I hate the feeling of lip gloss. The goopy-ness, the wetness, the hair plastered to my face ... it just gets an all-around "no thanks" from me. A little tube from TheBalm, though, has changed my position on lip gloss forever.
TheBalm Read My Lips, $15, is so unique because it's -- stay with me here -- slippery. It's not sticky, and it makes my lips glide over each other in a way I've never experienced with another product. It has a supernourishing, moisturizing and refreshing feeling. Any cracks or dry patches on my lips are instantly transformed in one swipe. The formula contains ginseng, a skin-regenerating antioxidant, so I feel like I'm giving my lips a little treat with every application. My lips look full and healthy -- just what you want from a gloss. I can't resist the pop art packaging and subtle fruity scent, either.
Another bonus is the color payoff--it's rare that a gloss has a completely opaque shade. All of the colors are high-impact, and the "Bam!" color seems to flatter everyone. I can't wait to get my hands on more shades. --Kelly Searle
TheBalm Read My Lips, $15, is so unique because it's -- stay with me here -- slippery. It's not sticky, and it makes my lips glide over each other in a way I've never experienced with another product. It has a supernourishing, moisturizing and refreshing feeling. Any cracks or dry patches on my lips are instantly transformed in one swipe. The formula contains ginseng, a skin-regenerating antioxidant, so I feel like I'm giving my lips a little treat with every application. My lips look full and healthy -- just what you want from a gloss. I can't resist the pop art packaging and subtle fruity scent, either.
Another bonus is the color payoff--it's rare that a gloss has a completely opaque shade. All of the colors are high-impact, and the "Bam!" color seems to flatter everyone. I can't wait to get my hands on more shades. --Kelly Searle
I know, I know, beauty editors throw around the term "life-changing" a lot. But when I use it about Moroccanoil Dry Shampoo Dark Tones, $26, I mean it in the most literal sense.
I'm the owner of a thick, dark mane, which I've been told is a blessing. However, when I'm forced to style my hair in the mornings, it feels more like a curse. It requires daily washing and takes an excruciatingly long time to blow-dry, which just doesn't jibe with my already-rushed morning routine. Dry shampoo, praised as a game-changer amongst beauty editors, left my hair streaked white. So for years, I resigned myself to showering at night and letting my hair air-dry in my sleep, arriving to work with a damp 'do or sacrificing precious morning zzzs. Lose-lose-lose.
Turns out, the silver bullet I'd been seeking all this time was Moroccanoil's new tinted dry shampoo. It effectively soaks up oil, while leaving my hair looking and smelling clean -- sans chalky patches. And even though it's tinted, it doesn't leave brown residue on my scalp, fingers or bathroom sink. Win-win-win.
It's made for better hair days -- and better mornings, in general. --Mary Squillace
I'm the owner of a thick, dark mane, which I've been told is a blessing. However, when I'm forced to style my hair in the mornings, it feels more like a curse. It requires daily washing and takes an excruciatingly long time to blow-dry, which just doesn't jibe with my already-rushed morning routine. Dry shampoo, praised as a game-changer amongst beauty editors, left my hair streaked white. So for years, I resigned myself to showering at night and letting my hair air-dry in my sleep, arriving to work with a damp 'do or sacrificing precious morning zzzs. Lose-lose-lose.
Turns out, the silver bullet I'd been seeking all this time was Moroccanoil's new tinted dry shampoo. It effectively soaks up oil, while leaving my hair looking and smelling clean -- sans chalky patches. And even though it's tinted, it doesn't leave brown residue on my scalp, fingers or bathroom sink. Win-win-win.
It's made for better hair days -- and better mornings, in general. --Mary Squillace
The allure of the French girl cannot be denied. Tell me something is French -- a beauty product, a handbag -- and I automatically like it 30 percent more. Its country of origin gives it that certain je ne sais quoi.
Case in point: When I first walked into the (very French) Zadig & Voltaire boutique on Bleecker Street in NYC, I loved it all -- the slouchy T-shirts, the moto boots, the superskinny jeans -- even though my style is more girly dresses and pointy heels. After trying some things on, I quickly remembered that cool girl in Saint-Germain just isn't my look. The jeans are too skinny; the shirts are too messy. I felt like an imposter.
As I was about to leave empty handed, I got a whiff of something. "What is that?" I asked the salesgirl. "The perfume," she responded nonchalantly, and she handed me a bottle of Zadig & Voltaire Fragrance Tome 1 For Her, $125.
I spritzed it on my wrist, took a whiff, closed my eyes and had an ah-ha moment: I smelled French. I couldn't give her my credit card fast enough.
The scent is musky and mysterious -- even a bit masculine and, well, kind of dirty -- and seriously sexy. It smells nothing like anything you'd find in an American department store. And for good reason: It's an unusual blend of peony, almond milk, jasmine tea, woods and musk.
