I Tried 34 Beauty Products in the Last 2 Months, and These 6 Are Worth the Money
And 3 of them are less than $13!
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It’s been a minute since I did a beauty-product review, but it’s time to dive in again, and this time, the list is even more curated than usual. Why? Because I respect your time and money, and there’s a lot of garbage on the market right now. Well, not garbage, but definitely a lot of fun-but-not-particularly-efficacious stuff is out there getting hyped on TikTok for no discernible reason, and I’m just not that into it!
But you know what I am into? Rose Inc products. I think it’s the sleeper hit of the makeup world, and honestly, it’s incredibly well done. So much so, I put not one but TWO products from Rose Inc on this list, and truthfully, I could have included more. (Like the Skin Enhance Luminous Skin Tint Serum Foundation, which is excellent, though works best if your skin is already relatively decent, and yes, that’s a flex, and the Softlight Clean Dewy Hydrating Concealer, which is divine, seriously divine, no matter how your skin is. Ugh, they’re so good.) But that’s neither here nor there!
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this list, all of which I tested for at least 60 days so that I can tell you honestly that it’s worth it.
Rose Inc Blush Divine Clean Dewy Cream Blush ($30) in Azalea
If I could only spend money on one single beauty product this month—or even this quarter—I think this cream blush would be it. Do not be scared by Sephora’s categorization of the color as berry; I think it’s actually more of a dark, pinky coral, and it’s wildly, wildly, wildly pretty on the skin. (It’s also Rosie Huntington-Whiteley’s “fave,” according to the Rose Inc site.)
While I generally prefer a cream blush—so yes, I was inclined to like this one—it’s a truly exceptional product. It’s super blendable and buildable but still has a decent amount of pigmentation, plus it just melts into your skin, making you look exceptionally, naturally glowy. It’s not heavily marketed for the lips, but I’ve been wearing it on mine, and I 11/10 recommend trying it.
Rose Inc Number 4 Dual-Ended Concealer Brush ($32)
Much like kitchen knives, there are countless makeup brushes on the market right now, most of which are basically unnecessary. I’ve tested tons, but recommend almost none of them. I’m making an exception to this rule for the Rose Inc double-sided concealer brush, which is my favorite brush in this category, in no small part because you can use it in a zillion ways.
The vegan brush does the job it was made for beautifully, letting you cover an area precisely, contour where necessary, and buff product into your skin for that no-makeup makeup look. It’s also unimaginably soft, and I honestly cannot imagine doing my makeup without it now.
Tower 28 SOS Daily Rescue Facial Spray ($12)
I’ve been a big fan of Tower 28 for ages—I wear its BeachPlease Lip + Cheek Color allll the time—because the products are great and formulated to also work for folks with super-temperamental, sensitive skin (ahem: me). But even so, I am not inclined to ever purchase a facial spray, until I read about Tower 28’s version, which is formulated with hypochlorous acid. If this ingredient is unfamiliar to you, it’s an antimicrobial that’s used in medical settings all the time for wound healing. In terms of day-to-day skincare, it’s noteworthy because it also fights bacteria (which lead to clogged pores and acne) and inflammation (it helps soothe eczema and psoriasis).
I spray it on clean skin in the morning and let it dry before moving on to the rest of my skincare routine and sometimes do the same thing at night, in the same order. My summer skin, which always runs on the fussy side, has been significantly calmer and smoother, and it also helps with weird bug bites, wrist rashes from my Apple Watch band, and even little scrapes. The brand also just launched a more concentrated serum version, if that’s more your speed.
First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub With 10% AHA ($12)
Because you’re gonna hear about all my skin woes this week, let’s talk about something else that mildly annoys me: keratosis pilaris, aka chicken-skin bumps. I’ve had mild (sometimes moderate) KP on my upper arms since I was a kid, and while it’s mostly under control these days, I still get flare-ups from time to time, usually during summer. One thing that really helps is this body scrub, which I use once or twice a week. While I’d personally never use a granular exfoliant on sensitive skin like my face, it’s never irritated my arms.
That said, the formula does contain glycolic and lactic acid, which can make me a smidge more sun-sensitive than usual, so I don’t recommend using it seconds before going to the beach, for example. It’s not marketed for body acne or exfoliation, but it also is quite effective for both.
Ouai Thick and Full Hair Supplements ($42)
I am not a supplement person. After years of requests from all my doctors, I finally started taking a daily dose of vitamin D, and as I’ve written about, I am also quite religious about my Seed probiotics, which have helped heal my gut after a particularly intensive round of antibiotics I got in the hospital after my daughter’s birth—but that’s it. Two kinds! For your average L.A. resident, that’s basically nothing.
And now, I can say I’m officially committed to another new one: Ouai’s Thick and Full Supplements. My hair right now is pretty okay due to the fact that I have significantly reduced the number of days a week I heat-style my hair and also because I basically stopped using dry shampoo. But I have really fine hair, and I feel like there could always be more of it, right?
So when the Ouai team sent me these supplements, I thought, Just try it, and see what happens? That was two months ago, and I can confidently say that these pills are legit. I have taken them every day and have loads of new hair growth, especially underneath my bangs, right at the hairline, and it seems like I’m shedding less. Even better: Unlike many other hair supplements I’ve taken in the past, these don’t make my scalp greasy, and I swear they’ve made my brows and lashes a little better. But here’s the thing: It takes a while to see results, which is true of any supplement, so if you can commit, I think you will like the results.
Olive & June Nail Polish ($9) in Field Day
I always get excited when a new Olive & June polish collection comes out, and founder/CEO Sarah Gibson Tuttle really didn’t miss with this one. I don’t know about you, but I personally always want at least one red in rotation during the summer, and this watermelon red is a truly delicious option. Normally, I find pink-reds a little unsophisticated, but this one is nice and juicy without being too shouty.
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!