As we emerge back into the world after a rather bare-faced year, it’s a worthy time to track down an old friend: foundation. The reintroduction to makeup might be an adjustment, but the wisely chosen formula should do its work by stealth, evening out the complexion while letting your natural radiance shine through.
There’s an art to finding the right foundation. First, consider the amount of coverage you usually prefer. Then, factor in the conditions. “If you’re going through a spell of extremely dry skin due to weather or other circumstances, opt for lighter coverage,” says makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran. “Or, if you live somewhere with changing seasons, like summer and winter, that can also help you make the decision.” Warmer months typically call for featherweight, sweatproof tints, whereas creamy foundations with more coverage are best left for winter.
The correct shade can also fluctuate throughout the year. Instead of testing a formula in a single spot, “I recommend trying the color on multiple parts of your face, including your jawline, as most people have varying tones in the center and perimeter of the face,” says Jaikaran. “Additionally, be sure to test it in natural light, as different lighting can alter the look of the foundation dramatically.”
Once you have your formula of choice, it’s time to apply. “Start by prepping with moisturizer, then primer,” advises makeup artist Daniel Martin, who is the global director of artistry and education for Tatcha. Together, the two can extend the wear of your foundation and ensure that it blends seamlessly onto skin. More traditional formulas, be they light- or full-coverage, are best blended with brushes or sponges. For tinted moisturizers, Martin recommends applying simply with your fingers. This imparts a “light amount of pigment coverage while still giving you the moisturization and [breathability] you want,” he says. With that in mind, here are some of the best versatile options to best suit your skin needs.
Fenty Beauty Eaze Drop blurring skin tint
Rihanna’s beauty brand broke the mold with its huge range of inclusive foundation shades. This new launch does the same for those who prefer tinted moisturizer. It offers 25 shades—an unusually thorough offering for a lightweight skin tint—and unlike others, it’s resistant to both sweat and humidity.
For a clean formula that does it all, consider this sheer tint. It delivers a nourishing combination of hyaluronic acid and argan oil, along with just enough coverage to see you through the day. Plus, the mineral-based SPF 35 ensures your skin is adequately protected.
One of Jaikaran’s go-tos, this product touts itself as a moisturizer first, with humectants alongside vitamin C for added defense against damaging free radicals. “Water-based formulas and tinted moisturizers keep the skin hydrated as the day goes on,” she says.
If you’re a devotee of the brand’s cult classic Luminous Silk foundation, meet its sheer, nourishing sister. Infused with hyaluronic acid and glycerin, two gold-standard moisturizing agents, it leaves skin soft and smooth, even for those prone to dryness.
Merit The Minimalist Perfecting Complexion foundation and concealer stick
Merit, the new makeup line from WhoWhatWear founder Katherine Power, is all about convenience, and this complexion stick is no exception. It serves as a medium-coverage foundation or concealer, depending on how you apply it, and the solid format makes it portable enough for travel or on-the-go touch-ups.
NYX Professional Makeup Total Control PRO Drop foundation
Designed to offer customizable coverage, this buildable foundation makes it easy to do just that: Try two drops for a tint, three drops for light coverage, and so on. It’s also vegan and feels practically invisible on skin.
Clinique Even Better Clinical serum foundation SPF 25
This serum foundation reads like a greatest hits of skin-care ingredients, complete with hyaluronic acid, salicylic acid, vitamin C, and the brand’s proprietary dark-spot corrector. The formula can also withstand up to 24 hours of wear without caking, settling into lines, or losing luster.
Powder foundation can have a throwback feel, but leave it to YouTube phenom Patrick Starrr to create one that redefines a classic. This formula evens out skin texture as much as it does tone, and it imparts a matte, oil-absorbing finish designed to last all day.
In beauty, there is no category more timeless—or quintessential—than lipstick. As an enduring symbol of power and femininity, the transformative swipe of classic lipstick is never to be underestimated. Over the decades, brands have met perennial demand with a dizzying menagerie of offerings, leaving no color, undertone, or finish unturned. But despite the scale of options, there are those strikingly universal shades that women keep coming back to. From true reds to nuanced nudes, here, a dozen classic lipstick shades with that certain something loyal masses can’t get enough of.
Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Fire & Ice
In 1952, Revlon launched its Fire & Ice ad campaign, starring Vogue cover girl Dorian Leigh, and caused a stir with its kitschy quiz supplement designed to decide if one was, in fact, suited to this tried-and-true bold red.
Inspired by the 1960 Italian drama La Dolce Vita starring Anita Ekberg, this dusty rose strikes a sophisticated balance between retro and modern pale-pink lips.
In 1953, Christian Dior created two “perfect red” lipsticks for the runway, “9” and “99,” and more than half a century later, this rich red is the gorgeous amalgam of the two.
Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Pillow Talk
A single slick of this matte nude pink will enhance the natural color of your lips to bespoke effect, while a few more layers builds to a more dramatic true mauve for a dose of understated glamour.
The coolest of cool reds, this iconic shade is flattering on virtually everyone, with subtle blue undertones that brighten teeth and the whites of the eyes in one fell swoop.
This shade is a darker-than-dark plum in the tube, but when you swipe on the shiny, semi-opaque formula, it reads more like a juicy deep fuchsia that you can layer on to your desired opacity.
Named after Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who made shocking pink her signature color, this electric fuchsia shade is just as head-swiveling as her Surrealist designs.
Giorgio Armani Beauty Rouge D’Armani Matte Lipstick in 400
Known as the “Armani Red,” this rich, highly pigmented crimson strikes a perfect balance between cool and warm, and is a definitive classic for the Old Hollywood look.
Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Pur Couture in #19 Fuchsia Pink
In 1979, Yves Saint Laurent unveiled Rouge Pur Lipstick No. 19, a blue-toned dark fuchsia that still remains a best-seller thanks to its vivid pink pigments and stunning satin finish.
It was in 1991 that makeup legend Bobbi Brown’s debut line of lipsticks hit the Bergdorf Goodman counters. Of all the shades, her Lip Color in pink-tinged Brown caused the biggest sensation, helping to usher in the ’90s nude lip look still being referenced today.
A co-founder of Le Jolie Medi Spa, Brian Nourian, was asked why someone might want to use a lip plumper, and what benefits they can provide. Here’s what he had to say:
“Whether your lips are au natural or have been cosmetically enhanced, lip plumpers can add an instant boost of plumping and shine. They’re great for red carpet or special events as there is no downtime after using them, and they offer instant results. If you’re thinking about going under the knife, they’re also a nice, non-committal way to enhance your natural lip shape and see what your lips look like slightly enhanced if you’ve never gotten fillers or injections.”
What should you look for when shopping for lip plumpers?
According to Nourian, “For that coveted bee stung look, seek out plumpers that utilize hyaluronic acid and collagen, as both ingredients help draw hydration to the top level of the skin to naturally plump and define lips. Avoid harsh ingredients like peppermint oil and cinnamon, as these ingredients work to boost lip shape by irritating the skin to increase blood flow to the surface. These irritants are doing more harm than good.”
With Nourian’s insights in mind, here are the best lip plumpers on the market.
Best Overall: Too Faced Lip Injection Extreme Lip Plumper
Working with thin, lifeless lips? With the Too Faced Lip Injection lip gloss, there’s no need to pout. Beauty sleuths swear by the patented formula’s plumping superpowers that are “based on medically-proven blood vessel-dilating technology,” according to the brand. The gloss is packed with hydrating ingredients, as well as pepper extract that enhances your lips with heat and tingle. Just a thin layer is fast-acting and long-lasting for Kylie Jenner-level results.
The Lip Injection gloss comes in five glossy shades, but if you’re looking for an extreme volume boost, Too Faced also makes a more advanced Maximum Plump Extra Strength formula.
We can’t talk about lip plumpers without giving Buxom a shoutout. The volume-focused brand is big on big lips, offering an entire line of plumping products, including a balm, liner, serum, two lipstick formulas, and of course, its best-selling plumping gloss polish that flawlessly fakes a filler-like pout.
With a selection of more than 100 pigmented shades in three lustrous finishes, its glamorous glossy effect is certainly one of our favorites. Equally as impressive, the Buxom lip plumper features a peptide-infused formula and a refreshingly tingly feel that provides the potent plumping power you’d expect from the brand, while vitamins A and E offer lasting moisture.
Best Drugstore Option: Maybelline Lip Lifter Gloss Hydrating Lip Gloss with Hyaluronic Acid
At only $7 a tube, this drugstore lip plumper is bringing full lips to the masses, with benefits that rival those of more expensive options. Maybelline’s top-rated Lip Lifter Gloss literally does it all — volume, high-shine, and hydration — at an unbeatable price. And unlike many glosses priced at three times the cost, its moisturizing formula is boosted by hyaluronic acid for a smoother and fuller effect. Nearly 7,500 Amazon reviewers love it for creating an ultra-glossy pouty look, and with a gorgeous 10-shade color selection, you’re guaranteed to find one you’ll love, too.
Not to forget, beauty enthusiasts continually mention this gloss formula to the infamous Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb.
Best Affordable Option: NYX Filler Instinct Plumping Lip Polish
Sure, every lip plumper on this list is far more affordable than fillers, but if you’re looking for a pout-enhancing option that’ll really save some pennies, this under-$6 gloss from NYX provides big payoff at a reasonable price. Its tingly, plumping formula is packed with light-reflecting emollients that make your lips look fuller with a single glossy swipe, while its feather-proof coverage minimizes the appearance of fine lines for a super smooth finish. The gloss is available in six sheer shades, but the same formula is also available in a long-wearing lipstick form if you’d rather pack on the pigment.
Best Splurge: Dior Addict Lip Maximizer Plumping Lip Gloss
You (yes, you) are an icon, and therefore deserve Dior’s iconic celeb-loved lip gloss — Bella Hadid is also a fan. At $30, it doesn’t disappoint on the plumping front, and its price point fully pays off with results you’ll notice literally seconds after applying. Its vegan formula features one standout skincare ingredient: hyaluronic acid for long-lasting hydration and fuller lip volume. In fact, the brand claims your lips will be significantly smoother in just four weeks with prolonged use, so start lacquering up. It comes in six lustrous shades, plus two shimmery options that’ll make your lips look even more voluminous in the light.
Best Sting-Free Formula: Charlotte Tilbury Collagen Lip Bath Gloss
Not to totally shade other lip plumpers, but many contain mild irritants like cinnamon, capsicum, and even bee venom that cause your lips to swell and sting in the process. Instead, Charlotte Tilbury’s high-shine Lip Bath Gloss promotes a pain-free payoff with gentle mustard sprout extract. And because hydration is key to achieving that ultra-plush pouty effect, nourishing marine collagen and coconut oil will give your lips some much-needed moisture.
It’s available in five colors — including universally flattering favorites like Pillowtalk and Walk of No Shame — that are each formulated with shimmery pearlescent pigments, reflecting light to create an illusion of larger lips.
Best for Hydrating: PCA SKIN Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Lip Booster
PSA for anyone who applies lip plumpers a little too often (you know who you are): Excessive use can lead to dry or chapped skin, especially if your treatment of choice intentionally uses an irritating ingredient to plump up that pout. What’s worse, dry, flaky skin can actually minimize the appearance of lip volume, so you feel the need to keep reaching for the same product that caused your skin to crack in the first place.
