Beauty

Blue Mascara Is Back, From Diorshow Overblue to YSL Electric Blue

Blue mascara was a signature of the 80s that the runway keeps bringing back, and it reads as bright color from across a room. Here are the blue mascaras, the navy liners to pair with them and the primers, curlers and removers that keep the look clean.

Nail Strengthener Picks, and the Woman Who Kept Breaking Her Nails

A nail strengthener either hardens weak nails or keeps them flexible, and most nails need both. Here are sixteen, from the 1957 classic and keratin treatments to bond serums and cuticle oils.

Versed Skin Care: Nineteen Products, One Big Community Question

Versed launched on May 19, 2019 with 19 products, shaped by the feedback of an online community of 16 million readers. Here is the line I would start with, a handful of easy glow serums for the same routine, and gel and water moisturizers for hot, humid or oily days.

Eucerin Cream and Richer Moisturizers for Very Dry Skin

Eucerin cream goes back to a patent filed in 1900 by a young chemist who wanted oil and water to stay mixed. Here are the Eucerin creams I would start with, plus richer face creams, body butters and hand, foot and lip repair for dry skin.

Best Fake Nails, From a Dentist's Broken Thumbnail to Your Kit

The best fake nails are a long way from the thick plastic tabs of the past. Here are glue-on French tips and gel extensions, plus press-on sets in pinks, whites and reds.

Night Cream Is Having a Quiet Comeback

Night cream was written off for years as a heavier day moisturizer with better marketing. Serums, acids and the rise of barrier-first routines have given it a clearer job, sealing everything in and supporting repair while you sleep. This edit covers the heritage jars, the retinol alternatives and the newer labs rethinking what the last step at night should do.

Glossy Lips Without the Stickiness

Glossy lips no longer have to mean hair stuck to your mouth, because the new glosses, oils and balms are cushiony, hydrating and comfortable. These are the glosses I would wear out, the lip oils for every day, and the glossy balms and treatments for night.

numbuzin, Explained by Number: No.3, No.5, No.9 and Beyond

numbuzin is the Korean skincare brand that turns skin concerns into numbers, and I have sorted the line so the numbers make sense. Here are the No.3 and No.5 toners and serums, the rest of the lineup from No.1 to No.9, and Korean favorites from other brands.

Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue, Still the Smell of a Sicilian Summer

Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue launched in 2001 and never really left the shelf, which says something about how well lemon, apple and cedar age. Here are the Light Blue bottles, the other Dolce&Gabbana scents that live beside them, and a few easy summer fragrances from elsewhere.

DKNY Be Delicious and the Apple and Pear Perfumes Like It

DKNY Be Delicious turned a green apple into the most recognizable perfume bottle of the 2000s, and the family keeps growing. Here are the Be Delicious bottles I would tell apart, plus apple, pear and citrus perfumes for anyone who loves that crisp, juicy idea.

Paris Hilton Perfume, Bottle by Bottle: From Can Can to the Rush Family

Paris Hilton perfume started in 2004 and has grown into a shelf of more than thirty bottles, so it helps to have a map. Here are the classics, the Rush family, and four sweet, fruity perfumes from other houses that sit well beside them.

YSL Eau de Parfum, from Libre to Black Opium

A guide to the YSL eau de parfum lineup, from the many Libre versions and Mon Paris to Black Opium and the Le Vestiaire des Parfums collection. Find the one that smells like you.

Reading the Bleu de Chanel Parfum Bottle, and What Else Belongs Next to It

Bleu de Chanel Parfum is the richest version of a men's fragrance that has been on bathroom shelves since 2010. Here is how the Chanel bottles differ, three more from the house for him, and woody citrus colognes from other houses that sit in the same family.

Korean Makeup Picks, and the Cushion Compact a Parking Stamp Inspired

Korean makeup starts with sheer, dewy skin and soft washes of color. Here are sixteen picks, from SPF cushions and a BB cream to lip tints, a wing liner stamp and a heart-shaped blush.

Hair Styling Powder, and the Time Britain Taxed It

Hair styling powder is the quiet fix for flat roots, and people have been powdering their hair for centuries. These are the volumizing powders and dry shampoo powders that do it without a wig.

The Best Shampoo Is the One That Does Less

Shampoo has been sold as a treatment for years when it is fundamentally a cleanser. The best shampoo removes oil and product without stripping the scalp, then gets out of the way. These are the ones that respect that job description.

A Flat Iron Has a Longer Past Than Your Morning Routine

The modern flat iron traces back to a 1909 patent, and the good ones still come down to plate quality and a little restraint. Here are the straighteners I would look at, the heat protectants that go on first, and the smoothing serums that finish the job.

Keratin Shampoo for Smooth, Frizz-Free Hair

Keratin shampoo is a daily care step, nothing like a salon smoothing service. These are the shampoos, masks and smoothing serums I would reach for when frizz and damage are the problem, and how to use them together.

Huda Beauty Blush Filter and Other Soft-Glow Blushes

A huda beauty blush is the brand's answer to a soft-focus, airbrushed cheek, and Blush Filter is the one that started it. Here are the liquid shades, the blushlighter palettes and the glowy liquids I would put beside them.

Nail Care Basics: Files, Oils and Hand Creams I Keep Within Reach

Good nail care is a small, boring routine that pays off, and it starts with the right file, a gentle cuticle tool and an oil you actually use. These are the tools, treatments and hand creams I would set out on the bathroom shelf, ending on the cream that finishes it all.

CHI Heat Protectant, and the Pizza Oven Idea Behind the Iron

CHI heat protectant comes from Farouk Systems, the Houston company that says it made the first ceramic hairstyling iron. Here are eight CHI sprays and stylers for heat days and eight other heat protectants I would compare them with.

Oud Perfume Has Lost Its Intimidation Factor

Oud perfume used to arrive with a warning label, smoky and animalic and very much an acquired taste. Western perfumers have spent two decades sanding it down with rose, vanilla and even fruit, and the result is a note that now reads rich rather than challenging. This edit moves from the bottles that made oud a Western luxury code to the ones that make it easy to wear.

Avène Cicalfate, Spring Water From Southern France and a Very Calm Shelf

Avène cicalfate is the restorative cream made for sensitive skin, and it comes from a thermal spring in southern France. Here are the Avène Cicalfate+ and Tolerance Control picks, the hydrating serums and cleanser from the same brand, and barrier creams from other labels.

Vanilla Bourbon Perfume for Cold Nights and Low Lighting

Vanilla bourbon perfume is two ideas at once: bourbon vanilla, the rich beans from Madagascar and Réunion, and the boozy warmth of whiskey, rum and cognac notes. These are the boozy vanillas I would wear on a cold night, the ones with tobacco and wood, and the softer vanillas for daytime.