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April’s Best Beauty Products Double As Your Festival Season Starter Pack

All you need for a sunny spring and beyond.

by Amanda Ross

Updated: May 1, 2023

Originally Published: April 9, 2023

Hailey Bieber stick-on holographic eyeliner

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Permission to party, granted. It’s finally April and the thick of spring seems to have everyone in a great mood — of course, that could be partially thanks to festival season’s impending arrival, and all the fun that comes with it. In fact, April 2023’s best beauty products come equipped with everything necessary for both the most exciting and more mundane aspects of the month alike. Half feel geared specifically toward self-expression and fun-filled events, while the rest are targeted, efficient, and the beauty equivalent to a spring cleaning, head-to-toe. It’s one of those rare months that truly seems to have something for everyone, no matter how extreme their personalities (case in point: bold face gems and 24K gold-infused serums coexist on this list).

This April, powerful yet usable cleansers for hair and skin are having a moment, focusing on user experience as much as the formulas. Brands like Renée Rouleau are reimagining fan-favorite products like cleansing balm, streamlining their dispersal and upgrading packaging. Meanwhile, endless shades of dewy liquid blush from Juvia’s Place, eye-accenting sequins, and even a limited-edition Balmain hair accessory all feel so Coachella-ready. No matter your spring vibe, the very best new skin care, hair products, and makeup of April 2023 have you covered.

April 2023 Skin Care Launches

Best New Moisturizers

Thrive Causemetics Defying Gravity Deep Hydration Moisturizer

Thrive Causemetics

Defying Gravity Deep Hydration Moisturizer

Thrive Causemetics just expanded its cult-favorite collection to include a brand-new line of thoughtfully-designed skin care products, the aptly-named Beyond Than Beauty line. Even within such a robust brand, though, the Defying Gravity moisturizer stands out with a B5-rich formula and a fast-absorbing gel-cream consistency, perfect for layering under SPF and makeup. | Pros: Non-pilling; hygienic packaging; travel-friendly | Notable Ingredients: Sea buckthorn fruit oil; artemisia abrotanum extract; meadowfoam seed oil |

Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Brightening Vitamin C Moisturizer

Peter Thomas Roth

Potent-C Brightening Vitamin C Moisturizer

One of the latest additions to Peter Thomas Roth’s fan-favorite Potent-C line, this vitamic C-infused moisturizer is one to start now for a bright, fresh-faced glow before Memorial Day weekend signals the real start of summer. In clinical trials, participants all saw improvement in skin tone and fine lines in four weeks — and that’s not even counting the study that saw more bounce, plumpness, and even texture in just one week. | Pros: Immediate and compounded improvements; thick texture | Notable Ingredients: 10% THD ascorbate vitamin C; 3% vitamin E and ferulic acid |

Best New Eye Cream

Vinoperfect Dark Circle Brightening Eye Cream

Vinoperfect Dark Circle Brightening Eye Cream

The latest (and possibly greatest?) addition to Caudalie’s best-selling wine-powered lineup, the new Vinoperfect Dark Circle Brightening Cream is the solution to late nights and early mornings. Clinically shown to reduce dark circles in test participants in just five weeks, it also has immediate brightening, depuffing effects thanks to the formula’s caffeine. | Pros: Instant and compounded effects; cooling tip for depuffing | Notable Ingredients: Niacinamide; viniferine; caffeine |

Best New Toner

Laneige Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer

Cream Skin Toner & Moisturizer

It’s the moment Laneige fans have been waiting for. The brand’s cult-favorite toner-moisturizer hybrid, remixed and repackaged — and refillable, too. Its latest formulation features a combination peptide-ceramide blend, while the packaging is now available in standard, mini, and refillable versions. | Pros: Assorted sizes; eco-friendly components | Notable Ingredients: White leaf tea water; peptide-ceramide combination |

Best New Skin Tool

The Depuffer Arnica Sculpting Serum Roller

PillowtalkDerm By Dr. Shereene Idriss

The Depuffer Arnica Sculpting Serum Roller

One-part soothing rollerball, one-part supercharged serum, the latest launch from Dr. Idriss is skin destressor first and foremost. The ice-cold metal tip works to soothe puffy, red skin while sanitarily depositing the arnica-laden serum in the areas its needed most. From there, ash bark extract and niacinamide get to work on hydrating, restoring the moisture barrier, and banishing any lingering inflammation. | Pros: Tool-serum hybrid; clinically tested | Notable Ingredients: Arnica; centella asiatica; ash bark extract; glycerin |