This super hydrating option from PCA Skin turns the tables on moisture-sucking lip plumpers with a nourishing and gentle formula you’ll never regret using. Plumping peptides make your lips look full and supple, but its moisturizing power is equally impressive with hyaluronic acid and vitamin E included in the lineup of soothing ingredients for long-term results.
For ultra-thin lips, the Tiktok-famous Derol Lip Plumper delivers needle-free results without a visit to the derm. The set includes two lip plumpers: one with ginger essence for daytime use as a volumizing lip gloss and another with mint for nighttime use as a leave-on mask. Both contain vitamin E and collagen for a fuller, more moisturized look and feel, and feature a lightweight, non-sticky formula for hours of comfortable wear. Reviewers say both plumpers burn pretty intensely upon application, but the feeling is, of course, far less painful than nip tuck.
Best for Lasting Results: GrandeLIPS Hydrating Lip Plumper
If you’re looking for more than just a fling with your lip plumper, lock down a longterm commitment with a volumizing treatment that’s luckily pretty easy to fall for. The brand recommends applying the gloss twice daily for 30 days to ensure a long-lasting volumizing effect. Best of all: Its high-gloss formula will love your lips right back with nourishing ingredients like Volulip and hyaluronic acid that’ll moisturize your skin while promoting collagen production for natural fullness.
And if you’re merely looking for instant gratification, no judgement — the fast-acting formula noticeably improves volume in less than five minutes. Purchase it in 10 sheer, high-gloss colors, including rosy-hued dusty taro and peachy toasted apricot.
Best Long-Term Plumper: Fillerina Lip Plump Grade 1
The first thing you’ll notice when applying this product is the intense but not unpleasant numbing sensation that overtakes your lips. Unlike other products, this plumper is designed for longterm use and lasting effects. Users should apply the formula from this medical-looking applicator every couple of hours each day for optimal results. If you re-apply lip balm throughout the day, this habit-friendly device is your friend for gaining an attractively swollen-looking smile.
Best Serum: BeautyBio The Pout: Volumizing Lip Serum
Go beyond the gloss with a balm-like serum that’ll serve you far beyond your done-up days. Collagen, squalane, and hyaluronic acid — a dream team of powerhouse ingredients — plump and nourish lips to put fine lines and wrinkles to bed. Two clear, glossy shades can be applied throughout the day to help achieve perfectly volumized and supple lips without the distraction of tints and glitter. But if you do prefer a surge of color, the brand’s shimmery sparking rosé option might make you feel a little more put-together.
Best Treatment: Clinique Moisture Surge Lip Hydro-Plump Treatment
Plumping and hydration go hand-in-hand, so it’s no wonder why this volumizing moisture treatment works so well. Its gentle fragrance-free formula is ideal for sensitive skin types thanks to an ingredient list rich in lipids, shea butter, and ceramides that work together to plump, moisturize, and soothe. And not only is it multitasking, but it can also be used multiple ways: as a balm for an instant boost of hydration, a five-minute treatment to condition lips before applying makeup, or even as an overnight mask to maximize its nourishing benefits. No matter how you use it, the feather-light consistency is ultra comfortable to wear, so you can apply it day or night without that dreaded sticky, weighed down feel.
The secret to maximizing the results of your lip-plumping gloss is starting with a great foundation. Give your pucker an extra punch of volume and hydration with a mask that’ll prep your pout for the next step in the process. Unlike your favorite face mask, Tatcha’s leave-on treatment doesn’t need to be rinsed off or removed after applying. In fact, its jelly-like formula absorbs into the skin to fully utilize nourishing ingredients like squalane and Japanese peach that lock in moisture, plump fine lines, and improve fullness. The brand recommends using this mask before bed so it can work its magic while you sleep, but its lightweight, non-sticky feel is comfortable enough to lacquer on during the day, too.
Best Lip Plumper Patches: skyn ICELAND Plumping Lip Gels
The result of these patches is not as dramatic as with other, more aggressive formulas, but these gels make a significant difference. In just ten minutes, your lips will be hydrated in places lip balm can’t reach, more uniform in shade, and turned up ever so slightly at the bow. For your date night ritual, just stick on a gel patch for ten, then swipe on a gloss and healthy, inviting lips are yours.
Best Tool: Fullips Lip Plumping Enhancer
This unexpectedly simple device has over 800 five-star reviews on Amazon, more than virtually all other products in its category. The silicon device relies on suction from your own mouth in order to plump your lips. Just apply the round or oval shape over the part of your mouth you’d like to enhance, and create a vacuum by inhaling the excess air within. Don’t hold for too long, otherwise you risk bruising your skin, but you’ll be sure to see results after about 30 seconds.
Over the past year-and-a-half many of us have picked up new beauty tricks to help in our quest to quickly look presentable on ZOOM, even if we’re still wearing our pyjamas. Those in need of some inspiration should take notes from Priyanka Chopra’s recent IGTV, in which she takes fans through her own “quick makeup” look, which she’s learned to perfect in less than five minutes.
“I usually don’t have time to do makeup,” she explains in the video, using Bobbi Brown’s cult Stick Foundation to quickly conceal areas that present “issues”, and blending it all in with her fingers. “Then I take MAC Studio Fix [Powder Plus Foundation] – because I don’t know how to do anything else – put it on my nose a bit, my forehead, under eyes. Perfect!”
