I Tried 23 New Beauty Products This Month, and These 7 Are My Favorites

And I have one question for you!

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Greetings and salutations, friends. I most certainly hope this finds you well. Like so many of you, I’ve been in lockdown mode for the past few weeks, and with so much time at home (which I know I am fortunate to have), not to mention Mercury being in retrograde, I’m picking up projects that I haven’t tackled in a minute or two. My pantry is shipshape, we passed along gear our kids have outgrown to new families, and I’m finally organizing all of the latest beauty products that I am lucky enough to receive for work.

Okay, so the last one isn’t entirely true. I will organize said products, but the last few weeks, I have been in testing mode, and there are bottles, balms, pots, and palettes everywhere right now, as my endlessly tolerant husband will attest. See, I am a stickler for true testing and really like to give new products a full, multi-week opportunity to prove themselves. Some fail right out of the gate, others try but don’t have quite the right stuff, and a few make it through my Virgo process and win a spot on my shelf. I’m happy to share seven of those noteworthy products today and hope you know that they are truly tested and, I believe, worth your money. May they bring a little sunshine to your day as they have mine, even on the bleakest winter days.

Summer Fridays Light Aura Vitamin C and Peptide Eye Cream ($42)

Full disclosure: I have sensitive eyes and don’t care much about dark circles, which means I’m not usually delighted by most eye creams. (In fact, Shani Darden’s Intensive Eye Renewal is the only thing I’ve ever used in a sustained way because it’s so gentle.) So you can imagine my delight when I found something new and wonderful from the lovely team at Summer Fridays.

Its new Light Aura Vitamin C and Peptide Eye Cream is just what your dreary January needs. I’ve been using it in the morning after serums, before moisturizer and sunscreen, and it’s super lightweight, soaks into my skin quickly, and, best of all, doesn’t make my mascara melt all over my face. The caffeine in the formula helps de-puff, and my under-eyes look brighter every time I use it thanks to the formula’s natural light reflectors.

Shani Darden Lactic Acid Exfoliating Serum ($88)

And speaking of Shani, I know I’ve mentioned her new serum already, but HOLY MOLY it keeps getting better the longer I use it. Is it worth your money? Absolutely, unless you don’t like glowing skin, in which case… I don’t get you. Anyway, it’s a 9% lactic acid serum that you use at night—do not use other products with retinol, retinoids, or other alpha hydroxy acids on the same night—and I am wildly impressed by how happy my skin looks after I use it.

Per Shani, I started out using it twice a week but now am up to every other night with no irritation or issues. I have a couple of darker spots on my cheeks that are the ghosts of pimples past, and after just a few weeks, they are noticeably lighter. All I want in life is even skin, and I feel like this is definitely helping already. Run to buy it. Do not walk.

Facile Brighten Serum ($38)

This serum was created by one of my gurus, Dr. Nancy Samolitis, who is known for being particularly gifted when it comes to reducing melasma. (I may have referred to her as the “melasma whisperer” to a friend recently.)

If you struggle with melasma, uneven skin tone, or red or dark post-pimple spots, you definitely need to check this out. The formula contains 5% tranexamic acid, 5% azelaic acid, and niacinamide (but no vitamin C, which is great if that ingredient is irritating for you), which work together to fade discoloration and strengthen the skin barrier.

I’ve been using it in the morning as my first post-shower step and love the fact that the formula also gives me a little glow, which you can see even under my tinted moisturizer. The texture is light and wonderful, too, and I’m obsessed with the bottle’s dropper, which dispenses just the right amount every time.

Versed Firm Ground Retinol Body Lotion ($18)

I have a bad habit of treating my face like a fancy, fancy princess and then the skin on the rest of my body like it has somehow insulted my honor and deserves the silent treatment. (Neglect is too kind of a word for it.) But they say being aware of a problem is the first step, and now I’m doing something about it, starting with Versed’s awesome new retinol body lotion.

If your elbows are like sandpaper or you’re starting to get crêpey skin on your chest or you get those lovely chicken skin bumps on your body (hey, that’s me), this stuff is for you. You know how retinol is divine for making your face look healthy and fresh? Well, trust me when I say your body deserves that treatment too. One note though: I use this at night because retinol makes your skin sun sensitive, so if you insist on applying it in the morning, make sure you are slathering yourself in sunscreen, which you should be doing anyway.

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Perfect Strokes Universal Mascara ($20)

Most celebrity beauty lines are, sadly, a yawn at best—obviously, Fenty Beauty by Rihanna is a clear exception to this—but I have been quite impressed with the handful of Rare Beauty products I’ve tried. Like all the Sephora reviewers and Who What Wear editors, I really like the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, especially when I warm it up on the back of my hand rather than apply it directly to my cheeks. The brand’s Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner works well for me too, and I really like the felt-tip brush. But surprisingly, I’m perhaps most intrigued by the mascara.

As you probably know, I’m Team Dior Diorshow Iconic Overcurl Mascara for life, but this Rare Beauty one is definitely one of the best new mascaras I’ve tried in the last few years. (And yes, I buy them all.) This one isn’t as much of a curling formula on me. However, it has an excellent wand, and the formula is incredibly buildable, which is nice for anyone who applies a zillion coats. It’s quite volumizing, gives good length, and isn’t clumpy at all. Way to go, Gomez.

Patrick Ta Major Brow Shaping Wax ($22)

I have slightly mixed feelings on getting my brows laminated. The TL;DR is I like it, but I’m not sure I want to add this treatment to my permanent rotation, especially because there are lots of excellent products on the market that give you the effect without the full process. While some of the makeup artists I work with (and model Ashley Graham, NBD) swear by drugstore favorite Göt2b hair gel to give the lamination look, I wanted to try Ta’s version, which offers good hold and a much more conditioning formula.

I was not disappointed! I bought the clear version and use it with a little water to activate and a clear spooly brush, and while my brows are not glued in place, they definitely are lifted and stay put, plus they’re not as brittle as when I use soap, gel, or hair spray. It’s not an everyday must-have these days, but I still find myself reaching for it several days a week, as my brows are one of the only things you can see above my ever-present mask.

Tower 28 BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Cream Blush ($20)

Do you remember when Stila’s Convertible Color compacts came out? Like 20-plus years ago? Ever since then, I have been besotted with lip-to-cheek products, and when I heard about Tower 28’s iteration, I was more than curious, especially since the brand is the first one to follow the National Eczema Association’s ingredient list, meaning the formula is extremely gentle.

Per TikTok, I bought Happy Hour, which is a bright pink that might look intimidating in the compact, but it’s actually super sheer, buildable, and blendable. I think it gives you a lovely glowy look, though it feels more like a balm and less like a cream blush to me.

QUICK CHAT

Rather than answering your questions this week, I have one for you. If you read my recent story on unfuckupable recipes, you know that I like low-fuss, high-impact cooking. One thing I don’t have in my repertoire is an excellent salmon recipe—and here’s the kicker—for someone who doesn’t really like salmon. I don’t want a recipe that lets the fish shine through, because I’m not a huge fan of salmon. I eat it because I should, and I keep hoping that with enough exposure, I will learn to love it. (Yes, I realize I sound like a picky toddler on this topic, but I’m sorry. The smell isn’t it for me!) I would like to change this. So if you have an excellent recipe for salmon that caters to folks who don’t like salmon, would you be so kind as to share it with me?

My hope is that you will put it in the comments below so that other lovely readers may avail themselves of it, but honestly, I will take it in any format. I just want to love salmon! Help me, please! And that’s that.

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!