I'm a Beauty Editor—Here Are 25 New Items My Medicine Cabinet Is Dreaming About
Most Wanted is a weekly series in which one Who What Wear team member or friend of the brand will share the top 25 fashion and beauty finds on their current wish list.
One of the most exciting aspects of my job as a beauty editor is the opportunity to preview, test, and read up on all the most swoon-worthy beauty launches before the rest of the general public even knows about them. Getting a sneak peek allows us beauty editors time to acquaint ourselves with new formulas, decide what we love (and maybe what we don't), and strategize the coolest ways to tell you about said launches once they become available to the masses. This year has been quite the roller coaster, but I can say 2020's fresh beauty releases have hit an overwhelming number of high notes.
Fall is just around the corner, and it seems like each and every new product is better and better. A complete fall-cleaning medicine cabinet overhaul is definitely in my near future, so I'm sharing 25 new beauty items I already have or plan on lining my shelves with. Keep scrolling!
Skincare
Weird, I know. But cleansers are one of the products I'm most finicky about. I've only been using this new formula from Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare for a few weeks, but it's already made a significant difference in how hydrated, glowy, and clear my complexion is. It works similar to an oil cleanser, in that you apply it to dry skin and it immediately dissolves residue, makeup, and any other junk that builds up over the course of the day or night. But it's oil-free and won't clog your pores. I gently wipe it off with a damp, warm washcloth and then skip right to my serum every morning.
I have one foot on and one foot off the face mist train. I don't love essences and mists, and unless I'm using a makeup-setting formula, I find them rather pointless (the one exception being my obsession with Chantecaille's Pure Rosewater, $32). I'd never tried a mist that could hold a candle to an actual face cream or hydrating serum, but this stuff is magic. It drenches skin with dewy hydration, and the name doesn't lie—it makes your face look like a glowing orb of health. I can't get enough.
There are a handful of exciting new eye cream launches, but this one from Youth To The People is the one I'm most excited about. If you're looking for something to help relieve dryness, fine lines, and/or wrinkles around the delicate eye area, this goji stem cell- and ceramide-spiked overnight formula is highly recommended.
I don't mess around when it comes to face masks, and I only keep around the formulas that give me instant gratification. Versed's new enzyme Resurfacing Mask (which is also clean!) does just that. I plan on using it weekly to prevent congestion and encourage lots of radiance this fall.
I'll be honest, I'm super lazy when it comes to my neck, and, in very bad beauty-editor form, I rarely moisturize anywhere but my face. That said, SkinCeuticals just launched a retinol- and tripeptide-based neck elixir that might change my negligent ways.
I won't spend a lot of time on this serum because my fellow beauty editor Courtney Higgs and I wrote an entire devoted review here, but I am so besotted with this concoction of ingredients that I hardly know what to do with myself. I've been applying it every morning, and my skin has never (like ever) been this smooth, even, bright, and pimple-free. Here's to hoping that The Nue Co. keeps churning out skincare products because I'm officially monogamous.
Even though this statement might disgruntle and shake some tables, this new face cream from U Beauty (a brilliant follow-up to its OG Resurfacing Compound, $228) is, in my opinion, better than the Augustinus Bader face creams. It's supremely hydrating and makes my skin look like it's been touched by an Instagram filter IRL. Try it, and you'll never go back to anything else.
As someone who's dealt with hormonal acne for most of my adult life, I get freakishly excited when new formulas hit the market. I haven't tried this brand-new serum from French brand Avène just yet, but it's at the top of my list! Since Avène is known for catering to sensitive skin, I already know this won't cause irritation or any harsh reactions like some acne-targeted formulas can.
Between this new tonic from Peter Thomas Roth and The Pill from The Nue Co. (which I talked about above), it's like my skin has been completely reborn. I've gone through so many phases of trying to de-bump and de-pimple my face, and pretty much every acid-heavy toner I've tried has only ever made the situation worse. However, this strategically balanced formula has proven to be the one exception for my skin. It's a professional-level daily leave-on exfoliating and clarifying liquid featuring 10% gluconolactone (PHA), 5% glycolic acid (AHA), and 0.5% salicylic acid (BHA). I've been using it nightly in conjunction with a gentle hydrating cleanser, and my skin seems to get smoother and clearer every dang day. Plus, it actually leaves my skin feeling plump and hydrated—not stripped, red, and parched.
I've finally gotten over my fear of face oils, and this new one from Mutha is the one I'm prioritizing this fall and winter. The ingredients (such as Kalahari melon seed oil, purple orchid extract, squalane, evening primrose, rosehip, and sea buckthorn) are just as beautiful as the stunning packaging.
I love Kayo's products so much. They smell amazing, the packaging is amazing, and they make your skin feel amazing. There's nothing I love more than a multitasking formula, and this hydrating spray (which is meant for your body but can really be spritzed anywhere) is a luxurious yet low-maintenance way to keep your moisture levels in the green this season. It's filled with vitamins, hyaluronic acid, and konjac root.
I also have my eye on this stunning body gua sha tool from the brand. I use its lotions and oils religiously, and adding this tool into my routine will help boost lymphatic drainage and detoxification as well as provide more helpful wellness benefits.
Haircare
The pandemic has made regular trims obsolete, and I'm counting on this nutrient-packed Regenerating Serum from Christophe Robin (inspired by his holy-grail, best-selling mask) to keep my ends in place and in line until my next salon appointment.