Next up: it’s blush. Chopra uses a Chanel compact blusher, the latest of which is the ultra-pretty Fleurs De Printemps Blush and Highlighter Duo, and blends it over her cheekbones and up to her temples. “I like going a little bit on the sides of my face,” she says. “[It] gives [my face] a little shape.” Her next makeup artist-approved trick is to use the same brush to lightly blend the blusher over her eyelids, for a little pop of colour and to bring the face together.
Since our eyes are everything nowadays (“Eyes are important on Zoom!”), Chopra swears by an eyelash curler to wake her eyes up, and then applies mascara afterwards – including on the bottom lashes. Then, she brushes her eyebrows, using a pencil to fill in the gaps, while still keeping them “super natural”.
Despite the amount of time we all now spend wearing protective face masks, Chopra is still all for a look that emphasises the lips. “I usually like to have a lighter lip or a fun colour, maybe,” she says in the video. “This is my favourite go-to. It’s Clinique [Chubby Stick] and it’s kind of natural.” One of Clinique’s bestselling lip products, Chubby Sticks offer a natural, balmy lip tint while nourishing the lips.
To finish? She sweeps her hair back into a relaxed bun, adds some “distracting, fun accessories” and voila, she is ZOOM ready.
If there’s one makeup product that can inject life into your skin in seconds, it’s blusher. Finding the best blush for your skin tone and type is easier than you might think, and while it has taken a backseat in many of our makeup bags over the years, it’s actually one of the easiest ways to look radiant and healthy.
In fact, there is science to back that up. We naturally flush when we’re excited or aroused, and it was our friends in the Georgian period who first noticed that applying some faux “rouge” was a rather nifty way to suggest robust health. Studies have since shown that a little flush on the cheeks indeed indicates our wellbeing to others.
“Blush is like an accessory,” says makeup artist Gucci Westman, whose Baby Stick Blush is an excellent melt-into-skin formula. “My advice is to match it to your mood and the statement you want to make that day – how much colour do you want to see?”
There isn’t one single place to wear it. While many of us buff a cream or powder formula onto the apples of our cheeks, that’s just the classic method. Others prefer to wear higher on the cheeks for a lifting effect, and some even apply on the bridge of the nose to recreate a sun-kissed feel (especially good in the summer months). The modern way is to consider how your skin naturally flushes – whether around the temples or below your apples – and applying to those areas, buffing and blending in for a seamless, natural finish.
Be it a bold coral, soft pink or warm peach, a bit of colour can make you look healthier and brighter with minimal effort. Here, Vogue rounds up some of the very best blush products on the market, from classics like Glossier’s Cloud Paint to new and exciting formulas like the Nars Air Matte Blush. From powders to creams, shop the very best blushers below.
Best Blush For Olive Skin: Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Colour Stick Blush – No21
A formula that quickly melts into skin, this Chanel blush stick is an excellent one to keep in your handbag at all times and creates a healthy, dewy finish.
A creamy, blendable cheek colour that instantly melts into the skin, Glossier’s Cloud Paint is inspired by New York sunsets. The Dusk shade is universally flattering and works particularly well on paler skins.
Best Blush Stick: Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick
A swoosh-on-and-go cream stick, this blush works beautifully on all skin tones. Made by Gucci Westman, who has worked on countless supermodels’ faces over the years, it’s formulated with gentle ingredients and Ayurvedic oils to keep skin clear and healthy.
Super easy to blend, this new Nars blush is soft-focus make-up in a pot and makes a natural flush a breeze. It might even rival the brand’s iconic Orgasm blush…
Best Blush For Medium Skin: Charlotte Tilbury Cheek To Chic Blusher
Charlotte Tilbury’s Cheek To Chic blush compact features two shades, with the outer one designed to be swirled over the cheeks and the core shade there to provide a pop of colour at the apples. Love is the Drug is a Vogue office favourite.
If you know influencer and make-up artist Jamie Genevieve, you’ll know of her ability to create the most flawless beauty looks around – and this blusher is just one of the products from her brand, Vieve, that she uses often. Imparting a soft, matte finish, it delivers brilliant colour that can be built up or blended in depending on your preference.
Best Blush For A Dewy Finish: Chantecaille Cheek Gelée
With its unique, gel-like texture, Chantecaille’s Cheek Gelée in Happy blends easily into the apples of the cheeks for a seamless wash of healthy-looking colour.
Best Blush For Holiday Skin: Tom Ford Sheer Cheek Duo
This blush duo is the perfect partnership. Both shades offer a light-reflective finish for a little shimmer and shine come nightfall – and are especially good set against healthy, holiday skin. Mix them together, wear alone or apply as eyeshadow.
Best Blush Palette: Anastasia Beverly Hills Blush Trio
One palette with three blush shades? Yes please. Use each colour alone or layer them up for a hue totally bespoke to you and a blush that will look totally natural.
BeachPlease blush delivers buildable color in a luminous, second-skin finish. This silicone-free formula is made with skin-loving, plant-based ingredients like green tea extract and aloe vera extract to give skin support with every application.
This innovative powder-gel blush feels like a cream and finishes like a powder. Get the sweetest-looking glow at home and on the go with these bite-sized, cheeky confections.
This first-of-its-kind water-resistant blush combines pigments with a non-greasy blend of weightless oils and spherical powders for a natural flush you can’t mess up. The ultralightweight, liquid-like cream melts on contact and blends to a smooth, satin finish that won’t cake, crease, or clog pores.
This vibrant, yet natural-looking cheek color has a virtually powderless finish. The silky-smooth, stay-true formula is available in a range of shades for every skin tone. It makes creating that just-pinched look simply effortless.
LYS Beauty Higher Standard Satin Matte Cream Blush
Give your cheeks a kiss of color with this cream blush that delivers high payoff for all skin tones. Packed with clean, skin-loving ingredients like kaolin clay and avocado oil, this multipurpose cream leaves skin looking refreshed. Rich in pigment, this blush adds the finishing touch on any look.
