Learning how to take care of curly and coily hair is a journey in itself, and finding the right shampoo is just one part of that — but it’s also a foundation for everything.
Shampoo does the essential work of clearing away debris on the scalp like dead skin cells, natural elements (like dust) and sebum (the oil that skin naturally produces) as well as any products in your hair. Without a good cleanser, built-up dirt and hair products on the scalp can lead to frizziness, irritation and hair loss. This is true for anyone, but those with curly and coily hair textures have their own specific needs when it comes to shampoo.
On curly hair textures, sebum takes much longer to travel down the hair shaft compared to straight hair. Thus, curly hair doesn’t need to be washed as often because it doesn’t get oily as quickly. And it can dry out if it’s over-washed – some of those oils are actually good, going a long way toward protecting strands.
“You want your shampoo to be nutrient-rich, formulated for your scalp and hair’s needs, free of harsh sulfates or chemicals and you should be able to identify natural ingredients on the label,” says Ebony Bomani, the brand educator at Pattern by Tracee Ellis Ross. “It should effectively clean your hair without stripping it. Afterwards, your hair should be lustrous, look and feel clean but not brittle or crunchy.”
Below, we break down what to look for in order to get the best results and recommend some top picks.
How to Find the Best Shampoo for Your Hair
The best shampoo for you depends on three main factors: curl pattern, texture and porosity.
Curl pattern is typically matched up to a hair type scale from 1A to 4C. Curly and coily hair patterns lie in types 3 and 4; type 3 describes loose-to-tight curls, while type 4 describes tight to super tight coils. The curlier the hair, the more moisture it needs. The other two factors — texture and porosity — help narrow down the best ingredients and hair routine.
Texture describes the “diameter of your strands” within a range of fine to thick, Bomani says. You can look at your own hair strands to judge its texture: Fine hair is more prone to breakage and works best with lightweight products; with thick hair, there’s more liberty, since the strands can withstand heavier formulas.
Photo: Imaxtree
Porosity, Bomani explains, “refers to your hair’s ability to absorb and retain moisture” via how open (or “porous”) your hair follicles are, from low to high. Low porosity hair doesn’t absorb water or products like oils and conditioner as quickly, which can make it seem harder for products to ‘work.’ High porosity hair, on the other hand, is able to quickly absorb water and products, but it’s also quick to lose them.
“All of these factors are important to know when creating a hair-care regimen and selecting effective products,” notes Dr. Kari Williams, a trichologist who’s also a member of DevaCurl‘s Expert Curl Council. “Hair care is not one size fits all, and will require different products and styling processes to reach hair-care goals.”
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To get the best results from shampoo, Dr. Williams advises following a specific application process: “I recommend applying the shampoo directly to the scalp. Massage with the pads of your fingertips until the lather builds. Avoid piling the hair on top of the head, because this increases the chance of the hair tangling or matting. Instead, make sure the hair strands are flowing in one direction while shampooing and rinsing the hair.”
Understanding Different Shampoo Types
“Shampoos are formulated to cleanse the hair and scalp. You want to look for a surfactant that will lift and remove dirt and oils from the hair,” says Dr. Williams. “Sulfates are a widely used surfactant but can be drying and irritate the scalp, so look for alternatives like sodium cocoyl glycinate or SLSA (sodium lauryl sulfoacetate). Also, look for moisturizing ingredients like essential and plant-based oils, emollients like aloe vera and vegetable oils which help to increase and add shine to the hair.”
There are three main types of shampoo for curly and coily hair patterns: intensive, mildly cleansing and co-wash.
Intensive shampoos are best for those who need a heavy-duty clean to reset after weeks of buildup. Mild cleansers can be great for anyone’s hair routine, since they cleanse the scalp without drying it out. Co-wash is an ideal option for the in-between stage, when hair could use a light cleansing but doesn’t need a full wash. All three can be helpful for everyone, but if you want to have room on the shelf, our experts advise that it’s probably best to stick to the regular, mild cleanser.
Photo: Imaxtree
“Shampooing and conditioning are paramount. However, co-washing can be beneficial, especially if you workout often and want to refresh your scalp and keep your hair moisturized and manageable between wash days,” notes Bomani.
She says you can tell when products work well if your hair flourishes after use, or if hair appears “softer, stronger, more vibrant and [has] a natural luster and shine.”
Even if you have a shampoo that works well for you, it can still be a good idea to experiment with new formulas, “especially if you feel you’re no longer getting the same results with your products,” Dr. Williams says. “It’s not that your hair ‘gets used to the product,’ but the condition of the hair can change as a result of hormonal changes, health changes and weather changes.”
Ahead, we rounded up 19 top-performing shampoos our experts love for curls and coils. We favored products with ingredients like shea butter, silk proteins and jojoba oil, while avoiding additives like stripping sulfates.
The Doux Ladies First Honey Shampoo, $12, available here
SheaMoisture Curl and Shine Coconut Shampoo for Curly Hair Coconut and Hibiscus, $12, available here
That was the question Fur co-founders Laura Schubert and Lillian Tung were asking back in 2015, as part of the qualitative research the duo conducted on family, friends — even strangers at cocktail parties.
Schubert and Tung were on the cusp of launching an innovative body-care brand at the time, but it meant taking a big chance.
Both Harvard grads who’d been friends since seventh grade, the soon-to-be co-founders had already established themselves in the corporate world. Schubert was a management consultant at Bain and Company, while Tung oversaw marketing at Maybelline — and was “super jaded” by the increasingly crowded beauty space.
Still, Schubert was ready to tackle the then-untouched pubic haircare market, and after some persistence, she convinced Tung to join her. Now, their natural body-care collection is a major hit, including the Fur Oil that started it all: “gentle enough for pubic hair and skin, but effective from head to toe,” which retails for $52 per bottle.
Entrepreneur sat down with Schubert and Tung to learn about the mission behind their “taboo” beauty line and how they transformed it from an idea to a cult favorite that counts actress Emma Watson among its many fans.
“[Pubic hair] was a taboo topic that people didn’t feel comfortable talking about.”
It all started in 2014 when Schubert asked her sister and friends what they were doing in terms of body hair care.
“I was getting waxed religiously at the time,” Schubert recalls, “and just thinking about, What do I want to wax? How do I want to wax? What do I do between sessions? I get terrible ingrowns — what are people doing about that?“
The information available on the subject was scarce, and when Schubert searched for products that might help solve her problems, she came up empty-handed. Ultimately, she concluded that some serious stigma was at the root of the issue.
“[Pubic hair] was a taboo topic that people didn’t feel comfortable talking about,” Schubert says — and she wanted to change that.
“We all grow body hair,” she says. “We all choose to groom or not groom our body hair. And I just really got the feeling that people would want products like this.”
There was only one choice when it came to body hair maintenance, Tung adds: removal.
Schubert wanted to partner with Tung on the venture, so she got creative at her holiday party in 2014. She handed Tung the still-unnamed blue bottle of formula that would become the company’s groundbreaking oil, poured her a “really stiff drink” and asked her to give it a try.
Tung, a lover of product formulas and development, was immediately impressed by the oil, which counts grape seed, jojoba, clary sage and tea tree oils among its key ingredients.
“I tried the formula, and I thought it was amazing,” Tung recalls. “It did what it [was supposed to do] on the pubic hair area: softens your hair, makes your skin better, but also it’s just an amazing experience. And that was when I was like, Well, this could have legs.”
“Either people immediately got it…Or people would be like, ‘That’s disgusting. I didn’t think women had body hair anymore.’”
When Tung joined Schubert in the qualitative research process, asking a range of would-be consumers what they thought about a pubic haircare brand, she saw two camps emerge.
“Either people immediately got it and loved it and said, ‘Wow, I can’t believe we never thought about this. I can’t believe a product like this doesn’t exist — that’s brilliant,’” Tung explains. “Or people would be like, ‘That’s disgusting. I didn’t think women had body hair anymore. Why would you do that? That’s gross.’”
But from a marketing perspective, the polarized response intrigued Tung, who says that “strong reactions, positive or negative, mean that there’s something memorable — something for you to hang your hat on in terms of messaging.”
That gives someone having an initially negative reaction to the idea the chance to engage with the conversation and potentially become open to it.
“It allows them to at least think about it, and if they’re thinking about it, you can encourage them to talk about it,” Tung says. “If you can encourage people to talk about it and keep it a comfortable, safe space, people can express a variety of opinions and have the opportunity to change their minds, including myself.”
When Schubert served as the brand’s “first salesperson” and took the product into stores, she often faced similar resistance. She recalls being kicked out for solicitation and told to go on Shark Tank(and they did in 2020, even striking an on-air deal with Lori Greiner).
And even those who did express interest in the product had reservations about leaning into Fur’s unapologetically authentic branding: One major retailer loved everything about the oil but just didn’t think having the word “pubic” on the box would resonate with its customers.
“We went pretty far down that path of evaluating,” Tung recalls, “Is pubic really a dirty word? Should we be removing it from our branding? But of course we knew we had to stay true to what we wanted to do and where we came from.”
As co-founders who’d built their business from scratch and are still self-funded, turning down the request was tough — but essential.
“It was a really big relationship,” Schubert says. “But we knew, being a mission-based brand, that that was something that we could never do. And so to this day, ‘pubic’ is on the front of the Fur Oil box. It will always be on the front of the Fur Oil box because this is what we’re here to do: to encourage conversations around pubic hair and body hair.”
“As a mission-based brand looking to destigmatize the taboo around body hair, it’s so important to be in places where everybody is thinking and shopping.”
Fur’s dedication to its original mission continues to pay off big-time, attracting an enthusiastic fanbase that includes Hollywood A-listers like Emma Watson.
It was 2017 when Fur’s website started “going crazy;” the co-founders discovered Watson’s Into the Gloss interview, where the actress and activist shared that Fur Oil is an essential part of her beauty routine.
“She really understood our product,” Schubert says, “and we sold out of two years’ worth of product in three weeks. That was definitely a moment that put our brand very much on the map.”
In the years since, Fur has stayed on the map (and expanded its territory) by rising to meet unforeseen challenges as they come up, especially as they pertain to growth and scale.
Despite being “thrown for a loop” during Covid as many brands were, navigating changes in the market, digital platforms and, of course, the supply chain, Fur weathered the storm — and even thrived.
The brand has quintupled its staff over the course of the pandemic and is on track to see more than $20 million in revenue this year.
Part of the secret to Fur’s success lies in its prioritization of omnichannel growth.
“It’s so important to be in places where everybody is thinking and shopping and has the ability to get to it,” Tung explains. “And if you were to look at our revenue breakdown, we’re very evenly split across all of our partnerships and our channels — that’s so important because in this day and age, people shop everywhere all the time.”
Naturally, a lot has changed in the near-decade since Schubert first set out to solve the pubic problem no one was talking about, but when it comes to founders who might have an idea today (taboo or not), some lessons learned remain just as relevant.
First, don’t wait to figure out the whole path, Tung suggests — just get started.
And Schubert’s best piece of advice? (Also the very reason Fur exists.) “Every ‘no’ is a ‘not yet.’”
You’ve given up time, energy, brain space, precious vanity real estate and a whole bunch of hard-earned dollars expertly compiling your perfect skin-care routine — but what about the rest of your skin that doesn’t happen to be on your face?
It can easily get neglected, even though body care is just as worthwhile a pursuit. Seriously effective, potent products spiked with skin-saving ingredients are officially A Thing, and if you’re not quite sure where to begin, allow us to suggest the retinol-enhanced body cream: Whether quick-absorbing lotions, luxurious texture-perfecting treatments or accessibly-priced options you’ll want to slather all over, the retinoid-meets-body-formula market is currently booming. Even better, these products offer multiple benefits in one quick step, smoothing out lines, preventing uneven tone and correcting texture while they moisturize.
