I tried more than 100 beauty products this month — here are the 11 I’m buying for myself

Last month I wrote a story about eye creams and, before I wrote it, I tried a LOT of eye creams. For my money, outside of the Korean skin-care brand CosRx (which I also love) CeraVe makes the best affordable de-puffing/undereye brightening treatment currently on the market. Not only does it feel good on your skin (absorbs quickly, no gross pilling), it’s also fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and non-comedogenic. And you don’t have to take my word for it. Olivia Wilde also loves it. So do thousands of reviewers, who say it’s like “Botox in a cream.” I’m not sure about that claim, but I do know this is a quality skin-care staple and, at just $10 right now at Walmart, a must try for anyone with an undereye situation they don’t currently love. 

Maybe you, like me, have always wanted to try and perfect a sexy cat eye. But maybe, like me, you haven’t wanted to commit to shelling out $25 for a big-name liquid eyeliner. This ultra-precise, extra-inky option is one of the best eyeliners I’ve tried and somehow it’s priced like an eyeliner 1997, though — right now — it costs less than you’d pay for a latte in 2023. 

Here is a confession: I’m bad at hair. Like disastrously bad. This would be a problem no matter what my day job, but it’s a particular issue since I’m a beauty editor who is supposed to be good at such things. That’s why I’m excited to try this all-in-one hair styling brush from Revlon that both my colleagues and thousands of reviewers can’t stop raving about. It’s meant to make hair look as smooth and silky as it does after a salon blowout and it’s supposed to be dummy-proof too. Bonus: It’s currently on sale at Walmart for almost 20 percent off.

Retinol products are not for everyone, but if you want to try this proven line-alleviating ingredient out, the award-winning options from skin-care line RoC are a great place to start. They have a lightweight, non-greasy texture that really absorbs into skin without leaving behind a sticky residue. They’re fragrance-free which makes them a solid choice for sensitive skin. And they’re at mid-range price, which makes them more accessible than many stupidly-overpriced luxury creams. I particularly like these nightly capsules, which are designed to target crow’s feet, sun damage and deep wrinkles and are portioned so you don’t use too much. Plus, they’re amazing for traveling when space for “liquids” might be tight and the capsules themselves are biodegradable so I don’t feel like a planet-destroying jerk. Best of all, with this pack of 10 you can try the product over 10 days at under $10 and, if you like it, re-up to a larger $25 size. 

There are loads of stories about how to manage thinning hair — lotions and potions and pills that will set you back hundreds of dollars over time. But dry shampoo (especially one meant to build body) is one of the best things I’ve tried for my own limp, stringy, middle-aged strands. Here’s why: The more times you wash and subsequently style your, ahem, mature hair, the more at risk you are for hair shedding. And, while some dry shampoos can defeat the entire purpose by clogging your scalp (and causing more thinning!), this all-natural version extends time between washes without leaving behind a cakey-powdery head crust. I’ve been using it since I picked it up at drugstore while traveling last week, and can say it’s making my hair look bouncy in between cleanings and giving me more crown volume, which is really all I want.  

 ICYMI: the Laneige lip mask is having a moment. It currently has more than 15 million TikTok mentions (and counting!), and has been promoted zealously by more celebrities than I can honestly count (among them: Kelly Ripa, Brooke Shields, Kate Moss, Keke Palmer and Kate Hudson). People are obsessed with this product, they say it works better than Aquaphor for dry lips, they say it’s changed their whole chapped-mouth-in-winter lives, they wax poetic about the texture, the taste and most importantly, the results. I’ve recommended it at least a dozen times in the last month, went through my first sample in days and now I need to own a full-size of my own.

There are loads of uses for this wildly-well-reviewed, internet famous “skincare oil” but I actually like it best as treatment for itchy, scaly winter skin on the body, not the face. It’s amazing on calves and thighs as an after-shave oil, a super emollient for cracked heels and dry elbows. It’s too oily (for me) for my face or as a scalp treatment, but a little goes a long way to tame flyaways too. Also, I mean, if it’s good enough for future-queen Kate Middleton, surely it’s good enough for mere peasant me?

Every dermatologist I’ve ever spoken to recommends adding some kind of exfoliating, skin-cell-turnover product to your weekly skin-care regimen — they’re important for improving smooth texture, un-clogging pores and even helping even out skin tone. I’ve been wanting to try The Ordinary’s versions (“AHA 30% + BHA 2% Exfoliating Peeling Solution”) since it went seriously viral on TikTok a few years back, I finally did this month and am here to report: with its well-balanced combination of exfoliating acids (including salicylic, glycolic and lactic) plus an affordable price-tag, it’s a new favorite product. Sure, you’re going to look like you have blood on your face (the drippy serum is a highly-pigmented cherry red), but the result is a tingly, clean feel and a glowy complexion immediately after use. Warning: this product is potent and, for those new to acid treatments, should only be used once per week. 

The hero product in the beloved Olaplex line started as a salon-only treatment, but during the pandemic was made available to its devoted fans (including Margot Robbie) for at-home use. Kim Kardashian loved the hair-softening, hair-strengthening effects of this formula so much, she once used “Olaplexing” as verb. I wrote all about Olaplex last month and I had to know: Does it work? Yes, yes it does. My hair was noticeably smoother, less frizzy and softer after just one use. 

This exfoliating, skin-resetting pumpkin enzyme mask has been around for ages and it’s still just as good today as it was when I was writing about it for Lucky magazine in 2006. It’s the perfect mask to apply a thin layer of before a bath, leave on for 10 minutes and, when you rinse it off, your skin looks plumped and utterly refreshed

This famous French pharmacy beauty cream is a skin-care staple for Parisian ladies of all ages but can be hard to find in the U.S., where its frequently sold out. It’s an effective sunblock and moisturizer year ’round but I’m partial to using it in the winter when skin needs both sun protection and an extra-hydrating boost. It’s made of a many dermis-nourishing ingredients such as ceramide-3 and niacinamide, is dermatologist-tested and excellent for sensitive skin too.