Formulated with Ginseng, Aloe Vera and a unique mix of Fruit Extracts, this tinted balm provides a hint of natural colour while hydrating and conditioning skin.
Experience a perfectly diffused, soft-touch matte blush with a rush of color. Formulated with NARS’s blending and blurring Color Diffusion Complex, smoothing jojoba gel, and antioxidant-rich passion-fruit oil, this lightweight, creamy mousse transforms into a velvety powder for a skin-like finish.
One stick, all the versatility. This cream-to-powder stick works overtime as an eyeshadow, lipstick, and blush, delivering a gorgeous hint of color wherever you want it. The nourishing formula glides on and blends seamlessly, melting into your skin for a fresh and flattering finish.
This blush is easy to use and impossible to overdo in a lineup of shades designed to enhance every complexion with a youthful glow. Created by Rihanna, these shades are sheer, buildable, and melt into skin. The sweat- and water-resistant formula smooths over skin without feeling sticky or greasy.
Soft and flexible, this balm blush glides on beautifully. Micro-fine pigment powders deposit a touch of color without covering up the skin’s natural texture. Made with low-weight emollients that won’t clog pores, the formula has a light, balmy finish for a long-lasting glow that’s never cakey.
Achieve your best natural look with this sheer, easy-to-blend cream blush formula to bring out a dewy and healthy glow. Keep this in your makeup bag for an instant pop of color whenever you’re on the go and want to bring out that natural glow!
Burt’s Bees® blush makeup comes in a cream blush form with a lightweight, luxuriously creamy formula that applies smoothly and blends easily across your cheeks for a seamless, radiant pop of colour.
The long, dark days of winter are officially behind us, but the effects may linger in the form of dull, lackluster skin. Fortunately, the seasonal shift brings a sense of renewal, the welcome shedding of layers—and there’s no reason that should stop with your wardrobe.
“Spring is an ideal time of the year to start incorporating retinol into your routine,” says Onyeka Obioha, M.D., a dermatologist in Los Angeles. She joins a perpetual chorus of experts championing the ingredient as a means to brighter, smoother skin. Plus, she adds, “in warmer months, people are able to better tolerate it.”
For the uninitiated, retinol and other derivatives of vitamin A (together, they fall under the umbrella category of “retinoids”) count among the hardest-working ingredients in the skin-care realm. Vitamin A offers a multitude of benefits for skin: Thanks to its ability to speed cell turnover and spur collagen production, it can help smooth out wrinkles and fine lines, brighten dark spots and discoloration, and even quell breakouts. (The prescription-strength form called tretinoin—known by its brand name, Retin-A—originally launched as an acne medication before people realized its broader utility.) “When it comes to visibly improving the texture and appearance of your skin while preventing signs of aging, retinol is unmatched,” says Austin-based esthetician Renée Rouleau.
There is a common downside. Because the ingredient is so powerful, explains Rouleau, “it can also come with unwanted side effects, like dryness, flaking, irritation, and sensitivity, for a lot of people, especially during the first four to six weeks.” (Retinoids are not advised for those who are pregnant or nursing.) Although over-the-counter forms of retinol tend to be milder than the derm-prescribed counterpart, it’s still wise to wade in slowly. Obioha recommends starting with a pea-size amount three nights a week, then gradually increasing from there. Following up with daytime sun protection is of utmost importance, since retinol can increase skin’s sensitivity to sunlight.
Even if you’ve had a touch-and-go experience with retinol in the past, recent formulations designed with tolerance in mind offer an incentive to dip back in. There’s no better time for a fresh start.
Shani Darden Retinol Reform Serum
Created by Los Angeles aesthetician Shani Darden, this cream combines retinol with lactic acid and anti-inflammatory niacinamide. It’s a strategic pairing, with the lactic acid delivering immediate smoothing and hydrating benefits while retinol gets to work from within.
StriVectin Super-C Retinol Brighten & Correct Vitamin C Serum
While vitamin C certainly has a starring role in many retinol products, it doesn’t always match the power of a dedicated vitamin C serum. Not so with this dual-action serum, which offers that dream team at high concentrations to improve skin tone and texture.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Adapalene Gel 0.1% Topical Retinoid Acne Treatment
If you’re experiencing acne lately, you’re not alone. “Warmer temperatures and an increase in humidity can cause buildup on the skin, which clogs pores and can result in breakouts,” says Obioha. This powerful treatment uses adapalene, which is the sole prescription-strength retinoid available without an Rx, to help maintain a clear complexion.
As protective face masks are still de rigueur, so is maskne. Retinol can help. “It can work to increase skin cell turnover and unclog pores,” says Obioha. Salicylic acid in this oil offers acne-fighting benefits on the spot, while the retinol works to prevent future breakouts.
RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Night Serum Capsules
Concentration isn’t the only thing that matters in a skin-care formula—potency does, too. These sealed, biodegradable capsules keep the combination of retinol and antioxidants fresh and at peak efficacy until it’s applied to the skin.
Why settle for one type of retinol when you can have three? This potent cream consists of a fast-acting retinol, a time-release version, and a retinol booster for peak efficiency. Lest your skin starts to feel dry just reading that, not to worry: Niacinamide gives it proper credibility as a calming night treatment, too.
To amp up the power of this night oil, retinol is paired with salicylic acid, which is prized in its own right for its ability to gently lift dead skin cells. In practice, this ultimately clears the way for retinol to better penetrate—in turn yielding results in as little as one week.
