Jarren Vink
Beauty with brains. That’s what we were looking for as we sifted through the year’s product offerings in search of the ones we could confidently call the best. Yes, they had to deliver results (of course), but we also wanted to highlight the brands and scientists bringing problem-solving technology, innovative formulations, and mood-enhancing scents and textures to store shelves. Everyone on Team WH got in on the testing game, so we know our winners can stand up to all the busy schedules. The question our beauty editors are asked most often is, “What products should I buy right now?” This is our answer
A dab of concealer, a swipe of lipstick, some blush—it’s amazing something so simple can make us feel so good. You’ll obsess over these…
Best Foundation
Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Triclone Skin Tech Medium Coverage Foundation
This breathable formula feels weightless, blends and applies easily, and the best part? It lasts all day without making oily skin feel greasy and dry skin feel flaky.
Best Light-Coverage Foundation
Saie Glowy Super Skin Lightweight Hydrobounce™ Serum Foundation
Subtle but buildable, this formula is a blend of ingredients that improve your complexion over the long haul.
Best Skin Tint
Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Dewy Foundation Drops
With texture-improving ingredients like ginseng and tsubaki oil, this skin-evening tint feels similar to a straight-up serum. (That’s a good thing!)
Best Concealer
Kulfi Main Match Crease-Proof Long-Wear Hydrating Concealer
Yes, this crease-proof formula will conceal imperfections, but it’s so light, you won’t remember you’re wearing it. “The shades are brown-girl friendly and it glides on and blends smoothly,” says one tester.
Best Eyeliner
Maybelline Tattoo Studio Ink Pen Eyeliner
For a crisp, clean line, search no further than this waterproof pen, which adds intensity and drama in one simple stroke.
Best For Beginners
Kaja Wink Stamp
Haven’t mastered the cat eye? Press this wing stamp onto your outer corners for the perfect curved flourish. It takes practice, but in no time, your look will be flippin’ fantastic.
Best Mascara
Lancôme Le 8 Hypnôse Serum-Infused Mascara
Now 25% Off
It does what any good mascara should—separates, volumizes, enhances—yet so much more. “I worry about smudging with my oily skin, but this one did not budge,” says our tester.
Best Lipstick
Bobbi Brown Luxe Lipstick
Not only is every one of the 36 shades flattering on all skin tones (yes, really), but this lipstick stays put for up to 10 hours while keeping your pucker moisturized.
Best Liquid Lipstick
Clé de Peau Beauté Cream Rouge Matte Lipstick
Not only do these stunning colors glide over your lips like butter and fight dryness, but they stay put for hours.
Best Lip Gloss
Makeup by Mario MoistureGlow™ Plumping Lip Serum
This glossy, shea butter-infused serum hydrates the lips while making them visibly fuller and plumper at the same time.
Best Brow Product
Grande Cosmetics GrandeBROW 2-In-1 Tinted Brow Gel + Brow Enhancing Serum
Easy to apply and “can survive a sweaty workout,” says one tester. An ingredient like those found in prescription products helps regrow hairs over time.
Best Lash Product
RevitaLash Cosmetics Advanced Sensitive Eyelash Conditioner
Show your lashes some love with this peptide- and amino acid–based serum that prevents breakage and dryness.
Best Eyeshadow
Rose Inc Satin & Shimmer Duet Powder & Cream Eyeshadow
Now 50% Off
A duo for the days when you want a hint of color on your lids (use the satin cream) or a more showstopping shade (the complimentary pressed powder shimmer). Layer them together for a look that’s all drama.
Best Blush
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Beauty Blush Wand
The tube features a cushion applicator that gives you “the right amount of long-lasting color every time,” our tester says. Then blend, fingertip-free.
Best Lip Liner
Tower 28 Beauty OneLiner Lip Liner + Eyeliner + Cheek Pencil
Okay, so it’s a lip liner, but it’s also an eyeliner…and a cheek tint…and whatever else you want it to be. Talk about a multitasker!
Best Contour Product
Beautyblender BOUNCE™ Magic Fit Creamy Bronzer & Highlighter Duo
Because 2-in-1 is better than, well, one. This duo combines a velvety bronzer with a skincare-infused highlighter that you can easily apply with your fingertips.
Best Primer
e.l.f. Suntouchable! Whoa Glow SPF 30 Sunbeam
The “whoa” in this product’s name isn’t there for decoration: it’s a sunscreen that works double duty as a sheer, non-greasy primer packed with good-for-your-skin ingredients.
Best Setting Mist
Gucci Brume de Beauté Beauty Mist
This choose-your-own-adventure mist can be used to prep the skin for makeup, set your foundation, or add a small boost of hydration once your makeup’s already on.
