These Beauty Products Actually Exceed Their Hype, and Yeah, They're on Sale
As someone who literally makes a living testing, researching, shopping for, and writing about beauty products, I’d be the last person to say there's ever an inopportune time to stock up on your must-have beauty staples. However, are there significantly more strategic times to shop for some new discoveries or your ride-or-die standbys? Why yes, yes there are.
Unfortunately, our various collections of bottles and jars don’t always have the courtesy to run out right when an amazing beauty sale hits, but if you’re currently out of or running low on a few fave formulas (or if you’re just in the mood to shop up a storm in preparation for fall—eep!) Dermstore’s Anniversary Event totally has you covered. And, the games have already begun!
From August 8 through 17, you can score as much as 25% off on holy-grail formulas which, in fact, just so happens to be the highest discount for any site-wide sale Dermstore offers of the entire year. There are over 200 crème de la crème brands participating—from Sunday Riley to Briogeo to Caudalíe, and all you have to do is enter the code CELEBRATE at checkout to save big. (Keep in mind the percentage off you’ll score—10% to 25%—varies by brand and will be noted as you shop.) Looking for some inspiration? Keep scrolling for 20 hyped-up beauty products that actually eclipse their fab reputations.
This growth factor serum is heralded by many a dermatologist for its potent anti-aging perks, and one of our contributing editors even said it saved her damaged, 40-year-old skin.
I could talk about this brow serum until I'm blue in the face. Its arch-thickening benefits are real and work fast. In fact, I had to stop using it entirely a couple of months in!
This is one of the most expensive foundations in the industry, so now is the most strategic time to splurge. It's renowned in Hollywood for its on-screen skin-perfecting perks, and whenever I come back to it after dabbling in other formulas, I wonder why I ever strayed. It's pretty much the perfect foundation.
People (and editors!) go absolutely bonkers for this best-selling toner from Paula's Choice. It's enriched with strategic exfoliating ingredients to eradicate dead skin cell buildup, therefore making way for clearer, brighter, all-around healthier-looking skin.
If thicker, faster-growing hair is your ultimate prerogative, we highly recommend Viviscal—celebrity- and editor-approved tablets that combine an A+ blend of strand and scalp-enhancing ingredients like biotin, horsetail extract, iron, vitamin C, and the brand's signature marine complex.
Speaking of beautiful hair, if you apply this travel-sized oil from French brand Leonor Greyl ten minutes before your shampoo, you'll reap next-level shine, unlike anything you've ever experienced. (Seriously, you won't remember what life was like before your discovery!) Plus, hydrating additions like this shampoo and mask will just enhance the shimmering results.
Repeat after us: You don't have to spend more than $100 on a high-quality curling iron. Hot Tools makes affordable models that even the pickiest of celebrity stylists keep in their kit.
Applying this all-in-one serum every day is like popping your daily multivitamin. It multitasks by exfoliating, hydrating, and rejuvenating the appearance of lackluster skin, and it completely transformed my own complexion. I've been in mourning ever since my bottle hit empty.
As a devout Hum Nutrition stan, It's impossible to choose a favorite child. That said, if pressed, I'd have to recommend Flatter Me—handy capsules brimming with good-for-your-gut digestive enzymes that help optimize digestion while reducing bloat and other types of discomfort.
Anyone who knows me (or consistently reads my articles on WWW) can tell you I'm an absolute freak for 111Skin. Although steeply priced, the brand makes some of the most ingenious, efficacious formulas I've come across in my years as a beauty editor. I don't plan on sacrificing my glow anytime soon despite summer's waning, so I'm re-prioritizing this brightening serum within my routine. The roster of pure gold extract, rose flower water, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide deliver the prettiest dewy finish.
Yep, anti-aging cleansers are most definitely a thing, and this best-selling option from Peter Thomas Roth is one of our favorites as of late. It boasts low-dose exfoliating agents like salicylic and glycolic acids to sweep away dead skin cells that contribute to dullness while spiking cell turnover and even lessening the look of fine lines and wrinkles.
Out of every single facial gadget on the market, this is the one I can't live without. Yes, it's a hefty investment, but considering it pretty much changes the shape and contour of my face (the firming, toning, and smoothing effect is pretty insane), it actually ends up saving me money in the longterm by nixing the need for facials and other excess skin buys. Once you have the device, you'll just have to top up on your conductive gel (either the gold or silver depending on your personal skin goals) every so often. You can get it $100 cheaper right now, so run, don't walk!
I'm a sucker for multitasking makeup products, therefore, it should really come as no surprise I own every single hue of this organic multi-stick from the clean brand, Vapour. The ingredients are so luxurious, it practically feels like you're applying skincare, so pat it on your lips, cheeks, and even your eyelids with abandon.
I cannot get enough of these creamy, luminous eye shadow sticks from French brand, By Terry. The formula glides on effortlessly and can be used as a liner or a glistening shadow if you blend it out and up after application.
Everyone in my life uses (and now swears by) this do-it-all leave-in detangler-conditioner hybrid. It smells illegally good, and the smooth, soft, glossy results speak for themselves. Just buy it, and you'll be in on the secret. I legitimately panic when I start to run out, so stocking up while the price is slashed like this feels like a duh moment if I've ever witnessed one.
If you experience rampant baby hairs, flyaways, or bangs, try this pomade in stick form (sheer brilliance, I tell you!), and thank me later.
Three of Oribe's most iconic products in one chic and good hair day-insured set? Um, yes, please.
I'll just say this—there are other cult-loved, super-iconic face creams out there that are three times the price of this high-tech option from StriVectin and yet the age-erasing perks of this option actually (IMO) one-up them.
No matter your hair type or how damaged your locks are, this strand-soothing mask from Briogeo will tackle all of your woes—from dryness to breakage to extreme cases of dullness. One application of this stuff and you'll be seriously transformed.
As someone who regularly bleaches my hair and uses excessive amounts of dry shampoo, I've tried pretty much every single clarifying-type shampoo under the sun, and this delicious pepperminty and avocado one is by far my favorite. It has the most addicting cooling and tingly sensation as it deep-cleans your scalp and the luxurious lather (which bubbles with tons of high-quality botanicals) nixes excess oil and sebum, built-up dead skin cells, and even the most stubborn or product residue. Plus, how stunning is this jumbo-sized limited-edition gold packaging?
Up next, 20 more beauty buys to snag during Dermstore's Anniversary Sale
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content forBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing 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 andBest Knockoff Luxury Clothing 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.