Ahead, we’ve rounded up eight retinol body creams, lotions, serums and treatments that’ll optimize your head-to-toe skin-care routine. Keep scrolling to see (and shop) them all.
Chantecaille Retinol Body Treatment, $108, available here
Gold Bond Age Renew Retinol Overnight Body & Face Lotion, $12, available here
Josie Maran Whipped Argan Pro-Retinol Body Butter, $46, available here
Oui the People All in All Melting Body Balm, $95, available here
Paula’s Choice Retinol Skin-Smoothing Body Treatment, $29, available here
Replenix Anti-Aging Retinol Smooth Tighten Body Lotion, $93, available here
Topicals Slather Exfoliating Body Serum with Retinol and AHAs, $30, available here
Versed Press Restart Gentle Retinol Body Lotion, $18, available here
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. In no way do either affect our editorial decision-making.
Glossier is officially expanding beyond its beauty offerings of skin-care, color cosmetics, body care and fragrance and entering a new, perhaps unexpected, category: deodorant.
The beauty brand, which is set to enter into its first major retail partnership with Sephora in the coming months, is introducing The Glossier Deodorant, a vegan, cruelty-free, non-comedogenic formula on Jan. 17. Described in a brand press release as a “smooth-glide, odor defense deodorant stick” made with “sensitive pits in mind,” the refillable solid is aluminum-, baking soda-, acid- and water-free. It instead relies on elderberry extract, coconut oil and, interestingly enough, potato starch (a natural moisture-absorbing ingredient).
With this launch, Glossier seems to be putting a new focus on minimizing packaging waste: The deodorant comes housed in a refillable and recyclable case made from “mono material,” which means, per the brand, it’s “made of only one type of material, allowing both pieces to be recycled after use, where materials are accepted.”
Photo: Courtesy of Glossier
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The deodorant will be available in three scents: Glossier You (the brand’s classic aroma), Orange Blossom Neroli (featured in the brand’s existing body-care products) and Sandstone, a new fragrance “inspired by Big Sur and wherever the sea and the mountains meet,” whatever that means.
For those who prefer to smell like pretty much nothing, the brand is offering an unscented version of the product as well.
Photo: Courtesy of Glossier
Glossier’s new deodorant will be available at Glossier.com and in select Glossier stores beginning on Jan. 17, and will retail for $22 for a full unit and $18 for a refill.
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. In no way do either affect our editorial decision-making.
Tracee Ellis Ross‘s brand Pattern Beauty is continuing to blow up the textured hair-care category — this time quite literally, with the launch of its inaugural hair tool, a blow-dryer created with the “curl-conscious consumer” at top of mind.
The tool, which retails for $189, features four attachments: a diffuser, a brush, a wide-tooth comb (inspired by the brand’s existing wide-tooth comb) and a nozzle. It also includes a professional-grade engine, three heat settings, two speed settings and a cool-shot button. Per a press release, its focus is on quick-drying hair while minimizing frizz, reducing damage and preserving the curl pattern.
A hair dryer specifically designed for coily, curly and tight textured hair has been a goal since Pattern Beauty’s launch three years ago, harkening back to Ellis Ross’s own past frustrations with hot tools that damaged her hair and curl pattern. The tool’s careful development took time; as Ellis Ross put it during a press event celebrating the launch on Monday, “Little did I know, it takes two years to make something that plugs into a wall.”
Photo: Courtesy of Pattern Beauty
“One of the biggest things is that I had a negative relationship with heat and I really longed to reframe [that],” said Ellis Ross of the inspiration behind the tool. Every aspect of the dryer was intentional, from precise temperature settings to gentle, curl-minded attachments. Ellis Ross believes in purpose-driven product development, “not just innovation for innovation’s sake,” she says.
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The tool was designed to be lightweight but still feel substantial, and a portable size that’s not so small it can’t also pack the power of a pro-grade motor. Each of the attachments clicks on and stays in place unless the release buttons are pressed, a touch that came from Ellis Ross’s own frustration of having other tools’ combs break or fall off while in use.
The celebrity CEO and founder is also particularly proud of marrying form and function with the blow-dryer — and the fact that the the entire device, including its electrical cord, is a beautiful, creamy brown hue (dubbed “carmella” by the brand).
Photo: Nadine Ijewere for Pattern Beauty
Alongside the new tool, Pattern Beauty is also entering the heat-care product category via a new Heat Protectant mist and lightweight Shine Spray (meant to be used on either heat-styled or air-dried hair).
Photo: Courtesy of Pattern Beauty
The Pattern Beauty Blow Dryer is available exclusively on PatternBeauty.com, retailing for $189; both styling products are also already available for purchase for $20 each.
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. In no way do either affect our editorial decision-making.
Tinted lip balms are, in many ways, the unsung heroes of the makeup bag. Sure, they provide pretty, buildable sheer-to-intense washes of color without caking, creasing, settling into lines or leaving tumbleweed-level dryness in their wake. But the best ones do so much more than just look good.
The cream of the crop are enhanced with protective sunscreen, antioxidants and hyaluronic acid to work overtime as lip-focused skin-care treatments while they deposit a slick of color. They’re spiked with a smattering of ultra-fine shimmer for a luminous — but still minimalist — finish. Or perhaps they upend old-school understandings of “lip balm” entirely, taking the form of non-sticky “oil” formulas that just might make you forget all about that lip gloss stashed at the bottom of your purse.
Ahead, we’ve chosen 21 high-performing, multi-benefit tinted lip balms we’re loving right now — in shades for every skin tone, with price points for every budget. Scroll through to see (and shop!) them all.
Jones Road The Lip Tint in Valencia Orange, $26, available here
L’Oréal Paris Colour Riche Balm in Caramel Comfort, $11, available here.
Typology Tinted Lip Oil in 2 Powder Pink, $24, available here
Each month, Fashionista editors try a *lot* of beauty products. And while not every formula we test is a winner, we’re constantly unearthing new favorites. Here, we’ve rounded up our latest hair, skin, fragrance, wellness and makeup discoveries — whether fresh-to-market drops or merely recent additions to our personal routines.
It’s almost a new year, which will no doubt bring with it a whole crop of new beauty favorites with which team Fashionista will become obsessed. But before we get ahead of ourselves, we’re taking a moment to look back at some of the standout hair, makeup, skin, fragrance and wellness finds we discovered in 2022. Join us, won’t you?
Scroll through for a selection of our top product discoveries of the year, as well as our month-by-month roundups.
Crown Affair The Leave-in Conditioner, $48, available here: “Leave-in conditioners can be tricky for my fine hair and often weigh it down, but this ultra-lightweight one is a game-changer. It drenches my strands with hydration, making them smoother and less snarl-prone, but doesn’t compromise volume. And a little goes a long way — a nickel-sized dollop is all I need for my below-the-shoulder length hair.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director
Topicals Faded Under Eye Masks, $22, available here: “I love these undereye treatment masks for those long days where I’m staring at my computer screen for hours on end. My skin is on the dry side, so after work, I like to treat myself to these bad boys. I know that the whole ‘tired’ look is a trend, but it’s not for me, so I like how this product reduces the puffiness and the darkness, too.” —India Roby, Staff Writer
Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment, $16, available here: “Despite the apparent naming snafu, Hailey Bieber’s new skin-care line has some excellent products. I’ve been obsessed with the lip treatment, which leaves my lips perfectly soft, plump and glossy without any annoying stickiness. It’s great under (or over) a lip color or on its own, and while the flavored versions are nice, I personally prefer it unscented.” —Dhani Mau, Editor-in-chief
Phlur Apricot Privée Body Wash, $30, available here: “The addition of tonka and sandalwood to this fruity body wash makes it less ‘Clean ‘N’ Clear microplastics aughts commercial’ and more sumptuous and lush, especially with the silky and moisturizing, serum-y texture.” —Liza Sokol, Sr. Audience Development Manager
Ami Colé Lip Treatment Oil, $20, available here: “I’d been wanting to try this product pretty much since the brand launched, and the wait was well worth it. The oil-to-gloss formula feels super substantial, and the really beautiful taupe color complements the natural color of my lips. It’s my everyday lip product now.” —Ana Colón, Deputy Editor
Flawless by Gabrielle Union Repairing Deep Conditioning Masque, $10, available here: “The first time I used this mask from Gabrielle Union‘s hair-care brand, I was happily shocked with how defined my curls looked. And it’s no wonder: Ingredients like castor seed oil, shea butter, avocado oil, rice complex and biotin make for a powerful formula — and for the price point, that’s especially impressive.” —Andrea Bossi, Staff Writer
Dieux Auracle Reviving Eye Gel, $44, available here: “The makers of social media’s favorite reusable eye masks have finally introduced an eye cream, after an intensive product development process. The result — a bouncy, fast-absorbing, serum-like gel that plumps, brightens and softens fine lines around the eyes — is a total keeper. It also layers beautifully beneath other skin-care products, like the heavy-duty moisturizers that become all the more crucial in cold weather.” —SS
Violette FR Bisou Blush in Inès, $35, available here: “I was first struck by how pretty this marbleized cream blush stick is in its tube — and it’s just as stunning on skin. The texture is soft and blendable, with intense pigment, so a tiny swipe is all you need. It also has a non-chalky matte finish, so it just looks like it could be skin’s natural flush.” —SS
Elf Cosmetics Putty Blush in Turks & Caicos, $7, available here: “My latest Target impulse buy was this inexpensive cream blush, and I’m now obsessed: It gives the perfect natural-looking — but noticeable — sunkissed glow.” —DM
Photo: Courtesy of Iris & Romeo
Iris & Romeo Weekend Skin SPF 50 + Vitamin C + Glow, $47, available here: “This hybrid mineral sunscreen/tinted moisturizer/vitamin C serum is literally my perfect summer skin-care product: It provides SPF 50 and antioxidant protection in one simple step, while also creating a glow-y, more evenly-toned finish — meaning I can go pretty much makeup-free. My skin has been garnering more compliments than ever since I started using it daily. One caveat is that it comes in a single shade, which the brand claims is transparent and universal, but I have difficulty imagining it doesn’t look at least a little chalky on darker skin tones.” —SS
BeautyStat Universal Moisture Essence, $40, available here: “If my skin is feeling dryer than usual, I’ll layer this squalane-based oil over or mix it in with my moisturizer at night. It adds that perfect boost of lasting moisture without the heaviness or greasiness of a typical face oil.” —DM
Loewe Paula’s Ibiza Eau de Toilette, $133, available here: “From the moment I smelled this perfume, I knew it would be my summer staple. While Loewe describes it as a ‘floral, aquatic and ambery scent,’ what drew me was its resemblance to that perfectly refreshing spicy margarita we all crave on a hot summer day – and who wouldn’t want to feel like a spicy margarita?” —Brooke Frischer, Contributing Writer
Sunnies Face Lip Treat in Poppy, $16, available here: “This sheer tinted balm is ultra-moisturizing, thanks to shea butter and medowfoam seed oil, and deposits the perfect wash of poppy red pigment, which can be layered for more intensity. It’s been a late summer go-to for me.” —SS
Youthforia BYO Color Changing Blush Oil, $36, available here: “*Lizzo voice* All the rumors are true, this blush oil is amazing. I love how it interacts with my skin’s pH for a natural flush, and the finish is so dewy and glow-y, but the color doesn’t transfer.” —LS
Kosas Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation SPF 25, $42, available here: “The first foundation from everyone’s favorite no-makeup makeup brand is creamy, blends beautifully and feels like nothing while effectively blurring away any unevenness on my skin. As a bonus, it’s packed with skin-care ingredients and UV and blue-light protection.” —DM
January
In January, we found new candles and perfumes that became instant favorites.
