I’m a Beauty Editor Who Tested 1,117 Products This Year, and These Are the 32 Best

Every year, my process for testing beauty products becomes more rigorous. It’s not on purpose, but more so a useful side effect of being sent so much makeup, skincare, haircare, etc. all the time. This year, I tested 1,117 products in all beauty categories — creams, serums, tinted moisturizers, you name it. That’s an almost impossible amount of noise to cut through — even more of a reason to take the 32 products I’ve deemed standouts very seriously.   

They are the ones I’ve been incredibly impressed by, have finished bottles of, or use on a regular basis; the cream of the crop — the ones I reuse, despite having hundreds of other products waiting to be tested. These are the items that spring to mind when someone asks me the very difficult question: “What are your favorite beauty products?” And though they were not all released this year, they were all tested this year (a good beauty product is worth the investment regardless of when it was launched).

I’ve split my favorite products into four categories: makeup, body care and fragrance, skincare, and haircare. Everything I’ve included is worth the money, but if I had to call out some of my favorites, they are Westman Atelier’s Vital Skincare Drops (Michelle Pfeiffer and Jennifer Garner are fans of the brand), Medik8’s vitamin C-rich Oxy-R Peptides Serum, and Olaplex’s No. 8 Hair Mask. Read on to discover more of my favorite beauty products of 2023.

Shop Editor-Approved Makeup Picks: 

• Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Triclone Skin Tech Medium Coverage Foundation, $45; sephora.com
• Westman Atelier Vital Skincare Complexion Drops, $68; credobeauty.com
• Bakeup Beauty Playbox Face Gems, $24; bakeupbeauty.com
• Half Magic Iridescent Sparkle Self-Adhesive Face Gems, $12; ulta.com
• Simihaze Beauty Sun Flush All-Over Face Tint, $35; sephora.com
• KVD Beauty Dazzle Gel Hyper-Metallic Eyeshadow, $24; ulta.com
• Fenty Beauty Hella Thicc Volumizing Mascara, $19; ulta.com
• Exa All Smiles Bare Lip Liner, $16; credobeauty.com
• Mac Squirt Plumping Lip Gloss Stick, $24; nordstrom.com 
• Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lipstick, $35; charlottetilbury.com
• Urban Decay Hydromaniac Dewy Liquid Blush, $22; ulta.com
• Huda Beauty Easy Bake and Snatch Pressed Powder, $38; sephora.com

I love makeup the most, so let’s start there. It was a big year for pressed powders, complexion products, and maximalism, and thank god for that because the no-makeup makeup thing was killing my soul. 

To top the list, Westman Atelier’s Complexion Drops are so good — they’re essentially a dewy, medium-coverage foundation that truly looks like your own skin. I like to wear it with Urban Decay’s liquid blush, which has been my go-to for 80 percent of the year, and finish off my face with Huda Beauty’s pressed powder which makes baking foolproof. When it comes to eye makeup, KVD’s gel eyeshadow is the most impressive technological advancement in eyeshadow pigment; it’s like looking at an oil spill — the color changes depending on the angle and lighting. 

Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Triclone Skin Tech Medium Coverage Foundation

There were a lot of good foundations this year, but the reason Haus Labs’ deserves extra attention is because of how reliable and easy it is. This is what I reach for when I need something that doesn’t require priming, setting, or tinkering. I can apply it super quickly, run out the door, and still be reassured that my complexion looks great and will remain that way. It works just as well with a full beat, too, playing well with makeup layered both under or on top. 

Simihaze Sun Flush All-Over Face Tint

Simihaze’s multi-use Sun Flush Tint is the solution to looking sunburned and sunkissed, without actually being either of those things (sun safety is important — I do not need to accelerate my aging process or increase my chances of melanoma). I like to literally apply this all over my face because I think (maybe delusionally) that it makes me look like I’ve just returned from a vacation to an island with a name that’s impossible to pronounce. I apply it in a W shape from cheek to cheek over my nose, brushing a little bit onto my eyelids, and some on the center of my mouth, too. 

Shop Editor-Approved Body Care and Fragrance Picks:

• Oui the People All in All Melting Body Balm, $45 (Originally $75); ouithepeople.com
• Typology C93 Itch Relief Cream, $24; us.typology.com
• Nécessaire the Body Peel, $55; credobeauty.com
• Hanni Water Balm Custom Hydration Body Moisturizer Mist, $34; heyhanni.com
• Dedcool Milk Layering Fragrance, $30; credobeauty.com 
• D.S. & Durga I Don’t Know What Perfume, $75; dsanddurga.com

You can now have a routine for your body that’s as extensive, if not more than, for your face. Body care products are a dime a dozen, but I’m a snob who’s very early to this party and very few make my list. Typology’s C93 Itch Relief Cream has been a godsend for my sensitive skin. I apply it to the many rashes, irritations, and itchy spots that pop up on my skin and feel immediate relief. It’s been one of my most oft-reached products and I apply it anywhere and everywhere. 

Beyond balms and creams in the body space, I decided to get more experimental with fragrances and move past the idea of a signature scent. I’ve now created a perfume wardrobe that is expansive and eclectic, and D.S. & Durga’s I Don’t Know What Perfume is among my favorites.

