Sara's Picks

Benefit Cosmetics is known for their brow products, so when they launch a new one, you know it's bound to be good. The latest tool from the San Francisco-based brand features two different ends: a wax pencil on one side and a powder on the other. I personally love the powder and its felt tip applicator, because you can precisely apply pigment where you'd like and the formula prevents any fallout from getting on the rest of your face.

If you're like me and have a love-hate relationship with high heels (love the way they look, hate the way they feel) then you *need* to try this product out. It's a collaboration from Lord Jones and Meghan Markle favorite shoe brand Tamara Mellon and it was made to alleviate foot pain from those high heels and stilettos. I tried the product out for a wedding last month and was pleasantly surprised when I was still standing comfortably in my heels and moving on the dance floor, five hours after I applied the cream.

Marianna Hewitt and Lauren Gores are back at it with another Summer Fridays product that does more than just look good on your Instagram. Their new brightening serum is packed with all of the trendy, but hardworking, skin care ingredients you've been hearing about and should be using — vitamin C (two types!), squalane, and collagen. I use it during the day and it makes my skin feel hydrated and look glowy. I haven't seen any firming results yet, but I'm on the lookout.

I have always been a fan of Kylie Cosmetics Lip Kits, but was particularly excited about her newest formula launch: the Lip Blush. It's much lighter than her OG formula, so it feels less drying, but still delivers a gorgeous, matte wash of color that's a little more sheer than her typical lipsticks. I'm personally obsessed with I'm Blushing, a soft coral red.

Yes, yes, this serum costs a good chunk of your paycheck, but hear me out. It's a reformulation of a best-selling product from the luxury skin care brand, which means it was already good, but now it's even better. It features a new proprietary blend, The Metabolic Ferment, which supposedly helps skin boost natural collagen and helps with redness and inflammation. It also protects against environmental stressors and has a new delivery system that’s supposed to help the product penetrate deeper and more evenly. I love that it has a lotion consistency, so it absorbs quickly into my skin. After a few weeks of use, my face really does feel firmer.

Kara's Picks

Not to be dramatic, but this dry shampoo has basically changed my life. As the name implies, it's made for days when your hair is feeling extra oily — think day three and beyond between shampoos (the longest I've made it with this stuff is a whole week). Even though it does a great job absorbing grease and dirt, it somehow doesn't give you as much gritty buildup as a lot of other dry shampoos. Plus, it smell so incredible.

I've definitely never gotten this excited about a deodorant launch before. This new formula from Secret has all the odor and sweat-blocking properties you're used to from the brand, but is also made with essential oils that make each stick smell as good as a fancy perfume. Also, the packaging is so pretty that I actually keep it out in my bathroom.

I love fall fragrance launches. They tend to be moody and spicy and leathery and everything I adore in a perfume. This year, my signature scent has become this new one from Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn-based brand D.S. & Durga. Oud can be a polarizing scent, but I happen to love the oil, which the D.S. & D site describes as "at once woody, spicy, floral, smoky, rooty, musky, fine, fecal, and animalic." Notorious Oud also has notes of rose and lavender, which helps lighten it up just a touch without getting too floral. Plus, the husband-and-wife founders of the brand, Kavi and David, just ooze coolness.

Not shockingly at all, retinol is one of my favorite skin care ingredients. However, it does tend to irritate my skin if I use it every night. This September, Olay launched a line of retinol products that time release throughout the day (hence the "24" in the name) so your skin isn't getting blasted with a full dose of retinol all at once. I've found this really reduces irritation in my skin, especially when I use the brand's super creamy night moisturizer.

If you're looking for the hydration of a leave-in conditioner but are nervous about weighing your hair down, this new mist is gonna be your jam. It's made with jojoba, argan, and coconut oils so it's great for detangling and smoothing, but doesn't leave that product-y feel some leave-ins do. Plus, it has anti-pollution and UV blocking ingredients, so it's especially good for color treated hair that needs a little extra protection.