Beauty

Wavy Hair: Mousse vs Sea Salt Spray

Wavy hair sits in the middle of the curl chart, which is exactly why it is so easy to over-style. Here are the creams and mousses that define waves, the texture sprays that add grip, and the clips, towels and scrunchies that protect the shape.

Arctic Fox Hair Dye: Six Shades, and What to Wash Them With

Arctic Fox hair dye has been making vivid, vegan color since 2013, and the shade you pick is only half of the result. Here are six colors worth knowing, the shampoos I would use to keep them from fading, and the glosses and masks that bring the brightness back.

Viviscal vs MaryRuth's Hair Growth: Supplements Compared

Viviscal vs MaryRuth's hair growth: marine-protein heritage vs liquid and gummy formulas, and how to think about hair supplements.

Redken Acidic Bonding: A Salon Brand's Answer to Tired, Stretched Hair

Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate was the brand's first bonding regimen, a three-step system built around citric acid. Here is how the range works, the other bond-building shampoos and masks I would set beside it, and the glosses that add shine at the end.

Lush Super Milk and the Case for the Leave-In That Goes on First

Lush Super Milk went from a bottle on a shop shelf to a social media favorite, and it is really just a very good conditioning primer. Here are the hair milks and creams that work the same way, the detangling sprays for knotty mornings, and the hair perfumes that finish it all.

Pantene Shampoo, Explained: From Swiss Vitamin Lab to Every Shower Shelf

Pantene shampoo has been around since 1945, and its name still points back to panthenol. Here are the three Pro-V bottles I would start with, other moisturizing shampoos that share the same aim, and the conditioners that finish the job.

When Did Hair Gel Come Out? The Long History of Hold

Hair gel is one of the oldest styling ideas we have, and the modern versions are far less crunchy than you might remember. Here are the strong-hold gels and wands, the slick-back sticks and edge tools, and the softer creams and mousses for when you want movement.

Clinique and the White Lab Coat: A Shelf That Still Feels Like 1968

Clinique arrived in April 1968 with 117 products and a very serious idea: skin care should be simple, tested and a little bit clinical. Here is the cleanser-toner-moisturizer core, the makeup that grew up around it, and the men's line and the cocoa perfume that round out the shelf.

Telescopic Mascara Has Been Starting Arguments for Over 15 Years

Telescopic mascara from L'Oréal Paris has been on shelves for over 15 years and still starts arguments online. Here is the original and the Lift, the lengthening formulas I compare it to, and the primers and serums that work on the lashes underneath.

Small, Sticky and Sustainable: A Field Guide to Kind Patches

Kind Patches is a young brand built around very small things. Here are its pimple, collagen and glow patches, the other spot patches I keep beside them, and the gentle serums and pads for the days you want to work on a whole area.

Haus Labs by Lady Gaga: From a Met Gala Hint to a Full Face

Haus Labs began as a rumor at the 2019 Met Gala and became one of the more distinctive celebrity makeup lines. Here is the base and powder layer, the lip products the brand leans on, and the blush, mascara and liner that finish the face.

SheaMoisture From Harlem to Your Shower: Curls, Smoothies and Butter

SheaMoisture products carry a family story that runs from a market in Sierra Leone to a shop in Harlem. This edit walks through the SheaMoisture curl, castor oil and body picks I know best, the smoothing serums and leave-ins that sit alongside them, and the richest shea body butters.

Morphe Started With Brushes at a Trade Show, and I Still Shop It for Eyes

Morphe began in Los Angeles in 2008 as two siblings selling makeup brushes at trade shows. Here are the eye and brow pieces the brand makes, a shelf of other palettes to compare, and the setting sprays that keep it all in place.

Before You Buy a Derma Roller: A Short History, a Gentle Plan and the Calm After

A derma roller looks simple, but the idea behind it goes back decades, and the home versions ask for a careful hand. Here are the rollers and needle-free options I would look at first, the serums that follow, and the masks that make the evening feel calm again.

DIBS Beauty Desert Island Duo and What Goes Around It

The DIBS Beauty Desert Island Duo comes from a brand whose name means Desert Island Beauty Status, makeup that does more than one job. I pack the duo first, then the bronzing sticks, cream blushes and glossy balm around it.

A Theragun Mini Lives in My Bag Now, and Here Is What Goes Around It

The Theragun Mini began as a small answer to a big idea that came out of a motorcycle accident, and it has become the percussion massager people actually carry. Here are the Therabody devices, the smaller scalp and face tools for tender areas, and the body oils I use once the muscles have quieted down.

Lash Princess and the Rest: An essence Mascara Shelf Worth Building Around

Every group chat has one opinion about essence mascara, usually about Lash Princess. Here are the four essence formulas I keep coming back to, the volumizing mascaras from other brands that do a different job, and the removers that get all of it off at night.

La Roche Posay Double Repair Moisturizer, Day and Night

Yes, you can use La Roche-Posay Double Repair Moisturizer at night, since the brand says to apply it morning and evening after cleansing. It is built on ceramide-3, niacinamide, glycerin and La Roche-Posay's prebiotic thermal water.

Salicylic Acid Shampoo, From 1838 Willow Bark to Your Scalp

Salicylic acid shampoo uses the same exfoliating acid as acne skincare to loosen flakes and buildup on the scalp. Here are eight salicylic acid shampoos, from medicated to clarifying, plus eight scalp scrubs, serums and pre-wash treatments.

Peachy Blush: Cream, Powder and Liquid Peach Formulas

Peachy blush is the softest way to add warmth, and it comes in a cream, a powder or a liquid. I pick my favorite peach blush in each formula and share how to wear it.

Best Cream and Powder Blush Duos: Trios and Face Palettes

Cream and powder blush duos put both formulas in one compact, like the Sephora Collection Blush Blush Blush palette. I also pick trios and face palettes, from pink to plum, for every cheek.

Scalp Serums for Hair Density: The Best Hair Growth Serums

Scalp serums for hair density are cosmetic treatments that promise thicker, fuller-looking hair and less shedding, not a drug that regrows it. I start with the 1988 minoxidil story, then sort sixteen serums for thinning hair and fuller-looking hair.

KIKO Milano 3D Hydra Lipgloss: Shades and Lip Oils I Would Pick

KIKO Milano 3D Hydra Lipgloss is a moisturizing gloss enriched with passion fruit oil, here in shades like 45 Enchanting Rosewood. I also pick the 3D Hydra Lip Oils and a few glosses from other brands to compare.

Maybelline Transparent Mascara: A Clear Great Lash Guide

A clear mascara shapes lashes and brows without any color, and a serum underneath does the slow work. Here are sixteen, from classic clear tubes and glossy lash gels to serums and primers.