By now, you’ve probably surmised that we test-drive a lot of beauty products here at Who What Wear HQ. From nail polish and makeup to hair and skincare, we’re eyebrow-deep in all things new, exciting, and wish list–worthy. That said, due to the number of products we come in contact with, we’ve also transformed into the nitpickiest of beauty consumers. Within seconds, we can tell if a new hair oil is too heavy, and we’re quick to ignore a serum that yields disappointing results.
The good news? We’re far more often impressed than unimpressed after trying out a new product, and usually, we simply can’t wait to spread the word to all of our fellow beauty lovers (also known as you!). Therefore, we’ve decided gushing over our latest fave products should become a monthly ritual, and every 30 days or so, you can expect a full report detailing the highlighters, hair wands, and overnight skincare saviors we’ve become quickly obsessed with.
For the most part, we’ll be covering buzzworthy launches (as those typically take up most of the action atop our product-filled desks), but we won’t dismiss new-to-us products, either. Sometimes, our best discoveries are found on a friend’s vanity or on someone’s face at the bar (true pre-quarantine story). Ahead are the best beauty products we tried in June! Grab your game face and wallet—you’ll be needing both.
In case you missed it, I’m completely infatuated with the new body sunscreen brand Bask. If I absolutely love the lotion, then I guess that means I’m in a serious relationship with this spray. First things first, it has a delicate tropical scent (coconuty vanilla), which makes it a true treat to mist on. Speaking of the mist, it’s a super-fine yet continuous airflow, which makes it feel really refreshing while still yielding an impressive amount of coverage with just a few big sweeps. It absorbs easily, doesn’t stick or slip, and it imparts this subtle, light-reflecting glow to the skin which I loved. Plus, it’s the little details in life, and I appreciate that you can twist the top to ensure there’s zero leakage when you’re traveling to the pool, lake, ocean, or wherever your sun-drenched festivities take you.
Once summer hits, I crave juicy, bright, ultra-happy nail polish just as passionately as I crave sun-drenched days by the water and fruity beverages spiked with tequila. Olive & June’s brand-new summer collection quenches that thirst and then some. While I highly recommend you snag all seven fruity concoctions, this electric deep pink hue called Cherry Crush has to be my fave. It’s happiness bottled!
After running out of a few of my old standbys, Kosas’s new body wash couldn’t have launched at a more opportune time. I know some people don’t want fragrance, but scent is important to me when it comes to anything that’s in my shower. That five-by-three-foot space is kind of my sanctuary for escaping stress and winding down for the day, so I want everything I use to melt away anxiety with yumminess. I love the light tropical fragrance of this one—a happy merriment between jasmine, rose, orange flower, vanilla, sandalwood, and vetiver. But, on top of smelling lovely, it also really gets the job done in the cleansing and exfoliating departments. It’s not harsh or abrasive like lots of exfoliating body washes, but it definitely helps de-gunk clogged pores, banishes dead skin buildup, and ultimately leaves you with an addicting, velvety-smooth finish.
Y’all already know I’m head over heels for Nécessaire’s cult-loved body lotion, so originally, I had no plans to add this new body oil into my routine, too. The body lotion is one of the most effective on the market (it leaves me moisturized for days), so I didn’t see any reason to just slick myself up with even more product. Until, of course, I did. Obviously, you can apply the formula on its own, but my new favorite thing to do is to add a couple of drops into the palm of my hand with my lotion, for the ultimate all over body sheen. Props to Nécessaire for the tincture-like dropper design because it makes the whole oiling-up process super easy and way less messy than pumps, pour-out bottles, and sprays.
I’m not exaggerating when I say Mario Dedivanovic (Kim Kardashian’s longtime makeup artist) has knocked my socks off with literally every single product from his line Makeup by Mario. That said, the latest drop really did me in. I love a low-key shimmery flush for summer, so his newest additions—which entail sumptuous things like double-ended blushes and sculpting sticks—are exactly what the doctor ordered for a juicy summer makeup aesthetic that’s as easy to apply as it is flattering under the sun. This blush, in particular, is remarkably buildable, but sheer enough so that it feels impossible to OD.
