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These Are The Best New Makeup & Skin Care Products, According To Bustle Beauty Editors
It's officially the beginning of the holiday season, folks — but before we dive into presents, turkey, and New Year's resolutions, let's first review October's best beauty products, because it was a very bountiful month of makeup, skin care, hair, and wellness goodies. Of course, you were probably too busy readying yourself for cooler temperatures and sipping on your first pumpkin spice latte to pay attention to everything that launched last month. Worry not, Bustle's Executive Fashion and Beauty Editor Kara McGrath and I, Sara Tan (Senior Fashion and Beauty Editor) are here to fill you in and give you the recap on the products you should absolutely snag before Thanksgiving sneaks up on us all.
Every month, the beauty editors at Bustle receive hundreds of products on our desks to swatch, test, and try. (It's a hard job, but we're happy to do it.) And every month, we are tasked with the difficult decision of picking the very best beauty goods from the bunch. Similar to September, October's Bustle Beauty Editor Picks are a variety of goodies that we all fell in love with, from customizable hair masks and CBD-packed body lotions to a 30-pack of sheet masks and a perfect lipliner created by Posh Spice herself. In other words, there is something for everyone.
So before you fully dive into November, stock up on some of our favorite picks from everything that came out in October.
Sara's Picks
Winged CBD Sleepy
If you have trouble falling asleep and haven't found anything that works, consider these CBD gummies from Winged — I swear by them! Winged is a CBD brand that creates supplements specifically for women, and seeing as how women are more likely to suffer from sleep issues than men, this sleep aid was definitely something that the brand wanted to offer its customers. In addition to CBD, the gummies are also made with evening primrose oil (for hormonal support), L-Theanine (promote mental relaxation), and melatonin (to help you fall asleep).
Skinesque Wake Up & Makeup Prep Sheet Mask
There's nothing like an at-home sheet mask facial to get your face ready for a big event, but sometimes, you need something a little quicker for day-to-day. Skinesque understands, so they created a 3-minute flash sheet mask that tones, hydrates, and primes your skin. The best part? The pack contains 30 sheet masks!
Urban Decay On The Run Mini Eyeshadow Palette in "Highway Queen"
I love 24 pan eyeshadow palettes just as much as the next beauty lover, but for the most part, I usually use no more than six of the shades. That's why I was super excited when Urban Decay created its On The Run mini palettes. It has eight shades, which is plenty enough to create several different kinds of eyeshadow looks. I'm a brown/copper/bronze eyeshadow kind of gal, so the colors in "Highway Queen" really speak to me.
Then I Met You Essence
By now, you've probably heard about all of the benefits of an essence, but if you haven't found one that works for your skin, consider this one from Then I Met You. It's made with over 80% naturally fermented ingredients that work with polyglutamic acid to deeply hydrate and help your skin retain moisture. In other words, it'll make your skin feel soft, but will also help the rest of your products penetrate your skin better.
Brow Zings Pro Palette
One of my favorite steps of my makeup routine is my brows. I love using different products to outline, fill, and then set them, so when Benefit Cosmetics created an entire brow palette, I was beyond thrilled. It comes with two high-pigment sculpting waxes, one clear wax, four soft longwear powders, and two dual-ended brushes — basically everything you need to create any kind of brow. I've been traveling a bunch over the last few months and have been taking it with me wherever I go.
Victoria Bechkham Lip Liner
If you would've told me when I was 11 years old that Posh Spice would go on to create my favorite lip liner, I would've probably believed it. Posh was #goals! But really — Victoria Beckham absolutely killed it with her Lip Definers, which she created in six nude shades to work with all skin tones. It's smooth upon application and not drying, like other lip liners I've worn. And it's waterproof, so it won't feather or budge. I personally love shade number 4.
Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss in "Fruitjuice"
I love a good lip oil and I love a good lip gloss. Kosas' newest product is a little bit of both. It's packed with peptides so it plumps and hydrates my lips, but some of the colors, like "Fruitjuice," leave a luminous pigment on your lips like a gloss. It's not sticky though — just moisturizing. I love this particular shade because it gives you that I-just-ate-a-popsicle kinda look.
Ouai Body Cleanser
Ouai recently launched body products, including a body creme and this body cleanser that I haven't stopped using since it was sent to me. I'm all for fragrance-free products, but when it comes to body washes, I need a little something something. That's why I love this cleanser — the fragrance is super light, floral, and fresh. Plus, it's made with moisturizing ingredients, like jojoba seed oil and rose hip oil, as well as lactobacillus ferment, which helps kill bacteria. My skin feels soft and smells so good after I use it — what more could you ask for in a body wash?
Nourish By The Now Rose Quartz Gua Sha
The Now is my favorite place to practice self care in LA because you can get unique treatments, like a body massage using a Gua Sha tool. While I can't afford to get a massage as often as I'd like, I can now use the same Gua Sha tool that the masseuses use on me at home. After a long day, I'll apply some body lotion and use the Gua Sha to work the product in along my muscles in an soothing upward motion. Trust me — it feels amazing and yes, you need one.
Kara's Picks
I have to start with my absolute favorite launch from October: Pat McGrath's incredible Chromaluxe Hi-Lite Creams. These little tubes offer high-impact sparkle that layers easily over other makeup or can be worn alone. Words honestly can't do it justice, so check out the video I posted on my Instagram for the full effect.
To get that glitter off my face, I need a highly effective cleanser, and this new-to-the-U.S. launch from Curél definitely does the trick. This is a non-oil alternative to the oil cleansing part of a two-step routine that's just as effective as my favorite balms.
I almost always skip conditioner and go straight for a hair mask on my wash days, so I was stoked to see Function Of Beauty launch a customizable one. The base formula offers major hydration, then you can tweak it to suit your particular hair needs — in my case, that meant adding ingredients that would help strengthen my strands and protect my color.
CBD-centric brand Plant People branched out into skin care last month. I love the super creamy body lotion, which has 300mg of cannabinoids (CBD + CBC) plus lots of oils and hyaluronic acid to make your skin feel super soft.
I guess I'm still on a CBD kick, because my second body care product pick is packed with cannabinoids too. I love adding a few drops of this oil into my lotion to make for a super luxurious concoction that keeps my skin feeling hydrated all day. Plus, the smell (made from a mix of blood orange, jojoba, and lavender oils) is absolutely divine.
I love using makeup wipes — especially when I travel — but I always feel a twinge of guilt as I watch them fill up my trash can. This fall, Simple joined the sustainability movement by launching compostable versions of their amazing cleansing wipes, which the brand says will biodegrade completely in 42 days.
I get excited for every new Indie Lee launch, and this one is no exception. This super rich face cream contains all of my favorite ingredients: vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and AHAs to help protect and soothe the skin. I'll definitely be slathering it all over this winter.
Marc Jacobs Beauty's cult-favorite Highliner now comes in an incredible liquid-gel form. It has the same long-lasting effect as the original crayon version (seriously, the swatches on my hand stuck around for days after I first tried the product) but in a super easy-to-use liquid format. The Blitz Coin shade has already become a regular in my makeup arsenal.
Looking for a super unique fall fragrance? Allow me to introduce you to Maison Margiela's newest scent. The name "Coffee Break" had me nervous at first (I was fulling imagining a super-sweet coffee and cream type candle smell) but the actual coffee notes of the fragrance are subtle. It's mixed with lavender essence, green mint, orange blossom, sandalwood, and Virginian cedar for a scent that's unlike any other I've smelled.