Beauty
Beauty
Summer Fridays Skincare: Is Lip Butter Balm Worth It?
Summer Fridays is the Los Angeles skincare and lip label that began with one very good mask. I like how it keeps a routine small enough to actually use.
Skin Gym Skincare Tools: What to Know Before You Buy
Skin Gym is the family-owned Los Angeles label Karina Porushkevich started in 2017 to bring a salon-style ritual into the bathroom at home. I like its idea of skin fitness, and this edit is how I would build a small, calm routine around it.
Self Tan Remover, From Eraser Foams to Body Acids
The best self tan remover depends on whether you are fixing a streak or clearing a fading tan. These are eight tan removers and AHA exfoliants, and eight scrubs, bars and gloves I compared them with.
Saturday Skin Skincare: What I'd Actually Buy
Saturday Skin is a K-beauty skincare line with pink packaging and a weekend-sized attitude. I like it because it makes a routine sound easy instead of intimidating.
rhode Eye Patches: The First Launch Since the e.l.f. Deal
rhode eye patches are the Peptide Eye Prep in the R icon print, cooling hydrogel depuffing patches packed in a pouch. I pair them with other hydrogel patches, then patches for depuffing, brightening, smoothing and reuse.
Cymbiotika Glutathione: What The Label Lists
Cymbiotika glutathione is the bottle people keep asking about, so here is what the brand and the label actually say, plus the rest of the liposomal liquids. I also cover glutathione from other brands and the beauty supplements that sit next to it on the shelf.
Rainbow Eyeshadow for People Who Usually Wear Brown
Rainbow eyeshadow sounds like a festival look, but one bright color used well is the easiest way to change your face without changing your whole routine. These are the palettes with real color in them, the sticks and liquid shadows for one-swipe brights, and the colored liners for people who want to start small.
Pores Do Not Open and Close: A Realistic Guide to Clearer, Smoother Skin
Pores don't open and close, and you cannot shrink them for good, but you can keep them clear so they look less noticeable. I cover BHA exfoliants, clay masks, pore strips and primers, with a weekly plan that stays realistic.
Patchology Masks: Eye Gels, Sheet Masks and Patches
Patchology started as a drug delivery company and launched its skincare line in 2014 around one promise, results in five minutes. Here are eight Patchology gels and masks, from chilled eye gels to a hand mask, and eight other masks and patches I compared them with.
M.O.T.D. Cosmetics Makeup Brushes: What to Buy
M.O.T.D. Cosmetics makes makeup brushes with names that tell you what to do with them, and I find that oddly reassuring. Chantal Azamian started it in Las Vegas, and this edit is for anyone who has stared at a brush drawer and guessed.
LOOPS Skincare Masks: Masks for a Reset
LOOPS is the 2020 skincare label that turned the face mask into a small moment, with packaging that looks closer to streetwear than a spa. I like a brand that asks for ten minutes instead of a whole routine.
Le Monde Gourmand Perfume: Scents to Know
Le Monde Gourmand is the American fragrance line that makes perfume taste like dessert, from coconut milk to guava tea. I would rather smell like a snack than like a serious statement, and this edit is for building a small scent wardrobe.
Lake & Skye Perfume: Which Scent to Buy First
Lake & Skye is a New York fragrance and body-care label that Courtney Somer named for her daughters. I like how it treats scent as a small daily pause, so this edit is about which one to start with.
Kristin Ess Shampoo, a Colorist's Line Built Around Shine
Kristin Ess shampoo comes from a working colorist who wanted salon-feeling hair care on an everyday shelf. Here are eight of her shampoos, plus the conditioners, gloss and treatments that go with them.
Where Is Kopari Made? Coconut Sourcing and Body Care
Kopari is coconut body care, from whipped body butter and glowing body oil to sunscreen, lip balm and fruity hair mists. Here are sixteen of its products, split between body care and everything else.
Jouer Cosmetics Makeup: What I'd Buy First
Jouer is the Los Angeles makeup line Christina Zilber grew out of one clever portable palette, with a Paris-loving streak and skincare underneath. I like it for small, useful things you actually reach for, and this edit is where I would start.
How Do PanOxyl Pimple Patches Work? Hydrocolloid Explained
PanOxyl says its pimple patches are clear hydrocolloid dressings that absorb pus and fluids and help prevent picking. This edit covers the patches and washes, plus patches from other labels.
Homecourt Home Care: A Guide to Home and Body
Homecourt is the home-care label Courteney Cox and Sarah Jahnke started in Santa Monica, with hand wash that smells like a good candle. I like it because it makes the boring parts of a day feel a little more pleasant.
Face Mask Sheet Picks, and the 1875 Rubber Mask That Came First
A face mask sheet holds serum against your skin long enough to plump and calm it. Here are sixteen, from classic sheets and PDRN packs to bio-collagen, hydrogel and bio-cellulose masks.
dr. brandt skincare Pore Care: Is It Worth It?
dr. brandt skincare is the Miami label dermatologist Fredric Brandt started in 1995 to bring the ideas of the treatment room home. I like how plainly it names its problems, and this edit is about picking only the one that bothers you.
Dr. Barbara Sturm Skincare: Is the Serum Worth It?
Barbara Sturm is a German doctor who took her inflammation research from the orthopedics clinic into skincare. I find the calm, science-first point of view of her Düsseldorf label oddly soothing, and this edit is about keeping the routine small.
Best Disposable Face Towels: Single-Use Picks Compared
Disposable face towels swap the bath towel you dry your face with for a new single-use sheet every time. Here are eight disposable face towels and cleansing wipes, and eight pads, tools and cleansers I compared them with.
Color Wow Money Mist, From Frizz Ease to a Viral Leave-In
Color Wow Money Mist is the leave-in spray that sent the brand viral in 2024, and this edit puts it next to its Color Wow siblings. Sixteen picks in all: eight from Color Wow and eight other leave-in conditioners and mists to compare.
Chlorophyll Drops: What to Know Before Choosing a Formula
Chlorophyll drops are mostly chlorophyllin, a water-soluble form that turns a glass of water green. Here are sixteen, from mint and unflavored drops to capsules and softgels, with an honest look at the evidence.