February
February brought us luxurious body creams, fancy scented candles, soothing bath soaks and hair-rehabilitating treatments.
March
Our March favorites included delightful spring candles, reparative hair treatments and at least one skin-care product all the TikTok cool kids convinced us to try.
April
During the month of April, we unearthed products that revolutionized our at-home blowout routines, enhanced our overnight skin-care regimens and livened up our Zoom makeup looks.
May
Our May faves? Cream and oil (yes, oil!) blushes, potent brightening serums and sunscreens.
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June
June gifted us an under-$10 mascara that seems far more expensive, innovative sunscreens and a nostalgic fragrance that’s a compliment magnet.
July
In July, team Fashionista fell in love with a non-irritating retinol, hair products that help us make the most out of our styles and a whole bunch of anxiety-soothing CBD remedies.
August
Amid August’s heat wave, we became obsessed with gentle skin-care formulas that actually do what they promise on their labels, hair products that revive our lived-in styles and tinted lip balms with multi-sensory appeal.
September
September was full of perfect-for-fall candles, pretty makeup we wore to weddings and hair care that has become a crucial part of our regular routines.
October
October’s finds included a face oil we’ll be slathering on obsessively through winter, eye-brightening makeup and a multi-tasking moisturizing balm that does basically everything.
November
In November, we discovered an overachieving nude lipstick, actually-good at-home hair color, winter skin saviors and a high-tech wellness gadget.
December
December delivered perfectly festive lip and nail colors, an innovative alternative to traditional perfume and a slew of winter-skin-calming treatments.
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.
Each month, Fashionista editors try a *lot* of beauty products. And while not every formula we test is a winner, we’re constantly unearthing new favorites. Here, we’ve rounded up our latest hair, skin, fragrance, wellness and makeup discoveries — whether fresh-to-market drops or merely recent additions to our personal routines.
In between shopping our own gift guides, bundling up to avoid the cold, lighting our menorahs and generally being… merry, team Fashionista also took a little time this December to focus on what is truly important: beauty products. What, did you have something else in mind?
We spent the past four weeks trialing a whole bunch of hair, skin, makeup and fragrance finds, and now we’re sharing the stand-outs with you, our beloved readers. This month’s favorites include perfectly festive lip and nail colors, a worth-the-wait eye cream, an innovative alternative to traditional perfume and a slew of winter-skin-calming and -quenching treatments. We also unearthed an actually luxurious anti-dandruff shampoo, an intensely satisfying body exfoliator and a genius concealer that lets us scribble away blemishes with ease.
Scroll through to see (and shop!) all of our new beauty go-tos.
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Dieux Auracle Reviving Eye Gel, $44, available here: “The makers of social media’s favorite reusable eye masks have finally introduced an eye cream, after an intensive product development process. The result — a bouncy, fast-absorbing, serum-like gel that plumps, brightens and softens fine lines around the eyes — is a total keeper. It also layers beautifully beneath other skin-care products, like the heavy-duty moisturizers that become all the more crucial in cold weather.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director
Phlur Apricot Privée Body Wash, $30, available here: “The addition of tonka and sandalwood to this fruity body wash makes it less ‘Clean ‘N’ Clear microplastics aughts commercial’ and more sumptuous and lush, especially with the silky and moisturizing, serum-y texture.” —Liza Sokol, Sr. Audience Development Manager
Topicals Faded Under Eye Masks, $22, available here: “I love these undereye treatment masks for those long days where I’m staring at my computer screen for hours on end. My skin is on the dry side, so after work, I like to treat myself to these bad boys. I know that the whole ‘tired’ look is a trend, but it’s not for me, so I like how this product reduces the puffiness and the darkness, too.” —India Roby, Staff Writer
Typology Tinted Lip Oil in Shade 1 Ruby Red, $24, available here: “This shiny, non-sticky formula looks like a gloss, but feels more like a moisturizing, cushiony balm. It imparts the prettiest sheer-but-buildable wash of ruby pigment and feels perfectly festive this time of year.” —SS
Tracie Martyn Complexion Savior Mask, $90, available here: “I recently discovered this overnight mask that aims to hydrate and soothe skin. As someone exploring astrology and crystals, I was intrigued by the formula’s use of malachite extract, since the stone itself is all about protective energy. From my very first overnight use, I woke up with a bright glow the morning after.” —Andrea Bossi, Staff Writer
NuFace Mini+ Starter Kit, $245, available here: “I love that this device relies on scientifically-backed technology to stimulate facial muscles and collagen production, and that my face looks instantly more lifted after each treatment session.” —Angela Wei, Staff Writer
Chanel Longwear Nail Colour in 963 Super Lune, $30, available here: “In the name of science, I have been experimenting with TikTok’s viral red nail theory. Chanel’s long lasting lacquers always have a vibrant shine, but Super Lune has the perfect hue: a deep brick red, making it ideal for winter manicures.” —AB
Futurewise Slug Boost Hydrating Mist, $22, available here: “Don’t be distracted by this face mist’s annoyingly cute packaging or trendy-as-hell branding: The stuff inside is legit. The fluid dispenses in an ultra-fine, almost velvety veil, dousing skin with hydration-building humectants. It’s the ideal first step to an effective moisturizing routine, and it’s become a go-to for me morning and night. (And ok, I can’t help but like the trendy-as-hell packaging.)” —SS
Jones Road The Face Pencil, $25, available here: “I’ve pretty much always wanted to be able to simply scribble away all my dark spots, breakouts and deep undereye circles… and thanks to the genius of Bobbi Brown, now I can. This chunky, multi-use pencil is packed with a densely pigmented, but ultra-blendable (once you warm it up on your skin) cream concealer that, simply put, could not be easier to use.” —SS
Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask, $34, available here: “New York’s winter is brutal, and my skin seems to always be lacking hydration this time of year. I apply this sleeping mask to my face during the day as well as for some extra love overnight, and I wake up to a brighter, dewier complexion.” —IR
Pleasing The Pleasing Pen, $30, available here: “Ever since receiving a sample of this dual-ended multitasker from the brand, it hasn’t left my everyday bag. In the winter, there isn’t a part of my face that doesn’t feel especially dry, and with this two-sided lip oil and eye serum, a quick swipe soothes my skin.” — Brooke Frischer, Contributing Writer
Sephora Collection Facial Razor Set, $15, available here: “Facial razors have become my go-to essential for maintaining good brows. They’re super effective and precise in targeting stray hairs, and are a less-painful alternative to tweezers.” —AW
Saltair KP Smoother Glycolic Body Scrub, $14, available here: “Spiked with 5% glycolic acid, volcanic sand and microcrystalline cellulose (no microplastics here!), this gritty scrub sloughs away dead skin cells with ease, yielding smooth, bump-free, supple skin. It’s intensive and satisfying — especially if you have KP, uneven texture or ingrown hairs. And the modest price point (for a giant tube) doesn’t hurt, either.” —SS
Nécessaire The Conditioner, $28, available here: “There’s nothing better than instant gratification when it comes to beauty products. My hair feels incredibly smooth and sleek with just a few minutes of letting this sit in my hair in the shower.” —BF
Josh Rosebrook Ultra Peptide Cream, $60, available here: “Although the brand calls this a ‘cream concentrate,’ I consider the texture — which appears thick and almost peanut-butter-y at first, but then melts upon contact with skin — more of a balm or salve. It relies on three biomimetic peptides, botanical-based polypeptides and ceramides for an intensely smoothing, bounce-ifying, restorative effect. I’ve been slathering it on with abandon all month.” –SS
Ouai Anti-Dandruff Shampoo, $36, available here: “I don’t know if you’ve looked at the anti-dandruff shampoos at your local pharmacy lately, but they’re all clinical and sterile, which is why I love Ouai’s elevated version. First off, it actually works (my flakes disappeared after a couple of weeks), but, maybe more importantly, it smells good (Ginger! Basil! Spearmint!), and the bottle isn’t something you’d want to hide under the sink.” —LS
Ranu Copper Brightening Serum, $62, available here: “This serum — from a brand grounded in Ayurvedic principles — does exactly what it says it will: brighten skin and reduce hyperpigmentation. I’ve never used a product with copper in it, so I was particularly fascinated by this one. With its creamy texture and other superstar ingredients like squalene and glycerin, I’ve seen my skin glow brighter, despite colder, drier winter weather.” —AB
Black Dahlia Alchemy: Inspiratio Candle, $48, available here: “The CBD in this candle reportedly has calming aromatherapy properties, but my favorite thing is the combination of palo santo, patchouli and spiced honey, which is absolutely magical.” —LS
SkinMedica Neck Correct Cream, $135, available here: “Some neck-specific treatments I’ve tried have been a bit too harsh and irritating for my weirdly sensitive décolleté. This one feels plush and smooth going on, provides an instant blurring effect, doesn’t pill and is effective at softening emerging lines (damn you, tech neck!) without even a whiff of irritation.” —SS
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, $430, available here: “After finally investing in a Dyson hair dryer, I can attest that this tool undoubtedly lives up to the hype. For someone who’s always in a rush, this dryer is super efficient and includes various attachments for different styling needs.” —AW
Chanel La Mousse Anti-Pollution Cleansing Cream-to-Foam, $50, available here: “I’m a creature of habit and typically stick to the same cleanser I’ve been using for years, but I got the opportunity to try Chanel’s La Mousse cream-to-foam cleanser and may be a permanent convert. Just a tiny bit of the super rich cream gets a good foam going, and my skin ends up feeling clean and refreshed. Plus, the texture feels very luxurious.” —Ana Colón, Deputy Editor
Sugarbear LashCare Vegan Vitamin-Infused Lash Serum, $100, available here: “Lashes and lash extensions have been bigger than ever before in beauty. Since I fail with flying colors at applying lashes, I was on the hunt for an alternative. Sugarbear’s lash serum actually works, and my own lashes have shocked me in the mirror with their newfound length.” —AB
Shani Darden Skin Cleansing Serum, $38, available here: “I love a gentle-but-effective cleanser that rinses away easily and leaves skin feeling clean, but not parched. That’s exactly what this formula from celeb-beloved esthetician Shani Darden does.” —SS
Schwanen Garten Antioxidant Treatment Essence, $24, available here: “All month long, I’d been experiencing breakouts, and this antioxidant-rich toner came in clutch. I used the brand’s foaming cleanser before applying this formula via cotton pads and the combination has gone a long way toward calming flare-ups.” —IR
Dermalogica Calm Water Gel, $52, available here: “There’s just something about a gel that convinces my brain it’s more hydrating than any other formulation. This lightweight moisturizer includes multiple molecular weights of hyaluronic acid and does wonders when my skin is irritated from harsh, cold weather.” —LS
Rare Beauty Kind Words Lip Liner in Gifted, $15, available here: “As ever, Rare Beauty can do no wrong. I love to use the rich reddish shade Gifted with just a light balm over top for a contoured lip look.” —BF
Lush Fairy Dust Dusting Powder, $13, available here: “I’m a little obsessed with scents and smelling good, and I find Lush’s dusting powder a versatile product and delightful departure from traditional liquid perfumes. This powder enmeshes with your skin for a silky, glitter-kissed finish that softly smells of cotton candy. Pro tip: Apply it after lotion for optimal results.” —AB
Editors’ Picks are the Fashionista team’s true (#notspon) fashion and beauty obsessions, handpicked by professionals who see it all. Any beauty product you see here has been vetted and tested by the editor recommending it.
It’s rare that a skin-care product actually lives up to its lofty claims and promises, but in the case of Merit’s Great Skin Serum, the hype is real. I’m here to officially declare it a tried and true favorite. After more than a month of continuous use (and having gone through one full bottle), it changed my skin for a brighter, glow-y and clearer face. Even my lovely local barista noticed.
