One of my favorite things about being a beauty writer is staying up to date with new launches. While I’ll always have my trusted favorite products, trying new things is always fun. And I’m a big believer that the beauty industry should be fun. After all, we’re all just here playing dress-up anyway.
For this first installment of my monthly round-up, I have broken things into a few categories: skincare, makeup, and tech and sustainability. I’ll be sharing what influencers and people in the know have been saying about them around the internet and sharing my hot takes on what’s worth splurging on. So, without further ado, let’s get stuck in!
Skincare
Most anticipated beauty launch:
SKKN by KIM
Everyone is excited for the most anticipated beauty launch, SKKN by Kim. If you like multi-step routines this nine-step, clean-beauty skincare ritual is perfect for you. The line includes a cleanser, toner, exfoliator, hyaluronic acid serum, vitamin C8 serum, eye cream, face cream, oil drops, and night oil. Indulge in a full new routine, or pick and choose the products that sound like they’ll work for you.
Best new sun protection:
Bloomeffects Tulip Dew Sunscreen Serum
Morning dew in a bottle that also protects you from UVA and UVB? Sounds pretty fantastic to me. This broad-spectrum SPF 50 sunscreen leaves skin looking beautifully dewy without any oily sheen. It’s enough of a base to replace a BB or CC cream if you’re going for a natural look, or you can layer it under your foundation to create a hydrated and sun-protected base. I love that it’s fragrance-free, and its light, very slight tint means you should be able to get away without having to deal with the white ghost-like shadow some mineral sunscreens can leave behind.
Best new rejuvenation product:
The Outset Firming Collagen Prep Serum
Plump and healthy glowing skin is everyone’s ultimate goal. This is going to be my essential step to fortify the skin. This serum is a potent potion that locks in healthy vitamins and uses the virtues of vegan collagen to help your skin feel and look smoother, firmer, and plumper. Use it after cleansing and before moisturizing if you have a multi-step skincare routine, or use it as a potent and effective stand-alone treat for your skin.
Best new travel skincare:
HIDE Power Nap Roller
If you’re like me and have naturally dark under eyes, you’ll know how tricky they can be to conceal. You either look like you haven’t put anything on them, or they’re caked with a concealer that somehow gets compacted into any fine lines throughout the day. It’s a mess. So when I tried out HIDE’s Power Nap Roller, I was hopeful, but I’d set the bar relatively low. Well, let me tell you, this thing worked! It hydrates and helps your delicate under-eye skin to look plump and smooth, and the cool metal applicator makes it perfect for waking you up after a long flight or a bad night’s sleep.
Best new eye skincare:
Mary Kay Instant Puffiness Reducer
No one enjoys having puffy eyes, so we know Mary Kay’s latest launch is going to fly off the shelves. The formula has been created to instantly reduce signs of tiredness so you can forget about having to worry about how your eyes look before that big event or after you have a good cry. The balm replaces the need for eye cream, so you simply apply it at the same time as your moisturizer, before putting on makeup if you wear any.
Best new teen skincare:
Bubble Day Dream Vitamin C + Niacinamide Serum
Bubble Skincare has a great knack for combining effective ingredients and cute packaging to make skincare as approachable as possible. Their emphasis on clean ingredients and research-backed formulas pushed this one to the top of my favorites list for this month. The serum is lightweight and gentle on your skin, making it a great addition to your skincare routine if you haven’t used many actives before. It could also be worth trying if you have sensitive skin. Sensitive skin should tolerate its gentle, scent-free formula. I’ll be using it on days when I feel like my skin needs some gentle TLC.
Best new serum:
Tower 28 SOS Intensive Rescue Serum
This hypochlorous-based serum from Tower 28 delivers precisely what it promises: reduced redness and calmed skin. I actually used this on my arms which are super prone to eczema and painfully dry skin, and this did just the trick to balance things out and reduce inflammation. You can use it twice a day, straight after your toner, either on your whole face or on specific areas of your skin (e.g., your cheeks, if you’re sensitive in that area). It’s designed as a facial skin care product, but as I said, I think it’s an excellent formula to consider using on other parts of your body if you deal with sensitivity.
