Fall is my favorite season — for the weather, the fashion, the pumpkin spice lattes, but most of all, for the new beauty products that have revived my routine. As a beauty editor, there’s a revolving door of new makeup, skin care and other products to try, and come fall, I’m itching to overhaul my regimen with new formulas to suit the transitioning season.
I’ve spent the past couple months testing dozens of new products that are just now hitting the market, and I’ve narrowed down my favorites to 11 beauty launches that I think everyone should try (there were so many amazing ones to choose from, I couldn’t stop at 10). From a priming moisturizer to a new signature scent, discover my new must-haves below.
This cream blush is one of the most pigmented formulas I've tested, and I've fallen in love with all five shades it comes in. (I anticipate Sublime, a muted berry, will be one of my most used for fall.) Along with delivering a buildable burst of color, the formula is infused with skin care goodness (niacinamide, copper peptides and kaolin clay) to blur and smooth your complexion.
I'm one of those people that has a lip balm within arm's reach at all times, and they're even more important to have on hand in the fall and winter as the weather gets colder and drier. This one is especially buttery, with moringa oil and sunflower seed wax, and I love the fruity berry flavor. It also comes with a key chain holder so you can turn your lip balm into an accessory. Super cute!
Glossier's signature fragrance, You, is an iconic perfume in the skin scent family, and now you can double up on the sweet and spicy notes with the new body cream. It has just the right level of fragrance for a lotion — it's noticeable but not overpowering — and the scent lasts all day, even without spritzing the perfume on top. Come the holidays, I'll be gifting Crème de You to all my friends that already love the OG perfume.
I get to test a lot of gadgets, most of which, I'm sad to admit, end up in a drawer, untouched after the first few uses. However, I can always count on Therabody to create a problem-solving tool that I reach for again and again. (The TheraFace Mask and TheraFace Pro are its two other beauty tools that I love.) The Depuffing Wand allows you to take cryotherapy treatment on-the-go — no freezer or meltable liquids involved. Plus, it also includes heat treatment, so you can opt for hot or cold therapies. I was impressed to see how quickly it could switch between the two (it only takes seconds). Best of all, the portable tool means that I can start depuffing and refreshing from a day of travel before the airplane even touches down.
A beautiful fragrance from the sculptural bottle to the juice inside, Sublime has quickly become my new everyday scent. It gives a hit of fresh florals (magnolia, osmanthus, mandarin and rose) at first spritz, then base notes of leather and vetiver peek through. It makes me think of my favorite type of fall day: cool and crisp yet with the sun shining and blue skies overhead.
Because I have thick, straight hair that usually goes limp the day after my wash, a hair stylist recently recommended that I forgo regular conditioner altogether and instead opt for a leave-in conditioner applied from my mid-lengths to ends. This way, there isn't product around my scalp and roots to weigh my hair down or cause buildup. After a couple weeks using this leave-in like this, I've noticed that my strands stay smooth and not as stringy as before. It provides ample hydration, strengthens my hair, helps detangle as I brush it through and gives heat protection.
I was lucky enough to test lab samples of this cleanser earlier this year, and I have eagerly been awaiting its launch ever since. It's just a simple, everyday cleanser that makes my skin feel good. I took my sample bottle with me on an international trip, and even through the stress and environment change of traveling, my skin stayed balanced and healthy. I attribute this cleanser to part of that, since I'm usually prone to breakouts when washing my face in a new locale.
Benefit's original Porefessional Primer is a favorite for masking pores and creating a smooth base for your makeup, but I found that it wasn't always compatible with my oily T-zone. The new Porefessional Matte primer takes the pore-minimizing benefits of the OG formula and adds a matte finish that helps with oil control and reducing shine. Because it isn't silicone-based like the original, I find that it sinks into the skin better, giving it a good grip and longevity. The formula also contains niacinamide to minimize the appearance of pore size over time and mineral powder to instantly blur pores.
I'm admittedly fairly new to using lip liner, which is why I quickly fell in love with Refy's beginner-friendly one. Unlike typical lip pencils, this one has a rounded tip, so it's less about precision and more about a quick, effortless application. As the name suggests, it'll give you a slightly blurred line, so there's no blending needed. It has a soft-matte finish and feels weightless on the lips — even when you fill them in entirely with the liner. I've been using the Umber shade to add natural-looking oomph, and I'll layer a clear gloss on top for days when I want to look more made-up.
To be honest, this isn't a perfect product, but it filled a gap in my routine and I can see it benefiting a range of skin types. It's the ideal consistency for a daytime moisturizer in the fall — lightweight yet I can feel it on my skin, making it softer and more hydrated. I think it would be a great option for dry complexions, but it's also compatible with my combination skin. The formula does have a slightly weird scent, though. Technically, it's unscented, but it has a plastic smell that's only noticeable while you're applying it. Besides that, I saw that some reviews mentioned a problem with pilling, but I haven't experienced any issues. Based on my experience, the trick is to apply your complexion products before the moisturizer dries down, so they can really blend and set on the skin together. I've been pleased with the seamless, natural finish this gives.
I'm a big fan of tubing mascara and was excited to try Charlotte Tilbury's first tubing formula. Although, I would call it more of a hybrid formula. It doesn't come off in the telltale tubes, but it definitely coats the individual lashes the way a tubing mascara does. Either way, it didn't disappoint. The first time I tried it, I didn't even curl my lashes before applying and it gave them a fanned-out, volumized look. Then, with my lashes curled, it held them up and gave them a noticeable fullness that lasted all day. No smudging or flaking in sight — just big, bold lashes.