IT Cosmetics Hello Results Wrinkle-Reducing Daily Retinol Serum-in-Cream
Retinol is uniquely equipped to handle signs of aging. “Retinoids actually build collagen and thicken the dermis layer of the skin, which makes the skin appear plump and healthy,” says Obioha. This hybrid formula pairs both free and encapsulated retinol molecules—the better to reach multiple layers of skin—with soothing niacinamide.
Fine lines and deeper wrinkles can’t be blamed on a single culprit. Conversely, their treatment approach isn’t singular, either. That’s why this serum combines retinol with a collagen-boosting blend of peptides, vitamin C, and botanical extracts, which together work to firm and smooth skin.
Sun Bum’s Mineral Sunscreen Spray makes applying SPF easy. Its spray nozzle effortlessly coats skin with just one spritz — just apply 15 minutes before you’re exposed to the sun and then reapply every two hours while you’re out and about. The formula is made mineral-based and made of zinc oxide, but don’t worry about any white cast issues, this formula is basically invisible. Once the sunscreen is all evenly applied, make sure you pat it in to ensure it’s fully absorbed and ready to protect.
Reapplying lip balm to avoid chapped lips can require constant vigilance, but not anymore. Sara Happ (a long-time favorite brand known for its lip scrubs) just launched its first lip balm-gloss hybrid. Created with hyaluronic acid, this lip treatment makes lips feel smooth and soft.
Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Broad Spectrum SPF 45 Hyaluronic Cloud Moisturizer
Since Peter Thomas Roth’s Water Drench Cloud Moisturizer was such a success when it first launched years ago, the brand finally formulated a version of the iconic cream with sunscreen. This non-greasy moisturizer shields skin from the sun while hydrating with hyaluronic acid, so get ready to have skin that’s protected, hydrated, and soft as a cloud.
The Kate Somerville Delikate Serum is ideal for those who have sensitive skin. Its lightweight formula is made with cucumber seed oil to help calm and soothe redness, as well as ceramides to help protect and strengthen the skin’s barrier.
Ole Henriksen is bringing together three of its game-changing products to create the ultimate kit: 3 Mega Wonders. Included here is the Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner, the Banana Bright Vitamin C Serum, and the C-Rush Brightening Gel Crème, three products that work together to give your skin a serious glow. Stick with this trio and you’ll have hydrated, radiant skin in no time.
When I found out Kylie Skin was launching a lip exfoliator, I thought, It’s about time the queen oflip kitsdropped a prepping product. This formula is made with a mix of nourishing oils (jojoba and grape seed) and vanilla-scented sugar, which leaves lips soft, kissable, and hydrated after a gentle scrubbing.
Perfect for all skin types, Saturday Skin Wide Awake Brightening Eye Cream is a lightweight undereye cream formulated with avocado to improve hydration and date seed extract to give the eye area a subtle glow.
Thrive Causemetics Moisture Flash Active Nutrient Toner
Thrive Causemetics Moisture Flash Active Nutrient Toner is a pH-balancing liquid exfoliant that helps smooth and brighten skin. The witch hazel in the formula cleanses and targets unevenness, while salicylic acid aids with any pore congestion and acne. Get ready for bright, even, clear skin without added dryness.
In my opinion, the Kinship Mint Mud mask was practically made for an at-home facial. The refreshing treatment clears out pores, thanks to kaolin clay, while lactic acid gently dissolves dead-skin build-up, brightening skin. Above all else, you’ll love how it smells: like a freshly opened sleeve of Thin Mints.
A full face of makeup is no match to the Goodhabit Rescue Me Clean Scene Micellar Gel. Just one pump of the formula, which is made of hydrating hyaluronic acid and chamazulene (to help with redness), whisks away any makeup, including those of the waterproof variety.
If you’re looking for some serious luminosity, look no further: Laneige just dropped Glowy Makeup Serum to make any base makeup more radiant. Apply two pumps as the last step in your skin-care routine and apply your makeup as normal; the diamond mineral powder in the formula will create a translucent glow that looks gorgeous on all skin tones.
Even though we’re indoors right now more than ever, it’s still super important to wear sunscreen. Versed Guards Up Mineral Sunscreen boasts SPF 35, and its finish is creamy — not too dewy, not too matte — is a great option. Oh, and it never leaves a white cast on any skin tone. A winner in my book.
Then I Met You Honey Dew Lip Mask is a versatile pick because it can be used as a glossy daytime balm or an intense nighttime treatment. The squalane in the tube will leave lips feeling moisturized, while the honeydew melon will soothe the sensitive and delicate skin on your lips.
Give yourself an at-home facial with the Juice Beauty Prebiotix Instant Flash Facial. This all-in-one treatment acts as an exfoliating mask and cleanser. Plant beads and tartaric acid exfoliate away dead skin while iris extract and prebiotic ingredients help encourage balance, giving skin a fresh-faced glow.
Hydrate and replenish your complexion with Chantecaille’s new Radiance Elixir. This illuminating serum will give your skin a healthy, fresh glow. Either wear it alone or mix it with your foundation — either way, you’ll be feeling lavish and radiant with just one drop.
Turmeric is well-known for its soothing properties, which is why it’s an ingredient great for calming acne breakouts. Neutrogena’s latest launch, Soothing Clear Turmeric Mousse Cleanser, utilizes this ingredient in a lightweight formula that removes dirt, oil, and makeup from pores without stripping the skin of natural oils.
Belif’s True Cream Aqua Bomb just got a soothing upgrade. The new Aloe Vera version gives you the same hydration of the original gel-cream (thanks to the glycerin and ceramides), but it contains the aforementioned aloe, which is known to calm irritation and acne.