Best new body product:
Eleven By Venus Williams Game Set Match Body Lotion SPF50
This mineral sunscreen is fantastic for days when you’re working up a sweat in the great outdoors – be it by working out or just because it’s stinking hot. The formula has been designed to be absorbed quickly, without leaving a visible residue on any skin tone. It has been designed to be sweat-resistant for up to 80 minutes, making it perfect for applying before an outdoor workout. It’s reef-safe and water-resistant, so you can use it on the beach or before going for a swim, too.
Best new custom formula:
PROVEN Skincare Eye Cream Duo
Custom skincare and haircare are growing in popularity as consumers come to understand their skin’s individuality and how formulations can affect the efficacy of a product. PROVEN has just launched a set of eye creams formulated individually for users based on a thorough skincare quiz. The day and night cream duo are designed to adapt to your needs to reduce the appearance of under-eye dark circles and generally plump up the area to make it appear more youthful. The formulas are potent, absorb quickly, and leave noticeable results after using them a handful of times.
Makeup
Best fun innovation:
Item Beauty Boost Juice
Remember when I said beauty should be about having fun? This is precisely what I meant! Reminiscent of those colorful hair highlighter wands from the 90s and 00s, this mascara delivers two on-trend colors in one product. Layer the purple and blue to create a fantastic retro-inspired look, or use them individually to take your monochrome look to the next level. The mascara is more than just a colorful gimmick, though, the formula actually does elongate lashes, and it provides long-lasting wear.
Biggest buzz:
Jones Road What the Foundation
I am a Bobbi Brown superfan. She was the person who got me into makeup in the first place, and I love her concept of helping people to look like themselves, only better. So when I heard about Jones Road, needless to say, I was very excited. Their What the Foundation has created a considerable buzz on TikTok, not only because it has a creamy formula but also because it was picked up by a makeup influencer who went on to – quite literally – slather the product on. Which prompted a reply from Bobbi Brown herself. Drama ensued. You get the idea. But the product itself is a fantastic lightweight foundation, ideal for days when your skin is playing ball, and you don’t have much to cover up. I’m the first to admit that I’ve been fortunate with my skin in that I rarely get breakouts, so light coverage has always been my go-to, and this one has made its way into my everyday makeup bag already.
Best clean makeup launch:
Twenty/Twenty Clean Sweep Mascara
Mascaras are often overlooked in eye care, but if you have sensitive skin or dry eyes, finding one that works can be a headache. Twenty/Twenty have created a clean formula mascara that promises to leave your eyes itch-free all day long.
Tech & sustainability
Best waste reduction:
Réduit BOOST
A staple for many European beauty addicts, Réduit has just launched in the US. Their innovative Boost device is designed to help deliver more of the benefits of products you love without needing to apply more products. The device works to help actives break through your skin’s natural barrier so they can be absorbed and get to work, reducing waste and improving the appearance of your skin.
Best product innovation:
Mono 3-Step Balanced Skin Set
The science behind Mono’s tablet skincare is fantastic and could pave the way for how we use skincare in the future. As we begin to understand the impact of shipping and packaging on the environment, brands like Mono, who are creating technology that reduces the impact of everyday items, should be in the limelight. Their proprietary technology means that active skincare ingredients can be dehydrated, shipped in tablet format, and rehydrated once you’re ready to re-fill your bottle of skincare at home. Simply pop the pill into your bottle, add water, and you’ve got a luxurious skincare product with a much smaller carbon footprint.
Best packaging innovation:
Founded by Jeanine Lobell, who also founded Stila, Neen is a new name on the beauty scene. The brand aims to create beauty products that are fun and easy to use, all without burdening the environment. Their packaging choice has thrown them into the limelight amongst eco-conscious beauty fans because they’re the creators of the “first-ever silicone compact, which has a low environmental impact and doesn’t release micro-particles that pollute the ocean and harm sea life.” Essentially, their compact-based products can be fitted into reusable silicone compacts to reduce single-use plastic.