Beauty

ghd Curling Iron: Irons, Wands and Hot Brushes From Leeds

The ghd curling iron comes from a brand started by three hairdressers in Leeds, and its tools still have a salon logic. Here are the irons and wands, the other heat tools, and the heat protectants to reach for before any of them.

Versace Crystal Noir, the Gardenia With a Pepper Edge

Versace Crystal Noir launched in 2004 and is still a distinctive one on the shelf: gardenia with ginger, coconut and amber. Here are its crystal-bottle siblings, more Versace for her, and six rich, warm perfumes from other houses.

SolaWave Mask Picks, From a 2020 Wand to Full-Face Red Light

The SolaWave mask came after the brand's 2020 red light wand, and it now covers the face and eyes in three-minute sessions. Here are eight SolaWave devices and serums, and eight more LED masks and tools I compared them with.

When Did Sol de Janeiro 59 Come Out: The Purple Delícia Line

When did Sol de Janeiro 59 come out: January 2024 for the purple Delícia Drench Body Butter, February 1 for the Cheirosa 59 mist. I go through eight Sol de Janeiro picks, purple first, and the 1959 bossa nova record the 59 is named after.

LAPCOS Skincare: The Best Picks Right Now

LAPCOS is a family-run Korean skincare label with a home in Los Angeles, best known for sheet masks. I like how it makes a small ritual feel deliberate, and this edit is where I would start.

MALIN+GOETZ Candles: A Guide to Signature Scents

MALIN+GOETZ is the New York apothecary that makes candles, skincare and fragrance for every skin type and every gender. I like it because the whole shelf feels calm, and this edit is about building a few small rituals from sink to bedside table.

Wonder Valley Body Care: What I'd Buy First

Wonder Valley is the olive-oil-first brand Alison and Jay Carroll built in the high desert near Joshua Tree. I like its inside-out point of view, which turns showers and hair care into something calmer.

By Terry Makeup: What I'd Actually Buy

By Terry is the Paris makeup label Terry de Gunzburg started in 1998, built around a complexion that looks like skin on a good day. I have a soft spot for makeup that refuses to look like makeup, so I went through the whole drawer.

Grown Alchemist Skincare: What to Try First

Grown Alchemist is the Melbourne skincare label Jeremy and Keston Muijs built on plants and biotechnology, long before it felt like a trend. I like how calm and deliberate it is, and this edit starts with the daily basics.

Agent Nateur Skincare: What I'd Actually Buy

Agent Nateur is the Los Angeles beauty and wellness label Jena Covello began in 2015 with a single deodorant. I like how a personal fix turned into a fashion-minded line of skin, body, hair and supplements.

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare: Best Buys for Home

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare is the New York line a dermatologist and his wife turned into peels, serums and LED devices for home. I like it for orderly, repeatable routines with no mystery steps.

Vyrao Perfume: The Scents Worth Trying First

Vyrao is the London fragrance house Yasmin Sewell founded in 2021, built around mood instead of notes. I like a perfume brand that asks how you want to feel before it tells you what is in the bottle.

Abel Perfume: Which Scents Are Worth It?

Abel is a natural perfume house that began with one winemaker's frustration and now works out of a Wellington factory. I like how narrow and thoughtful it stays, and this edit is about finding the right bottle.

Juliette has a gun Perfume: Is It Worth It?

Juliette has a gun is the Paris and Grasse perfume house Romano Ricci started in 2006, named for a Shakespearean heroine with a modern attitude. I come to it for a mood instead of a fragrance family, and that feels like the right way in.

NONFICTION Fragrance: What I'd Actually Buy

NONFICTION is the Seoul fragrance and body-care label Cha Haeyoung started in 2019, after years leading an artist collective. It treats scent as a small daily pause, and I find that more persuasive than any big perfume campaign.

C.O. Bigelow Skincare: What Actually Works

C.O. Bigelow is a Greenwich Village apothecary that has been open since 1838, and it still smells like one in the best way. I like it for everyday body care that feels like it came from a real counter.

DedCool Fragrance: A Shopper's Guide to Scent

DedCool is a genderless Los Angeles fragrance label that Carina Chaz started in college, made to be layered across skin, laundry and home. I like scent that shows up on an ordinary Tuesday, and this edit follows it from the bottle to the wash.

FUGAZZI Fragrance: Is Angel Dust Worth It?

FUGAZZI is the Amsterdam fragrance house Bram Niessink started in 2018 after mixing perfume oils at home. I like its bold, slightly mischievous way of building a scent around a memory.

amika Dry Shampoo, the Talc-Free Perk Up From a Brooklyn Brand

amika dry shampoo means Perk Up, the talc-free formula from a brand that started in Brooklyn in 2007. Here are three versions of Perk Up and the amika sprays for day-two hair, plus eight other dry shampoos to compare.

Briogeo Shampoo, From Four Products and a Goldman Sachs Desk

Briogeo shampoo started in 2013, when Nancy Twine launched four products inspired by her mother's and grandmother's recipes. Here are eight Briogeo shampoos, plus the conditioners, masks and scalp serum that pair with them.

Living Proof Shampoo, the MIT Science Behind Perfect Hair Day

Living Proof shampoo came out of a 2005 partnership between MIT scientists and hairstylists in Cambridge. Here are eight Living Proof shampoos and dry shampoos, plus the conditioners and treatments that go with them.

Amika Shampoo, Matched to Your Hair

Amika shampoo comes in color-coded formulas, from Normcore for everyday to Hydro Rush for moisture and Bust Your Brass for cool blondes. I match each shampoo to a hair type, then add the conditioners and the Soulfood mask.

Amika Leave In Conditioner, From Brooklyn With Sea Buckthorn

The amika leave in conditioner shelf runs from a hydrating spray to a split-end cream and a detangling primer. This edit has eight amika picks and eight other leave-in conditioners to compare.

Bond-Building Systems: Olaplex, K18 and the Brands That Followed

Bond building systems went from a salon secret to a mainstream shelf, led by Olaplex and K18. I go through the names that made it mainstream, then masks for deeper repair and serums.