New Year, New Beauty Lineup: I Sent These 16 Exciting Sephora Launches Straight to the Group Chat
From vacay-ready scents to a city-proof setting spray.
It's officially 2026, which means my FYP has been flooded with people setting goals, crafting vision boards, and sharing their new-year manifestations for well over a week. I love seeing all the positive, motivational content, but I've chosen to celebrate a fresh set of 365 days with something more… tangible. I'm referring to my beauty routine, of course.
As your friendly neighborhood beauty editor, I look forward to the new hot-ticket items and trends that inevitably drop in January. It feels so fresh and exciting to shop the newest, most innovative products and discuss the coolest launches with my beauty-obsessed friends and colleagues. This year, those launches are basically worth their weight in gold, which is why I sent 16 of them straight to my group chat. New year, new beauty lineup, right? Ahead, see the 16 most exciting beauty products to shop at Sephora right now.
I was obsessed with Ouai's St. Barts Hair & Body Mist ($28) throughout all of 2025. In fact, every single one of my colleagues was obsessed with it too. (It won a Who What Wear 100 Beauty Award, don't you know!) With notes of dragon fruit, orange blossom, and musk, it smells like a luxury vacation bottled, so it's no wonder I wore it basically every day last year.
You can imagine my delight, then, when I saw this drop. Ouai's Ibiza Fragrance Mist is the ultimate sugar and spice scent. With notes of cocoa, tonka bean, vanilla, and rum, it's warm and sensual and smells like dancing the night away. Yeah, I already know I'm obsessed with it. I'm so excited about it I sent the link to the group chat, followed by at least five exclamation points.
Because Ouai always goes above and beyond, the brand also dropped a Santorini Fragrance Mist. With notes of peach, orange, honeysuckle, and amber, it's light, fresh, and undeniably alluring. The brand describes it as "refreshing as a dip in the Aegean Sea." Yeah, no one is doing vacation-worthy scents quite like Ouai.
Dior's Lip Glow Oils are iconic, yet the brand just made them even more so by dropping limited-edition shades in three finishes: the original juicy one, the high-shine glaze, and the sparkly finish. This one called 086 Minty is at the top of my winter wish list. I've been loving cool-toned lip products lately, so this sheer mint green speaks to me—as does the sophisticated shimmer.
I recently wrote about my love of milky toners because they save my skin each winter. This one is going to be the newest one to join my already-stacked lineup. The Korean formula is lightweight, noncomedogenic, calming, and hydrating thanks to ingredients like green tea liposomes, green tea ceramides, and hyaluronic acid. I can't wait to see how it soothes my chronic redness.
Speaking of redness, I couldn't be more excited to try Dr. Idriss's new Left Un-Red Reducer Face Serum. It's formulated specifically for redness-prone skin. I'm looking at you, rosacea and breakouts. It uses azelaic acid, 18-ß-glycyrrhetinic acid, and capryloyl glycine to reduce redness, soothe irritation, and even control oil production. It earned the National Rosacea Society Seal of Acceptance.
I'll be honest. I have a complicated relationship with most setting sprays. I hate when they feel thick and heavy like hair spray. I also hate when they're chock-full of alcohol and make my skin feel dry. This one is the exception. In fact, it feels like it's the answer to all of my makeup woes.
The formula includes hydrolyzed cornstarch, humectants, and mandarin orange extract. Together, these ingredients deliver a refreshing, lightweight, and flexible effect. They even support the skin barrier with hydration and antioxidants, all while delivering a dewy glow with 16-hour wear.
Now that I'm officially in my 30s and seeing my tech neck become permanent, I'm determined to establish the most effective neckcare routine. This high-tech neck-sculpting and -firming cream will be my go-to in 2026. With ingredients like ectoin, hexapeptide, and 4D hyaluronic acid, it's basically a subtle neck lift, bottled.
This new daily serum is inspired by Korean glass skin facials. As such, it hydrates, exfoliates, and boosts the skin's glow all at once. That's thanks to a lineup of ingredients that includes 7.7% Acid Complex (AHA, BHA, and PHA) as well as a patented ingredient called Hydro Infusion Shot. The latter is a combination of hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, ceramides, and internet-famous PDRN. It'll give you fresh, dewy skin without spending thousands on a trip to Seoul.
The latest launch from Makeup by Mario is at risk of a total sellout. The lip and cheek balm is basically a lip color, gloss, blush, and highlighter in one, and according to my colleague and Who What Wear's resident makeup-loving editor Alyssa Brascia, it's *the* product to wear if you want endless compliments. Read her full review. Now, excuse me as I add every shade to my cart.
Tower 28's iconic SOS Daily Rescue Spray ($28) is beloved by editors, makeup artists, and skin experts alike for its hydrating, soothing, skin-clearing powers. The secret is its star ingredient: hypochlorous acid. Well, this is the bodywash version. With hypochlorous acid as well as apple-fruit extract and cactus-flower extract, it cleans, soothes, and hydrates sensitive skin. Truly! It's derm approved, hypoallergenic, and safe for eczema, rosacea, and psoriasis.
My "winter uglies" are real. Each year around mid-January, my skin starts to look dull, and my hair lacks its usual luster. Blame it on subzero temperatures and a lack of humidity in the air. (I live in the snowy Midwest.) I've already armored up with the right skincare and haircare—it's essential! However, the right bronzing and glow-boosting makeup products don't hurt either. Dior's new Forever Skin Bronzing Stick is my number one. It's rich and creamy and melts onto the skin like butter, delivering the most beautiful, sun-kissed effect. You'd never know I haven't seen the sun in months!
Glow-boosting blush is the obvious next step. For that, I'm using this new Gucci pick. It's silky smooth, offers buildable color payoff, and has a radiant finish. It's my luxurious secret to achieving glowy skin in the bleak midwinter.
I wasn't kidding when I said my skin tends to look dull in the winter. After bronzer and blush, my last-ditch fix is Kosas's new Shiny Objects Wet Glisten Highlighter. I'm truly, utterly, and unequivocally obsessed. It provides the prettiest, most ethereal glow to the skin. Think a transparent, glistening, wet-look effect. You can use it on the eyes too. I love adding a touch of this cool, iridescent blue to my inner corners.
Sol de Janeiro's newest body cream is a sensorial delight. Its rich, water-whipped texture melts onto the skin, and crystal peptides, Brazilian yacón essence, and rose water go to work soothing, hydrating, and boosting glow. It will envelop your skin in moisture, softness, and the brand's Cheirosa 91 scent, which features notes of pink rose, passion fruit, and honey caramel.
I can't even describe how excited I am for this fragrance to arrive. With notes of Kadota fig accord and vert de bergamot, it's a fruity-citrus fragrance that screams "sophistication." Per the name, it captures "the exquisite moment before a fig bursts." There's the green freshness of the leaves, the juicy fruit inside, and even a subtle hint of salt in the air. If it's anything like my other favorite fig-inspired scent, Diptyque's Philosykos Eau de Toilette ($140), I know I'll love it.
This is one of three new fragrance launches from the House of Dior. (There's also Dior Addict Purple Glow and Dior Addict Peachy Glow.) Each scent is encased in a chic, candy-like bottle that harkens to the brand's iconic Dior Addict Lip Glow Balm. This one, in particular, features notes of glazed rose, sparkling lychee, and creamy vanilla. It's a fresh take on a classic floral fragrance.
