The M&S beauty department has snuck up on cosmetics obsessives and now finds itself drawing crowds of skincare and glam lovers to its impressive brand offering. Since launching in 2012, the retailer has built a reputation for housing cult skincare, make-up and haircare brands under one roof, and its annual beauty advent calendar has become something of phenomenon come the festive season, selling out year on year.
While Christmas may still be a long way off, M&S has already turned its attention to beauty gifting with the launch of a limited-edition summer beauty bag – 10 years on since its first warm-weather bundle. Packed with products from some of the retailer's most sought-after brands, it promises a sizeable saving (81 per cent, no less) on everything from SPF and nail care to must-have fragrances.
Naturally, I was keen to see whether the contents justified the hype. As someone who spends much of the year testing beauty launches, I got my hands on the bag to take a closer look at what’s inside, how much the products are actually worth and whether this seasonal offering – it retails for £40 (Marksandspencer.com) – is as good as the numbers suggest. Here's my verdict.
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M&S summer beauty bag
In the 12-strong line-up, you’ll receive:
Five of these items are full-sizes and, I’d argue, it’s the really good ones – Clinique, EL, Sam McKnight, LD and Iconic – that you’re getting in bigger quantities. What’s more, there’s not a stingy sample sachet in site, with all the miniature additions exceeding 10ml.
While some beauty bundles can comprise brands where, either, interest has waned or the retailer has selected the least popular product, this selection from M&S is chock full of cult formulas. From the dramatically different Clinique moisturising lotion which has been growing in popularity since the 1960s, to Color Wow’s viral hair mask, it’s clear someone on the British company’s buying team is clued up on their beauty knowledge.
Don’t believe me? Take beauty expert Ellis Cochrane’s Color Wow review as evidence. After testing the dreaming mask, she wrote, “Not only does my hair look shiny and feel soft, I also noticed a big reduction in the amount of frizz, especially when wearing my hair curly.” Meanwhile, editor Annabel Grossman described how the brand’s colour security shampoo “perfectly preserves the blonde in [her] hair,” in our guide to the best shampoos and conditioners.
What’s more, upon spritzing the Floral Street wonderland peony scent, I deemed it a perfect day-to-night fragrance, with a great balance of sweet notes (pink berries and hazelnut) and bright florals (peonies and violets). Along the same vein, I’m not new to Clinique’s dramatically different moisturising lotion, but upon revisiting the formula within this M&S bundle, I was wowed by how much bang for your buck this time-earned cream has to offer. It’s incredibly stretchy and just a pine nut’s worth of product was able to moisturise the entire back of my hand. It’s instantly comforting to tired, dry skin and I truly feel the included 50ml tube will last you six months, if not more.
I’ve browsed a number of beauty bundles through 2026 so far, including options from Lookfantastic, Boots and Cult Beauty, and I can honestly say this one seems the most enticing. It’s truly rare to see so many current and time-earned brands, with such a generous number of full-sizes, all for less than £50. If I were you, I wouldn’t hang about in securing yours – it’s already gone out of stock once, so who knows how long this second wind will last.
What to know
Buy now £40, Marksandspencer.com
Is the M&S summer beauty box worth it?
For £40, M&S’s summer beauty box feels unusually generous. Rather than relying on filler products or unfamiliar names (save for one M&S-own brand moisturiser), it brings together a line-up of covetable beauty brands, with several full-sized products that I'd happily buy in their own right. The inclusion of everyday staples alongside a few more indulgent treats makes it feel useful rather than gimmicky. Granted, it’s £5 more than 2025’s bundle, but it’s also worth an extra £20. Plus, when you factor in the £230 value, it's one of the strongest beauty savings I've seen this year.
How I tested the M&S summer beauty box
Alongside unboxing the M&S summer beauty box, I closely examined the size, quality and desirability of each item featured, drawing on my previous experiences with many of the included brands and formulas, as well as acquainting myself with the products I’d not yet used. Specifically, I considered the following components:
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
As IndyBest’s senior shopping writer, Lucy Smith is well versed in both the latest beauty launches and the formulas that have stood the test of time. As well as heading up the team’s guide to the best beauty advent calendars, where retailers set out to produce a curation of the most exciting products and launches, she’s also covered a number of 2026 releases, such as the new Dyson travel hair dryer, the Laura Mercier colour correcting setting powder and more. As such, she knows when a product is or isn’t worth your while, and was just the person to deem M&S summer beauty box a hit or miss.
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For £40, M&S’s summer beauty box feels unusually generous. Rather than relying on filler products or unfamiliar names (save for one M&S-own brand moisturiser), it brings together a line-up of covetable beauty brands, with several full-sized products that I'd happily buy in their own right. The inclusion of everyday staples – say, the Clinique moisturising lotion – alongside a few more indulgent treats – such as the Floral Street EDP – makes it feel useful rather than gimmicky. Granted, it’s £5 more than 2025’s bundle, but it’s also worth an extra £20+. Plus, when you factor in the £230 value, it's one of the strongest beauty savings I've seen this year.
How we tested
Alongside unboxing the M&S summer beauty box, I closely examined the size, quality and desirability of each item featured, drawing on my previous experiences with many of the included brands and formulas, as well as acquainting myself with the products I’d not yet used. Specifically, I considered the following components:
As IndyBest’s senior shopping writer, Lucy Smith is well versed in both the latest beauty launches and the formulas that have stood the test of time. As well as heading up the team’s guide to the best beauty advent calendars, where retailers set out to produce a curation of the most exciting products and launches, she’s also covered a number of 2026 releases, such as the new Dyson travel hair dryer, the Laura Mercier colour correcting setting powder and more. As such, she knows when a product is or isn’t worth your while, and was just the person to deem M&S summer beauty box a hit or miss.
