It’s no surprise that working as a beauty editor gives you incredible perks, like being the first to try new makeup and skincare products, sometimes even before they hit the market. However, it can come with some strange "problems”—organization, for instance, especially when you’re already messy, like I am, as well as decision fatigue, and even beauty brain fog. If someone asks me to recommend something, my mind blanks and my eyes glaze over. This is why curating a list of my current beauty favorites and obsessions every now and then is extremely helpful.
Lucky for me, there has been a plethora of incredible launches recently in every category from makeup to haircare and beyond, making it so much easier for me to have an answer when someone asks me what they absolutely need to try. If you’re looking for a new moisturizer to help your skin transition from summer to fall, I have something for you! If you need an eye cream to help you look less zombie-ish when daylight savings comes around again (ugh), I got you! From a game-changing mascara to a game-changing lip plumper, let me and these 25 picks be your unofficial beauty guide for fall.
Hair
When it comes to haircare brands that have saved my ultra-processed hair from looking like straight caca-doo-doo, Guy Tang’s #Mydentity is at the top of my list. I don’t go anywhere without the Collagen Shield Spray ($28), and now the collagen-centered line has expanded to include three more products: #MyHero Nourishing Shampoo ($26) and Conditioner ($26) and this Nourishing Créme! I use it before I blow-dry my hair to help strengthen my strands after washing. This is truly one of the year’s most exciting launches for me.
I’ve been in dire need of a new boar-bristle brush, so this new one from hair accessory brand Emi Jay couldn’t have come at a better time. Boar bristles make hair healthier, as they help to distribute your hair’s natural oils. This mini version is especially great for when I want to do a slicked-back bun, and the smaller size makes it easy to just throw it in my bag.
As an unnatural blonde, there are times when my hair needs extra love and care. I’ve already been a hard-core fan of Philip B’s iconic Peppermint Avocado Scalp Scrub ($80) and was stoked to have another new fave, this volumizing hair mask! It uses time-released safflower oleosomes (tiny lil' spheres that hold plant oils) to keep hair smooth while bringing volume and bounce. No limp hair here!
I’ve become a huge hair-serum fan this year and was so excited to try this elixir from Persian-founded haircare brand Joon (which is a term of endearment in Farsi). It uses rose, saffron, and pistachio to help keep hair hydrated, strong, and frizz-free.
Skin
If there’s one product in my new lineup that I’ve literally used down to the last drop, it’s this new serum from Peach Lily. It contains powerful, effective ingredients that reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, like 0.2% copper peptide and a dozen more peptides, plus hyaluronic acid, squalane, and antioxidant-rich chicory root and shiitake mushroom. I’ve been holding off on my Botox appointment even longer than usual thanks to this serum.
There’s a reason all the celebs go to Dr. Diamond; he makes your skin look BEYOND. Now, you can get a version of his famed Instafacial at home with two products in his collection. The Plasma and the Emulsion work together to make the skin look firmer and more youthful. I used this straight for two weeks and got carded by a waiter, when two weeks before that, I was the one at the table who DIDN’T get carded (rude). If you want to get serious about your skin this fall, minimize the products in your routine and have the budget for this. I can’t recommend the Instafacial products enough.
Oil cleansers have catapulted their way to the top of my face-wash preferences, but this one is blowing my mind. You can apply it to damp or dry skin, and it removes makeup and sunscreen almost instantly. You don’t even need a damp washcloth to take it off, as it can be removed with a tissue. It’s perfect when you’re in a rush or just lazy.
This isn’t a regular cleansing balm; this is a cool cleansing balm (Mean Girls mom voice). Made with biotech vegan collagen, which is 200 times more powerful than marine collagen, this balm is meant to be massaged into the skin like a full-on spiritual, self-care experience. (It is from FaceGym, after all.) I suggest taking the time to do a little facial workout with it when you have the time. It is SO nice.
I’ve always loved Charlotte Tilbury’s original Magic Cream, but it’s a thicker formula than my usual go-tos when it comes to moisturizers. The new Magic Water Cream is exactly what I’ve been dreaming of. Lightweight yet impactful, the cream contains niacinamide, a biopeptide complex, and Waterlocking Fusion Technology that locks moisture in for up to 100 hours.
As a person of big pore, it is my lifelong quest to find pore-minimizing products. Yes, I know there isn’t anything wrong with pores; we need them! But I would still rather have a smoother canvas for my makeup. This new Pore Corrector from Murad uses copper amino acid blend to fight the loss of pore elasticity and helps conceal those lil' holes without clogging the skin.
