I Tested 5 Treatments and 26+ Products This Month—Here's What I Love and Recommend
Booked and busy.
As a NYC-based beauty editor, my schedule doesn't follow a typical nine-to-five. I'm constantly popping in and out of brand previews to discover the latest and greatest product launches, connecting with artists IRL for insights on trends, and playing guinea pig when it comes to buzzy skin treatments in order to make the best, most informed recommendations. (I do a lot of work in Ubers, if you're curious.) That said, the month of May was especially hectic—not surprising, considering it kicked off with the Met Gala and marks the unofficial start of summer. Every other day I was trying out a new facial or slathering on a soon-to-be-viral formula (not so great for my skin barrier, I'm aware, but it is my job to stay on top of the market!), so I've decided to share the highlight reel. A peek behind the beauty-editor curtain, if you will.
After testing a combined 31 treatments and products over the month, these are the 12 standouts I'd fully recommend booking and buying. Note: I didn't include the three beloved launches I already waxed poetic about with the full Who What Wear Beauty team, but consider those honorable mentions!
The Treatments
A Red-Carpet Facial With Mimi Luzon
May started out with a bang, as beauty pros (that is, celebrity aestheticians, makeup artists, hairstylists, and manicurists) flocked to NYC for fashion's biggest night—aka the 2026 Met Gala. Mimi Luzon is one of those pros, prepping a number of celebrity clients (Miranda Kerr, Hudson Williams, and Ciara, to name a few) from an airy suite at The Mark Hotel, and I was lucky enough to experience the magic just a few days before the madness. Luzon's signature Red Carpet Skin Protocol is customized to each client but includes some combination of radiofrequency (for immediate skin-tightening), EmFace (essentially a workout for your facial muscles), and her Signature 24K Gold Mask, which supplies a next-level glow.
"The New Yorker" With Georgia Louise
Celebrity aesthetician Georgia Louise (responsible for the glowing complexions of Anne Hathaway and Cardi B) knows most of us don't have time for a full spa day, as much as I would love to spend hours in her luxurious Beauty Longevity Atelier on the Upper East Side. To meet the demands of perpetually time-crunched city-dwellers, she launched "The New Yorker" treatment, a 60-minute simultaneous facial, lymphatic body massage, and IV drip. Yes, it's as dreamy as it sounds, and it makes total sense from a skincare perspective: Your natural detoxification system plays a significant role in skin health, after all. I ultimately decided to skip the IV (needles make me nauseous), but just the facial—another custom treatment including microcurrent, red light therapy, and a light peel— and lymphatic massage was enough to leave me absolutely rejuvenated. (I also sort of felt like a tenderized piece of meat, but in the best possible way.) I practically floated back to Brooklyn.
A Lymphatic Massage With Prune
Speaking of lymphatic massage treatments, I can't help but shout out my otherworldly experience with Prune, a specialist certified in the Brazilian Renata França method. Splitting her time between NYC, the Hamptons, and France (goals), Prune works her magic with private house calls, and on my birthday (which was technically at the end of April, but alas), she schlepped her massage bed and trunk of Tronque products to my apartment. What followed was what I can only describe as 90 minutes of bliss, and my skin glistened for hours thanks to Tronque's silky Vitamin C Body Oil.
A Custom Facial At Sloan Studio
Lots of facials this month—call it on-the-ground journalism! This time, I ventured to Chelsea to meet Malika Sloan, medical aesthetician and founder of Sloan Studio, for a skin assessment and custom treatment. After chatting about my specific concerns and goals, she proceeded with the Sloan Signature: a 60-minute treatment consisting of a lovely exfoliation and steam, round of extractions (not so lovely yet very necessary), Laser Genesis (my secret weapon for glass skin), red light therapy, and a cooling mask. I almost fell asleep on the treatment table—a surefire sign of an 11/10 facial.
A Sauna Session At Lore Bathing Club
The sauna had a no-phones policy, but I managed a quick snap of the locker room.
I'd heard whispers of Lore Bathing Club, a brand new sauna and cold plunge studio in NoHo, one with spacious, stylish, and—most importantly—clean interiors, and have been monitoring its Instagram for weeks for an updated schedule. I must have manifested an invite to its soft opening the weekend of May 15, where I luxuriated in the Finnish alder wood sauna (one of the hottest saunas I've tried in a minute, reaching up to 190°F) and lounged on the hammam-style heated benches surrounding the cold pool. I didn't have the guts to submerge myself in the 50–59°F temperatures, but there's always next time—perhaps I'll feel inspired after a Guided Cold Water Soak, one of the many programming options throughout the day in the space.
