3 Beauty Products That Make Me Feel Sane Despite Mercury Retrograde

Perfect for transitioning from summer to fall.

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Maybe it’s just me, but this week has been a bit overwhelming. My kids started school (thankfully everyone is doing fine), L.A. has a crazy heat wave going on, work is starting its busiest season (fashion month into holiday is no joke), our dream September cover came out with Kerry Washington, the Queen news, I have a huge work presentation in London next week and still haven’t packed or even picked my main outfit, and as I’m writing this, I’m lying on my bed because I got the new bivalent booster and am feeling the effects (but hooray for science!). And on top of that, we have a full moon upon us, and Mercury is officially in retrograde from September 9 through October 1, and everything, everything, feels catawampus.

When I feel super overwhelmed, like I do right now, sometimes it eases my mind to streamline my beauty routine, which gives me the false sense of being in control. So instead of a big roundup or trying on 54 bodysuits (don’t worry, that’s gonna happen), today’s newsletter is a very curated three-product roundup of beauty essentials (two new, one not) that I’m currently swooning over and depending on in the middle of all this madness. May they bring you as much joy as they bring me!

Tower 28 Beauty MakeWaves Lengthening + Curling Clean Mascara ($20)

My desert-island product is mascara, by a factor of like 1000. It’s the only thing I wear every single day (besides my Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen, which doesn’t count), and I try nearly every single option on the market. My go-to is Dior’s Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara, but I’ve been flirting with Rare Beauty’s excellent iteration too.

And now a new beloved has entered the chat: Tower 28 Beauty’s brand-new MakeWaves Lengthening + Curling Mascara. Like my other two favorites, it’s a curling formulation because I am simply too lazy to curl my lashes. No judgment if you’re into curling; I am not great at it and frankly have never cared to up my game because sometimes mediocrity is freeing. Unlike the other two, this one is made for my sensitive babies. Everything Tower 28 Beauty makes follows the National Eczema Association's ingredient guidelines, and it’s part of the Clean at Sephora program.

Most clean mascaras are meh at best, but this one is actually excellent. The brush is a little different, which takes a second to get used to, but I felt like I’d mastered it by the second time I used it. The wand lets you really define the shorter lashes on the inside of your lid, closest to your nose, while the outer part of the wand helps build volume on the outside of your lash line.

One of the first days I tested this mascara, I put it on at 7:30 in the morning, ran around all day, cried once, sweat through a workout, and 12 hours later, it was still basically in place. (I’d say it lost no more than 10% to 15% of the original volume and curl my lashes had after my morning application, which is quite excellent for me.)

BEST OF ALL: It came off easily in the shower with my regular face wash, and when I tested with two other face washes (Facile’s, which is gentle and I love, and Vanicream’s, which is great if you have sensitive skin), it worked just as well. Now I know that this might not seem like a big deal to most of you, but I pretty much refuse to use eye makeup remover, so the ease with which I can remove mascara means something to me. I’m not saying it’s right or that you have to do it too; just my own personal preference.

Long story long: This mascara is great. You can really layer it to get a more dramatic look (my preference) or just stick to a coat or two for a more mellow look. I don’t personally care too much that it’s clean—I mean, it’s nice but not my top priority for this specific product—but I do think that’s a wonderful plus, especially because it works like its less virtuous counterparts.

Peripera Ink Velvet Lip Tint ($6) in 26/Well-Made Nude

This lip tint isn’t new, but I love her so much I just wanted to make sure she’s on your radar. Peripera is a Korean cosmetics brand that is beloved by folks around the world and all over TikTok. I first heard about it from Faith Xue when she was the editorial director for Byrdie (she’s now the executive beauty director at Bustle!) many moons ago, and then Who What Wear’s editor in chief, Kat Collings, reminded me of it this summer.

It’s a long-lasting lip stain that comes in a wide range of colors—there are over 20 on Amazon alone—and is available at an affordable price point. The stain itself has a smooth and velvety (as promised in the name) consistency but doesn’t give you overly dry lips, and it’s wildly lightweight. Like so lightweight I forget I’m wearing it.

While I’m not normally much for a nude lip, I actually enjoy this one quite a bit and also got Vitality Coral, which is a bit punchier and brighter. Honestly, at this price point, especially given the high level of pigment, I very much think it’s worth experimenting with a range of colors. I’m buying Sellout Red next and then am going to dip into some of the more bordeaux colors as we get into cool weather this fall.

Kosas Revealer Skin-Improving Foundation SPF 25 ($42)

As I mentioned earlier, while mascara and sunblock are musts for me, foundation is definitely not. But just because I don’t use it every day doesn’t mean I don’t love it and that it doesn’t have a place in my makeup bag. Truthfully, I haven’t thought about updating this part of my routine in a while, until I was in the Who What Wear office this week and couldn’t stop staring at our beauty director Erin Jahns’s skin. She has great skin anyway, but it was even more luminous and radiant than usual, like an actual real-life filter. (I know folks say that all the time, but this time, I really mean it.)

She immediately volunteered that it was Kosas’s new foundation, and that she and her mom love it because it gives great coverage but feels lightweight, never settles into your fine lines, and has a blurring effect. Reader, when I tell you I bought it that night, I am not kidding. And you know what? It lives us to the hype.

As always, thank you for being here, and thank you for sticking around. If you have any questions or concerns, or want me to touch on any topics in particular, I’m all ears. Leave a comment on Hi Everyone’s Bulletin or DM me on Instagram—I’m @hillarykerr—my inbox is always open!