Best New Vitamin C

Kinship Brightwave 10% Vitamin C + Peptide Brightening Serum

Brightwave 10% Vitamin C + Peptide Brightening Serum

It’s a toss-up on what’s more remarkable: the potency of this serum or how it simultaneously hydrates and softens the skin. Thanks to the highly stable dose of vitamin C, clinical studies show marked improvement on everything from dark spots to fine lines in as little as 14 days. | Pros: Short- and long-term results | Notable Ingredients: 10% Vitamin C; red algae; plant-based prebiotic |

Best New Cleanser

Renee rouleau Better Than Balm

Better Than Balm

If the idea of dipping into a tub of thick, waxy balm has kept you off the double-cleanse train, give it another try with Renée Rouleau’s latest. The easy-squeeze tube keeps things hygienic, while the actual product’s consistency and included oils cut through makeup and grime instantly. | Pros: Squeeze bottle; thinner texture | Notable Ingredients: Jojoba oil; glycerin; sunflower seed oil |

Best New Serum

Chantecaille 24K Gold Serum Intense

24K Gold Serum Intense

For true radiance that’s not just a trick of the light, you need something like Chantecaille’s most robust serum yet. Formulated with pure cold, vitamin C, light-activated enzymes, plumping peptides, and plenty of extra hyaluronic acid for bounce, it’s still gentle enough for twice-daily use. | Pros: Good for layering | Notable Ingredients: Vitamin C; green freshwater microalgae; gold pentapeptide |

Best New Peel

Clark's Botanicals 7-Acid Daily Glow Peel

Clark's Botanicals

7-Acid Daily Glow Peel

Consider this powerful exfoliant like a closet clean-out, but for your complexion. The combined effects of the seven distinct exfolianting agents clear aways dead skin cells and dullness to reveal you freshest face beneath. | Pros: Strong formula; immediate and compounded results | Cons: Could be too much for sensitive skin | Notable Ingredients: Malic acid; citric acid; lactic acid |

Best New SPFs

Dr. Loretta Universal Glow Daily Defense SPF 40

Universal Glow Daily Defense SPF 40

Just in time for increased sun expose, Dr. Loretta delivers one of the year’s most user-friendly SPFs. A fully mineral formula with broad spectrum protection against both UV types and even blue light, the smoothing, silky-to-the-touch finish makes it feel like a favorite skin care step rather than a chore. | Pros: Combo skin care/SPF; pink-tinted to eliminate white cast | Notable Ingredients: Ecotin; frankincense; white birch bark; lipochroman (proprietary antioxidant) |

Kosas DreamBeam Silicone-Free Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40

DreamBeam Silicone-Free Mineral Sunscreen SPF 40

The universal tint in Kosas’ new sunscreen helps counteract that pesky white cast synonymous with mineral sun protection. The hydrating ceramides and peptides included in the formula make this feel as much like a silky serum as a sunscreen, too. | Pros: No white residue; travel-friendly packaging | Cons: Many might need a higher SPF | Notable Ingredients: Non-nano zinc; hyaluronic acid; allantoin |

April 2023 Makeup Launches

Best New Eyeshadow Palette

Byredo Remembrance Eyeshadow Palette

Remembrance Eyeshadow Palette

As much a work of art as it is a tool for its creation, Byredo’s limited-edition, memory-inspired eyeshadow palette is impossibly pretty and endlessly versatile. Loaded with 18 shades in a range of finishes, the silvery mirrored compact is etched with images of Mnemosyne, the ancient Greek goddess of memory and muse. | Pros: Warm and cool tones; all-day wear |

Best New Primer

BOOST Firming & Smoothing Peptide Primer

BOOST Firming & Smoothing Peptide Primer

Introducing one of the most innovative hybrids of the year. Beautyblender’s new primer is designed to blur pores, grip makeup, and make it last all day, sure, but it’s also a straight-up skin care product that cools, hydrates, and even visibly lifts the skin. | Pros: Clinically tested to grip and last | Notable Ingredients: Hydrapep complex; vitamin B5; ceramides; mimosa flower extract |