I’m really into Kinship’s new lip jelly mask. It’s super hydrating because it has hyaluronic acid, has papaya enzyme for natural exfoliation, and sea buckhorn berry to protect and restore the delicate lip barrier. I apply it in the morning after washing up, and in the evening right before my head hits the pillow. So delightful!
I’ve gotten pretty good at the at-home mani but was always annoyed when darker colors would stain my nails. Orly’s rubberized basecoat is a quick-drying formula that helps manicures last longer while also providing a barrier between the nail bed and pigmented polishes. No more stains as I transition from OPI’s Big Apple Red to Olive & June’s HD white!
Now that it’s summertime, I’ve added Bumble & Bumble’s Surf Spray back into my regular hair routine. Not only does it smell great, but also provides nice texture and volume for my typically fine and straight hair, even when I sleep on it wet! No more heat styling for me until the temps dip back down into the 60s.
I recently got a gel manicure at Paintbox in New York City and was instantly obsessed. Not only am I a sucker for the rising nail art trend, but I also found the pairing of two colors so stunning. The polish ended up lasting well over three weeks and is something I defiantly will be buying to re-create the look at home.
I must confess I’m not always the best about sunscreen—as someone with melatonin, I’ve defiantly fallen into the trope that I don’t “need” it. But after using the sunscreen from the Black-owned brand Black Girl Sunscreen, I’m a sunscreen girl. Unlike other sunscreens, it actually blends into my skin tone well, is super hydrating, and left my skin happy throughout the day by the water.
Whether by the water or in the city, I’ve been relying heavily on braiding my hair to get me through the hot summer days. In order to keep my hair back, and my baby hairs from frizzing over, I’ve been relying heavily on Evolve’s styling brush—it’s a must for anyone who struggles with frizz or has curlier hair. It’s perfect for making your slicked-back bun or braids look sleek all summer long.
As much as I love the summer, I hate to admit it’s not kind to my beauty routine. The extending heatwave has wreaked havoc on my skin and sleeping routine, and I’ve been struggling with more pronounced under-eye bags. Luckily, I had the chance to try Fancy Face’s Stardust Gel Eye Masks, and it’s come in clutch. After leaving them in the fridge overnight (something I highly recommend doing) and keeping them on for about twenty minutes, I immediately noticed reduced puffiness and looked overall dewier. It turns out you don’t always need beauty sleep to be beautiful.
I have to admit I don’t typically obsess over TikTok hyped products, but I have to say that Kat Von D’s Good Apple Balm is very much worth the hype. I was dubious at first (I don’t actually wear foundation all the time, I prefer to prioritize skincare first, but as the heat has wreaked havoc on my skin, a little foundation is a must). What I love about the balm is it’s super lightweight, blends well, and lasts in the heat. Basically, it’s magic, and it totally makes sense that it sells out in seconds. If you can get your hands on it, I promise you’ll love it too.
I just tried out the sustainable Thai brand Sudtana for the first time, and I’m very impressed. This is a pre-wash hair mask with certified organic sesame seed oil, coconut oil, and bergamot oil that really helped my dry, frizzy hair. I also saw some improvements with my itchy scalp, which I’m constantly trying to manage. I apply the amazing-smelling oil to my hair for 15 minutes before I get in the shower and it helps my routine feel more spa-like. Plus, I like the fact that the brand cares about organic ingredients, minimizing waste, ethical practices, and supporting small farms in Thailand.
When I met with a dermatologist recently, she told me that one of the biggest mistakes she notices among her patients is over-exfoliation. With that in mind, she recommends using a gentle exfoliant only a few times a week and I simply can’t get enough of the Le Gommage gel scrub from Chanel. It’s gentle enough for even my sensitive skin and leaves my complexion looking fresh and glowy every time I use it.