The lightweight, bronze-colored formula has a watery consistency that feels satiny when smoothed over skin. Its roster of ingredients includes hyaluronic acid for hydration and niacinamide for brightening, pore minimizing and barrier strengthening. It’s also spiked with cacao seed extract, which is rich in protective antioxidants.
Since the serum separates naturally, it’s important to shake it up before using in order to get the full benefits. I then splash a few pumps into my palm before rubbing and patting it into my face. I love that it’s fast-absorbing and lends an instantaneous radiant glow that doesn’t verge on oily.
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Merit Great Skin Instant Glow Serum, $38, available here
I’m fortunate to usually have clear skin, but I’m still struck by occasional breakouts, hyperpigmentation, redness and heavy undereye bags. After one month of regular use, I’ve found that my dark spots have faded and breakouts are less frequent. My face glows without dabbing on any touch of highlighter. When doing my nightly skin-care routine, my skin simply feels smoother. I can absolutely say that the next time it’s back in stock, I will be sprinting to check out.
Merit Great Skin Instant Glow Serum, $38, available here
Please note: This product was gifted. Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. In no way do either affect our editorial decision-making.
The landscape of beauty is ever-changing, as new products launch and industry icons receive packaging touchups or formula tweaks. In 2022, we saw innovations in texture, formulation and ingredient blends — and experts seem to agree: It was a blockbuster year in beauty.
Beauty editors spend their days testing all of the latest hair, makeup, skin-care and fragrance drops, usually before they even hit the market. And while they may try hundreds (if not thousands!) of new products each year, there are only a select few that make the cut as newfound favorites.
We asked 13 beauty editors — experts in all things dabbing, blending, smoothing and judging — to share their picks for the very best product launches of 2022. Ahead, see the 33 they chose.
“You couldn’t head out for your morning cup of coffee without running into a celebrity skin-care line this year, but the one that surprised me in the best way was Hailey Bieber’sRhode Beauty. The Barrier Restore Cream, in particular, stood out for a few reasons: Not only did she consult veteran cosmetic chemists and trusted dermatologists to fine-tune the formula, she also kept the ingredients simple yet effective. My sensitive skin is a big baby… but it drank up every last drop of this stuff — no irritation or breakouts in sight.” —Kelsey Castañon, content director, Popsugar Beauty
“Coming from someone who spent half of every middle school P.E. class trying to unstick my hair from my lips, I thought my lip gloss days were in the rearview. Then, I tried this launch from Tarte’s Maracuja line, which is technically more of a ‘bloss’ — a hybrid between a balm and a gloss — than the sticky alternative you might have worn in the early aughts. Still, it gives my lips that Juicy Tube-level shine without the sticky feel. It doesn’t hurt that I also love every single color (I have all nine of them stashed in a different purse, travel bag and makeup drawer) and that the hydrating formula is perfect year-round.” —Castañon
“The name speaks for itself: This Merit serum does exactly what it says. It gives you great skin. For the clean beauty brand’s first foray into skin care, it tried its hand at something so simple, but so efficacious. The niacinamide and hyaluronic acid simultaneously brighten and hydrate. On days when I’m rushing or just want to have a nice morning glow for the gym, I apply this and feel like a new woman.” —Asia Millia Ware, fashion and beauty writer, The Cut
Dior La Mousse Off/On Foaming Face Cleanser, $47, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“This cleanser hasn’t made its way off my shelf since it launched in the spring. I knew I loved it when I was traveling and forgot my skin-care bag, and when I went to Sephora, it was the first thing I reached for. Dior got everything right, from the creamy foaming texture to the way it leaves skin hydrated and deeply cleansed. It’s the one cleanser that I recommend to every person I know. There are so many cleansers on the market, but for me, this one changed the game forever, which says a lot. And it’s luxury beauty at an affordable price. Definitely a top-tier launch.” —Ware
Cay Skin Deepwater Nourishing Lip Mask, $22, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I know the girls love Laneige (myself included), but Winnie Harlow absolutely did something with her brand’s lip mask. Whether I’m going to bed, the gym or just re-hydrating my lips midday, it effortlessly glides across my lips for the ultimate nourishment. I honestly haven’t touched another lip mask since I discovered this, and I have everyone from my boyfriend to my best friends obsessed with it.” —Ware
Jori Daily Leave-On Acne Treatment Mask, $52, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“As someone who grew up with cystic acne, I’m pretty skeptical about most over-the-counter treatments, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It’s labeled as a leave-on mask, but I use it as a spot treatment whenever I see or feel a breakout coming on. It has 2.5% micronized benzoyl peroxide that allows it to get deep into the pores, as opposed to just sitting on the surface of your skin (which reduces the usual irritation I’d get from using anything with benzoyl peroxide in it). I apply the tiniest amount to an incoming spot one to two times a day, and it stops it right in its tracks.” —Jenny Jin, beauty director, PureWow
Supergoop Every. Single. Face. Watery Lotion SPF 50, $34, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I’m always on the search for a sunscreen that outperforms the last, and this one from Supergoop is a standout this year. The brand calls it a ‘watery lotion,’ and I can confirm that it has a thin, watery consistency that spreads easily and absorbs without much effort. I’ve worn it during sweaty summer days in LA and in crisp fall weather while visiting family in Korea recently, and it never feels too heavy on my skin. On that note, the lightweight texture is comparable to some K-beauty formulas I’ve loved throughout the years like Innisfree and Make P:rem.” —Jin
“Char was first described to me as ‘a comforting scent that’s basically a crisp, cozy fall day in a bottle,’ which is pretty accurate. Featuring tonka bean and ginger top notes, it gives a whiff of warmth and spice that lingers long after you spray it. Depending on my mood, I’ve been alternating between this and ‘Windows Down,’ a lighter, brighter citrus fragrance from the brand. Either way, I’ve gotten compliments from friends and family members whenever I wear these scents — including my mom, who stopped me mid-hug the other day and insisted I spray some perfume on her, too.” —Jin
Naturium Dew-Glow Moisturizer SPF 50, $22, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“The struggle to find brown girl-friendly sunscreens is still real, even in the year 2022. So I was extremely delighted to discover that not only does this SPF not leave behind a chalky white residue on my skin, but it’s extremely moisturizing. I love wearing this daily because I feel protected, whether it’s sunny outside or extremely cloudy, and it makes for an incredible base when I do wear makeup.” —Dana Oliver, founder and editor, Beauty for Breakfast
Milk Makeup Future Fluid Cream Concealer, $29, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I live for a multi-purpose beauty product, and Future Fluid wears many hats, from concealer and highlighter to foundation. I don’t have to overdo it with blending, as it melts right into my skin. And I still look like myself, which is a huge plus!” —Oliver
Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Serum Foundation, $34, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“When Danessa Myricks’ Yummy Skin Serum Foundation launched in March, I knew I needed to get my hands on it immediately. Once I tried it, I fell in love with the formula. Honestly, it’s the only foundation I’ve used consistently this year. It feels hydrating (thanks to ingredients like hyaluronic acid and jojoba oil) and gives my skin a beautiful glow.” —Olivia Hancock, beauty editor, Byrdie
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“Futurewise’s Slugging System has been a game-changer for my dry skin, especially the Slug Balm. I love slathering this jelly-like formula on my skin before bed. The moisture-locking occlusive helps prevent water loss, ensuring my skin remains plump and hydrated. And unlike other occlusives, this one doesn’t feel sticky or heavy on my skin.” —Hancock
Ami Colé On Point Precision Brow Pencil, $20, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I’m an Ami Colé devotee, so I always get excited when the brand launches something new. The On Point Precision Brow Pencil debuted in September and has quickly become my favorite brow product. The ultra-fine tip makes it easy to create precise, hair-like strokes. Plus, I love that all the shades are named after braiding hair colors.” — Hancock
“Sunscreen doesn’t need to be fun (after all, preventing cancer is fun enough on its own, IMO), but this fluffy sunscreen makes applying it on yourself or a friend a total delight. It comes straight out of the can just like whipped cream and smells like a hazy piña colada-doused afternoon in Miami. P.S. Any record collector will find this product charming, too, because it reminds me of the Herb Alpert ’65 cover.” —Margaux Anbouba, beauty editor, Elle
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I never thought about how every liquid liner had a cone-shaped brush until I tried this brilliant redesign from Euphoria’s lead makeup artist Donni Davy. The brush is flat and paddle-shaped, so it makes tight lining your eyes or building even, inky cat eyes a breeze.” —Anbouba
Danessa Myricks Blurring Balm Powder, $36, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“You only need a dab of this genius blurring balm-meets-foundation to cover skin in an ultra-flattering filter. Buff it into skin and everything looks miraculously smoother and luminous all day long.” —Anbouba
“As someone with curly hair who’s been searching for years, I can attest to the fact that finding a good gel isn’t easy — thankfully, the beauty customization experts at Prose created this one. This styling gel (which is tailored to my unique hair needs) has been one of my favorites this year for sleek buns and ponytails, half-up looks and more — without the flakes.” —Tiffany Dodson, associate beauty commerce editor, Harper’s Bazaar
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Youth To The People Retinal + Niacinamide Youth Serum, $68, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“The primary ingredients (niacinamide, hylaronic acid, retinal, squalene) were ones I already used individually, so this serum allowed me to simplify my skin-care routine by combining them all. It’s a bit steep in price, but you only need a pea-sized amount to see a dramatic difference, so you get your money’s worth.” — Treasure Brooks, co-founder, The Meteor
“This product was great at evening out stubborn discoloration on my back and chest. Retinols and chemical exfoliants can be tricky on melanated skin, so it’s great when a brand like Topicals is formulated with us in mind. It has a nice consistency, no pungent smell and I think the packaging is so cute.” — Brooks
Initio Parfums Prives Paragon Extrait de Parfum, $370, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“This under-the-radar fragrance brand won’t be so for much longer: Its latest launch — a unisex blend of palo santo and white sage — is hands-down my favorite fragrance launch of the year. It’s intoxicating and will literally stop people in their tracks. (True story: A complete stranger practically fell over herself at a Brooklyn hotel to tell me how much she liked this scent on me). The brand claims that the note blend has powerful emotional properties and was used for centuries by Inca shamans. I know nothing of this, but I can tell that you’ll use this sparingly to make it last as long as possible. It’s that good.” —Brian Underwood, beauty director, Women’s Health
Kate Somerville EradiKate Clarifying Acne Gel Cleanser, $44, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“Acne products have undergone a major makeover this year, and in the words of Lizzo, ‘It’s about damn time.’ This is stuff people who have breakouts will actually want to use, and I consider Kate Somerville’s EradiKate line as part of this shift. This lovely gel cleanser with 2% salicylic acid — a trusted acne-fighting ingredient — foams beautifully, has a pleasant slightly herbal aroma, and looks snazzy on your bathroom counter. It’s a win-win for your skin.” —Underwood
Fresh Tea Elixir Skin Resilience Activating Serum, $55 (from $110), available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“It’s said that ‘good things come to those who wait,’ and we’ve been waiting a long time for this serum — Fresh scientists have been at it for 15 years, in fact. The results are a revelation: This blend of a proprietary tea compound, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid and ceramide III boosts skin’s resilience against pro-aging stressors. And, like most Fresh products, it’s a joy to use — lightweight, soothing, just…wonderful.” —Underwood
“I can’t help but scream out its name everywhere I go. Dieux Skin’s Instant Angel is formulated with fatty acids, ceramides and glycerin to deeply moisturize skin. It comes at an amazing price point and is created by a brand that genuinely cares about its consumers. That, and it makes my skin look and feel happier and healthier each time I apply the buttery formula.” —Hallie Gould, senior editorial director, Byrdie