Heyday x Supergoop! Defense Refresh (Re) Setting Mist
To celebrate the Supergoop! Defense Refresh (Re) Setting Mist’s fifth anniversary, it’s getting a complete makeover — at least package-wise. Over the course of five months, Supergoop! will be releasing its SPF-packed setting spray in five newly-designed packages. This month, the skin-care brand has partnered with Heyday for a bright yellow bottle that just brings me a lot of joy.
Asking for bright and smooth skin just got a lot easier, thanks to Malin+Goetz’s new launch. The Resurfacing Face Serum is made with glycolic and lactic acids to exfoliate dead skin cells and vitamin C to give you a more radiant complexion. All you need is two or three drops before moisturizer and you’ll be good to go.
Get dewy-looking skin with Clinique’s new Moisture Surge Sheertint Hydrator SPF 25. It’s made of hyaluronic acid, aloe water, and a sugar called trehalose to provide moisture for up to 12 hours. In addition to broad-spectrum SPF 25 to give you some protection against the sun’s harmful UV rays, it also has a sheer tint to give you a touch of color and glow.
Who doesn’t love a gift set? In this Elemis and Olivia Rubin collaboration, you get seven full-sized products from the skin-care brand (Pro-Collagen Marine Cream, Peptide Night Recovery Cream-Oil, and Sea Lavender & Samphire Body Cream to name a few) all housed in a super fun rainbow-colored makeup bag designed by the British fashion designer.
These days, masks are as ubiquitous as hair tools and CBD-spiked skin care. Not surprisingly then, there’s been an influx of options hitting the mask market made specifically for your lips. Ahead, find 18 amazing lip masks of every variety — balms, gels, and sheets. Slather them on while you sleep, mid-commute, or before swiping on a bold lip you need to last all night. Get ready for smoother, softer-looking lips.
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
Summer Fridays’ Lip Butter Balm isn’t technically called a mask, but it sure feels like one. The ultra-rich consistency coats lips in a blanket of soothing butters, including shea and murumuru, which are known to nourish dry skin. It also contains vegan waxes that make the formula extra thick and satisfying to use — especially if you’re struggling with severely dry or cracked lips. The subtle vanilla flavor definitely doesn’t hurt either.
Available in three lip-enhancing hues, Tarte’s Sea Jelly Glaze Anytime Lip Mask is perfect for anyone who loves a little tint to their lips. Infused with hyaluronic acid to quench dry lips, along with avocado, jojoba, and argan oils to lock in moisture, it leaves lip supple, soft, and smelling sweet.
Milk Makeup’s Melatonin Overnight Lip Mask features hyaluronic acid and a blend of goji, acai, blueberry, and blackberry extracts for their powerful antioxidant benefits. It not only smells sublime, but makes lips look plumper, softer, and smoother after just one use.
Henné’s Organics Lip Mask is made with ultra-nourishing oils like rosehip, avocado, sweet orange peel, and jojoba (that’s four of many) and comes from a brand fully devoted to lip care, so you know it’s legit. Its light, citrus-and-vanilla scent sends it over the edge. The best part? Leave it on as you choose — lip masks like this one don’t have a limit since their sole purpose is to soothe, plump, and moisturize.
Sara Happ is renowned for her sublime lip treatments and The Sweet Clay Lip Mask is no exception. Comprised of deep-cleansing bentonite clay, nourishing shea butter, and an Ayurvedic herb known as Swertiamarin sourced from the Himalayas, this mask means business. Its bubblegum-pink hue will makes your lips look like you’ve caked them in icing while you wear it, but that’s a bonus if you ask me. Apply it weekly — or nightly — for soft and supple lips that appear visibly smoother after one use.
Thick, luxurious, and super hydrating, this clear, jelly-like balm is like a deep conditioning treatment for your lips: Agave nectar and lanolin provide a dose of long-lasting moisture, while a hefty dose of antioxidants (literally three times the amount found in a serving of red wine) protect your pout from the elements. It’s best worn as an overnight mask, but the formula also comes in two super-pretty sheer, glossy shades (a gold-flecked rose and a cool, pinkish red) for daytime wear.
Klavuu’s Nourishing Care Lip Sleeping Pack comes highly recommended by Allure’s digital reporter Devon Abelman, who lauds it for its weightless formula and ability to bring dry, dehydrated lips back to a happy and balanced state. Enriched with avocado, sweet almond, and apricot seed oils, this Korean beauty treatment leaves lips looking and feeling instantly more moisturized after a mere five minutes.
For less than a Lincoln you can score the Burt’s Bees Lip Treatment Lip Mask, which soothes and hydrates with meadowfoam and sweet almond oils. It’s also 100 percent natural for those of you who prefer a green option.
Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask is an all-time Allure editor favorite. Its über-thick formula falls somewhere between a balm and a cream, and works its magic by slowly melting into your lips overnight. Come morning, lips look and feel soft, bouncy, and supple as ever. It also comes in a vanilla version, if that’s more up your alley.
While Jouer isn’t typically known for skin-care offerings, its new Overnight Conditioning & Repairing Lip Mask is a true standout I couldn’t not mention. Jam-packed with ingredients like vitamin E, shea butter, and jojoba oil, as well as hyaluronic acid to help lock in moisture, lips feel quenched for days after using it. Leave it on while you snooze for kitten-soft lips when you wake — or use in place of an ultra-thick balm for the ultimate luxury lip-care experience.
KNC Beauty’s All Natural Collagen Infused Lip Mask contains vitamin E, rose oil, and hydrating cherry extract to help plump fine lines and deeply moisturize the lips. You might remember Emma Stone’s pre-Globes selfie wearing the jelly-like lip patch, which was recommended by her makeup artist Rachel Goodwin, in order to prep the actor’s lips for the big night. Needless to say, if it’s approved by Emma and her MUA, you can bet it won’t be a letdown.
