Welcome to Last Drop, where you can discover the newest and buzziest beauty launches hitting shelves near you.
Every year, we eagerly await the return of Hourglass Cosmetics’s Unlocked palettes, and they’re finally here. This year’s collection includes fresh cover art as well as new highlighters, blushes, and bronzers—in fact, the three different palettes feature five additional shades each. For example, the Dragon palette has a never-before-seen peachy blush, a slightly pink finishing powder, and completely matte bronzer. I’m always beyond excited to see what Hourglass Cosmetics has cooked up for the holiday season, and these new palettes did not disappoint. I was born in the year of the dragon, so naturally, I had to go for that one—plus the color palette is right up my alley.
If celebs like Sandra Oh, Hailey Bieber, and Margot Robbie were to take a picture of their vanity, you’d probably spot Augustinus Bader’s The Cream on their vanities. Victoria Beckham Beauty and the famous skin care brand have collaborated to bring that same anti-aging technology to this click pen concealer; the complexion product’s formula contains Augustinus Bader’s signature Trigger Factor Complex, TFC8, lipids, peptides, and more nourishing ingredients to heal and treat the skin as it camouflages any imperfections. You can’t deny that the convenience of a click pen concealer is unmatched. I like to swipe this one on my redness and dark spots and pat it in with my fingers for a skin-like finish.
Unless you possess Lily Collins-esque eyebrows, chances are, you’re on the hunt for a way to get your arches to look just a little bit fuller. This brow gel has a moussy texture that builds on hairs, thickening and tinting them with natural-looking color. A few quick swipes, and you’ll be good to go—a great option for anyone who isn’t as comfortable working with a brow pencil or powder. There’s also an option for everyone in this expansive shade range, from Auburn for redheads to Granite for those with gray manes.
In case you’re not in the loop, Bond No. 9’s scents are inspired by different locales, neighborhoods, and aspects of our beloved New York City. The latest one captures the spirit of Manhattan, the home of the brand’s flagship store. When I first spritzed this in the office, at least two other beauty editors instantly swarmed me to ask where it was from. It’s a sophisticated crowd pleaser and has many of my favorite notes, including white musk, ylang ylang, and Bulgarian rose.
Puffiness is no match for this new gadget from Therabody. “This super portable skincare device has become a staple in my gym bag and travel bag; I take it everywhere I go. Its compact size and portability make it incredibly convenient and easy to use, and the advanced contrast therapy, which alternates between the hot and cold settings, provides the best post-workout treat. It’s also great to use in the mornings when you’re feeling groggy and bloated—my skin instantly becomes brighter and less puffy. I’m now addicted to how the cold metal feels on my skin. This device truly delivers the perfect on-the-go spa experience,” says Betty Wang, ELLE deputy art director.
If you ask a beauty editor for hand sanitizer, chances are, they’ll pull out a Touchland one. They’re honestly the perfect hand sanitizer—you can spray them on without fiddling with a leaky lid, the formula is thin and dries down in the blink of an eye, and they come in so many scents that you’re bound to love one (or more). Just in time for fall, the brand launched a Spiced Pumpkin-tini scent that features notes of cinnamon sugar, pumpkin puree, and espresso. It’s like having a pumpkin spice latte with you wherever, whenever, all season long.
The Laundress has essentially debuted perfume for your sheets and sleepwear—the brand’s Beauty Sleep collection includes a scented laundry detergent and wrinkle-releasing fabric spray to lull you to sleep every night. Jasmine, lavender, and sandalwood are a few of my favorite notes, so it’s no surprise that I love the scent of this set. My bed is my haven, and the fact that my sheets and pillowcases can smell like this all the time now is an absolute dream. The aroma of the detergent lasts for up to seven days after laundry day.
While cellulite and stretch marks are completely normal (the majority of women experiences one or both of them in their lifetimes), if you’ve been looking for something to soften their appearance, Sick Science’s newest product may be worth looking into. The body serum harnesses exosome technology as well as skin barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides to firm and tone skin, fade stretch marks, and reduce the look of dimpling.
The Maker Hotel in Hudson, NY holds a dark, romantic private dining room whose wallpaper features hundreds of pink blooming roses. This candle is meant to encapsulate the vibe of that exact room and contains a blend of rose, patchouli, and amber.
Thinning hair can be a huge source of insecurity—I personally know this to be true, thanks to a bout of stress-related hair loss during the pandemic. I’m always on the hunt for products that will help my hair look fuller, and this hair serum contains peptides, keratin, biotin, and other hair-strengthening ingredients to help do just that. In the past, I’ve found hair growth serums to be a bit oily and thick, which prevented me from applying them every single day. However, this one sinks in quickly and is a pleasure to use.
