Beauty
Beauty
The Best Hair Serum, and the Amber Bottle From a Tel Aviv Salon
The best hair serum depends on the job, whether that is shine, frizz, split ends or repair after heat and color. Here are sixteen, from argan and honey oils to overnight serums, bond builders and leave-in milks.
Burgundy Nail Polish for Fall
Burgundy nail polish is the manicure that says fall has arrived. Here are the burgundies, plums and browns I would paint on this season, plus the reds, press-ons and top coats that keep a dark manicure looking fresh.
Benefit Blush, From the Original Benetint to Juice Stick
Benefit blush began in 1976 with a rose-tinted stain made by two twins in a tiny San Francisco shop. Here are the Benetint shades, the powders and gel-creams, and a few tints I would put next to them.
Sticker Nails, and the 1937 Idea Behind Them
Sticker nails feel new, but glue-on nail appliques were being tried in 1937. Here are gel nail strips and nail art stickers that put a design on your hands in minutes.
My Fall Makeup Essentials
Fall makeup, for me, is about warmth and a little glow rather than more coverage. I want skin that looks like skin, eyes with some depth, cheeks that read as a flush and lips that feel cared for. These are the formulas I am reaching for as the light gets lower.
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc and the Sun-Soaked Soleil Collection
Tom Ford Soleil Blanc is the coconut, cardamom and ylang ylang perfume that made a beach day into a signature scent. Here is the wider Soleil family, plus solar coconut perfumes and shimmering body oils that keep the glow going.
Estée Lauder Double Wear: The Foundation That Outlasted Its Decade
Estée Lauder Double Wear first launched in 1997 and is still the brand's number one foundation worldwide. Here is the full Double Wear family, the long-wear foundations from other brands I compare it with, and the powders and sprays that help any base last through a long day.
A Nail Set, From Revlon's First Enamel to the At-Home Kit
A nail set is the whole manicure in one box, and the idea goes back to the first pigmented nail enamel in 1932. These are the polish and gel sets and the tool and care kits worth a look.
The Dyson Travel Hair Dryer, Ten Years After Project Lion
The Dyson travel hair dryer is a smaller, lighter Supersonic that switches voltage on its own, so it works almost anywhere you land. Here it is next to other travel dryers and mini hot tools, plus a small carry-on hair kit.
Pixi Blush and the Dewy Cream Blushes That Sit Beside It
Pixi blush started with a makeup artist who wanted color that enhances skin instead of covering it. Here are the On-the-Glow sticks and LiquidGlow serums, plus the glowy creams and dewy liquids I would put next to them.
Twist It, Dry It, Curl It: Living With the Shark FlexStyle
The Shark FlexStyle turns from a dryer into a multi-styler with a twist of the handle, and it has changed how a lot of us think about air styling. Here is the lineup, the other Shark tools that share its logic, and the frizz-taming products I pair with them.
Innersense Shampoo, the Organic Hairbaths From Two Stylists
Innersense shampoo comes from two hairstylists who wanted cleaner formulas for their own family, and the brand calls its shampoos Hairbaths. Here are six Hairbaths and two conditioners, plus the stylers, oil and conditioners that finish the routine.
A Better Makeup Mirror Starts With the Light, Not the Frame
A good makeup mirror is really a light source with a reflection attached, and that is how I shop for one. This edit covers the lighted vanity mirrors for a desk or dresser, the magnifying ones for close work, and the compact and tri-fold mirrors that travel.
The Best Lipstick for Every Kind of Day
The best lipstick depends on the day you are having, not on one magic bullet. Here are the satin, matte and sheer lipsticks I would pick for the office, a long dinner and a lazy weekend.
Good Girl Blush and the Pink Perfumes Around It
Good Girl Blush is the powdery pink cousin of Carolina Herrera's famous stiletto bottle, and it has plenty of company. Here are the blush named scents, the rose perfumes and the warm vanillas I would line up next to it.
Why I Went Back to Powder: A Texture Powder Guide for Flat, Tired Roots
A texture powder is one of the oldest tricks in hair, and the modern versions are far lighter than the flour and starch once dusted over wigs. This edit covers the powders for grip and lift at the roots, the texture sprays for thicker looking hair, and the dry shampoos that stretch a wash day.
A Clay Mask, From a Village Called Gaoling to Your Sink
A clay mask is one of the oldest ideas in skincare, and the best ones now come in creams, whips and even sheets. Here are sixteen to sort by how much clay your skin can take.
Primer Makeup, Matched to What Your Skin Actually Does
Primer makeup works best when it matches what your skin actually does, like shine by noon, dry patches or makeup that slides off. These are the blurring primers for pores and oil, the hydrating ones for glow, and the grippy and eyeshadow primers that keep everything in place.
Shampoo Sin Sal, and Why Salt-Free Matters After a Keratin Treatment
Shampoo sin sal means salt-free shampoo, and it is what stylists tell you to use after a keratin smoothing treatment. Here are eight shampoos with no sodium chloride in the formula, plus the conditioners and leave-ins that keep hair smooth.
Lattafa Perfumes, the Dubai Family Shop Behind Half My Group Chat
Lattafa Perfumes is a family-run Dubai house that has gone from a shop counter to a name people trade recommendations about. Here are the bottles for her, the ones for him and for sharing, and a shelf of amber and oud perfumes from other houses.
Best Cologne for Men: A Bottle for Every Day, Every Night and Bare Skin
The best cologne for men is the one that suits the hour you wear it, so this edit is sorted that way: bright bottles for daytime, deeper ones for evenings, and soft musks for the days you want to smell like clean skin. Prada, Dior, Tom Ford, Rabanne and more, in one place.
The Best Hairspray Never Left, It Just Learned to Be Invisible
The best hairspray never really left, it just stopped trying to feel like a helmet. For years hold meant a stiff, shellacked texture that cracked the moment you touched it, so plenty of people gave up on the category altogether. This edit sorts the formulas by how firm a hold they give and how much they let you touch your hair again afterward, from flexible, brushable finishes to firm, all-day ones.
The Neck Cream Edit, From a Stretch-Mark Accident to Red Light Devices
A neck cream exists because the skin below your chin is thinner and drier than the skin on your face. Here are the neck and décolleté creams, the serums and masks for extra lift, and the devices that work alongside them.
Blue Lipstick, Worn Like a Grown-Up
Blue lipstick does not have to mean a costume. These are the sheer blue glosses, cool blue-reds and icy clear toppers that bring the color in quietly, plus a couple of real blues for the brave.