Best Brow Serum
Obagi Eyebrow Boosting Serum
Give thinning brows the boot with this vitamin B5 and biotin-rich formula that thickens the brows in 12 weeks.
Editor-Approved Lipsticks
Each one of these bold, luxe shades from Bobbi Brown is flattering on all skin types.
Jarren Vink
Let’s face it: There are hundreds of products promising a smoother, lifted complexion. We tried the latest—these are the greatest.
Best Dark Spot Treatment
L’Oreal Paris Revitalift Niacinamide Amino Sulfonic and Ferulic Acid Serum
Thanks to a blend of brighteners and exfoliators like vitamin B3 and amino sulfonic acid, this elegant serum battles sun spots and acne marks sans irritation. Oh, it’s gentle on your wallet too.
Best Retinol
Aramore Retinol Peptide Booster
Now 76% Off
Codeveloped by former Harvard and MIT scientists, this cream pairs retinol with ingredients that stimulate the body’s natural renewal process to target all the mechanisms of skin aging.
Best Moisturizer
Olay Regenerist Hyaluronic + Peptide 24 Gel Face Moisturizer
Now 26% Off
Our tester says this wonder pot, with a formula that blends powerful but gentle actives like hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, and peptides, is “creamy and hydrating.”
Best Exfoliator
PillowtalkDerm Major Fade Flash Mask
Social media sensation Shereene Idriss, MD, turned her popular PillowtalkDerm IG series into a product line. The standout: this mix of glycolic, lactic, and tranexamic acids that softens discoloration.
Best Chemical SPF
Naturium Dew Glow Moisturizer
Invisible on all skin tones, from lightest to darkest? Check. Helps guard against UV damage? Check. Leaves skin looking glowy? Check. It also comes with a clever mea- suring cap so you know exactly how much to apply.
Best Lip Treatment
Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment
Ditch that standard stick for a hydrator with a more advanced formula. This one mixes the usual moisturizing suspects like shea butter and natural oils with peptides to plump.
Best Eye Treatment
Mary Kay Instant Puffiness Reducer
Watch in wonder as a trio of sodium silicate, clays, and film formers sends bags packing instantly. “I put it on one eye and the difference was astounding,” says our tester.
Best Mineral SPF
BeautyStat Universal C Skin Refiner Broad Spectrum SPF 50
A powerhouse two-in-one that blends super-sheer zinc oxide with BeautyStat’s stable for of pure vitamin C to brighten, firm, and protect.
Best Cleanser
Murad Soothing Oat And Peptide Cleanser
Made for those with eczema-prone skin, this gentle non-stripping cleanser removes dirt and oil and replenishes with soothing oat extract and a hydrating sugar complex.
Best Makeup Remover
Fig.1 Micellar Oil Cleanser
An oil cleanser that comes off as easily as a micellar water but with no greasy residue? This ingenious product proves it can be done—grapeseed oil dissolves makeup, micelles trap dirt, squalane hydrates.
Best Toner
Benefit Cosmetics The POREfessional Tight ‘n Toned Pore-Refining AHA+PHA Toner
Unlike astringents you’d swipe on with a cotton round, this foam can be applied with your hands—just pump into palms, then use to minimize pores.
Best Mask
Drunk Elephant Bouncy Brightfacial
Azelaic and salicylic acids keep skin clear and smooth, a trifecta of antioxidants target discoloration, and ceramides reinforce your complexion’s protective barrier.
Best Acne Treatment
Jori Acne and Oil Control Primer
This primer reduces shine, helps makeup glide on, and battles blemishes with salicylic acid plus natural ingredients that address breakouts caused by stress, diet, and hormones.
Best Serum
Revela The Fibroquin Essence
Using machine learning and AI, Revela scientists discovered a molecule called Fibroquin that helps improve skin elasticity by influencing collagen pro- duction biopathways. So cool!
Best Face Scrub
The Outset Exfoliating Caffeine Micro Polish
To get glowing, turn to this polish from Scarlett Johansson’s line, which made our tester look “instantly brighter.” It contains a spherical mineral called perlite to mildly buff.
Best Peel
Shani Darden Skin Care Triple Acid Signature Peel
Brush on this blend of lactic, glycolic, and mandelic acids, leave for a minute, apply the neutralizing clay mask with your fingers, rinse, then show off your glowy side.
Best Tool
Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand
Talk about a magic wand. This unique instrument combines red light therapy, microcurrent technology, vibrational massage, and warmth to stimulate the production of skin-firming proteins, strengthen facial muscles, and decrease puffiness.