What can I say? This eye cream brightened my dark under-eyes instantly. It comes in two shades and has vitamin K liposomes and light-reflecting pearl pigments for brightening the skin and evening out tone. If I don’t use concealer, I’ll just use this, and it works great alone. Will I ever get enough sleep? TBD, but in the meantime, I’m grateful for this eye cream!
DamDam did it again with this vitamin C serum. It’s officially become a part of my morning skincare routine, as it helps with dark spots and brings out my complexion. It also feels incredible on the skin and absorbs nicely without tackiness.
I’m not shy about my love for SK-II’s famed Facial Treatment Essence, but I hadn’t tried anything much else from the brand until now. This new face cream features the brand’s signature Pitera, plus white peony and kinren extract. It’s what I’m going to need for the upcoming cooler months when my skin needs a little more hydration without being too thick.
Makeup
The boys are back, and they ain’t playin‘! Polite Society is the new makeup brand by Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson, who founded Too Faced. This lip plumper is bananas. A couple of minutes after I put it on, I looked in the mirror and did a double take and said "awooga” like a cartoon wolf to myself. I looked like I just got lip fillers! This juicy gloss contains ginger root for volumizing, blueberry oil for hydration, and infinity pepper for the plumping! Note: You do feel some intense tingle but nothing I couldn’t handle.
This soft, lush lipstick is super pigmented but feels light on my lips, just how I like it! I notice after I apply it, my lips do look fuller, and it’s because of the Line-Refine Hydrating Complex, which has peptides and antioxidants that actually help smooth and improve texture and keep lips plump and hydrated. I love the fuchsia shade, Ebony, and can’t wait to get my hands on a red shade.
The Triclone Skin Tech Foundation by Haus Labs by Lady Gaga is one of my all-time-favorite foundations, so the fact that the brand came out with a concealer is the best beauty news. Like the foundation, it's made with fermented arnica to reduce redness and irritation, plus other effective skincare ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.
I have two concealers on this list, which is a big deal, since for the better part of the year, I’ve mainly been skipping it in my daily makeup routine. But if something performs well, you best believe I’m going to be using it a ton! Tower 28’s new concealer is another skincare-foundation hybrid, as it contains hyaluronic acid, Centella asiatica leaf extract, and lysine.
Another new addition to my base-makeup lineup is Youthforia’s Date Night (great name) foundation. It features a sebum control complex and tannins to help with pores and more ingredients for smoother skin. No wonder it goes on so smoothly and effortlessly, even on a day when I forgot to apply primer beforehand. The brand claims you can sleep in it, but I’m not yet brave enough to test that part! (Though, ask me next month when it’s my birthday.)
Now listen. I have been in love with the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland since I was a little girl. No joke, I cried during the Pirates of the Caribbean ride but smiled at the ghosts on the Haunted Mansion. I was a goth from the get-go. So I was thrilled when I heard about this new collection from Colourpop and immediately went for this glitter gel, named after my queen, Madame Leota. Hello, it glows in the dark! I’m going to be having a lot of fun with my makeup this Halloween.
I’ve been having fun playing with colored eyeliner, especially this pretty blue mint shade from Neen. It goes on easily without tugging on my lids. Like butter, baby. I hope the brand comes out with more shades.
I am so picky with mascaras because my lashes are not the easiest to work with. While they aren’t super short, they are pretty straight, so I tend to look for mascaras that curl my lashes at the same time. Fan Fest impressed the heck out of me. With the Full-Flex Fiber Brush, I was able to curl my lashes up and out (yes, just like a fan), and it never clumped or felt heavy. I like a lot of Benefit’s other mascaras and am happy to report that this is another winner for me.
While I’ve mainly been using cream blushes for the past year, I knew I had to try this duo from GXVE. Even though it’s a powder, it goes on super silky smooth and looks gorgeous. My favorite is the bright pink Ex-Girlfriend shade, but I’ll be wearing them all this fall.
Body
I have to admit the razors I use to shave aren’t a priority in my beauty routine. I had been using the same brand for years; that is, until I tried Athena Club. I get such a good, close shave, and the razors are cute! I’ve also been enjoying the brand’s Creamy Body Wash ($16).
I love that this scrub has two jobs: scalp treatment and body-skin exfoliator. But it’s not your typical scrub by any means, as it helps control sebum and evens out skin texture but is super gentle at the same time. Plus, the palo santo scent is a total dream.
I’ve been swearing by this mitt to help get rid of the keratosis pilaris on my upper arms. Just a few gentle scrubs and my arms are good for the week! It’s a small thing to add to my shower routine that has made a world of a difference.