When I wear it -- even with a very un-French outfit -- I feel cooler, less prim and much sexier. I become -- at least in my mind -- a little French. --Dawn Davis
Case in point: When I first walked into the (very French) Zadig & Voltaire boutique on Bleecker Street in NYC, I loved it all -- the slouchy T-shirts, the moto boots, the superskinny jeans -- even though my style is more girly dresses and pointy heels. After trying some things on, I quickly remembered that cool girl in Saint-Germain just isn't my look. The jeans are too skinny; the shirts are too messy. I felt like an imposter.
As I was about to leave empty handed, I got a whiff of something. "What is that?" I asked the salesgirl. "The perfume," she responded nonchalantly, and she handed me a bottle of Zadig & Voltaire Fragrance Tome 1 For Her, $125.
I spritzed it on my wrist, took a whiff, closed my eyes and had an ah-ha moment: I smelled French. I couldn't give her my credit card fast enough.
The scent is musky and mysterious -- even a bit masculine and, well, kind of dirty -- and seriously sexy. It smells nothing like anything you'd find in an American department store. And for good reason: It's an unusual blend of peony, almond milk, jasmine tea, woods and musk.
When I wear it -- even with a very un-French outfit -- I feel cooler, less prim and much sexier. I become -- at least in my mind -- a little French. --Dawn Davis
Fun fact: It takes approximately five minutes in the sun for my ultra-fair skin to turn bright red, making it necessary for me to OD on sunscreen every time I venture outside. Since I have the kind of skin that burns and never tans, my limbs are in a constant state of pastiness. Add in the constant bruises that adorn my legs from CrossFit, and I'm almost always far too self-conscious to wear skirts and dresses unless I slather myself in a body BB cream. But those can be sticky, and most are too dark to look natural on my legs, so it was almost always easier to throw on my usual uniform of jeans.
Then I discovered La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Body Mineral Tinted Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid, $36.99. It's a tinted mineral sunscreen that goes on like a dream -- with just a bit of blending, my legs look even, smooth and less zombie-like. It absorbs superquickly, dries to a soft matte color and doesn't leave a sunscreen smell or greasy feel behind. Plus, it's got SPF 50 and is packed with free radical-fighting antioxidants. Another bonus: Because it's tinted, I never miss a spot. No more surprise sunburns. I'll be slathering this on through the summer and beyond. -- Allie Flinn
Then I discovered La Roche-Posay Anthelios 50 Body Mineral Tinted Ultra Light Sunscreen Fluid, $36.99. It's a tinted mineral sunscreen that goes on like a dream -- with just a bit of blending, my legs look even, smooth and less zombie-like. It absorbs superquickly, dries to a soft matte color and doesn't leave a sunscreen smell or greasy feel behind. Plus, it's got SPF 50 and is packed with free radical-fighting antioxidants. Another bonus: Because it's tinted, I never miss a spot. No more surprise sunburns. I'll be slathering this on through the summer and beyond. -- Allie Flinn
If you ask me to go to my happy place (between living in Los Angeles and weekly yoga classes, this happens more often than you would think), I instantly envision myself in a field of lavender. There's just something about the scent that instantly creates an aura of calm. Ask my coworkers -- I started keeping a bottle of lavender essential oil at my desk after I read that it increases calmness and helps gain trust.
Every time we get a lavender-scented product in the office, I have the highest hopes ... but I'm usually disappointed. Too often I've been let down by a scent that claims to be lavender, but actually smells artificial and sweet. Not so with the Kiss My Face 2n1 Lavender Shea Light Moisturizing Air Powered Spray, $9.99. This lotion is made with real lavender flower oil and extract, along with hydrating ingredients like shea butter, aloe vera leaf extract and sunflower seed oil. The formula itself is hydrating and light, moisturizing without leaving any trace of greasiness. And, as if I needed any more convincing, the bottle has a spray nozzle. With the push of a button I'm enveloped in a subtle, lingering scent that keeps me in my happy place for hours. --Emily Woodruff
Every time we get a lavender-scented product in the office, I have the highest hopes ... but I'm usually disappointed. Too often I've been let down by a scent that claims to be lavender, but actually smells artificial and sweet. Not so with the Kiss My Face 2n1 Lavender Shea Light Moisturizing Air Powered Spray, $9.99. This lotion is made with real lavender flower oil and extract, along with hydrating ingredients like shea butter, aloe vera leaf extract and sunflower seed oil. The formula itself is hydrating and light, moisturizing without leaving any trace of greasiness. And, as if I needed any more convincing, the bottle has a spray nozzle. With the push of a button I'm enveloped in a subtle, lingering scent that keeps me in my happy place for hours. --Emily Woodruff
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.