Best Face Mist
SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Essence Mist
You’ll get plenty of moisture from every spritz thanks to a hefty dose of hyaluronic acid and glycerin, but botanicals like cucumber, thyme, and rosemary extracts also work to reduce redness.
Best Balm Cleanser
Relevant Melt It Off Balm Cleanser
This luxurious balm, with squalane and chamomile extract, “gets the job done,” says our tester. “It didn’t leave my face feeling greased up or gross afterward either.”
Best Acne Patch
HanHoo EraZit Magnesium Microneedle Patch
The absorbent hydrocolloid patch contains tiny microneedles, which deliver skin-calming magnesium into pores, helping to calm angry red pimples.
Editor-Approved Skin Fixer
This foam toner from Benefit can be used before applying makeup for an extra-smooth surface.
Now for the mane event: No matter your type or texture, we found products that level up your routine.
Best Strengthening Shampoo
Dove Beauty Real Repair Coconut & Vegan Keratin Sulfate-Free Shampoo
Thinning hair can be the result of breakage. This reparative shampoo is infused with biomimetic vegan keratin to fortify.
Best Strengthening Conditioner
Nexxus Unbreakable Care Thickening Conditioner
The protein-infused formula reinforces and strengthens thin hair to create volume.
Best Curl Shampoo
Act+Acre Curl Cleanse Shampoo
This shampoo doesn’t just cleanse your curls—it also uses fulvic acid to remove product buildup from your scalp, lessening dryness and irritation.
Best Curl Conditioner
Saltair Curl Control Defining Conditioner
An all-around superstar that detangles, moisturizes, and softens the curls thanks to a coconut water and chia seed-rich formula.
Best Hair Rinse
NatureLab. Tokyo Perfect Clean Scalp Rinse
It’s time to take better care of what your hair sprouts from. Psst: That’d be your scalp. One tester says this rinse, infused with rice and sake water, is “super refreshing” and “removed all scalp buildup” after she took out her six-week-old braids.
Best Dandruff Shampoo
Head & Shoulders Shea Butter Dandruff Shampoo
A shea-butter infused dandruff shampoo that removes flakes from your hair and scalp while keeping your moisture level intact.
Best Dry Shampoo
Olaplex No.4D Clean Volume Detox Dry Shampoo
Skipping a wash day is no problem with this powerhouse formula that’ll give your second (or third)-day hair body without weighing it down or clogging the pores on your scalp.
Best Hairspray
Better Not Younger Wake Up Call High Hold Thickening Hair Spray
It’s not sticky, but it’ll still give your hair wonderful hold and volume sans the buildup.
Best Blowout Balm
TRESemme One Step Blowout 5 In 1 Blow Dry Balm
The eternal problem: your hair looks great when you walk out the door. Six hours later…not so much. This clever multitasker blocks humidity and provides all-day style control.
Best Serum
L’Oreal Paris Elvive Hyaluron Plump Moisture Plump Serum
Think of this weightless leave-in as that one friend who’s good at everything (because we all have one). It detangles, moisturizes, and volumizes the hair without adding extra weight.
Best Curl Cream
4U by Tia Leave-In Curl Cream with Flaxseed and Hemi15
Now 10% Off
A light-as-air curl enhancer that checks all the boxes: easy to work through hair, hydrates and conditions, imparts soft hold, and, according to one tester, “smells heavenly.”
Best Scalp Treatment
Nécessaire The Scalp Serum
Treat dryness, flakiness, and thinning with this non-greasy, non-sticky formula that uses hyaluronic acid and niacinamide to add a boost of hydration to the scalp.
Best Hair Oil
LolaVie Lightweight Hair Oil
Now 22% Off
A hair oil that hydrates without making your stands feel greasy? It’s a miracle in a bottle.
Best Hair Mask
Hair Rituel by Sisley-Paris Color Beautifying Hair Care Mask
Whether your hair is colored or bleached, this mask will keep your locks in top shape while also keeping your color from fading.
Best Detangling Brush
Tangle Teezer The Ultimate Styler
Soft, flexible teeth make detangling and dry-styling less of a pain…literally. “I used it on my daughter’s curls—no whiny moments,” says our tester.
Best Styling Product
R+Co Teleport Flexible Control Hydra Gelee
Now 25% Off
This special will lock any style into place without making the hair feel bulky or causing buildup that can lead to scalp irritation.
Best Tool
ghd Duet Style 2-In-1 Hot Air Styler
A clever little twofer that takes hair from damp to styled in minutes using sensor-equipped plates that dry without the fry. For extra smoothness, flip to Shine Shot mode and you’ll swiftly battle flyaways.