The Products
Tower 28 ShineOn Plumping Lip Jelly
A lip plumper for sensitive skin might sound like an oxymoron—and a recipe for inflammation—but leave it to Tower 28 to defy the odds with its ShineOn Plumping Lip Jelly. The formula relies on a nifty, plant-based ingredient called VibePlump, which stimulates microcirculation in the skin and gently increases blood flow, sans burning. (I'm told the ingredient has been previously used in the sexual wellness space, so if it's gentle enough to use on intimate areas, rest assured it won't irritate the lips.) Rather than a spicy, stinging sensation, it provides a tingly vibration—hence the name—that results in just the right amount of volume. I've been using the clear shade to top off all my lip colors as of late, but Only Choice (a sheer pink) also looks lovely all on its own.
HigherDose Healthy Hair Ritual Set
If there's a HigherDose innovation on the horizon, you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be first in line to test it. Such is the case when I learned about the brand's new Healthy Hair Ritual Set, which includes a Light Activated Scalp Serum and Scalp Derma Stamp. Note, I normally shy away from at-home derma-rollers (my general rule is "leave the needles to the professionals"), but this tool comes equipped with the tiniest stainless steel needles and a lever to customize the depth. Lightly pressing it into my scalp at 0.25mm feels like nothing, but it does gently stimulate scalp circulation and create micro-channels for the serum's ingredients—including copper peptides, bamboo and swiss apple extracts, and rosemary hydrosol—to do their best work.
YSL Beauty Skin Affair Soft Glow Cushion Foundation
This might just be the cutest cushion foundation I've ever owned (it comes with a keychain!), but don't think it sacrifices optimal coverage for a chic aesthetic. No, this lightweight formula is endlessly buildable, ranging from a sheer, tinted moisturizer-like veil to a full satin finish, and the velvety puff ensures an even, pillowy application every single time. There's something about cushion foundations that make you look professionally airbrushed (something about the famously airy texture, I bet), and this one certainly ticks that box. It helps that Charli XCX herself considers it a makeup-bag staple.
Hourglass Phantom Smoothing Blur Lip Balm
Twist my arm, and I'd tell you that Hourglass's Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm is my all-time favorite lip product. It dresses your pout in the juiciest looking color without feeling too sticky, and the application is so effortless that you could apply it without a mirror (which I often do!). Now, imagine putting all those perks towards a blurring, soft-matte formula. Instead of sticky-gloss woes, this one addresses my main gripe with matte lip color: dryness. Rather than amplifying texture, this lightweight, creamy color somehow smooths over every lip line and stays comfortable (never crusty) for hours on end. And just like its glossy predecessor, just one swipe is all I need for a perfectly diffused lip—no blending brush necessary.
Joonbyrd Longevity Body Glaze
Honestly, Joonbyrd sold me with the name. Anything dubbed a "body glaze" absolutely deserves to be slathered all over, and I can confirm that this lightweight hydrator lives up to its moniker, giving my limbs a nice, glossy sheen without feeling too sticky. Don't sleep on the "longevity" portion either. The formula contains special plant biopeptides that actually mimics the benefits of fasting on skin cells, which makes them more resilient—and stronger skin cells means a firmer, brighter, overall healthier complexion.
Aluram Pre-Wash Scalp Treatment
Trust me, you don't realize how badly you need a pre-shampoo treatment until one shakes up your hairstyling game. Such is the case when I had the chance to test this coconut Alurum formula, which comes infused with peppermint leaf, menthol, and sea kelp extracts to lift excess grime, hydrate, and refresh the scalp. Not only does it feel downright heavenly as you work it in, but it also ensures my blowouts stay bouncy and ultra-shiny—a good hair day starts in the shower, as they say.
MSK Labs The Quickie Express Self-Tanning Gel
Let me just say that I am not a self-tanning devotee, although every time I do have a faux glow, I marvel at how much it transforms my entire appearance. As the wise Kylie Jenner once said, "Sometimes I think I'm depressed, and then I get a spray tan, and I'm like, I was just pale." I've recently committed to weekly treatments thanks to this fast-absorbing formula from celebrity spray tanner Mishel Chernyavskiy, which honestly feels like a lightweight, gel-based lotion (well, one that you apply with a mit). Extra brownie points for the lactic acid and niacinamide that even out skin tone as the gel develops into a custom, natural-looking color in just one hour.
Why Trust Us
At Who What Wear, we know that beauty isn't one-size-fits-all. Over the years, our editors have tested thousands of products—including skincare, makeup, haircare, and nails—while also working closely with trusted experts, like renowned dermatologists, celebrity makeup artists, and other leading industry insiders. Together, this ensures every guide is well-researched, inclusive, and relevant to you.
We focus on formulas that deliver, whether they're affordable favorites or luxury investments. Our product selection is based on tangible results, ingredient know-how, and what we'd truly recommend to our closest friends and family members.