Patchology’s FlashPatch Lip Gels are similar to that of KNC’s in that they adhere to your lips, feel cool to the touch, and look slightly sheet mask-esque. The biodegradable patches feature soothing green tea extract, redness-reducing niacinamide, and peptides to help enhance elasticity and promote collagen production.
Flower Beauty’s Petal Pout Lip Mask, which just launched, is already a fast favorite. It’s portable, affordable, and, most importantly, infused with decadent mango and coconut butters to repair chapped and flaking lips.
Clinique’s Pep-Start Pout Restoring Night Mask not only comes in this unarguably cute, millennial-pink tube, but it also works like a charm on winter-worn lips. Moisturizing ingredients, like murumuru seed butter, hydrogenated castor oil, and sea whip extract go the extra mile to hydrate and simultaneously plump lips while you sleep.
Kiehl’s Buttermask for Lips is as delicious as its name implies. Chock full of nourishing ingredients like mango butter, coconut oil, and cocoa, with a creamy (not sticky!) consistency, it’s worth the splurge. Blanket your lips with a hefty coat of the stuff before bed and come morning, you’ll wake with supple, hydrated lips.
Kaplan MD’s Perfect Pout Duo feels like a dream on lips. The pillow-like balm is whipped to a dreamy, gel-cream consistency and is made of reparative ingredients like seabuckthorn berry extract and sunflower seed wax to nourish lips while you snooze.
Starskin DreamKiss Plumping and Hydrating Bio-Cellulose Lip Mask
Starskin’s DreamKiss Plumping and Hydrating Bio-Cellulose Lip Mask utilizes an innovative, coconut juice-derived, bio-cellulose technology that adheres to the lips seamlessly and feels similar in texture to Tatcha’s Luminous Dewy Skin Sheet Mask. Each one is submerged in a tropical-scented bath, which leaves lips looking and feeling juicier after just 15 minutes.
Before you scoff at the price of 111Skin Meso Infusion Lip Mask and Plumping Duo, allow me to explain why it’s worth the hefty price tag. For starters, the tiniest amount goes a long way (we’re talking the size of a pea or less here). It has also been scientifically tested (and proven effective) to give the illusion of having thicker, suppler lips after just a few uses. What’s more: It contains exfoliating ingredients, like lemon and orange peel oils, which naturally shed the top layer of skin to create an even-toned, softer surface.
This foundation is perfect the person who still wants their skin to look natural and dewy. Thanks to a concoction of oils like avocado, meadowfoam, red raspberry, jojoba, rosehip and more, this foundation gives your skin all the hydration it needs while offering an enhanced glow and light coverage.
This foundation gives the skin a moisturizing boost with a thin veil of makeup that includes vitamin E oil, antioxidants, and peptides. The foundation not only works to cover blemishes but also reduces wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and dull-looking skin with neuropeptides, daisy flower extract, and bisabolol.
This hydrating liquid foundation is an all-in-one complexion perfecter. Not only does it nourish skin with licorice root extract but also hides imperfections like hyperpigmentation, acne and more well with its lightweight and full coverage formula. The hypoallergenic formula is also safe for sensitive skin.
Hoping for a dewy finish? Laura Mercier’s Tinted Moisturizer should be your go-to. It not only protects the skin from sun damage with an SPF of 30, but it also takes away the appearance of skin impurities and adds hydration with macadamia, tamarind seed extract, and kukui seed oil.
This liquid foundation offers medium coverage and is perfect for those with dry skin because of the infused grapeseed oil and sodium hyaluronate, which helps replenish the skin. The easy-to-use tube is perfect for the girl on the go.
This paraben- and fragrance-free tinted moisturizer offers a full day’s worth of nourishment for all skin types. It’s packed with hyaluronic acid and aloe water for maximum skin health and dewiness. SPF coverage protects skin from environmental aggressors as well.
If you’re in need of an instant hydrating and skin-plumping fix, this foundation should be in your rotation. Hyaluronic acid and moisturizing glycerin are the stars of this buildable coverage show.
This lightweight, water gel and hyaluronic acid formula not only leaves the skin more hydrated, but is also oil-free and non-comedogenic, so you don’t need to worry about it clogging your pores.
This foundation has a built-in brush to make application easier for the busy body. The formula lasts for eight hours and is deeply nourishing thanks to hyaluronic acid and Irish moss extract.
Side note: I really don’t like the applicator, it gets very dirty and messy very fast. If you can find another way to use the actual product, such as dispensing some on the back of your hand and then applying it, you’ll love it.
Tarte Babassu Foundcealer Skincare Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 20
This foundation is vegan, hypoallergenic, and hydrating—perfect for those with sensitive and dry skin. The coverage is buildable so you’re able to play around with what suits you best on any given day. Babassu, vitamins A & E, hyaluronic acid, fatty acids and antioxidants offer skin nourishment and a plump feel.
This foundation not only includes SPF 35 to protect the skin, but also pansy extract, which keeps the skin from drying out throughout the day. The coverage lasts for 24 hours, with a glowing finish that avoids looking too shiny or oily.
This foundation features light protective pigment and antioxidants which lessen the damage caused by pollution, free radicals, and blue light. It’s also made up of 40% water which helps to keep the skin hydrated.
This foundation incorporates berry extract for hydration, along with a formula that delivers a flawless, pore-blurring finish. It’s also vegan and paraben-free, making it great for all skin types.
Dermablend’s foundation delivers all-day hydration through a smooth, creamy formula, while also protecting the skin with SPF 30. The coverage stays on for 16 hours, and works wells even over acne, rosacea, and vitiligo.
Kassy Rose Makeup Artistry 