Best New Lipstick

MAKE Beauty Cream Supreme High Impact Lipstick

Cream Supreme High Impact Lipstick

The best makeup conundrum: MAKE’s ultra-creamy lipstick lasts forever despite its shine, but the stylo is so chic you’re always looking for an excuse to pull it out a reapply. Twenty shades of refillable color slot right in to the slim gold twist-up stick and come infused with vitamin E for extra hydration and a glossy finish. | Pros: Eco-friendly refillable packaging | Notable Ingredients: Vitamin E; paraffin |

Best New Concealer

MAC Studio Fix Every-Wear All-Over Face Pen

Studio Fix Every-Wear All-Over Face Pen

MAC’s ultra-precise pen could end up being the most versatile product in your collection. The click-to-dispense pigment is ideal for pinpoint concealing, carving out brows, cleaning up liner wings, and touching up on the go. | Pros: Wide shade variety; fine-tipped; 36-hour weartime | Cons: Matte-finish only right now |

Best New Blush

Juvia's Place Blushed Liquid Blush

Blushed Liquid Blush

The liquid blush trend isn’t slowing down — and how could it, with new products constantly raising the bar? Juvia Place’s take focuses on a vast color selection library, a large doe-foot applicator, and the most blend-friendly formula. | Pros: 12 available colors; assorted finishes | Notable Ingredients: Mica; silica |

Best New Face Gems

SIMIHAZE BEAUTY EYE PLAY Astral Pack

SIMIHAZE BEAUTY

EYE PLAY Astral Pack

Already beloved by celebrities like Hailey Bieber and Jennie of BLACKPINK, these press-on stickers are trendy, intricate, and able to stay adhered even through an all-night DJ set. The latest SIMIHAZE face gems center around celestial tones and sparkle. | Pros: Multiple colors included; long-lasting |

April 2023 Hair Launches

Best New Texturizing Spray

Les Filles En Rouje La Brume Cheveux Volumizing & Texturizing Hair Spray

Les Filles En Rouje

La Brume Cheveux Volumizing & Texturizing Hair Spray

One of two debut hair products from Les Filles En Rouje, this rose-colored leave-in is almost too pretty to use. At once a volume booster and a texturizing spray for teasing out waves and bends, it’s impressively versatile for all sorts of summer looks — it even adds some captivating shine. | Pros: Made for air-drying; | Notable Ingredients: Nori seaweed extract; sea salt; glycerine |

Best New Leave-In Conditioner

Flawless by Gabrielle Union 5 Butter Miracle Leave-In Conditioner

Flawless By Gabrielle Union

5 Butter Miracle Leave-In Conditioner

A spinoff of the line’s cult-favorite hair mask, the five butters (that’s shea, cupuacu, murumuru, bacuri, and mango) in Flawless By Gabrielle Union’s newest leave-in is a symphony of hydration, formulated to nourish even the driest and brittlest hair. Co-created with celebrity stylist Larry Sims, it’s a bathroom cabinet essential. | Pros: Ideal for both relaxed or natural hair; thick but not heavy | Notable Ingredients: Shea butter; coconut oil; honey |

Best New Purple Shampoo

Dove Love Your Silver Purple Shampoo

Love Your Silver Purple Shampoo

Dove is extending their brand mission of self-love with the all-new Love Your Hair line, complete with shampoo-conditioner duos for every type of hair, be it wavy, curly, color-treated, or anywhere in-between. The gray-focused set, Love Your Silver, is a special standout, formulated to tone, hydrate, volumize, and glorify naturally gray hair | Pros: Designed for thin hair; sulfate-free | Notable Ingredients: Biotin; citric acid |

Best New Set

Balmain Hair Couture Riviera Moisture Set Spring/Summer 2023

Balmain Hair Couture

Riviera Moisture Set Spring/Summer 2023

Hair deserves a taste of the new spring/summer collections, too. Balmain Hair Couture’s latest set combines style with substance, featuring a limited-edition striped scrunchie and two full-sized favorites: the Leave-in Conditioning Spray and Moisturizing Styling Cream. | Pros: Targets hydration; limited-edition |

Best New Wax

Kim Kimble After Party Hair Coloring Wax

After Party Hair Coloring Wax

Finally, a true two-in-one. Simultaneously mold and lock in elaborate styles and temporarily color hair for festival season ahead with Kim Kimble’s latest hybrid product. Available in a wide range of shades, the pigment even shows up on the deepest hair colors — and washes right out. | Pros: Multi-use; easy to remove | Notable Ingredients: Beeswax; olive oil; herbal extracts |