Hanni Water Balm Custom Hydration Body Moisturizer Mist

Hanni’s Body Moisturizer Mist has the consistency of water, dries in no time, and is the only product that ensures hard-to-reach areas like my back and shoulder aren’t as dry as bones. My skin stays supple, soft, and hydrated all day thanks to the double dose of humectants via hyaluronic acid and glycerin. 

Oui the People All in All Melting Body Balm

My favorite nights are when I can put on a ‘70s Elliott Gould movie, sit on the floor, and apply Oui the People’s Body Balm all over my skin as leisurely as I want to. It’s my most extravagant and indulgent ritual.

The texture goes from balm to oil as it warms up in your hands and on your skin, and I instantly feel the deep-penetrating benefits of the sea fennel extract (a natural retinol alternative), shea, and adaptogenic mushrooms. My skin is soft and smooth for literal days and everything feels a little firmer and more radiant. 

Shop Editor-Approved Skincare Picks: 

• Alpyn Beauty Willow and Sweet Agave Plumping Lip Mask, $28; amazon.com
• L.A.B. Light-Activated Beauty Acne Drying Compound, $16 with coupon (Originally $18); amazon.com
• Riki Loves Riki Miracle LED Acne Patch, $90 (Originally $105); rikilovesriki.com
• Dermalogica Hyaluronic Ceramide Mist, $47; dermalogica.com
• Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops, $35; amazon.com
• Eadem Cloud Cushion Plush Moisturizer, $58; sephora.com
• Isamaya Skinlacq Triple-Hyaluronic Glow Serum, $78; amazon.com and modaoperandi.com
• Medki8 Oxy-R Peptides Brightening Serum, $67; us.medik8.com
• Glo Skin Beauty HydraBright Pro 5 Liquid Exfoliant, $58; dermstore.com
• The Outset Purifying Blue Clay Mask, $46; theoutset.com

I haven’t always been a skincare girlie. For much of my adolescence, my attitude was basically that the state of my skin doesn’t matter if I can cover it up with makeup. But my mom was right: Prevention is the best cure (especially as I barrel toward my 30th birthday). 

Lip masks have become ubiquitous, but Alpyn Beauty’s is one of the best; it’s thick and a little bit difficult to spread, but the payoff is moisture for a full 24 hours. Speaking of moisture, it’s been one of my priorities this year, and my other favorite hydration products include Dermalogica’s Ceramide Mist, Glow Recipe’s Dew Drops, and Eadem’s Cloud Cushion Moisturizer.

Isamaya Skinlacq Triple-Hyaluronic Glow Serum

I didn’t know whether to put this in the skincare or makeup category, so I went with the latter because while it has the instant gratification effects of makeup, they’re outnumbered by long-term and long-lasting skincare benefits. The brand calls the Skinlacq Glow Serum “glass skin in a bottle,” and that’s exactly what it is. The crux of the formula is a blend of three types of hyaluronic acid that are boosted by other emollients in a glowy pearl-finished formula. 

Applied on bare skin simply as a skincare product, it blurs pores into oblivion, makes skin look like glass (the brand’s not lying), and ensures skin is moisturized the entire day. This effect is also what makes it a great primer; it makes skin so smooth that makeup just glides over it. I end up losing less foundation, and it looks like my skin is being lit from within. 

Riki Loves Riki Miracle LED Acne Patch

Riki Loves Riki’s LED Acne Patch is the technological advancement I didn’t know I was waiting for. It’s expensive, sure, but less so than a professional blemish-busting steroid injection its effects are comparable to. It flattens even the most bulbous and painful cysts and zits using the scientifically-backed benefits of LED light, and right now, you can get two for the price of one with the code DOUBLECLEAR at checkout. 

Shop Editor-Approved Haircare Picks: 

• Olaplex ​​No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask, $30; nordstrom.com
• Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Nourishing Overnight Hair Serum, $30; shuuemuraartofhair-usa.com
• Virtue Restorative Treatment Mask, $34; virtuelabs.com
• Emijay Angelstick Hair Smoothing Balm, $38; emijay.com

This is a controversial opinion, but for me, hair care products are the most difficult to get right — which is why this section is the shortest. 

I’m in the process of going blonde (I’ll shut up about it soon, I swear) and Shu Uemura’s Hair Serum has really kept my hair feeling virgin-healthy, despite all the bleach. Another hair fixer is Virtue’s Mask, which instantly repairs and detangles my hair even at its most dehydrated and knotted state. 

Olaplex ​​No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask

I haven’t really had a reason to try Olaplex before, but now that I have, I can say it’s definitely worth the endless hype. I’ve been using three of its products, but my favorite is the No. 8 Bond Moisture Mask, which has been a godsend in my very long and laborious path to going blonde. I apply a liberal amount to my hair when it’s dry and leave it on for 16 to 24 hours. When I wash it out, my hair is silky and soft and my curls look as luscious as ever. 

Emijay Angelstick Hair Smoothing Balm

Never in my life have I understood how people do those sleek ballerina buns. Whenever I try to do it, the top of my head looks like a road covered in speed bumps and there’s always a half-inch cloud of frizziness that will not be tamed. Emijay’s Angelstick is my portable and easy-to-use solution; when my hair is damp, I put it into a bun, coating the outer side of the strands with the balm. Upon drying, my hair remains sleek and tight.