From byrdie
There’s something about the season change (and, of course, the holidays) that makes us want to overhaul everything—our closets, our love lives (it’s the start of cuffing season after all), and our beauty products. It’s the time when headlines pop up everywhere shouting “out with the old, in with the new,” and it causes this restless feeling, this need for change, and a life revamp. We scroll through our favorite websites, mainly Sephora, Ulta, and Amazon, and bookmark every product that makes us feel something.
To help anyone else looking to revamp, we did just that. Every editor here at Byrdie HQ went through and chose their most covetable products from each of the three beauty meccas. There are makeup, skincare, and hair products, each one meant to aid in your end-of-the-year shift. So start cleaning out your cabinets, dresser drawers, and makeup bags now. You’re in for a ton of inspiration and, yes, temptation below. Keep scrolling if you’re game.
Hallie Gould, Senior Editor
Sephora
I’m not usually a fan of palettes. I think they look beautiful and want to love them, but I so rarely wear eye shadow that they barely get any use. That and I don’t exactly know how to expertly apply it. So when I saw this gorgeous collection of 18 highly pigmented shades, including soft berry, dusty copper, rosy pink, and golden taupe, I had our managing editor, Lindsey, brush a combination of three shades across my lids. The texture is unmatched—velvety, easily blendable, and formulated aloe vera and coconut oil for a butter-like application.
Then there are the shades. My favorites are drenched in shimmer, but there are so many warm and cool-tone options for about a million combinations.
On me, we used Lace as a base (a soft lilac) and added Daydream on top for some dreamy dimension and shine. Then, along my outer crease, Lindsey added a touch of Tease (a slightly darker purple) for definition. I’m in love, and I resign to re-create this look in different shades until I use them all up.
Ulta
It goes without saying that you should feel empowered to look however you’d like, whether that means using a full-coverage foundation, none at all, or somewhere in between. For me, I found my groove in that gray area—with a sheer, whipped, gel-like confection that offers up dewiness and coverage, but in a more natural way. Enter BareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream ($33).
It’s whipped (read: feels pillowy) but also cooling and gel-like at the same time. It’s a hybrid, really, a mix of all the best parts of liquid, cream, and serum foundation. Plus, it’s multitasking. Complexion Rescue combines all those hydrating skincare benefits with the sheer (but buildable, if you so choose) coverage I’d been dreaming of. And it incorporates a mineral-based sunscreen for safe and effective, non-chemical sun protection. The formula is a blend of plant-derived squalane and energizing mineral electrolytes to give a really radiant finish but also continually hydrate your skin throughout the day. It feels so light, refreshing, and looks just like your skin would on its best day (only you can replicate that every single day). I like to warm it between my fingers and pat it on (a suggestion from Hailey Baldwin), melting it in my skin so it looks especially natural and glowy.
Amazon
The Tangle Teezer is Team Byrdie’s tried-and-true brush (seriously, we all own it). It’s the best possible option for my thin, textured hair, as it detangles really, really gently and won’t cause my ends to break post-shower. I think of it as the top reason my hair has been able to grow longer and stronger this year (along with my beloved Olaplex formulas and the care colorist Matt Rez takes when highlighting every strand). It’s not fancy or expensive, but it’s a holy-grail, hair-saving product, and I can’t live without it. Plus, every so often, the brand launches a new color (especially around the holidays) so you can easily replace it with something shiny and exciting as often as you’d like.
Lindsey Metrus, Managing Editor
Sephora
“Byrdie HQ collectively freaked out when we first pressed our fingertips to Heaven’s Dew, a putty-like highlighter that offers the prettiest wet-looking glimmer, so I was equally as excited for this trio of highlight, blush, and bronzer. Now my entire face can have a pretty sheen, and I only need my fingertips to apply it.”
Ulta
“I absolutely hate applying lotion after I get out of the shower. It’s always a mission, from slathering on the greasy blend to grabbing the tube with now-greasy hands to then waiting for it to settle into my skin before I can put my clothes on. However, this blend from Neutrogena leaves my skin intensely moisturized with no greasy aftermath, and it has a big pump bottle so I can dispense it easily and get on with the rest of my routine.”
Amazon
“My hair may be on the short(ish) side, but I have a lot of it, so blow-drying is always a mission. This curling iron, on the other hand, is able to wave my entire head of hair in about 10 minutes tops. I don’t section anything off and just do the whole head starting from the right side and moving around to the left in one go to save time. Then, I spritz the roots with Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray for lift and rub a bit of V76 Molding Paste between my fingers and rake through the ends for sultry, rock-‘n’-roll texture.
“While this wand doesn’t have a clamp, it’s super easy to wrap your hair around—just remember to start at the root and wrap down toward the tip, pointing the tip down toward the floor. If you’re worried about burning your hand, it comes with a glove for security.”
Faith Xue, Editorial Director
Sephora
“This purple-tinted hair mask instantly toned my newly bleached hair and made it soft, shiny, and super bright. I already know it’s going to be a staple in my platinum haircare routine.”
Ulta
“Every time I wear Stila’s liquid eye shadows, someone compliments me. I’m obsessed with all of the shades in this mini trio, which will easily take you through every holiday party, New Year’s Eve, and beyond.”
Amazon
“This thick, hydrating body lotion is the only one that’s kept my super-dry, eczema-prone skin soft and hydrated now that the temps have dipped in NYC. Snatch it up if you struggle with dry, scaly skin during the winter. You won’t regret it.”
amanda_montell,amanda_montell
Sephora
“Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation is sort of a sleeper hit in the U.S., used by nearly every makeup artist but not as much by everyday consumers. By contrast, in Japan, it’s a household name and the go-to product for movie stars and on-camera talent whose skin has to look perfect but also like it’s not caked in makeup, in super HD. In April of this year, the brand relaunched the product with an updated formula, intended to be lighter in weight but with better coverage. The formula is complete with soft-focus pigments that make the skin look airbrushed, in addition to nourishing ingredients like jojoba oil, olive squalene, and shea butter for a hydrating effect. Whenever I want my skin to look naturally flawless in the Japanese style, I spend 10 minutes with my lotion pack, make myself a matcha tea, and apply this foundation. It’s a routine that blends old traditions with modern technology, and I feel honored to have gotten to witness it firsthand.”
Ulta
“I am low-key so impressed with Garnier’s skincare lately, which is gentle, vegan, nontoxic, and effective. Its new micellar water is a recent favorite. I use this to take off any leftover makeup after cleansing, and it does the job without irritating my skin or eyes for a delightfully low price.”
Amazon
“Rael’s all-natural, organic, non-toxic period products are conveniently available on Amazon and super high-rated by almost everyone who’s tried them. Literally never buy overpriced, unregulated tampons from the drugstore again—just buy these.”
Next up, 9 Best-Selling Concealers at Sephora
This story was originally published at an earlier date and has since been updated