Best Dryer
PATTERN The Blow Dryer
A unique wide-tooth comb is just one of four attachments you’ll get with this standout dryer, not to mention that it features a cold shot setting that delivers cold air to set hairstyles.
Best Hair Loss Treatment
Michiru Minoxidil Topical Solution Hair Regrowth Hair Treatment
This formula stimulates hair growth by reactivating the follicles. All you need to do is apply it two times a day.
Best Color
Hally Shade Stix Temporary Hair Makeup
Hair color isn’t always an easy thing to commit to. If you’re one for keeping things temporary, these mess-free wands are all you need. Just brush it through the hair to deposit the color.
Editor-Approved Hot Air Styler
This ghd multitasker can take you from damp to smooth, dry, and styled in no time.
For the 80 percent of your skin that’s below the neck, here’s a new crop of products that are 100 percent awesome.
Best Body Oil
Uma Oils Santal Silk Rejuvenating Body Oil
This silky formula “goes on smooth,” says our tester, and sandalwood, clary sage, and lavender—prized in Ayurveda for their calming properties—work their de-stressing magic.
Best Acne Treatment
Neutrogena Stubborn Body Acne Spray
A formula with 2 percent salicylic acid for body breakouts? Smart. A spray bottle that can be used upside down on tough-to-reach areas? Mind-blowing!
Best Bath Soak
Alo Yoga Mindful Magnesium Bath Soak
The ultimate recovery tool, this soak, with magnesium, arnica, and coconut and avocado oils, is perfect post-activity. “It made my bathroom smell like a spa,” says one tester.
Best All-Purpose Balm
Aquaphor Healing Balm Stick
The Aquaphor you know and adore in a convenient stick that treats windburn, chafing, patches of dryness, ragged cuticles, and cracked heels. Our team throws one in every bag.
Best Body Lotion
Gold Bond Age Renew Retinol Overnight Body & Face Lotion
An advanced formula that battles everything from dryness to discoloration to laxity. All for the same amount you could easily spend at Starbucks.
Best Post-Workout Treatment
WILL Perform Will Cool Menthol & Camphor Cooling Pain Relief Roll-On
There’s lots to love about this product from Serena Williams’s line: Menthol cools and numbs, roller balls massage.
Best Antiperspirant
Degree Unlimited By Degree Antiperspirant Deodorant Spray
Exercise-induced perspiration is more watery while stress sweat tends to be oilier. This antiperspirant tackles both, keeping you dry for 96 hours.
Best Sensitive-Skin Body Wash
Dove Body Love Eczema-Prone Skin Care Body Cleanser
It’s fragrance-free, intensely moisturizing, and formulated with colloidal oatmeal (a proven skin-soother). Wins!
Best Scrub
Fur KP Body Scrub
Toremedykeratosispilaris(tiny bumps that typically appear on the backs of arms), a physical scrub won’t do. That’s why this has exfoliating perlite granules and 14 percent alpha hydroxy acid. So incredibly effective.
Best Razor
Schick Intuition Sensitive Care Disposable Razors
A pivoting head makes nicks a thing of the past, and a built-in moisturizing bar with aloe allows you to lather and shave in one irritation-free step.
Best Body Wash
Iota Supervitamin Body Wash
With options to brighten (pineapple), detoxify (algae), or soothe (aloe), these gels give new meaning to the phrase power plants. “It’s silky and lathers well,” our tester says.
Best Woodsy Fragrance
Initio Parfums Prives Paragon Eau De Parfum
Expensive, yes. But can you put a price on a distinctly beautiful scent that stimulates the soul with mystical palo santo?
Best Sunscreen
Vacation Classic Whip Sunscreen Mousse SPF 30
Slathering on a goopy, stinky SPF is a chore—and, really, who ever wants to do chores? The fix: this delicate mousse with a nostalgic aroma. It’s sun protection you’ll actually relish slathering on.
Best Floral Fragrance
Victoria’s Secret Bare Eau De Parfum
A proprietary blend of musks, violet petals, and sandalwood interacts with your body chemistry to create a unique-to-you scent experience. No one will smell exactly like you.
Best Sunscreen Spray
Banana Boat Protection + Vitamins Moisturizing Sunscreen Spray SPF 50
This sunscreen is water resistant for up to 80 minutes and enriched with vitamins C and B3 to provide 12-hour hydration.
Best Fruity Fragrance
Kayali Lovefest Burning Cherry Eau De Parfum
A luscious mix of cherry, raspberry, praline, palo Santo, and patchouli. “It’s a recognizable scent that isn’t overpowering,” says our tester. “I get tons of compliments whenever I wear it.”