Chanel Éclat Lunaire Oversize Illuminating Face Powder, $88, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I love the size of this product; it’s absolutely massive. The finish is satin-y without sparkle and lights up my skin in all the best ways. Use it on your eyes, cheekbones and wherever else you’d like to sprinkle a subtle, golden rose highlight on.” —Gould
Iconic London Super Smoother Blurring Skin Tint, $32, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“The perfect skin tint does exist, thanks to Iconic London. The formula is lightweight, but offers enough coverage for my full-beat babes and still looks great after a long day of work and events.” —Nerisha Penrose, beauty commerce editor, Elle
Eadem Dew Dream Hydrating Cleansing Balm, $30, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“Whether I’m drunk, tired or lazy, I always remember to remove every ounce of my makeup. Eadem‘s cleansing balm melts off even the most stubborn matte formulas with ease — without leaving my skin feeling stripped bare.” —Penrose
Danessa Myricks Beauty Lightwork Vol. IV Transcendence Palette, $125, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I haven’t been this excited about an eye shadow palette in a long time. I typically reserve pops of color for the inner corners of my eyes or the waterline, but the shades in this palette deserve primetime lid space. One swatch deposits the most insane amount of pigment and blends without any hiccups. And don’t stop at the eyes: Dust on your favorite shade along your cheekbones for extra oomph.” —Penrose
“For the first time, I started experiencing a flaky scalp this year and decided to try this new serum to see if it could help with the dryness. I was pleasantly surprised when this formula gave instant results. Just two to three drops, and my scalp felt and looked more hydrated after one use. ‘Instant,’ ‘after one use’ — I felt like a walking infomercial using this product. It’s been my go-to when I’ve washed gel out of my hair or after heavy heat application.” —Thatiana Diaz, editor-in-chief, Remezcla
Body by TPH Good Daze Vegan Hydrating Body Wash Gel, $9, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I’ve been longtime loyal to my Dove body wash, but this gel did have me choosing sides this year as I reached over for it most of — if not all of — the time. This gel has softened my skin and gives me a sensorial experience that blends well with the steam of my warm showers. My bathroom instantly turns into a spa, without the expensive tab. It’s perfect for the morning, with orange and ginger essential oils that make getting up much more pleasant for a not-so-morning person.” —Diaz
Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer, $30, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I added this product to my makeup routine as a bronzer, and I can confirm that it lives up to the ‘transforming’ of it all. I dust this onto my cheekbones and around the corners of my face, giving off a foolproof warm glow that’s lightweight. Two bonus takeaways: If you tan on vacation and your foundation shade is now a little off, this powder helps level out the tone, so you don’t have to buy a new one; and it could also serve as a soft eyeshadow. Truly transformational.” —Diaz
“It’s not easy to create a high-performance ‘clean’ mascara — but somehow, Ami Colé did it. With a formula that has 87% naturally-derived ingredients, including shea butter and jojoba oil, not only am I left with voluminous, long, fluttery lashes, but the formula also never flakes or dries out my lashes. This mascara has made me quit some of my high-end faves.” —Kayla Greaves, executive beauty editor, InStyle
Rose Ingleton MD SuperFruit Gentle Brightening Cleanser, $38, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I feel like I’ve been going on and on and on and on about this cleanser all year — and with an almost perfect five-star rating on Sephora.com and a few awards under its belt, it looks like I’m not the only one who’s obsessed. It’s made with Dr. Ingleton’s signature Jamaican SuperFruit Blend, sugarcane extract, hyaluronic acid and pro-vitamin B5. Expect your skin to feel nourished and supple — never dry! — after cleansing. Plus, it’s made with coconut surfactants, so it will still give you that satisfying lather, but without stripping your pores. No other cleanser can compete — sorry!” —Greaves
Relevant Skincare One and Done Everyday Cream, $38, available here
Photo: Courtesy of brand
“I have been traveling like a madwoman as of late, and my God, this one-and-done cream really saves my ass (and space in my luggage) every time. The impressive formula offers a blend of moisturizing plum oil, niacinamide, kigelia extract, buriti oil and more — plus SPF 40. After I wash my face, I simply slather this on and go about my business.” —Greaves
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making. Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.
If you live in New York City and you possess a healthy bit of skin-care fanaticism, it’s likely you’ve heard of Danuta Mieloch, the Polish-born, French-trained esthetician and founder of beauty-editor-beloved Rescue Spa. Located on a bustling section of East 19th street in Manhattan, the salon (which also has a sister location in Philadelphia) is widely known as a destination for anyone looking to experience a luxurious, meticulous facial that leaves skin looking as plump and supple as a Japanese mochi ball. It’s also no accident that Mieloch is the go-to facialist for industry heavyweights like Eva Chen, Naomi Campbell and Amber Valletta. In short, the woman has a way with epidermis.
Mieloch is famous for her vocal devotion to Biologique Recherche (her technique for incorporating the infamous P50 toner into her facials is the stuff of legends), and Rescue Spa stocks some of the beauty world’s most renowned products, from brands like Environ, Augustinus Bader, Future Cosmetics and more. So I was surprised to hear that she had recently developed her own skin-care brand, called Danucera.
Nowadays, a beauty launch is typically accompanied with a level of fanfare that you’d expect to find at a celebrity’s first-born child’s birthday party. (Read: over-the-top and flooding social media feeds for days.) Mieloch, however, is ready to let her new duo of products do the talking.
“I’ve done thousands of facials,” she tells me over Zoom (after complimenting me on my skin’s glow, like a consummate beauty professional). “[Danucera] is a way to get a bit of me if you can’t come into the spa.”
Photo: Courtesy of Danucera
As a pioneer of the trademarked Bio-Lift facial, it’s true that Mieloch’s signature technique yields a lens-busting radiance, but she claims that her new D22 Tonic and Cerabalm (which retail for $88 and $55, respectively) are the ideal combination of products to achieve that same kind of healthy skin luminosity at home.
“I would always mix products and become my own mixologist in the treatment room,” she says. “I always wanted to create a line inspired by the best products on the market. The dedication I had doing those thousands of facials, you have to devote the same amount of time and energy to create an amazing skin-care line.”
Never one to shy away from testing a new skin-care product (especially one developed by a woman who blesses my face with a facial every few months), I eagerly incorporated Danucera into my routine to see if it would live up to the hype and my own high expectations.
First up: the balm, a multipurpose formula with a honey-like texture devoid of any fragrance, parabens or silicones. As Mieloch explains: “Technique matters with the balm. You massage it in and add a bit of water to get the milky texture. It encourages people to really take time to cleanse the skin. It’s gentle enough for everyone to use, and the skin [is left] clean, but not overly dry.”
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Although Cerabalm can also be used as a mask or spot treatment for dry areas, I decided to try it as a cleanser to remove makeup and reset my chronically dehydrated skin in the evening. I applied a dime-sized dab to my dry face, massaging with my knuckles for 60 seconds to break up any stagnant lymphatic fluid, and using gentle pressure around my eyes to remove my waterproof mascara. Next, I splashed a bit of lukewarm water on my face to activate the oils (like sea buckthorn, meadowfoam, apricot kernel and hibiscus), working the milky texture around my face and neck before using a clean washcloth to remove it — a suggestion from Mieloch herself. As promised, my skin didn’t feel like it was crying out for moisture within seconds of patting it dry, but I did find that I needed a swipe of micellar water to get rid of a few lingering mascara flakes.
Then came the D22 Tonic, a product that I couldn’t help but equate to the Biologique Recherche P50 toner for which Mieloch is so well known. “The tonic is about hydrating and exfoliating,” she says. “It’s also tightening and firming,” noting that it’s her “clean” beauty answer to any and all anti-aging needs in terms of skin regeneration. (To note: Biologique is not a self-proclaimed “clean” beauty brand.)
Right off the bat, the biggest difference I noticed between the Biologique formula and Danucera’s was the smell. If you’ve used the French brand’s toner, you absolutely know what I’m talking about: If the scent of P50 is comparable to a rancid garbage bag laced with vinegar, D22 is your used salad bowl after rinsing it in the sink — a barely perceptible tang, with just a tinge of earthiness. There was also no tell-tale afterburn once I applied the Danucera tonic with a cotton round post-cleansing, even though it contains a combination of glycolic and lactic acids.
After 10 days of use, the blend of grape flower cell extract (for a boost of protective antioxidants), hydrating glycerin and purifying birch juice had left my pores looking less noticeable, with my complexion appearing brighter and any texture issues appearing notably diminished. And any potential irritation or reaction from trying a new product (as can occasionally happen)? Zero to be found, much to my delight.
The author’s skin post-testing Danucera.
Photo: Hannah Baxter/Fashionista
“We’ve seen amazing results from our studies,” says Mieloch, who conducted clinical testing on both products before bringing them to market, focusing on brightness and hydration results. And because she recognizes that a cleanser and toner are only part of a well-rounded skin-care routine, she’s also currently undergoing development with her French cosmetic chemist for a serum and moisturizer, but without the typical rush to get the products on store shelves as quickly as possible.
“My goal was not to do a huge line,” she says. “We’re in this cosmetics buffet, and I wanted to bring it down to the basics. [Danucera products are] good basics that you keep going back to. It’s like your capsule wardrobe, but for your skin.”
So, while I won’t yet cancel my semi-regular Rescue Spa appointments in favor of a DIY facial, I’m grateful that maintaining a bright, healthy complexion won’t be such a challenge while I wait to visit Mieloch again. Consider me — and my skin — Danucera’s newest loyal fans.
EltaMD has always had the potential to be one of the greats: The brand has been around since 2007 (though it originally began as a wound-care company in 1988), and its products are sold at retailers like Dermstore and Bluemercury. Prices top out at around $60 for a face serum, though most hover around $30. The formulas are simple yet effective, and highly recommended by hordes of dermatologists. But with its straightforward packaging, EltaMD is not what the kids might call #aesthetic.
“As a professional skin-care brand with a deep medical heritage born out of wound healing, our brand persona isn’t to be flashy or be driven by trends,” says Echo Sandburg, chief brand officer of CP Skin Health and EltaMD. “EltaMD, for far too long, has been one of the best-kept skin-care secrets — and it should’t be.”
That seems to be changing. In the last two-plus years, the brand has seen unprecedented growth from an unexpected source: TikTok. Unlike the overly curated grids of Instagram, content on TikTok can be a little rough around the edges; it’s not uncommon to see a creator in front of a janky “green screen” background, holding a two-inch microphone as they muse about their topic of choice. In other words: All brands, flashy or otherwise, start with a relatively even playing field and the same opportunity to get creative.
Sandburg says a general increase in skin-care content amid the pandemic also contributed to the brand’s newfound popularity. Before the brand had even established its own account, posts about EltaMD products started to organically take off. “We also started to see skin professionals take to TikTok to provide credible information that users were seeking,” she adds.
Enter the “dermfluencer”: dermatologists who moonlight as content creators, recommending products, reacting to skin-care videos, debunking myths and breaking down trends for their thousands of followers. “A positive by-product from COVID was seeing skin health conversations expand outside of the office,” notes Sandburg, calling out dermatologists Dr. Dustin Portela and Dr. Muneeb Shah, specifically.
EltaMD started partnering with some of these pros to lean on their credibility — and scale. “It only made sense for us to meet people where they were, and play in this space,” says Sandburg. “TikTok is a unique channel, and since it was new for us, our strategy was to start by working with DOLs, or digital opinion leaders, that had found their groove in the platform.”
The brand also saw success with the classics, like GRWM (that is, “get ready with me”) and haul videos, which led to spikes in both site traffic and sales. Eventually, it had no choice but to jump in with an official presence. “By the end of 2021, we made the move to officially open an EltaMD brand account,” she says. The brand’s following is modest — just under 70,000 — but its reach is far greater; the hashtag #eltamd has 40 million views, while #eltamdsunscreen on its own has nearly 6 million views.
