgeous, lit-from-within look. Skip the heavy foundations this summer. Just spot conceal where you need it, add a little cream blush, and let your real skin breathe. The natural texture is so in right now.

3. Joyful Movement Over Punishment

Can we please leave behind the idea that working out has to be miserable? I spent so many summers forcing myself to do these intense bootcamps that I absolutely hated. I would dread waking up because I knew I had to go suffer for an hour. That is not the vibe for 2026.

This year, the glow up is about finding movement that actually makes you smile. For me, that’s been putting on my headphones, blasting my favorite 2000s throwback playlist, and going for a stupid little mental health walk. I call them my “hot girl walks” even if I look like a swamp monster in my oversized sweatpants. It’s about getting the blood flowing.

If you hate running, don’t run! Try a pilates class, or find a fun dance workout on YouTube. Or just stretch on your living room floor while watching Netflix. Your body loves to move, you just have to find the way it wants to move. When you start working out because you love your body and want to feel strong, instead of doing it to shrink yourself, your entire posture changes. You walk taller. You have more energy. That is a real glow up.

Put on a playlist like this one, forget about the calories, and just vibe. Trust me on this one.

4. Mindset is Everything – Protect Your Peace

You can drink all the water in the world and use a 100 dollar serum, but if you are constantly stressed out and surrounded by drama, you aren’t gonna glow. Stress literally shows up on our faces. I know you know what I mean. When I’m overwhelmed, my skin breaks out, my hair looks dull, and I just look tired.

For your 2026 summer glow up, you need to be absolutely ruthless with your peace. Mute the people on Instagram who make you feel bad about your body. Stop saying yes to plans when you secretly just want to stay home and read a book. Set some boundaries!

I started doing this thing where I take 10 minutes every morning just for me. No phone, no scrolling, no emails. I just sit with my coffee, look out the window, and breathe. Sometimes I write down three things I’m grateful for. It sounds super cheesy, I know, but it totally changes the trajectory of my day. When you feel grounded and calm inside, it translates outward. People will literally ask you if you’ve been on vacation because you just look so rested. Protect your energy, babe. You deserve to feel light and happy this summer.

5. Curate Your “Effortless” Wardrobe

Let’s talk fashion. The goal this summer is to look like you just threw something on and magically look incredible. And the secret to that is having a capsule wardrobe of comfortable, breathable pieces that you actually feel good in.

Get rid of the shorts that squeeze your waist too tight. Life is way too short to wear uncomfortable clothes. I am fully embracing the linen pants and oversized button-down shirt era. It’s giving “rich coastal auntie who drinks wine at 2 PM” and I am here for it.

My favorite thing to do right now is hit up local thrift stores. Just last month, my best friend Sarah and I went to this huge vintage market downtown. We were digging through these massive bins – literally sweating, it was so dusty – and I pulled out this perfect, buttery-soft oversized linen shirt. It was literally 4 dollars. I washed it, threw it over a simple white tank top with some denim cutoffs, and it is my absolute favorite outfit now. It looks so high-end but it was basically free. Thrifting gives your wardrobe so much character, plus it’s way better for the environment.

Stick to neutral bases – think whites, creams, light denims – and then add fun pops of color with your accessories. A bright red bag, some funky sunglasses, or a cool claw clip. When your clothes are comfortable, you aren’t constantly pulling at them or adjusting them. You just exist, comfortably and beautifully. And confidence is honestly the best accessory you can wear anyway.

6. Own Your Natural Beauty

This is probably the most important tip I have for you. We spend so much time trying to fix our “flaws” instead of just amplifying what makes us unique. Do you have freckles? Stop covering them up! Got wild, curly hair? Let it air dry with some leave-in conditioner and let it be massive. Whatever your natural features are, lean into them.

For me, I’ve always had these really full, messy eyebrows. For years I tried to pluck them into these perfect thin arches because that was the trend, and they looked awful. I looked constantly surprised. Now? I just brush them up with some clear gel and let them be bushy. It changed my whole face and saved me so much time in the morning. Figure out what your favorite feature is, and make that the star of the show. Swipe on a pretty, neutral lip gloss, add some mascara, and call it a day.

A glow up isn’t about becoming a completely different person. It’s just about becoming the most vibrant, healthy, and happy version of the person you already are.