Crown Affair has to be one of my favorite haircare brands, and while I'm obsessed with its super-chic comb and brush, it's this brand-new mask that has my thirsty strands currently drooling.
Generally speaking, haircare products are my least favorite beauty category. I've always felt like my hair is pretty underwhelming to begin with, so I just can't get into a complex product routine. That said, I am passionate about my color maintenance, and since I bleach, keeping my strands strong, shiny, and topped up with moisture is pivotal. And to be honest, I don't know if I've ever met such a brilliant (and instantly effective) antidote as this brand-new hair balm from Sisley-Paris. It smells divine, and the balm-to-oil formula is designed to be used as a treatment. Wear it for 30 minutes or overnight, and strands are left astoundingly restored. I've been blown away by the results! It's potent, so make sure you concentrate on your strands and ends, avoiding your scalp and roots.
Again, as a blonde, I'm hyperaware of the products I'm using to not only maintain my color as best as possible (especially when I've barely been able to see my colorist this year) but to also keep my strands in tip-top shape. I have my eyes on this new overnight treatment from Kérastase. Though it is geared toward lightened hair, any hair type and texture can benefit from the nourishing perks of hyaluronic acid and delicate edelweiss flower.
It's not like I've been blow-drying my hair a lot during quarantine (or even before quarantine), but spending 15 minutes with an aching arm and heat shooting my face just isn't my favorite. So I'm extra excited about this latest hair launch from Davines: a priming spray that cuts down your drying time and encourages bouncy and smooth body to boot.
Makeup
Courtney and I are obsessed with this new foundation from Exa. (Read our in-depth review here!) Not only is this foundation the most shade-inclusive formula in clean beauty, but it's also brimming with skincare-grade ingredients, so you're getting coverage, glow, and TLC with just one application. Plus, it will make your skin look so dewy and healthy.
I'm of the firm belief that the longer, thicker, and curlier my lashes are, the better. That said, on days when I want a little something-something without going all-in on my collection of mascara tubes, I'm using this adorably chic lash-tint-meets-mascara situation from Surratt. It's one of the most innovative and unique makeup products to hit the market this year.
Meet Haze: the newest collection to join Huda Beauty's beloved line of Obsession Eyeshadow Palettes. There are three different shade range options, so you can choose the soft smokey best suited to your taste and skin tone. I can't wait to dive into the Sand Haze Palette first.
Technically, nail polish isn't makeup, but…It kind of is makeup for your nails, right? Regardless, I'm throwing in Olive and June's new fall collection because the shades are so dang stunning. I've tried every shade except two (I'm making my way through), and I just can't get enough. The results are so glossy and long wearing (especially when you use the topcoat) that I pretty much refuse to wear any other polish brand at this point.
ICYMI: Selena Gomez has her very own makeup line now. All the product offerings from Rare Beauty are stunning, but the adorable liquid blush definitely gives me the most butterflies.
I go wild for a good matte nude lip, and Kilian (one of my all-time fave fragrance brands) is expanding on its drool-inducing line of Le Rouge Parfum Scented Lipsticks by introducing four limited-edition shades of nude. Kilian is one of the only brands I'll trust with my chap-prone lips, and I can't wait to experiment with the new selection, as I've been less excited by typical fall hues like red and wine. (PS each lippie is infused with the scent of the brand's best-selling Love, Don't Be Shy perfume—a fave among celebs like Rihanna!)
I've been in the same (nude) frame of mind in terms of gloss, too. Tower 28 is one of the coolest brands on the market right now, and I can't get enough of its latest release of alternative milk–inspired glosses (a little random but so pretty!).
I'm all for gleamy skin, and celebrity makeup artist Patrick Ta is the ultimate mastermind when it comes to a head-to-toe glow. To maintain a sun-kissed look into fall, I'm swirling my brush into this lush shimmering balm and applying everywhere the light hits—chest and collarbone, shoulders, you get the idea.
Up next, I'm Most Often Complimented on My Lashes, Lips, and Perfume—Here's the Reveal
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.
-
I'm a Mom of Two Little Ones—30 Chic, Easy, and Reliable Fashion and Beauty Picks I Swear By
Little effort. High reward.
By Jennifer Camp Forbes
-
My Style Is Classic Yet Eclectic—30 Must-Have Pieces I'm Shopping for Fall
It's all about balance.
By Raina Mendonça
-
I'm All About the Final Touch—30 Incredibly Chic Accessories and Beauty Picks I Swear By
These get me endless compliments.
By Jennifer Camp Forbes
-
I'm a Fashion Editor and Tennis Player—All the Outfits and Gear I Swear By
Shop my picks.
By Erin Fitzpatrick
-
33 Summer Accessories I'm Shopping to Make My Basics Feel Brand-New
Because we all need a little rizz.
By Jasmine Fox-Suliaman
-
I'm Spending My Summer in Europe—I Packed These 30 Fashion and Beauty Essentials First
These made my carry-on.
By Ana Escalante
-
June Gloom, Who? 30 Unique Splurges to Kick-Start Your Summer
Colorful finds ahead.
By Bailey Burke
-
I'm Going to Paris This Week—These 30 Fashion and Beauty Items Are Coming With Me
Pack with me.
By Allyson Payer