I love everything about RMS Beauty’s Cashmere Matte Eyelights — from the creamy, blendable, and light-as-air texture to the crease-free color payoff to the recyclable aluminum packaging, which reminds me of art supply store paint! These neutral hued shadows (I love to smudge and layer Mossy Stone, Tundra Taupe, and Mallo Coast) boast a matte pearl finish, which means it’s mostly matte, with just a hint of subtle satin-ness to avoid that overly dry or cakey look. They were inspired by the soft pastels of the ’50s but with a modern lean. You can build and layer and load up your lids for any look you like. One or two swipes will give you that diffused wash of color on those lazy summer days. Three or four layers will give you a more dramatic, smokier eye. The formula is packed with Organic Green Tea and Natural Peptide Quinoa Extract, which nourish the skin and add a skincare benefit. Matte shadows can be dry anything but smooth as it settles into lines. Such is not the case here, which founder Rose Marie Swift took great care to consider when crafting this much-requested finish. The CMEs also feature a precise, needle nose tip that can be applied directly to your lid or dot on your finger or a synthetic bristle brush and buff it out. The Eyelights dry down on the quick, so start blending and building your look as soon as you apply it so you can achieve the look your heart desires. I recommend using a primer first to get a good grip on the Eyelights for a stay-put look. Another word of caution: The product moves through the tip QUICKLY so only a light squeeze or pressure is needed and a small drop does the trick!
Scarlett Johansson’s The Outset is a simple but effective skincare brand. I quite like the brand’s moisturizers for their basic richness. But I LURVE the brand’s Lip Oasis Glossy Treatment The clear OG version has a round, flat tip and hydrated the f**k out of my lips last winter. Lip Oasis is getting an upgrade, as it now comes in three sheer shades. It conditions without stickiness and protects the delicate lip barrier. There’s no scent, the shades glide on sheer but are buildable, and they aren’t tacky at all. That means you’ll have to re-apply more often than not but there’s something so intensely satisfying about swiping that flat head over your pucker 100 times a day. And you banish dry, flaky lips for good! Dune is a looks-good-on-everyone nude; Mirage is a looks-good-on-everyone blackberry; and Sun Kiss is a looks-good-on-everyone orangey red.
I usually cover color products and cosmetics but I cannot stay quiet. I had to drop this in here. I am not a perfume wearer. I am migraine-prone and strong aromas always trigger my headaches. I traffic in body mists, which are lighter and more layerable. But last year, I found the perfume of my dreams. DedCool Xtra Milk is pure soapy meets majorly musky. It is TRULY clean-scented perfection. It’s genderless and EVERY time I wear it, people comment on how fresh and crisp I smell, since I spray it in my hair and on my clothes, too. Whether it’s a bank teller at an appreciable distance or someone who just hugged me, they inevitably ask, “What are you wearing?” It’s so clean and glorious and smells like the beach at 4pm in late August.
Next time I get a pedicure, I am going to bypass the offerings of the salon — you know the beloved OPIs and the beloved Essie of the world, which I also adore. Instead, I am going to pull Arctic Fox’s Periwinkle Nail Lacquer out of my bag and rock the milky blue x violet shade for sandal season. While primarily known as a hair care brand that offers gorgeous bold colors, the brand’s nail polishes are just as edgy, punk rock, and effing cool! Ditch the boots, the sneakers, and the closed-toe heels and show your toes. The vegan and cruelty-free formula is 15-free, minus the harsh chemicals in favor of head-turning color. There are good-for-skin ingredients in the recipe, such as Vitamin E, Argan Oil, and Biotin, which are all “YESES” for me! The brand promises two weeks of chip-resistant color but this shade is so gorg it would be just as awesome with chips. Because life happens to your nail polish, too! I’d also recommend doing a matchy matchy mani and throwing on a leather jacket to get you through those cool spring days. It provides a sexy contrast and balance.
MAC remains a Holy Grail brand for me so, because its hero and legacy products NEVER EVER fail me. Of courseI was like “MUST TRY” when they started teasing Lipgloss Air, a lighter and less sticky version of their signature Lipglass, and the Lipglass Blow, a plumper infused with 1% ginger root extract, on their socials. The Airs are a comfy wear, smooth, and not-so-tacky version of the original. Think Lipglass Lite and perfect for summer. Frosting is iridescent with pearl, while Behaved is a milky and pinky beige. The airy texture makes it perfect for summer shine. As for Blow? It has a light yellow finish, which can help neutralize pink or red in lips. With its fat applicator and glassy shine, it will boost your lips without needles.
Purchase a lip palette and a tree is planted? One lip pencil formula, in a variety of five nude shades that work with every skin tone, that can be used as a liner, for a blurred lip, for a soft flush blush, or a light wash of color on lids? If you answered “yes” to any or all of those Qs, then you are going to love NUDESTIX Nude Love Lip Palette, an anniversary edition that celebrates all things neutral and comes in a collectible, limited edition “LOVE” tin that you can store all your valuables or unmentionables. You can mix and matte the soft shades. The brand is partnering with The Canopy Project, an EarthDay.Org organization dedicated to protecting the world’s forests in areas in need of rehabilitation. So making this purchase is a passive way for you to do good in the world, while rocking a softly matte mouth.
Lip liner can be so hard to get right — just like cat eye flick. You need a steady hand, a lot of practice, and a product that doesn’t pull, tug, or skip. Only 1 Cosmetics Smooch Lip Liner is one of the smoothest, creamiest, and no tug liners to trace, glide across, and fill in my lip surface. The pencils, which you sharpen, rather than twist up, are super hydrating and you can contour the you-know-what outta your pout. You can wear it as a matte, blurred lip on its own or as a base to set matte lipstick or to amp up your gloss. It stays put for hours — although I recommend re-applying after eating and drinking, as I prefer a fresh lip look.
Makeup bags are a mess. You throw your fave products in your bag and then have to rummage to find what you are looking for. Powders open, liquids spill, caps come off, eyeliner gets smeared all over, and you’re left feeling ALL sorts of discombobulated. The Flat Lay Co has solved this problem with their super duper squishy and soft Marshmallow Box Bag.
The zipper and velcro bag opens wide and transforms into a tray so you can see, pick, and choose products without having to dig through to the bottom. You won’t waste time trying to find that brown gel smudgy liner you forgot that you bought two months ago. There are slots for makeup brushes, an interior zip pocket, and lots of space. When you are done putting your face, zip it up and store your stuff easily and in an organized and structured bag. Spot clean stains with a warm, soap wash cloth or toss it in the washing machine to keep it clean and germ-free. It’s an excellent travel buddy.
Your lips are skin, too, so they need to be treated with the same love and preventative care. That’s why indie brand Iris & Romeo have crafted a game-changing and disruptive product with Weekend Skin Lip SPF 30. While lip gloss has been rebranded in the 2020s as “masks,” “balms,” and “oils,” this lippie levels up. The question isn’t what does it do but what doesn’t it do! It’s got mineral SPF 30 so your sensitive lip area is protected from the sun. You get the coverage with none of the icky white patina. The formula is an oil x balm hybrid that moisturizes as it deposits creamy, opaque, semi-matte color. It’s not sheer but more like a liquid lipstick. It comes in three neutral shades — the rosy Dawn is my personal fave. It hugs the lip without feeling heavy and offers JUST ENOUGH shine. Other mentionables — it’s fragrance-free, comes in a long, thin, and smoked glass tube that is recyclable, and boasts a flat-headed doe foot wand.
