These 19 Beauty Must-Haves Are Officially Making My Zillennial Heart Skip a Beat
Because, sometimes we don't know if we should check the Gen Z or Millennial box.
Gen Z Says is a bimonthly column chronicling the latest trends in the fashion-and-beauty space through the lens of Who What Wear's own Gen Z editors. Expect a download on the upcoming class of tastemakers, emerging designers, and shopping and style choices straight from the generation setting the trends.
Whether I'm planning on purchasing products myself or hoping to unbox them as a holiday treat, I adore spending my free time screenshotting and saving the trending (and sometimes, more niche) beauty essentials that flicker across my FYP, Explore Page, and Pinterest's Home Page. As a late twenty-something-year-old straddling two generations as a zillennial, I like to describe my current social media use as a millennial algorithm with Gen Z tendencies. My earliest memories of scrolling for beauty inspiration are buried in memories of CW-inspired character Polyvore beauty "flat lays," blush-toned Tumblr aesthetics, and faint memories of looking over my older cousin's shoulders as they updated their MySpace profile pictures.
Now that I've fully embraced the idea of not entirely belonging to once generation over another, I'm leaning fully into the new identity with an edit of the beauty products I've added to my current zillennial-coded wishlist that feel neither Gen Z or Millennial. Brands like Refy, Eadem, Typology, and Dieux might be newer to the scene than the likes of Guerlain and Chanel, but they take up just as much rent in my mind. Keep scrolling to see which products I'm currently gravitating towards.
This winter, I'm leaning into self-care by investing in little luxuries that can add the perfect finishing touch to everything from my favorite 'no makeup' makeup looks to the glitter-heavy, celestial makeup moment I'm creating for New Years Eve. I would feel lucky to have any Lip Softening Balm shade, but I'm partial to Butter Mochi for a glossy vinyl touch.
As a beauty editor, I've been told a few times that I have too many lip stains in my collection, but I'll always make room for at least one more (especially if it comes in a dreamy neutral brown shade that plays up the undertones of my skin). I tested this hydrating lippie a month ago, and haven't stopped thinking about how soft my lips felt... no tacky texture here!
I've written a love letter to my favorite hair fragrances, but haven't praised the new Emi Jay Aura Hair + Body Mist in Toasted Sugar enough. Crafted for on-the-go fragrance and hydration, the mist combines mouthwatering notes of spun sugar, sweet vanilla, and bergamot with shea butter, tonka bean, and a whisper of musk. I've already made it through one bottle, and I'm already plotting for my second.
When it comes to eye patches, I like cooling and brightening formulas. Rhode's new eye patches have been dominating my FYP, and I've finally convinced myself that they need to be part of my routine. The masks are infused caffeine o reduce eye puffiness, peptide to improve dark circles, and Sodium PC (an amino acid) for softer skin.
Over the past couple of years, I've begun to notice how much more my skin goes through once the temperatures take a dip. Without the right hydrating products on hand, I began experiencing dry patches on my nose bridge and temples. This set has all of my favorite dry weather fighting products from The Ordinary like their Hyaluronic Acid 2% and Glycolipid Cream Cleanser.
If I were asked which other ultra-glossy lip products I'd add to my beauty routine in a heartbeat, it would be all of Refy's Lip Glosses. The Mini Lip Gloss Trio Gift Set includes three of the product's most popular shades: Rosewood, Clear, and limited-edition Topaz. Each gloss is boosted with hyaluronic acid to help attract and lock in moisture, as well as jojoba seed oil to provide lightweight moisture.
I have a couple shades of Typology's Tinted Lip Oil, and can't stop wearing them alone for that just-bitten finish and long-lasting moisture with jojoba oil, vitamin E, and squalane. Their new limited edition shade, Glazed Chestnut, is a classic, nude shade set alight with fine pearlescent pigments.
My fragrance collection is basically all oud at this point, and I don't regret it. It's the perfect note to take me into the cool winter weather, and is made even more stunning with a splash of florals. This body wash blends the two notes with a sweeping blend of black rose, oud, and vetiver in a refreshing gel formula. The addition of niacinamide keeps the skin barrier strong while visibly improving texture.
