Beauty
Beauty
Olaplex, Explained by Someone Who Keeps Losing Track of the Numbers
Olaplex has a numbering system that confuses almost everyone at first, so this edit sorts it out. You will find the treatments, oils and creams, the No.4 and No.5 wash-day line including Olaplex shampoo, and a few other bond builders people ask about.
The Best Hand Creams for Dry Skin
Barrier creams and pocket tubes for dry hands
The Best Blush for Mature Skin, From Melting Balms to Sheer Liquids
The best blush for mature skin is the one that melts into skin instead of sitting on top of it. These are the creams, soft powders and liquids I would reach for, and how to place them so cheeks look lifted and fresh.
Best Shampoo and Conditioner for Frizzy Hair: 6 Pairs
The best shampoo and conditioner for frizzy hair is a matched pair. Six compared by hair type and what each brand says it does for frizz.
The Best Shampoo for Colored Hair Skips the Sulfates on Purpose
The best shampoo for colored hair skips sulfates on purpose, because a strong detergent strips pigment along with the dirt. This edit sorts sulfate-free formulas by what they add on top of that gentle base, whether that is strength, shine or bond repair for hair that has been lightened more than once.
The Best Toner for Oily Skin Works Overtime Between Cleansing and Moisturizer
The best toner for oily skin works between cleansing and moisturizer, clearing out what a face wash leaves behind rather than just tightening pores for an hour. For years the fix was an alcohol heavy astringent, which strips skin so aggressively that it produces even more oil to compensate. This edit compares eight acid based formulas instead, from gentle, regular use options to stronger ones meant for active breakouts.
The Best Toner for Oily Skin
A generation grew up stripping their faces with alcohol and wondering why the shine came back harder. The best toner for oily skin regulates rather than removes, usually with a mild acid and no drying agents. These are the modern version and my personal favs
The Best Face Wash for Oily Skin Does Not Strip It
Oily skin gets sold aggression when it needs regulation. The best face wash for oily skin removes the day without triggering the rebound that makes tomorrow worse. All of these walk that line.
The Best Skincare Products for Dry Skin, in Three Easy Steps
A routine for the best skincare products for dry skin only needs three steps: a cream or balm cleanser, a hydrating serum or essence, and a rich face cream. Here is what I would put in each step and how to layer them.
Best Exfoliator for Acne Prone Skin: Scrubs, Toners and Pads
My pick for the best exfoliator for acne prone skin here is Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Exfoliating Toner, which is built around salicylic acid. I also sort scrubs, liquid exfoliants and pads, with one rule: acid at night, sunscreen every morning.
Best Eyeshadow Palette for Blue Eyes
We looked at Eyeshadow Palette for Blue Eyes on construction, materials and how it holds up. Here is what stood up.
ILIA Limitless Lash Mascara and the Rest of the Look
ILIA Limitless Lash Mascara with the ILIA liners, brow products and complexion pieces that go with it.
cocokind Ceramide Barrier Serum and the Barrier Serums and Creams Beside It
The cocokind ceramide barrier serum is a five-ceramide dropper serum from a brand that prints its numbers on the box. Here is the rest of the cocokind shelf, the other barrier serums I would compare it with, and the barrier creams to seal it in.
Verb Shampoo, From an Austin Barbershop to the Ghost Line
The Verb Ghost line is the fine-hair range built around Ghost Oil, the moringa oil made weightless that first put the Austin brand on the map. I go through eight Verb shampoos by hair type, then conditioners, masks, a leave-in and an oil.
Choosing a Dior Foundation: Forever Skin, Backstage and the Tools to Apply Them
A good Dior foundation starts with knowing which of its two personalities you want, the polished Forever line or the runway-born Backstage line. This edit covers both, plus the sponges and brushes that make either one look like skin.
Best Bronzer, From Chanel's Tan to Hoola
The best bronzer depends on finish: Benefit Hoola is the shimmer-free matte powder classic, and cream bronzers suit dry skin. I compare eight powder bronzers and eight cream, balm and stick bronzers, matte to radiant.
The Ordinary Vitamin C Forms: Pure Acid, Derivatives and an Oil
The Ordinary uses forms of vitamin C that range from pure L-ascorbic acid in the 23 percent suspension and powder to gentler derivatives and an oil. I explain which suits which skin, then the sunscreens that go on top every morning.
Best Razor Gift With Refill Blades: Billie and Smooth Legs
The best razor gift with refill blades for a friend who loves smooth legs is the Billie Razor Starter Kit with a 4 pack of refill blades. I added shave cream, body lotion and bump care so the gift covers the days after the shave too.
The Best Face Masks for Acne Are Not All Clay
The best face masks for acne are not all clay, because breakouts need different help on different nights. Here are the clarifying and exfoliating masks for congestion, the soothing masks for red, irritated skin, and the pimple patches for single spots.
Cold Bronzer: Cream Bronzers, Sticks and Liquids for Winter Skin
A cold bronzer is a cream, stick or liquid formula that brings warmth back to skin that looks gray by November. I sort the cream, stick and liquid bronzers I would use this season and how to wear them in the cold months.
Lanolin Lip Balm and Why Very Dry Lips Like It
Lanolin is good for lips that crack as soon as the weather turns, which is why a lanolin lip balm is the old-fashioned fix.
The Kylie Jenner Lip Kit: Matte Shades, Other Kits, and Liner Pairs to Try
Kylie Jenner lip kit shades start with the Matte Lip Kit in bare, one wish, dolce k and candy k. I also go through velvet and glossy kits, loose liners and how I would pick one.
Low Porosity Hair: Why Water Beads Up and What Actually Gets In
Water beading on your hair is a classic sign of low porosity hair, and the fix is lighter products, not more of them. I sorted clarifying shampoos, water-based leave-ins and light oils for it.
Best Long Lasting Bullet Lipstick: Why Liquid Often Wins
The best long lasting bullet lipstick is often a liquid in disguise, and long wear comes with a texture trade-off. I compare Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink, NYX Lip Lingerie XXL, CHANEL's bullet and MAC's transfer-resistant liquid.