“UV Daily Tinted saw an incremental spike in sales, which has been sustained growth throughout the year,” says Sandburg. The product’s success also translated off-platform. “We saw the search term ‘EltaMD tinted sunscreen’ emerge as a breakout topic on Google Trends, growing more than 5,000% in searches last year,” she notes.
Bieber wasn’t the only celebrity singing EltaMD’s praises. Everyone from Gen-Z fave Addison Rae to former Real Housewife Bethenny Frankel (who recently transitioned into a beauty influencer of sorts) have also shouted out the brand, demonstrating just how vast its audience and appeal are.
For EltaMD, part of the appeal of TikTok — in addition to, well, selling product — is spreading the word about sun protection in an approachable way. “We know that the vast majority of Americans do not wear sunscreen regularly,” says Sandburg. “So we are delighted when celebs use their platforms to help people to create healthy habits.”
When it came time for EltaMD to launch a new SKU in the sun-care lineup, the social platform was a key part of the company’s marketing strategy. “UV Sheer Broad-Spectrum SPF 50+ is an example of a sunscreen that got off to a fast start,” says Sandburg. Case in point: A video with Dr. Shah featuring it amassed more than 4 million views.
Although the sunscreens tend to be consumers’ first touchpoint with EltaMD, TikTok has also given the brand an opportunity to share more about the rest of its offerings. “The fastest growing part of our non-SPF lineup has been our Skin Recovery System,” says Sandburg. “This system contains a patented technology called AAComplex which helps to repair and strengthen your skin barrier.”
No one is more pleased — or less surprised — to see the brand succeed than derms. For Dr. Mona Gohara, who is also a member of EltaMD’s advisory council, recommending the brand is a no-brainer. “I have been using EltaMD for many years — almost 20 — and recommend it daily to my patients of all different ethnicities,” she says, though she admits, “Perhaps there are now more people coming in asking me about it since [it has] a bigger social media presence.” In her own routine, she uses the UV Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46, “because it is great for all skin types, and conditions, particularly those with acne or rosacea,” and is also a fan of the puffiness-reducing Renew Eye Gel.
Whatever the product, EltaMD’s success is a reminder that performance is always the strongest selling point in any digital marketing strategy. Dermfluencers and Hailey Bieber just help spread the word.
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.
The beauty realm is practically overflowing with skin-care and body products that are revered for their effectiveness but smell frighteningly reminiscent of children’s cold medicine or, worse, a straight-up pile of garbage on a hot summer day. (Sorry.) Allow us to provide a respite from all the medicinal, garbage-scented elixirs in your beauty routine: We’ve rounded up the very best smelling body products — lotions, creams, washes, bar soaps and scrubs — out there right now. These are the formulas that prove you don’t have to sacrifice efficacy to smell great.
From alternate vehicles for beloved perfumes (Le Labo! Maison Margiela Replica! Donna Karan Cashmere Mist! Phlur Missing Person!) to gourmand coffee-, vanilla- or coconut-laced blends, these picks were carefully chosen by team Fashionista for their superior smell. Sure, that distinction is rather subjective, but don’t worry, we have good taste (uh, good smell?).
Shop them all below.
Summer Fridays Summer Silk Nourishing Body Lotion, $27, available here.
Hanahana Shea Body Butter in Amber Vanilla, $30, available here.
Nécessaire The Body Exfoliator in Sandalwood, $30, available here.
What does legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath have in common with George Lucas, the filmmaker behind the “Star Wars” franchise? Both are considered visionary geniuses, both have inspired legions of fans and both have become icons in their own right. And now, their creative visions have joined forces, if you will, in the form of Star Wars x Pat McGrath Labs, an 18-piece color cosmetics collection that draws inspiration from the films.
Specifically focused on the classic trilogy — “Star Wars: A New Hope,” “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back” and “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” — and created in collaboration with Lucasfilm, the collection includes a 10-pan eye shadow palette, three five-pan eye shadow palettes, four multi-use metallic pigments, four mascaras, three liquid lipsticks and three lip glosses.
“I’ve always been a fan of ‘Star Wars,’ from an early age, from the first film. It takes you to another world,” McGrath tells Fashionista. “So when I’m taken to the other world, I see colors.”
Photo: Courtesy of Pat McGrath Labs
Each of the three five-pan shadow palettes are inspired by a specific iconic character of that original trilogy. “One is Divine Droid, which is rich colors [inspired by] R2D2, purples, pinks, blues,” McGrath says. “We have The Golden One, which is based on C3PO — bronzes, golds, warm tones; then we have Sith Seduction, which is the Dark Side and based on Darth Vader — beautiful, deep metallic tones.”
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There’s a heavy emphasis on metallics (“you know how I feel about gold, so C3PO is a big deal for me”), as well as vibrant colors, which appear in the form of shimmery eye shadows as well as in pink, blue-violet and turquoise mascaras. (There’s also a classic black mascara for traditionalists.) Beyond those core characters, McGrath drew from the entire Star Wars universe, “from the metals on the spaceships to the desert and sunsets on Tatooine,” to inspire the color cosmetics.
The Star Wars x Pat McGrath Labs collection is available beginning Dec. 16 exclusively on patmcgrath.com, with expansion into Sephora stores to follow in January. Scroll through for a first look at the products, along with prices.
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Lust: Gloss in Bronze Venus, $29, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Lust: Gloss in Carnal Desire, $29, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Lust: Gloss in Pale Fire Nectar, $29, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Liquilust: Legendary Wear Metallic Lipstick in Crimson Sunset, $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Liquilust: Legendary Wear Metallic Lipstick in Nude Awakening, $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Liquilust: Legendary Wear Metallic Lipstick in Rose Divinity, $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Eye Shadow Palette in Divine Droid, $36, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Eye Shadow Palette in Sith Seduction, $36, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Eye Shadow Palette in The Golden One, $36, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Dark Star Mascara in Aquamarine Dream, $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Dark Star Mascara in Ultraviolet Blue, $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Dark Star Mascara in Pink Mistyque, $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Dark Star Mascara in Xtreme Black, $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Chromaluxe Artistry Pigment in Rouge Rebellion, $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Chromaluxe Artistry Pigment in Extragalactic Gold, $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Chromaluxe Artistry Pigment in Falcon Noir $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Chromaluxe Artistry Pigment in Smugglers Spice, $32, available here
Star Wars x Path McGrath Labs Mothershipp VI: Midnight Sun Palette, $128, available here
With reporting by Ana Colón.
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.
You know that the celebrity beauty brand boom is over when even the celebrities themselves admit that they’re not into it. “I’ve never really been interested in beauty products,” Jared Leto recently told Vogue about his new 12-piece skin- and body-care line, Twentynine Palms.
The celebrities are tired. Consumers are over it, big time. The market is oversaturated, and everyone knows it. Celebrity beauty brands are officially on their way out — but that doesn’t mean the beauty business is slowing down.
The global cosmetics market is expected to grow from $382.88 billion in 2021 to $643.03 billion by 2030. With everyone rooting against celebrity beauty brands, though, who will beauty consumers look to for innovation? The answer is the same source that celebrities themselves have always relied upon: the hairstylists, makeup artists and estheticians that they employ to get them ready for red carpets and keep them informed about what’s trending.
Authenticity is the new currency, and unfortunately for the celebrities, the people just aren’t buying it from them anymore. According to NPD data, celebrity beauty brands only account for 7% of sales in the U.S .beauty market.
“It’s just glorified merch at this point,” says Dulma Altan, TikTok creator, consultant and founder of the business podcast Due Diligence. “It’s not enough anymore for the products to be good. If they’re not doing anything interesting, it’s still a bit of a cash grab, and a lot of people can feel that. That’s going to be a liability.”
Even the celebrity beauty brands that supposedly do it right (Altan cites Hailey Bieber‘s Rhode Beauty as a recent example) still have trouble escaping the cloud of doubt that’s cast over the entire genre. The truth is that there are more disappointing celebrity beauty brands than promising ones, and inevitably a few bad lip glosses will ruin the whole bunch.
Photo: Courtesy of Rhode
As the celebrity beauty brand empire wanes, consumers will seek out brands that they can trust to deliver on their claims. Celebrity beauty brands have had their 15 minutes of fame and will soon be replaced by professionally-developed formulas backed by sound science and decades of real-world experience.
Makeup brands like Jones Road (from veteran makeup artist Bobbi Brown) and Danessa Myricks (from the makeup artist of the same name) are making artistry more accessible, while hair-care brands like Frédéric Fekkai, Andrew Fitzsimons and Act+Acre are bringing healthy hair education to the masses. When compared celebrity-helmed brands, these companies are positioning themselves as better suited to meet the demands of the new consumer.
Professional brands have been around long before celebrity business managers sought to diversify their clients’ streams of income. The rise of celebrity beauty brands mimics the rise of celebrity perfumes in the ’90s and early 2000s, when Glow by JLo and Curious by Britney Spears reigned supreme — but that same era ushered in brands from makeup artists like Brown, François Nars of Nars and Kevyn Aucoin, to name a handful. Back then, the world was obsessed with supermodels and the artists who transformed them for magazine covers and runways; it wasn’t long before the products used backstage went mainstream.
“Their formulas were genius,” says Christine Cherbonnier, celebrity makeup artist and former assistant to legendary makeup artists Rose-Marie Swift and Pat McGrath (who each went on to found their own makeup lines, RMS in 2009 and Pat McGrath Labs in 2015). “Paula Dorf was the first one to take technical products that makeup artists used that you could previously only find in a theater store or a makeup store to the mass market. They basically gave up their tricks and traded products to sell to us.”
In addition to her work as a makeup artist, Cherbonnier is also the Design Executive Officer of Mothership Materials, a green commodities manufacturer that helps develop formulas for the next generation of beauty and wellness brands. She joined the company after having a negative experience with cosmetics manufacturers while trying to develop a line of natural products, which ended up costing her $45,000. In the end, she walked away from the entire process without releasing a single SKU. Now, she works with beauty professionals to bring their creative visions to life.
All of Mothership Materials’ brands and formulas are founded by industry professionals with deep industry expertise, which Cherbonnier says gives them an edge over celebrity-founded beauty brands: “They have such a clear perspective. Not one of them wants to make the same thing, and I think that’s what’s so fascinating in an industry where we’re constantly seeing the same thing with a different brand over and over again.”
Photo: Courtesy of Jones Road
Makeup artist Bobbi Brown and hairstylist Frédéric Fekkai both play a unique role in this resurgence of professional beauty brands. Both creatives launched their namesake companies in the ’90s to much success, and have since gone through their own brand evolutions. Bobbi Brown left Bobbi Brown Cosmetics in 2016 and founded Jones Road Beauty in 2020, while Frédéric Fekkai bought back his brand from Proctor & Gamble in 2018 after selling it to the conglomerate in 2008 and relaunched Fekkai in 2019, aiming to merge sustainability with salon-grade products. Both have weathered decades of change in the industry as artists and entrepreneurs, which makes them exceptionally well-poised for this professional beauty brand renaissance.
“Before becoming an entrepreneur and launching either of my beauty brands, I was a makeup artist, so I had deep product knowledge,” Brown tells Fashionista. “I knew what worked and what didn’t, and I knew what products I wish I had in my kit but that didn’t exist yet, so I made them. When I launched Jones Road, I had decades of beauty and business experience under my belt, so I knew exactly what products to make and how to launch a successful business.”
Fekkai feels similarly that the experience of being a working beauty professional is paramount to his success.
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“The hands-on, in-depth knowledge gained from practicing your craft day-in-and-day-out gives you invaluable insights into the needs of all different types of hair,” he says. “When you touch thousands of heads of hair, you then know how the products need to perform to deliver the styles or benefits the guest is looking for. A celebrity is an expert on their specific hair type, a good professional stylist is an expert on all hair types.”
