(Beauty)
The Best Skincare Products According To Our Editors
One of the perks of being an editor is the wealth of expert beauty advice we’re privy to. But, let’s be honest, it’s really all about the products. Getting a first look at all the newest and coolest lines on the market—and the chance to try them out and review them for our readers—is the ultimate rush of the job. The best is when we discover revolutionary (or crazily simple) items that find a prize place in our own daily cleanse-moisturize-treat routines. Here, see what we’re obsessing over, plus peek into our own at-home beauty regimens.
Our Editors' Skincare Obsessions
Kristi Mikesky, Features Editor
What's your skin type? Are you a maximalist or minimalist?
"I have dry and sensitive skin and I'm a maximalist. I tend to switch things in and out to reach to my skin's needs—especially with exfoliators, retinol/anti-aging products and masks. At night I wash my face with an oil or gentle cleansing milk. Then, I'll use a toner then follow with a hydrating oil and cream. In the morning, I apply an eye cream along with serum and lightweight moisturizer, and let it absorb as I make my coffee. If I have a breakout, Indie Lee's Blemish Stick works wonders."
What's your biggest skincare concern?
"My cheeks are very prone to redness. I like products that calm and soothe my skin and leave it feeling soft and smooth."
Do you have any kind of weird skincare ritual?
"I always do a mask on Sunday nights. I want to start the week with my best complexion possible."
What are your 3 holy grail items?
Renee Rouleau Triple Berry Smoothing Peel: "This stuff smells amazing and works better than any exfoliating mask I've ever used. It uses fruit enzymes to reveal noticeably smoother, glowing skin."
Tatcha Soothing Rice Enzyme Powder: "This has been a game changer. I can exfoliate without irritating my skin."
SK-II Facial Treatment Mask: "There's a reason these masks have a cult following—they're flat out amazing. I use one before a special occasion to give my skin that added boost that no glow-inducing makeup can achieve."
Stephanie Montes, Senior Beauty Editor
What's your skin type? Are you a maximalist or minimalist?
"I have combination skin. My T-zone can be insanely oily, but everywhere else is normal. I'm definitely a maximalist."
What's your biggest skincare concern?
"I wear makeup every day, so my routine is mostly focused on cleansing."
Do you have any kind of weird skincare ritual?
"I use three cleansers day and night. It may seem excessive, but I love how my skin feels afterward—clean and glowy."
What are your 3 holy grail items?
Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm: "I love how it starts as a solid and melts away the makeup and natural oils on my skin."
Foreo Luna Cleansing Device: "Once I've dissolved my makeup, I use my Foreo with the Yes To Tomatoes Charcoal Cleanser to give my skin a mini detox."
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser: "This provides a nice light exfoliation, leaving skin smooth and soft."
Laura Lajiness, New York Editor
What's your skin type? Are you a maximalist or minimalist?
"I have incredibly dry yet acne-prone skin. I'm a minimalist for sure, although I've been integrating some new moisturizers and masks into my routine."
What's your biggest skincare concern?
"I think about treating about wrinkles and dry patches as I get older, and since I'm prone to breakouts, it's a struggle to find the right balance of products. Hydration is a major focus for me right now, but I make sure to keep them oil-free. I've also been pro-sunscreen my whole life—I stay out of the sun and live by my own mantra: Pale is pretty!"
Do you have any kind of weird skincare ritual?
"Does a three-mask series qualify as weird? About once a week, I use a charcoal mask to extract impurities, followed by an exfoliating mask to soften my skin, and finish up with a hydrating mask to nourish and seal in moisture. Of course, moisturizing afterward is essential."
What are your three holy grail items?
Neutrogena Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub: "I love the refreshing scent and definitely need the maximum-strength salicylic acid medicine to combat breakouts."
NARS Aqua Gel Luminous Oil-Free Moisturizer: "I recently jumped on the gel moisturizer bandwagon and am now a true believer. This one is great because it makes my skin glow, but it's oil-free so I don't end up greasy. I put it on after applying a lighter daily moisturizer with SPF."
Tarte Maracuja C-Brighter Eye Treatment: "My eye area is definitely the driest part of my face and this product really lives up to its name. I love putting this on after my face moisturizes to really target my problem area and help my eyes feel nourished."
Nicky Deam, Editorial Director
What's your skin type? Are you a maximalist or minimalist?
