4 New Products You Must Try This Month
As a teenager I spent afternoons tearing out Seventeen’s product pages instead of Tiger Beat’s heartthrobs, and I spent all my babysitting money in the beauty aisle of CVS. To think that I’d one day have a job where heaping bags full of unsolicited shampoo, cleanser, perfume, eyeshadow, and lip balm would be delivered directly to my desk all day long—well, it’d be too much to fathom. I am literally buried in beauty products. There’s plenty of junk to wade through, but it’s all worth it every time I find the thing that makes me go, “A-ha!”
There were so many creative launches gunning for my attention this month—powder cleanser? Really?—but here are four that are so good, I want to tell the whole world.
Rita Hazan Weekly Remedy ($42)
So many products claim to revive dry, blah strands, and after a summer of hitting the beach (or faking it with texturizing surf spray) I was in dire need of hair rehab. For me, getting back to glossy usually means washing less frequently and loading on thick conditioning treatments, but I discovered an awesome two-step formula that whipped my hair back into shape after just two uses. I was actually worried to use the first tube, Treat It; it claims to open up the hair cuticle, which sounds bad. Despite the strong, hair salon-level smell, my hair didn’t feel weak. In fact, it was kind of like exfoliating and opening up your pores so that a face treatment can soak in. The Seal It bottle locked the hydration into my follicles, leaving it so soft and shiny that people asked if I’d gotten a haircut.
Jin Soon Nocturne Nail Polish ($18)
In middle school, black Wet ‘n Wild nail polish was permanently painted on my digits. When I spotted Jin Soon’s almost-black polish backstage at Tess Giberson’s fall fashion show, I must have looked like a star-crossed lover: Jin Soon herself insisted on an on-the-spot manicure. I love how the slightly metallic, almost-black formula has grayish undertones that make it more versatile, wearable, and dare I say elegant. The application is smooth and streak-free—and one week with virtually no chips is a triumph for dark polish.
D&G Aurealux Eye Gel ($72)
Genetically blessed with dark, puffy bags—more like luggage—beneath my eyes, I started stealing swipes of my mom’s eye creams when I was 12. I’d estimate that I’ve tried nearly 100 formulas over the years, and I can say without hesitation that this is my absolute favorite. In lieu of thick cream that can melt or sweat, this super bouncy clear gel dries almost immediately. (The nerd in me also watches in wonder as it reforms instantly in the pot after every use.) The cool-to-the-touch formula that gets rid of puffiness, while smoothing out the under-eye area. I’ll never go without concealer, but this makes it go on more evenly so I look like I slept for nine hours—even if it was closer to six.
Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Mill Natural Tint ($20)
Klorane has a cult-like following, but the dry shampoo’s powdery white residue made it impossible for me—a dark brunette—to use in my hair. But this month they released a tinted version; it sprays out a light brown shade that dusts into my roots, soaking up every bit of oil and post-gym sweat with a fresh (but not too powdery) scent. I just mist it strategically on to my roots, let it set for a minute or two while I brush my teeth, and use my fingers instead of a brush to massage it into my scalp and tousle it through. Voila! Volume. Unlike some dry shampoos, it doesn’t eradicate all signs of shine—the typical I haven’t-washed-in-days giveaway.