Photo: Courtesy of Andrew Fitzsimons
Celebrity hairstylist Andrew Fitzsimons is a new founder, coming into the space as both an influencer and celebrity stylist for Kim and Kourtney Kardashian, Joan Smalls, Ashley Graham, Madonna and Bella Hadid. He launched his eponymous line earlier this year and believes that professionals are unparalleled when it comes to providing education, which he argues is what this generation of consumers really wants.
“They see the work we do every day via social media, so there’s a trust there that you can use these products to achieve similar results, [without] photoshop or filters,” says Fitzsimons. “Access to great information is a game-changer, and being able to relay that education to consumers is where experts can really shine.”
While celebrity brands are often just a flash in the pan, professional brands can have staying power without remaining stagnant, as evidenced by Brown and Fekkai’s abilities to evolve their own brands over time. Like celebrity perfumes of the ’90s and early 2000s, it’s likely that only a handful of celebrity beauty brands will stick around longer than a few years. Consumers may buy it once for the novelty, but they’ll return to professional brands for innovation and results.
“While celebrity-founded brands often garner buzz around launch, few have been able to scale and mature successfully, and provide consumers with the quality they’re looking for,” says Helen Reavey, certified trichologist, celebrity hairstylist and founder of hair-care brand Act + Acre. “Consumers often find themselves going back to those credible brands whose focus has always been on the efficacy of their products.”
Reavey carved out a niche within the broad hair-care category with Act + Acre, focusing on scalp heath as the most important factor for promoting healthy hair growth. Now, we’re seeing other hair-care brands take the same approach and come out with scalp-targeted products. Danessa Myricks brought a similar innovation to the makeup category with her Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder, an innovative balm-to-powder formula that we’ll no doubt see other brands incorporate into their complexion products in due time. As consumers look for innovation in a sea of sameness, they’ll turn to artists for direction and to set trends, rather than simply cash in on them.
Celebrity beauty brands also provide a glimpse into the ethics of employment, if you look closely: Being a celebrity is a business, and the celebrities themselves may be the face of that business, but they have an entire team to help shape and refine that face, including beauty professionals like hairstylists and makeup artists. When these celebrities launch their own beauty brands, they’re not just selling their own image — they’re selling the polished façade that these artists and experts helped create. Not only are celebrities taking credit for work that isn’t wholly theirs, they’re also directly profiting off of it.
“I do see the injustice of that,” says Altan. “To me, that’s just a microcosm of the broader issue with capitalism and ownership, which is that people who have advantages accrue greater advantages through the form of equity and ownership because they already had that leg up, and then it just snowballs from there.”
The relationship between a celebrity and their glam squad can be symbiotic, but it’s up to the celebrity to give credit where credit’s due.
“If the celebrity is leaning on their makeup artist or hairstylist for expert advice, I believe it can be a mutually beneficial situation,” says Reavey. “I do believe it’s important for the celebrity to give credit to those who have helped shape the brand along the way and have lent their knowledge and support.”
Photo: Courtesy of Haus Labs
While the ethics of celebrity beauty brands are murky at best, some celebrities are doing it better than others. Lady Gaga launched Haus Labs in collaboration with her longtime makeup artist Sarah Tanno in a first-of-its-kind partnership. The move lends an added dose of credibility and artistic vision to Haus Labs, which helps it stand out amongst a growing number of celebrity brands. Partnering with an industry expert is one way that celebrities are bolstering themselves ahead of the backlash that many celebrity brands are getting these days. Hailey Bieber, for her part, tapped cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, founder and chief executive officer of BeautyStat, to be Rhode’s chemist-in-residence and help with product development ahead of its launch earlier this year.
Beauty professionals launching their own brands is one way to balance the scales of justice. As the landscape becomes more saturated (and arguably more scammy), brands with built-in credibility will come out on top, whether that’s through a partnership or the artists striking out on their own.
As the line between beauty professional and influencer gets more blurry, Altan advises professionals to prepare to leverage their network if they want to beat celebrities at their own game, just as celebrities tried to do with them: “It’s going to be the professionals with both the credibility and their own following that are impenetrable.”
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.
Throughout her career, Whitney Houston was known for embracing glamour when it came to her personal style, and especially her makeup. Now, to honor the late singer’s legacy, MAC Cosmetics is launching a makeup collection inspired by some of her most iconic looks. Created in collaboration with her estate, the 12-piece collection launches Dec. 6, just in time for the holiday season and ahead of the upcoming biopic “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” which hits theaters mid-December.
“This collection captures the hues and finishes that were essential to Whitney’s most memorable looks,” said MAC Senior Artist Fatima Thomas in a press release. “In a collection this sophisticated, there’s something for every beauty lover.”
That includes an eight-pan eyeshadow palette replete with shimmery shades, four lipstick shades (including a bold red to recreate the singer’s signature look) housed in gold cases, two lip glosses, a blush and a golden-tinged version of the brand’s Extra Dimension Skinfinish powder for a radiant glow. Also on offer are a set of Whitney-esque falsh lashes and a coordinating makeup pouch.
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“Whitney was always a champion of women feeling beautiful, whether it was a major event or just for everyday wear,” recalled Pat Houston (Whitney’s longtime manager and sister-in-law, who is also the executor of Houston’s estate) in a statement. “Whitney loved working with colors on the lips and eyes — that iconic red lip was always a favorite of hers.”
MAC has always been a prolific collaborator, especially with musicians, but it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the cosmetics brand has dropped a collection inspired by an artist who has long since passed away; it’s also “collaborated” with Selena Quintanilla, Aaliyah and Marilyn Monroe.
The launch is available to shop online and in-store at MAC and Macy’s on Thursday. See all the products in the gallery below.
MAC x Whitney Houston Nippy’s Sensual Red, $23
MAC x Whitney Houston Eye-Conic Palette, $39
MAC x Whitney Houston Nippy’s Pink Rose Powder Blush, $31
MAC x Whitney Houston Nippy’s Plum Rose Powder Blush, $31
MAC x Whitney Houston Extra Dimension SkinFinish, $44
MAC x Whitney Houston Nippy’s Fiesty Red, $23
MAC x Whitney Houston Nippy’s Moody Nude, $23
MAC x Whitney Houston Nippy’s Rose, $23
MAC x Whitney Houston Nippy’s Shimmery Cinnamon Lipglass, $23
MAC x Whitney Houston Nippy’s Shimmery Gold Lipglass, $23
MAC x Whitney Houston Nippy’s Clutch Makeup Bag, $40
Welcome to “Splurge/Save,” a series in which we quiz beauty obsessives about the top luxury (“splurge”) and drugstore (“save”) products in their routines.
Amy Chang — the Los Angeles-based digital content creator known to her many followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok as @bondenavant — has some opinions when it comes to beauty products. She’s tested just about everything worth trying, and her fans know they can trust her for honest takes on formulas, treatments and trends. It’s Chang’s grounded, relatable presence, on social media platforms that can often feel overwhelming, that keeps fans coming back.
Born in South Korea but raised in Minnesota, Chang says her passion for beauty stems from her “Sicilian and French Canadian” mother.
“She always has a full face, even if we’re outside in the woods hiking,” Chang tells Fashionista. “She always has lipstick on — she reapplies it throughout the day, even when she’s home alone. This I still don’t understand, but she says, ‘Amy, I just apply it for myself.’”
At 19, Chang temporarily dropped out of college and got a job working at a Shiseido counter, where she recalls first falling in love with skin care. “That little seed of passion was there, it just needed another push,” she says. “When I went back to college, I got an internship at L’Oréal, at Shu Uemura in their PR department, and thought that this was going to be my path.” She spent years working in beauty and then hospitality public relations in New York City before experiencing burnout.
“My boyfriend at the time — now husband — asked me to move to L.A., and I was like, ‘Sure, let’s do it. Let’s go on another adventure,’” she says. “I knew I didn’t want to go back to an agency life, so I started a blog about beauty and wellness, things that I was exploring in this new world of L.A., like Botox and fillers and lasers and smoothies and juice cleanses.”
What initially began as a “passion project” eventually grew into a full-time career as a beauty content creator.
“I think I was just always searching for connection with other women, and my blog allowed me to have that,” Chang says. “I met so many interesting women along the way, and I had the best time talking with them and sharing what I’m exploring and what works and what doesn’t.”
Chang’s product vetting process is thorough and practiced, though it differs depending on the formula: “Cleansers, I can get a pretty good sense after the first couple of uses of how my skin is going to respond, so I feel like I’m switching out much more frequently than any of the other products. Serums, I give at least a month to see, ‘Okay, what is this doing?’ If I’m not seeing anything after a month of consistent use, I’m kind of like, ‘Okay, this is not happening.’ I need to be seeing something there, even if it’s just a little improvement.”
Whether she’s choosing to cover a product on her channels organically or deciding to partner with a brand, Chang always asks herself three questions: “Is this a product that I would spend my own money on if I didn’t already, if it was gifted? Is this a product that I would re-purchase? Is this a product that I would recommend to my sister, my mom, my best friend? If it’s yes to all three, then I bring it to my audience.”
Ahead, Chang shares her top “splurge” and “save” beauty picks across a wide variety of categories.
Photo: Courtesy of Amy Chang
Mascara: “I have non-existent eyelashes. You can’t even see them. This is just the byproduct of being Asian. They’re straight, thin, limp, short. My budget-friendly one that I love is No. 7 360 Waterproof Mascara in Dark Brown ($10.99). It does such a great job of lifting and providing a little curl. It doesn’t smudge. And dark brown is the thing — I feel like this past year, I’ve really opened myself to brown eyeliner and brown mascara, and it has been a game-changer. It’s such a soft look for daytime, and it makes me look like I don’t have anything on my eyes. Black is more dramatic; I wear that for nighttime.
“For high-end, I love the Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara ($20). I don’t know if it’s because the founder is Asian and so she probably was creating this product for herself, but I love it. It builds up really well. It gives a nice curl, and it holds and lengthens my short lashes.”
Cleanser: “The ‘low’ is an OG in my household: the CeraVe Cream-to-Foam Cleansing Face Wash ($14.99). It works for everyone in my family. I’ve dealt with dermatitis. My kids have dermatitis and eczema patches. I use it on them, on myself, on my husband. I even use it as shampoo on my kids, and it’s phenomenal. I love that product.
“For ‘high,’ I really like the Philosophy Purity Foaming Cleanser ($27). At first, I was kind of like, ‘I don’t know about Philosophy brand.’ There’s something about the bubble baths. It seemed very… not serious skin care, right? But then I tried this cleanser, and it’s so good. I have sensitive skin, and it has salicylic acid in it. It’s extremely gentle. It helps to clear up clogged pores and blackheads. It’s one of my favorite cleansers now.”
Sunscreen: “Beauty of Joseon ($10.29) is a Korean SPF that went viral last year for a reason. I mean, it’s $10. It has the lightest texture. There’s no white cast. It’s just a beautifully crafted SPF. The only hesitation I have with it personally is that there’s no tint, and for someone like myself who’s dealing with melasma and pigment, wearing tinted SPF is really essential because it protects against that blue light which can stimulate the melanin production of pigment.
“On a day-to-day basis, I really do reach for the EltaMD Tinted SPF 41 ($36.50) for sensitive skin. I’ve been using it for years. I love it because it’s formulated to be used post-laser and chemical peel. That’s actually when I first got introduced to it — I had a Fraxel laser done, and my dermatologist recommended I use this SPF. I also really like the SkinCeuticals Fusion SPF 50 ($36). It also has a tint, so I feel good that I’m getting that extra protection from the blue light. It has more of a watery texture to it.”