I’m a firm believer in double cleansing and will always go in with an oil cleanser before giving my face a final wash with a water-based one. The new olive oil-powered Cloud Cleanse from MakeUp Eraser starts out as a balm but turns into an oil as you work it into the skin, melting away all of the makeup, sunscreen, and impurities your skin may have collected throughout the day. Additionally, the formula includes a variety of other skin-loving ingredients, like hydrating hyaluronic acid, brightening niacinamide, and soothing wild cherry extract.
Green, fresh, and herbal are the first three words that come to mind when I get a whiff of this scent. The Mediterranean-inspired scent draws from the aromas of green tea and fresh figs and incorporates notes of bergamot, pink pepper, and cedar. It may seem like a summer scent, but I also plan on wearing it in the winter whenever I miss the verdant trees of the warmer months.
Sensitive skin usually indicates a compromised skin barrier. This salve, which you can use as a mask or leave on overnight, both soothes any irritation your skin may be experiencing and strengthens the barrier with continued use with calming and hydrating ingredients that include microalgae and olive glyceride ceramides.
Irene Forte Skincare’s body oils are hands down the most luxurious ones I’ve ever tried. It’s just about how they smell (although their scents are indeed beautiful and soothing). The formulas are also fast-absorbing and deeply hydrating—instead of just sitting on top of the skin like some body oils tend to do. I got a massage with the rose version a couple of months ago, and I emerged with the softest skin and the aroma of a rose bush. If you’re a fan of rose fragrances, this is a great one to layer under your perfume.
This new lip balm from Reflekt smooths onto the lips and nourishes them with acai oil and buriti oil, which are packed with free radical-neutralizing antioxidants. Over time, it also utilizes fruit enzymes to gently exfoliate the lips. I personally reach for lip treatments that have a metal tip over all of my other ones, as they feel cooling and spread the product evenly across the skin, and I’m happy to report that this one boasts a metal applicator as well.
At long last, Saie has launched lip liners. As with all of its other products, the new formula is chock-full of ingredients that your skin will appreciate, like hydrating meadowfoam oil and jojoba seed oil. Lip liners have a reputation for being drying, but this matte product glides on like melted butter but somehow has the tenacity needed for a long-lasting lip look.
Kiehl’s Since 1851 Ultra Body Mega Moisture Squalane Cream
Your body can now receive the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream treatment. The brand recently came out with a body cream version of the cult-favorite face product, which is formulated to boost the skin’s natural moisture barrier and deeply hydrate the skin while feeling relatively lightweight. While I can appreciate both body serums and lotions, there’s just something about body creams that’s so satisfying to apply; I feel like my skin looks and stay more moisturized for longer, which is always a win.
Jo Malone London Hinoki & Cedarwood Cologne Intense
Shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing, is the Japanese practice of immersing yourself deep within a forest, taking in the beautiful sights and soothing smells of hinoki trees as you amble through the vegetation. Jo Malone’s newest cologne seeks to bottle up that experience with an intense blend of a clean accord, hinoki, and cedarwood. I find this scent to be heady and almost seductive—it makes me want to close my eyes and take a second to breathe it in.
In case you haven’t heard of Lashify before, the company is a pioneer in the at-home semi-permanent lashes space—when you use the brand’s products to apply a pair of fluttering faux lashes, they can stay on for up to a week. The brand teamed up with Isamaya, a celebrity makeup artist and the founder of beauty brand Isamaya, to dream up a starter kit featuring high-impact lashes that’d look just as amazing in a magazine as they would on a Zoom screen. While the kit does have a learning curve, in my opinion, it’s almost easier than applying regular falsies once you master the technique. I almost don’t want to wear any other eye makeup while I’m wearing these; I just want to give the lashes an opportunity to speak for themselves.
As we gear up to celebrate all things fall and Halloween, D.S. and Durga has cooked up a murder mystery for us to solve. One of the brand’s most popular scents, I Don’t Know What, has no heart notes, and this kit offers six suspects in “The Case of the Stolen Heart Notes,” like Pat Von Chouli (a spicy patchouli), Professor Rose (a fresh rose), and Prince Amber (a delicate amber). The other two include a currant and a hay, and the set comes with a small bottle of I Don’t Know What as well. You can mix, match, and layer all of the fragrances as you determine which combination makes the most sense to you. It’s a fun way to create your own bespoke fragrance at home—as a rose lover, my personal favorite is a marriage of Professor Rose, Dr. Newman Hay, and I Don’t Know What, but I challenge you to come up with your own perfect blend.
The skin around your eyes and your lips are, as you probably know, two of the more delicate areas of your face. As a result, premature signs of aging can rear their heads first in those areas. But fear not—this new cream from Shiseido boasts a cocktail of amino acids, Enmei herb, vitamin C, and antioxidant-rich green tea that brighten and plump the skin to combat any sagging or fine lines and wrinkles that appear near your eyes and your pout.