Best New Hair Gel

adwoa Melonberry Frizz Fighting Smoothing Gel +Vitamin C

Melonberry Frizz Fighting Smoothing Gel +Vitamin C

Finding a gel that can tame flyaways and frizz without crunch, loss of curl definition, or added weight is a tall order — but it’s just standard for adwoa’s latest launch. Especially formulated for fine hair, the gel adds moisture and shine while added ingredients like hydrolyzed rice protein helps hair appear fuller. | Pros: Ideal for fine hair | Notable Ingredients: Vitamin C; vitamin B5; squalane; kalahari melon; marshmallow root extract |

Best New Shampoo

Oribe Serene Scalp Oil Control Shampoo

Serene Scalp Oil Control Shampoo

Just in time for sweltering summer (and all the music festivals leading up to it), Oribe’s new oil-control shampoo is the key to minimal dry shampoo use. Harnessing a blend of scalp biome balancers, the shampoo regulates oil product but keeps hair weightless and properly hydrated. | Pros: Color-safe | Notable Ingredients: Rosebay extract; green marine algae; sugar-derived prebiotics |

April 2023 Body Care Launches

Best New Body Treatment

U Beauty Resurfacing Body Compound

Resurfacing Body Compound

Tina Craig’s done it again — but that’s no surprise for U Beauty fans. The original influencer-turned-mogul’s new body-centric product arrives just in time for a bare-it-all summer, delivering a smoothing, softening finish all over. Just like in other U Beauty favorites, the Resurfacing Body Compound harness proprietary SIREN capsuling technology to make sure ingredients like salinicoccus lysate filtrate and flower acid moisturizers can deeply penetrate the skin to neutralizing damaging free radicals. | Pros: Multi-use; accelerate cell turnover; targets roughness, KP, redness, discoloration, and razor bumps | Notable Ingredients: Biomimetic peeling peptides; flower acid moisturizers; salicylic acid |

Best New Sunless Tanners

SOL By Jergens No-Wait Tropical Tan Tinted Mousse

SOL By Jergens No-Wait Tropical Tan Tinted Mousse

It might just be summer’s ultimate saving grace. Jergen’s new SOL line solved more than a few seasonal stressors with its tinted tanning mousse that requires no development time — and a no-transfer formula. Think of it like full-body foundation, instantly depositing natural-looking bronze pigment anywhere necessary. | Pros: Assorted intensities available; no-wait formula; fresh smell | Notable Ingredients: Coconut water; citric acid |

Tan-Luxe Express Water Self-Tanner

Express Water Self-Tanner

The name truly says it all — self-tanning’s luxest line built a reputation on chic, minimalist design and uncomplicated formulas that combine skin care with a natural-looking faux-glow. Express Water delivers that famous Luxe-Tan color in just 30 minutes, with a transparent, spritz-on formula that won’t leave you-sized orange blotches on the furniture. | Pros: Applies clear; mess-free mist; quick development | Cons: Transparent formula can make it tricky to see potential missed spots | Notable Ingredients: Vitamin E; hyaluronic acid; aloe leaf juice |

Best New Shaving Cream

Rifle Paper Co. x Venus Pure Honeyflower Shave Cream

Rifle Paper Co. x Venus Pure Honeyflower Shave Cream

In a dream world, all your everyday products would be covered in a meadow’s worth of floral art. Rifle Paper Co.’s third annual collaboration with Venus helps makes the cottagecore fantasy a reality with reimagined takes on hair removal classics like razors, epilators, wax, and this honeyflower-scented shaving cream. | Pros: Hand-painted design; shower-friendly bottle design; silky texture | Notable Ingredients: Shea butter; aloe leaf juice; honey extract |

Best New Body Art

INKED By Dani Outline Pack

Celebrating a brand relaunch perfectly timed with spring, INKED By Dani’s grown-up brand of temporary tattoos are the easy to way to test-drive designs without the decades of commitment. The Outline Pack features 20 minimalist designs, all with delicate linework and very on-trend motifs. | Pros: Lasts 2-4 days; designs range from simple to intricate |

This article was originally published on April 9, 2023