Best Hair Removal Cream
Schick Hydro Silk 2-in-1 Hair Removal Cream
No stink (this depilatory has a fresh, clean scent) and effective on even sensitive skin, here’s a smooth move that wins all around.
Best Bar Soap
Beekman 1802 Golden Vitamin C & Amla Berry Goat Milk Soap
“This soap rocks,” raves our tester. “It suds up like a champ and washes off clean. The bar is also massive—I barely made a dent in it after using it for several weeks. The scent is subtle and pleasant.”
Best After Sun Product
Eucerin Advanced Hydration After Sun Lotion
Sunburns happen (though, please, wear your SPF every day). To the rescue: This non-greasy, antioxidant-rich lotion that soothes and helps skin heal.
Editor-Approved Sunscreen
A crop of problem solvers that made us smile
Best Floss
SmileDirectClub Space Saver Countertop Flosser
With five settings, this water flosser removes gunk and reaches places that flimsy pieces of string can’t.
Best Toothbrush
Snow Advanced Whitening Toothbrush
Now 10% Off
This toothbrush’s finest feature is its three LED light options that you can custom- ize to your chompers’ needs, from whitening to gum care.
Best Toothpaste
Before Purifying Toothpaste Whitening
Free of hydrogen peroxide, it gives you the best results with low abrasion. Our tester noticed the whitening effects after only a few days.
Best Mouthwash
hello Mouthwash Concentrates
Freshen breath the eco way with this tiny but mighty bottle that uses 34 percent less plas- tic. “You only need a little swig, so it lasts,” says our tester.
Best Whitening Product
Colgate Optic White Overnight Whitening Pen
This click-and-go product makes whitening a cinch. Apply the formula to clean, dry teeth (it dries within seconds) nightly, go to sleep, and you’ll wake up with a whiter smile. “I love that it’s really easy to use, super portable, and mess-free,” says our tester.
Editor-Approved Mouthwash
We found a plethora of items that will change the hand game for you.
Best Nail Polish
Beauty Pie Wondercolour™ Nail Polish
Now 44% Off
Your regular nail polish probably doesn’t have coconut oil in it. This one does, and it keeps all 12 shades flexible, glossy, and chip-resistant.
Best Nail Kit
NAILS INC. French Mani Hack Nail Polish Set
Now 28% Off
Coat nails in the pink shade. Then paint the white onto the silicone tool and press nails into it at a 45-degree angle. Et voilà: a French mani.
Best Cuticle Oil
Deborah Lippmann It’s a Miracle Cuticle Oil Pen
With a brush tip made for easy application, this repairing pen features a blend of 10 conditioning oils to moisturize.
Best Nail Strengthener
Essie Hard To Resist Advanced Strengthening Treatment
Just two coats of this strengthener is enough to keep your nails from cracking and breaking in between manicures.
Best Tool
Tweezerman Glass Manicure Set
Shape, file, and smooth your nails in style. This kit comes with an easy-to-use glass file and buffer to keep your fingers in their best shape.
Best Press-On Nails
imPRESS Premium Press-On Manicure
Affordable ready-to-wear designs that are simple to apply with adhesive tabs (no glue!)—and may just inspire you to ditch your salon appointment.
Best Hand Cream
JINsoon Argan + Rose Moisturizing Hand Cream
Nothing’s more covetable than a fragrant hand cream that doesn’t leave your digits greasy. That’s why we love this formula that seeps in fast.
Best Foot Treatment
Pedestrian Project CBD Relief Balm
Soothe your soles with this plant-based formula that uses CBD to relieve your feet from stress and soreness.
Editor-Approved Press-On Nails
Give yourself a set of fashion-forward nails with imPRESS for a fraction of the price—and the time!
Photographer: Jarren Vink
Director of Photography: Steve Meierding
Prop Stylist: Jason Gledhill
Brian Underwood is the beauty director at Women’s Health. He is an award-winning journalist with more than 15 years of experience covering beauty and lifestyle for several national media outlets and previously served as beauty and wellness director at Oprah Daily. His work has appeared in Woman’s Day, Life & Style Weekly, Good Housekeeping, and many more. He also serves as a member of the Skin Cancer Foundation’s gala committee and lives in New York City with his daughter.
Danielle is the senior beauty editor at Women’s Health. Her apartment is currently littered with beauty products, but when she’s not testing them all out, you can find her watching facial ASMR videos on YouTube, binge-watching The Golden Girls on Hulu, and reading rom-coms.