Admittedly, I don't immediately reach for a bronzer during my everyday makeup, but Chantecaille's Radiance Gel Bronzer might have convinced me to give it a try. This glow-boosting formula offers subtle luminosity in a weightless cream that's easy-to-apply and long-lasting. I'm obsessed with how smooth and flawless my skin looks with it.
My skin need all the help it can get to help combat winter dullness, and I've been dreaming of this perfumed body lotion by Officine Universelle Buly's to help it look its best. It softens the skin and smooths texture, leaving the skin softly scented with enchanting notes of tuberose, vanilla, clove, and musk. Plus, it can also be personalized for a timeless touch.
I discovered this flower-shaped pad with dual textures two months ago, and I haven't been able to stop singing its praises since then. The dual-textured pad (crafted from gauze and cotton) unclogs pores, smooths skin, and boosts moisture with a nourishing mixture of fruit derived AHA + PHA, triple hyaluronic acid, sugar humectants, and more.
This is the first overnight hair treatment I've come across that has softened my 4c hair and added shine without detracting from each tightly-wound coils definition. Its formula also restores strength and shine while you sleep using a patented Superfood Blend to prevent breakage, hydrating Tsubaki Meadows, and shine-inducing rosemary leaf extract.
I've received compliments from strangers about how good I smell (even when I'm not wearing perfume), and I think Chanel's most recognizable hand cream has everything to do with how many come my way. It softens and nourishes hands using a formula infused with camellia flower. Its silky, lightweight texture absorbs instantly and leaves skin delicately scented.
The holidays offer the best opportunity for me to play with eye-catching shades like the ones included in the new Makeup by Mario Ethereal eyeshadow Palette: Nature. Inspired by the changing seasons, the palette includes 12 universal shades and four finishes for a buildable and blend-able wet-line shine or silky sheen.
I like to keep a nourishing and moisture replenishing lip mask on hand for the dry winter months, and this year, I'll be using RéVive's luxe Rescue Lip Mask. The overnight treatment uses peptides, ceramides, shea butter, and more to deliver essential fatty acids and lipids for long-lasting moisture. It also features fruit enzymes while help smooth and refine the lip surface.
Did you know you can now score Dieux's Angle Lipid-Rich Firming Moisturizer in a jumbo and mini size? This season, they're including both in a set (including a squeeze key) to deeply nourish the skin while also reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Its creamy formula is rich, yet fast-absorbing and leaves a glowy finish that looks perfect under makeup.
Using Guerlain's Abeille Royal Youth Water Oil Serum helped save my skin from my first Easy Coast winter with clinically proven formula using the repairing power of three honeys produced by the black bee. Its repairs skin inside-out while also helping it gain plumpness and radiance (i.e. your fine lines and wrinkles have no chance against it).
Scent Type: Green floral
Notes: Galbanum, coriander seed, black pepper, cymbidium orchid, vetiver, cypriol, ambrox, coumarin, musk
While I may not be wearing this perfume much during the winter months, I'm fully planning on making it my entire personality comes spring. The Tsu Lange Yor Sala Eau de Parfum evokes early morning walks threw dewy fields dotted by blooming flora with a green blend of cymbidium orchid and galbanum. It's the scent equivalent of my favorite flowers: lilies.
Scent Type: Aromatic woods
Notes: Aldehydes, coconut water, incense, jasmine petals, milky musks, sandalwood, cashmere wood, salted amber
Coconut water may not be the first scent note that comes to mind when you think of winter perfumes, but I love how Byredo warms the tropical ingredient with incense, milky musks, and salted amber for a luminous finish. Described by the brand as, "an embodiment of positive energy," I love how long this perfume lingers in the air and on my skin hours after application.

Maya Thomas is an Associate Beauty Editor at Who What Wear. Her strong love for all things beauty and fashion stems from a strong childhood interest in the fine arts. During a gap year spent in Paris studying the history of French fashion, she shifted her focus to English literature and journalism as a student at Loyola Marymount University. After graduating in May 2021, Maya began freelancing for Parade.com as a contributing commerce writer. When she's not writing, Maya spends her free time catching up on reading, perusing art galleries, and enjoying a night out at the ballet every now and then.
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