This year, beauty trends take to eyes and skincare as masks cover once pronounced lips, and DIY hair goes mainstream. With the new fall season approaching, brands follow suit and introduce fabulous products for our new beauty protocols. Check out these five new releases, along with my pro tips for best application. X, Lauria.
If any brand can do color, it’s NYX. It’s new Epic Wear Eyeliner Sticks serve up two dozen hues of pro-quality metallics and mattes. And they’re so fuuuuuuuun to play with, especially during mask season when eyes score all the attention. Their application is super smooth, drawing the line between a liner and shadow stick, yet somehow waterproof. I blended both the Magenta Shock (hot pink) and Turquoise Storm (blue-green) with Periwinkle Pop (silver pink) to create a shimmery, ombre effect. While the black liner can draw some smokin’ looks with an angled brush, I fancied using it to tight-line the other colors, making them pop. Note that the dope packaging makes the liners look retractable, but these little numbers are classic pencils, so keep your sharpener on hand as these become your new go-to.
Don’t let the colors turn you off or (as in my case) on! The gorgeous, juicy hues in Soap & Glory’s Treat My Lips Ultra-Smoothing Lip Oil are barely tints of what you see in the tube—and a delicious treat for the lips. Infused with Orchid Flower and Rosehip oil extract, these tubes of oil promise to moisturize, smooth lines, and reduce texture. Frankly, I’m in love and might be cheating on my favorite balm with this multitasker that not only provides that immediate relief, but also adds a bit of color, and can be worn alone or over another lipstick. With a clear option as well, there’s no one this won’t work for.
L’Oréal Paris gives its cult-classics a run for their money with its new Air Volume Mega Mascara. The brand’s first “whipped texture” mascara claims to volumize lashes up to 10 times, with a light-as-air feel, and a smudge- and flake-resistant, 24-hold. While the creamy formula coated smoothly with a lovely build, Air Volume’s most notable attribute was its thick one-width wand/bristles, giving the applicator the playful feel of an extra-thick crayon. Since positioning the wand in my usual, curved wiggle didn’t make sense here, I found that an extra-tight pre-mascara curl and a consistent horizontal sweep of this magic wand most successfully created an almost faux-lashes-status bright-eyed look.
NYX Bare With Me Primer provides a moisturizing boost of cannabis sativa seed oil for extra silky-smooth hydration. With SPF 30 to boot, this primer and sunscreen in one can be worn under makeup or all alone for a boost of healthy-looking protection. The moisture feels supple, and the texture didn’t turn to that powder-soft primer feeling immediately, but rather after a few minutes of absorption. The fragrance has a fresh, light, almost shampoo-like scent that I can see many loving and others dismissing for a fragrance-free option. I’d recommend this pro primer to my friends who have normal to dry skin who could use a little touch of luxury in their morning routines.
Who doesn’t love a good waterproof mascara? No7 does us right with its new The Full 360 (shown and tried here in brown). While forever an advocate eyelash curlers, this curved brush provides a quick, curled fix for many circumstances in which this little tube of magic might come in handy. The formula is conditioning, not flakey, and surprisingly very buildable. This secret weapon is no longer declared for beaches and brides: I also tried it in my brows (first swipe up with mascara, then again with a clean brow brush), leaving them darker, set, and full. Lastly, washing off this waterproof formula was painless and simple–just a little gentle cleanser, and its loveliness was gone.