Shampoo and conditioner: “The luxury one almost pains me a little bit to recommend it because it’s so expensive. Well, I love it. It’s the Augustinus Bader Shampoo ($55). The thing is that it’s a shampoo that the more you use it, the better your hair will get. Typically, shampoos are like a face cleanser: You want one that’s not going to be damaging, that’s going to be gentle — yeah, it can contribute some benefits, but because it’s a wash-off product, it’s not going to be as dramatic as a hair serum, so you really just want to find something that’s gentle that works for your hair type. But this, I actually notice improvements in my hair with continued use.
“For the budget-friendly one, I’m a really big fan of Kristin Ess Extra Gentle Shampoo ($11). I think there are five or six different surfactants in it. When you shop for a shampoo, one of the best indicators if it’s good or not is how many detergents they use, because if there’s two different types of detergents to get a foaming action, they need a lot of each of those two detergents. But if you have five or six different kinds and you just need a little bit of each one, there’s less possibility that you’re going to get an irritation or a reaction to that detergent. It also has a lot of film-forming humectants, which add moisture to the strands. When people think about hydration for hair, they’re always thinking butters and oils, which, yes, are great, but you really need things that will bind water to the strand, too. Butters and oils can really weigh down strands. It’s the film-forming humectants that really give that moisture that makes hair kind of flexible and bouncy.
“For conditioners, I love the accompanying conditioner for the Augustinus Bader [shampoo] ($55). I also really like the Briogeo Mango Cherry Conditioner ($30). If you have fine, thin hair, you want one that doesn’t have too many of these rich butters and stuff, because it’s going to weigh it down.”
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Retinoid: “I just recently got back on the retinol train after a very long hiatus. I’m using the SkinCeuticals 0.3 Retinol ($70), which I think is just one of the best if you have sensitive skin. It’s a targeted delivery system.
“For the budget-friendly one, I like the CeraVe ($20.99). I find that it’s a little intense. I go slower with those budget-friendly ones. I think they try to pack a little more punch into them.”
Eye cream: “For the ‘low,’ I’ve loved The Inkey List Caffeine Serum ($13.79) for years. The only drawback is that it doesn’t have anti-aging benefits to it, but it gives you that immediate payoff of helping with dark circles because that’s my problem. Caffeine is a vasodilator, so it helps with improving blood flow. And it’s $10 and it just brightens it right away.
“On the higher end, when I’ve been using nightly, I love the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye ($70). It’s so funny because I feel like this product has been around forever, but they recently reformulated it and added in this technology that has this antioxidant blend that helps block the blue light. With studies coming out and finding that blue light damages collagen and elastin and helps to stimulate that pigment, I think about all the time in the day I spend in front of a screen — I wake up, grab my phone, go to the Peloton screen, to the TV screen, to my computer screen, back to my phone screen at night and then I go to bed. There literally is no break. It’s very sad.”
Body scrub or wash: “The Kopari KP Volcanic Ash Scrub ($26) is hands down my favorite body scrub. That’s really good.
“I’d say on lower end for body wash, I really love the Raw Sugar Body Wash in Watermelon and Fresh Mint ($7.99). It’s really gentle, it smells great, it’s only $10 and you get this huge bottle.”
“I really love the Rare Beauty Eyeliner ($22). It’s really wet, so you have to be careful, but it’s amazing at getting that really sharp winged eyeliner look.”
Blush: “The one that I’ve used the longest and really stayed true — I feel like I always come back to it — is Nars Orgasm ($32). That’s just an OG. I love that one.
“For the ‘low’ pick, I like the W3ll People Stick Blush ($22). I just tried it the other day and it’s really nice.”
Foundation: “Kosas Revealer Foundation ($42). I like that it’s really hydrating. On days that I use it, I don’t use any moisturizer. I’ll just put my SPF on and then I’ll put my foundation on. I really like the Summer Fridays Skin Tint ($42). It’s super sheer. That’s for the days where I feel like my skin is looking great and I don’t actually want that much.
Essence or toner: “I love the SK-II Pitera ($185). That’s really great because it has that fermented yeast that has the B vitamins. It’s so expensive. And for the longest time, I was like, ‘Come on. Really? Why is this so expensive?’ But then I used it and actually noticed a huge difference in the redness on my face, especially around my chin and nostrils. And it did help with my pigment, oddly. I can’t deduce exactly what’s causing it, which really perplexes me because I’m like, ‘How could just the B vitamins and this fermented yeast do this?’ But I think it helps with the skin barrier, really strengthening it. That’s how it helps with the pigment and the spots and the redness.
“I really like the Cocokind Rosewater Toner ($17.99). I’m a big fan of rose water. I constantly spray it on my scalp, on my face; when my girls get itchy, I spray it on them.”
Highlighter: “Everyone is just obsessed with the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter ($46). I use it in a shade lighter than what they recommend for my skin because it really gives a lot of brightness to the face.
“There’s the viral dupe, and it works just as well — it’s called the L’Oréal Lumi Glotion ($15.99). It works just as well at giving that same kind of high beam, strobe light, really big brightness to the skin. The difference is the consistency: The Lumi Glotion is very thin and lightweight, and the Charlotte Tilbury one is thicker.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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Getting consistently glow-y skin can sometimes feel like an impossibility, especially for the non-Zoë Kravitzes of the world and anyone who simply doesn’t have the time to incorporate a 20-step routine into their day. But if there’s anything social media — and its many filters — has taught us, it’s that a lit-from-within, luminous complexion is still at the top of most people’s beauty wish lists. A new crop of so-called spray-on “serums” is hoping to simplify and streamline the glow-building process: These supercharged takes on face mists pack potent ingredients and an array of benefits into one swift step, creating dewy, even complexions in seconds flat.
The idea behind these formulas, which are thicker than water but thinner than a typical-serum, is to create a simpler, foolproof way to deliver a variety of skin-care benefits onto your face, fast. These mist-and-go alternatives might not check every box a more elaborate routine would, but they’re definitely better than nothing. And, paired with basics like a daily face wash and sunscreen, they’re the lazy person’s solution to building a perfectly respectable skin-care routine.
For those who already rely on an arsenal of products, spray-on serums and facial mists can be helpful for quick midday moisture refreshes, to add an instant glow to makeup that’s turned dull and, of course, for in-flight spritzing while traveling. If your skin leans oily, look to formulas with alpha hydroxy acids, which gently exfoliate to prevent breakouts. If your skin tends to be on the drier side, look for ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid and ceramides to strengthen the skin barrier and, over time, the complexion’s ability to protect itself.
Click through the gallery below for 16 spray-on serums and benefit-packed face mists we love right now.
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Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.
We know it’s hard to find the right gifts for your loved ones, so we’ve compiled a ton of fashion and beauty-focused gift guides tailored to a range of interests and budgets. Check out our latest below and find more right here.
When it comes to beauty gift giving, there are plenty of routes to go. But allow us to suggest venturing down the path of skin care: Plenty of people in your life will appreciate any excuse to indulge in a little extra ritualistic pampering and self care — and everyone has skin.
But the realm of skin care doesn’t exactly have a reputation for being straightforward; it’s easy to get confused and overwhelmed. A little advice? When in doubt, go for a pre-organized set.
These bundles — which range from curations of trial-size minis to fully comprehensive treatment routines — cover a wide range of complexion preferences and needs, and they’ll also suit just about any budget. Plus, some of them are so well packaged, you won’t need to do any wrapping.
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In the gallery below, we’ve rounded up 21 skin-care sets that are basically begging to be gifted. Click through to see (and shop!) them all.
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.
When Fiona Chan first found herself stuck in Hong Kong as pandemic lockdowns began, she couldn’t have anticipated that within the next year, she’d found a beauty company or launch viral product. But that transformative and uncertain period proved to be a productive one for the entrepreneur, who introduced makeup company Youthforia — the fruits of those lockdown labors — in 2021.
Youthforia develops its products to be unique from anything else on the market, and that applies to both form and function: Its hero SKUs include color-changing “oil” blush (the aforementioned “viral product”) and lip glosses that magnetically fit together like Legos. But flashy, fun exteriors aside, the brand’s formulas are also rather game-changing. Youthforia positions itself at the intersection of color cosmetics and skin care, taking a more holistic approach that doesn’t put its users in the position of sacrificing the health of their complexions for the fleeting glory of a makeup look.
“Why do we just accept that makeup has to be bad for your skin?” asks Chan during a recent phone interview with Fashionista. “What if you made makeup that was really good for your skin?”
It’s a simple idea, but it’s also one that has the potential to upend years of traditional, stale thinking in the cosmetics industry. For Chan, whose background is not in beauty but rather in tech sales, the concept came from a place of personal experience: Growing up, the founder recalls, she’d delight in trying out various makeup looks, but also had the bad habit of falling asleep before she could wash them off.
Now, her brand — a streamlined, five-piece edit of primer, setting spray, lip gloss, blush and an accompanying brush — is like an ode to her youthful skin transgressions. Youthforia markets itself as makeup you can sleep in.
In the early stages of developing the brand, Chan says, she’d personally test every lab sample by sleeping in it. “I know that I just have these habits,” she says, “and I wanted something where if it ever happened, I would feel okay.” Not only are Youthforia’s products safe to sleep in, but they also incorporate beneficial skin-care ingredients like moisturizers and antioxidants.
“When I look at a tube, I think, how many skin-care benefits can I fit into this tube? And I like to stack on as many benefits for as many skin concerns, skin types, age ranges,” explains Chan. “I try to really think about how can we be inclusive at the formulation level… even the way that we select molecule shapes.”
This also means that when formulating her products, Chan is considering the 13-year-old girl with acne as much as “her mom who is over 60 and has a very different set of skin concerns.” The holistic view and idea of stacking skin-care benefits, Chan says, is rooted in Chinese medicine where “every little thing can affect something else.” The idea that problems do not exist in isolation is a powerful motivator for the founder.
Courtesy of Youthforia
In addition to drawing inspiration from Traditional Chinese Medicine principles, Youthforia also relies on color theory to inform some aspects of its formulas.
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“Our pink setting spray is pink because when you’re sick, your skin turns a little bit green,” says Chan. “Our green blush is green because green is opposite of pink and that neutralizes the color enough for the color-changing,” she explains of her viral color-changing blush.
Chan’s ideas about beauty have resonated among Gen Z consumers in particular, and the brand has stirred up attention on social media, primarily via TikTok. Though the founder says she wasn’t a content creator prior to launching Youthforia, she turned into one “out of necessity.”
“I have really come to love and appreciate that content format because it’s like, you have eight seconds to get your point across. And every time you’re making content, you’re asking permission for people’s time and attention. So you want to make it impactful,” she says.
Two years after its launch, Youthforia has become somewhat of a force in color cosmetics: In October, the company expanded its retail footprint from a direct-to-consumer business to an in-store and online partnership with Ulta. Chan says she expects 2022 revenue to quadruple from the previous year.
“Every time that I trusted my gut or stayed true to who I am and my strengths, it’s always done really well,” Chan says, reflecting on the lessons she’s learned since becoming a founder. “Being yourself is actually the answer to all of this. To any question you have, you can trust your gut. You know what will work for you… your journey is so unique and so true to you.”
As for what’s next in the brand’s journey, Chan says she envisions a world in which consumers can create a full-face makeup look, start to finish, using only Youthforia products. (A current focus is introducing a foundation that Chan has been developing since 2021.)
Chan is also energized and excited about what the future holds for the beauty industry as a whole. She’s inspired by her cohort of up-and-coming brand founders and the perspectives they’re bringing to the table: “A lot of new brands are driven by just very passionate founders that come from a wide variety of diverse backgrounds. Just learning from other people’s cultures and their life experiences and what they use for beauty in terms of rituals, or routines, or ingredients… It’s super interesting.”
Shop some of our favorite Youthforia products in the gallery below.
Please note: Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.