I’ve been using Dior super potent eye serum for six weeks now, and can’t say enough great things about it. I’ve noticed that my fine lines have already plumped up and my under eyes look more refreshed. Plus, it has a flexible applicator that moves to the curves of your face and a soothing metal tip that cools the eye cream as you apply it.
I’ve already talked about how much I love Le Prunier’s plum face oil, but now I need to talk about their just-launched sunscreen. I’m obsessive when it comes to using sunscreen, but to be honest, I’m really not into the greasy formulas and strong chemical scents most sunscreens have. Plumscreen is different, though. It smells like plums and feels more like a light face oil than a sunscreen, which makes it something I actually want to use on my skin each morning.
Make Beauty’s pre-cleanse fluid is a product I’ve been testing out for the last month and need to tell everyone about. While micellar water is my go-to product for removing makeup, sometimes I’m left with traces of mascara and eyeliner, no matter how thoroughly I cleanse my face. Adding this pre-cleanse oil into my routine means that all of my makeup is removed in one easy step.
Although Thrones 54 is known for its beautiful and ultra-hydrating hand and body butters, the brand’s facial mist is just as luxurious. I keep the Osun Hydrating Mist at my desk for a refreshing pick-me-up throughout the day, and as we’re heading into a heatwave here in L.A., its combination of rose and aloe water has been a much-needed reprieve for my skin.
Lately, whenever my skin has been feeling a little dull, I’ll slather on a thick layer of this Naturopathica gemstone-infused mask, which is made with its star ingredient, green tourmaline. The gemstone is said to help you find your inner power and leave you mentally recharged and energized. Whether or not you believe in these properties, you can bet on your skin feeling more nourished and glowy after a masking session.
It’s been a long time since I’ve used a product that truly wowed me. If I’m honest, I’m mad that I have lived so many years not knowing about it. If you are someone who is prone to redness, this product is a straight-up miracle worker. I could go on, but just check the before and after. Specifically, compare my chin, cheeks, and nose in the “before” on the left and the “after” on the right. Does it not look like I erased sun damage? I also love that it has SPF, so it actually does prevent sun damage, all while being a five-second fix for my redness-prone skin.
In the fragrance and makeup world, Byredo is synonymous with taste, expensive taste, that is. But I love that the brand is also bold and current (no stuffy snobbery here). Case in point: their gorgeous Colour Sticks that have shimmer in experimental colors. A beetle brown with turquoise glitter? Don’t mind if I do! I went for a rather light application on my lids here but could see going heavier for an evening look.
When Nécessaire launches something new, the whole beauty world stands at attention. The brand’s latest drop is a rich body oil, and, wow, suddenly my body lotion feels pedestrian. I’ve found the hydration level is off the charts, yet it absorbs almost instantly. No sticky legs here.
At this point in the pandemic, you likely have a massive collection of hand sanitizers. But may I introduce you to the last one you ever need to buy? The eucalyptus scent is so refreshing I may or may not sometimes wear it as a perfume. Plus it’s one of the few hand sanitizers that actually delivers on the promise to moisturize. Dieux only has a few products, taking painstaking care to make sure each launch is perfect, and this one is no exception. No wonder they sell out constantly.
Mutha already has a cult following but it’s about to get even more buzz with its two new face creams. Cream is for the morning and Cream Extreme, which is richer, is for night. The morning cream works beautifully under makeup and offers protection against environmental aggressors. The night cream repairs using a plant-derived retinol alternative to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. I haven’t been using the creams for long but I can already see a difference in how smooth and supple my skin is.
As someone who gets those pesky little bumps on the back of their arms, I’ve tried many products over the years, with varying degrees of success. I was already a fan of Farmacy’s Honeymoon Glow night serum. so I was eager to try the body serum. I can report that my skin is noticeably smoother and the bumps on my arms are hardly even detectable. Up next, see which products knocked our editors’ socks off last month.
