Refy re-invigorates lipstick with its latest innovation; Tilt Beauty packaging is adaptive and accessible, while OleHenriksen and Merit Beauty update two of their most popular franchises with a new flavor and finish, respectively. Urban Decay has done the same with its beloved Naked range, as well. Go ahead and blow the rent money on beauty products this month — these are the most worthwhile!
Move over, traditional lipstick bullets and the modern, fat applicator wands that accompany liquid lippies. REFY is disrupting and innovating the category with its Lip Stick. How so, you ask, with skepticism in your heart? Oh, I am so glad you asked because you are about to christen this product your Holy Grail! I know, I know. Lipstick is pretty perfect and essential — as is. If it ain’t broken, why fix it?! Well, REFY is tinkering and dragging lipstick into the modern era by crafting a custom, full coverage, clickable lip wand with the rich, saturated pigment of a liquid lippie and the application ease and comfort wear of the traditional bullet. The formula is satin sheen and moisturizes like a balm — it’s so silky and lightweight — so swipe to your heart’s content. It’s also flexible, so it doesn’t feather or settle into lip lines. It offers rich, supple, look-at-me-lips. My preferred way of wearing is to apply and then blot it down with my finger or a tissue for a softer, more diffused, and ultimately stained look.
But it is built for precision if that’s your jam! You can use the cooling metal roller ball in the tip to line and define your pout before you fill it in!
Look at that gorgeous, nude-tone shade range that is absolutely perfect for fall and winter.
If you’ve not yet been lucky enough to make the acquaintance of Tilt Beauty, you are in for a treat. The accessible and adaptive cosmetics brand creates products with YOU in mind. Beauty mavens with conditions like arthritis or psoriasis will absolutely love the packaging and components. The brand’s The Easy Way Effortless Liner is ergonomic and easy to grip for a precise application. The product has earned the Arthritis Foundation’s Ease of Use Certification so it will not be painful for someone with chronic conditions to use. It sits comfortably in your hand and you will apply a pretty and perfect line! I love being able to rest my finger and have the support when applying.
The formula has also earned the National Psoriasis Foundation’s Seal of Recognition, which nods to the non-irritating formula and how it will be kind to sensitive skin. And lastly, the product is refillable, eliminating waste. All of this is amazing, but how does it look and feel on lips? It’s pigmented, velvety, and smooth. It glides without skips, pulls, or tugs. Use with or without your fave lipstick or gloss. The brand also has lipsticks and mascaras that allow you to truly get a grip on your makeup. I wish someone had thought of this type of essential packaging sooner. Applying makeup should be the easiest thing in the world. Tilt understands this mission!
Winged eyeliner is an artform that can be achieved via a pen or a brush. I consider myself at expert level, since it’s my daily look and I’ve tried every iteration on the market. But even I have days where I go through six pointed cotton swabs lightly dipped in micellar water to clean up messy, overdrawn, crooked, uneven, too thick, or bunk flicks. I even have a guide tool I got for $2 on Amazon that has a pointed end so if one of my bulldogs mosies into the bathroom when I am doing my makeup and bumps into me, I could end up with a puncture or an eye patch. It’s effective but maybe not wholly safe. So when Hanakoko’s One Step Eyeliner Stamp crossed my Instagram feed, I was thankful to the algorithm for putting it there. It’s a self-contained, one-step tool with a left and right side that allows you to basically stamp the wing along your eye. You can bend the pen and position it along your outer corner and tap it to give you an upward or flat flick. It takes some of the dexterity and guess work out of the process. It truly is Winged Liner for Dummies. But you will not master on the first use. My first few passes left me using it as a guide and then filling in with my trusty Stila Stay All Day liquid liner. But I love the upward slant of the wing and the positioning. As I always, I keep my Half Magic Flick Erase nearby to clean up any errant edges that make me crazy.
It’s sweater weather, leather leggings weather, boot weather, shacket weather, leather jacket weather, and vanilla weather! OLEHENRIKSEN has answered the warm and cozy call with the Vanilla Bonbon version of its mega-viral Pout Preserve Peptide Lip Treatment. Fans of the brand have been clamoring for the flavor and they’ve been rewarded with a sheer and sweet lippie, which is packed with lip-specific peptides, rich butters, and Scandinavian cloudberry oil. You get all of the plump with NONE of the sting. Just luscious, juicy, shiny, sexy lips. If you are a fan of Rhode’s Vanilla peptide lippie, you’re going to adore Vanilla Bonbon. The scent and flavor is a touch more subtle, and it’s not sickly sweet or overpowering. There’s just a hint of flowery vanilla-ness. And the softest and most kissable lips.
Merit Beauty wins again! The brand’s ’90s-inspired Solo Shadows in the Sheen finish allow you to create effortlessly lived in, grunge-y eye makeup — you know, dewy and imperfect lids and smudged lower lashline washes of color. Creams can be tricky, because they can migrate, get messy, and disappear. They can also dry out if you don’t close their component caps tightly enough. But this is Merit we’re talking about. The formula is of highest quality, and it’s weightless and sets smoothly for all-day, no-move wear. The jojoba extract in the formula hydrates the lid and lets you blend with your finger for that intentionally blurred look. You can also layer several coats of one shade for your look! Dip your digit into the pot, tap onto your lid, and smudge as desired. You will look like you slept in your makeup — one of the sexiest eye looks there is — but you didn’t!
Short on time? Busy? Can’t be bothered with brushes, sponges, and palettes??Then Urban Decay‘s Naked Eyeshadow Sticks are your new go-to for minimal effort and maximum appeal. These creamy twisties come in matte and shimmer finishes in neutral shades that you can layer together or wear alone for a swipe of color or a deeper, more designed look. They’re simple to use and eliminate the guesswork of pairing shades in a palette, using six different brushes to buff, blend, line, and highlight. It’s truly an apply-and-go glam look for moms, CEOs, students, novices and newbies or veterans and experts. These JUST landed on my desk and I love to play with them as a shadow and liner. They smudge like it’s their job, too.
