I used to think moisturizer was kind of "meh." I've spent most of my life in Florida, where the constant haze of humidity renders it unnecessary. Then I moved to California, and the desert air sucked all the water out of my pores and then some. My skin was parched.
Enter: Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream. This is a lightweight, divine-smelling, non-pore-clogging moisturizer that somehow keeps my skin super-hydrated while not feeling thick or heavy. Other moisturizers cause breakouts and allergic reactions or do weird things to my makeup, but not this cucumber-scented cream.
I could go on about the superstar ingredients and the anti-aging effects, but this pretty much sums it up: My medicine cabinet (alright, it's more like a complete IKEA storage system) is packed full of moisturizers, and this is the one I reach for again and again. --Emily Woodruff
Enter: Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream. This is a lightweight, divine-smelling, non-pore-clogging moisturizer that somehow keeps my skin super-hydrated while not feeling thick or heavy. Other moisturizers cause breakouts and allergic reactions or do weird things to my makeup, but not this cucumber-scented cream.
I could go on about the superstar ingredients and the anti-aging effects, but this pretty much sums it up: My medicine cabinet (alright, it's more like a complete IKEA storage system) is packed full of moisturizers, and this is the one I reach for again and again. --Emily Woodruff
Confession time: I use my flat iron way more often than I probably should. Luckily, I found AG Hair Firewall Argan Flat Iron Spray, $24, aka my new enabler. It covers up any trace evidence of my reliance on hot tools -- along with any evidence that it's a heat protectant spray.
As a heat-tool devotee, I've been through my fair share of heat protectants, and the majority of them left me with a "but." This one smells great ... but it leaves my hair feeling sticky. This one goes on smoothly ... but it leaves damp spots on my hair. When I first sprayed AG's Firewall onto my hair before my flat-iron ritual, I couldn't find anything to pick apart. It sprays in a super fine mist that doesn't wet the hair, it smells amazing and it really brings out shine. Yes, I'm still plugging in -- but thanks to Firewall, I feel considerably less guilty doing so. --Erica Smith
As a heat-tool devotee, I've been through my fair share of heat protectants, and the majority of them left me with a "but." This one smells great ... but it leaves my hair feeling sticky. This one goes on smoothly ... but it leaves damp spots on my hair. When I first sprayed AG's Firewall onto my hair before my flat-iron ritual, I couldn't find anything to pick apart. It sprays in a super fine mist that doesn't wet the hair, it smells amazing and it really brings out shine. Yes, I'm still plugging in -- but thanks to Firewall, I feel considerably less guilty doing so. --Erica Smith
Sunday nights are bubble bath time in my house. It's the one little ritual I have to calm and center myself before another hectic week. Unfortunately, I run out of bath products faster than I run out of a carton of milk. I have to pump and pump to get suds from most bubble bath products, and they just don't last.
Then I found Laura Mericer Almond Coconut Milk Honey Bath, $45, and fell in love. The jar comes with a little honeycomb stick to scoop out the product and put under running water. After one or two swirls through the bath water with the stick, my bath is literally brimming with bubbles that last for the duration of my soak. Not only am I impressed with the suds quality, but the scent is warm and rich and lingers for days afterward like I have invisible candles lit. My skin is left silky and fragrant, and I'm left at peace until at least Tuesday. --Hayley Mason
Then I found Laura Mericer Almond Coconut Milk Honey Bath, $45, and fell in love. The jar comes with a little honeycomb stick to scoop out the product and put under running water. After one or two swirls through the bath water with the stick, my bath is literally brimming with bubbles that last for the duration of my soak. Not only am I impressed with the suds quality, but the scent is warm and rich and lingers for days afterward like I have invisible candles lit. My skin is left silky and fragrant, and I'm left at peace until at least Tuesday. --Hayley Mason
Every time Marc Jacobs launches a new lipstick or nail polish, I can't rest until I've stashed it neatly in my makeup bin. Back in the day before Jacobs launched his makeup line, I was all about his fragrances. This is when I got into Daisy Eau So Fresh.
While I prefer a fragrance that's warm and musky once the temperature starts to drop, in these warmer spring and summer months, I'm all about light florals and juicy fruit scents. And no one does a fresh summer scent like MJ.
Notes of grapefruit, raspberry and apple blossom give this fragrance a scent that's as sweet and girly as its daisy-decorated bottle. A quick spritz in the morning or afternoon is enough to garner compliments from strangers (which is, I admit, slightly creepy). Its super-soft scent also means you can cover yourself in it without getting side-eyed by everyone on the elevator. Thus, it's the perfect solution for when you hit the snooze button a few too many times and your only option is a Marc Jacobs shower -- not that I've ever done that. --Marissa DeSantis
While I prefer a fragrance that's warm and musky once the temperature starts to drop, in these warmer spring and summer months, I'm all about light florals and juicy fruit scents. And no one does a fresh summer scent like MJ.
Notes of grapefruit, raspberry and apple blossom give this fragrance a scent that's as sweet and girly as its daisy-decorated bottle. A quick spritz in the morning or afternoon is enough to garner compliments from strangers (which is, I admit, slightly creepy). Its super-soft scent also means you can cover yourself in it without getting side-eyed by everyone on the elevator. Thus, it's the perfect solution for when you hit the snooze button a few too many times and your only option is a Marc Jacobs shower -- not that I've ever done that. --Marissa DeSantis
There are a million BB creams on the market, and I've tried them all. Even after all that testing, Amarte Natural Finish BB Cream remains my favorite.
The finish is amazing -- natural-looking, just like the name says, but with enough coverage where you want it. And a little goes a long way -- it's pricey, but the bottle lasts forever. I especially love that it has SPF 36, anti-aging peptides and moisturizing argan oil, which gives it a lovely, creamy texture. I get compliments on my glowing skin whenever I wear it, which is the best evidence of all that this is one wonderful BB. --Dawn Davis
The finish is amazing -- natural-looking, just like the name says, but with enough coverage where you want it. And a little goes a long way -- it's pricey, but the bottle lasts forever. I especially love that it has SPF 36, anti-aging peptides and moisturizing argan oil, which gives it a lovely, creamy texture. I get compliments on my glowing skin whenever I wear it, which is the best evidence of all that this is one wonderful BB. --Dawn Davis
Ever had a beauty product you love so much that you shook, hacked, scraped or squeezed its container until you were absolutely positive you had expended all of its precious contents? Rare indeed is the product that elicits that deliciously desperate feeling, especially in beauty editors. So when our team of beauty mavens encounters a rave-worthy product, you know it's the real deal. Herewith, our editors rattle off their "beauty empties," aka the best beauty products that they can't help but use until the last drop. Read on for their best nail polishes, hair products, skin care products and makeup now.