"Dry, arid-desert dry. I use micellar water in the morning, then a hyaluronic serum before applying zinc sunscreen. At night I'll use a cleanser with a Clarisonic, colloidal silver spray because my skin is pretty sensitive, eye cream, and an oil to seal everything in. I'll do a refining or hydrating mask every couple of days. So I guess that makes me a maximalist!"
What's your biggest skincare concern?
"Hydration and protection."
Do you have any kind of weird skincare ritual?
"If I travel without an exfoliator or my Clarisonic, I'll add hotel-room sugar to my cleanser, which is weird and probably horrible but the small granules help revive my skin."
What are your 3 holy grail items?
Skin Inc. Hyaluronic Acid Serum: "It actually seems to keep my skin hydrated."
Arcona Mandarin Brightening Peel: "It's a great gentle, natural cleansing mask."
Caudalie Vinoperfect Cell Renewal Night Cream: "This exfoliating cream is amazing for detoxifying and resurfacing the skin overnight."
Erin Nicole, Red Carpet Editor
What's your skin type? Are you a maximalist or minimalist?
"I have oily skin. I'm a minimalist but mostly due to lack of discipline. I wash and moisturize morning and night with Cetaphil and use Thayers Rose Petal Witch Hazel as a toner."
What's your biggest skincare concern?
"Acne, but the witch hazel has helped a lot. Also, uneven skin tone."
Do you have any kind of weird skincare ritual?
"Not unless you count hating to wash my face at night and therefore only doing it 50% of the time."
What are your 3 holy grail items?
Radical Skincare Age Defying Exfoliating Pads: "These are insanely amazing. You will get addicted to them, I promise."
Shani Darden Resurface Retinol Reform: "This is a great retinol serum for sensitive skin—it's really gentle."
Leaders Coconut Gel Brightening Recovery Mask: "I'm a huge fan of Korean sheet masks because I don't take great care of my skin. Using one every so often makes me feel better about myself. I especially like them when traveling."
Shannon Nash, Jewelry & Accessories Editor
What's your skin type? Are you a maximalist or minimalist?
"I have fair, freckled skin that is sensitive and dry. I'm a minimalist for sure. My skin is super sensitive and acne-prone, so less is more when it comes to products."
What's your biggest skincare concern?
"I've never had Botox, so my main concern is how to avoid fine lines without injections."
Do you have any kind of weird skincare ritual?
"I'm strangely addicted to Blistex (the ointment, not the waxy one) and keep tubes of it everywhere so I'm never stranded without it."
What are your 3 holy grail items?
Lancôme Eau Fraiche Douceur Micellar Water: "This isn't a toner, so it doesn't dry out your skin. I apply it on a cotton round every night before bed and in the morning before I apply makeup."
kNutek MD Whipped Oxygen Cream: "I swear by this. Don't be misled by the packaging, which is anything but fancy. My facialist at Mad Beauty recommended it and it's the only lotion that doesn't make me break out."
kNutek MD A-Ro Balsam Serum: "I dab this ultra-lightweight serum on my face each night, especially when it's cold outside and my skin is super dry."
Amy Lee, Associate Fashion Editor
What's your skin type? Are you a maximalist or minimalist?
"I have combination skin with an oily T-zone and some dry patches. I like to think I'm a maximalist because I'm totally into skincare, but sometimes I'm just too darn lazy to go through all the steps."
What's your biggest skincare concern?
"I'm always on the hunt for products that will minimize my pores, and I covet glowing skin so hydration is a major focus. Also, prevention is important to me, so I love a good anti-aging product."
Do you have any kind of weird skincare ritual?
"On Sunday nights (when I have the energy after bingeing on Netflix for hours) I like to do a little pamper session with up to three masks. It usually starts with a clay option to clear out impurities and then a hydrating or soothing one. Is it weird that I love to Snapchat my friends my sheet-mask selfies?"
What are your 3 holy grail items?
Garnier Clean+ Nourishing Cleansing Oil: "I picked this up randomly one day at the grocery store as I was looking for a cheaper cleansing oil. With just one or two pumps, this takes off all my face and eye makeup and leaves my skin feeling smooth, clean and hydrated with no sign of panda eyes."
Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb: "My T-zone gets pretty shiny by midday, so starting off with a lightweight oil-free moisturizer that still keeps my skin hydrated and supple is essential. This gel-cream consistency is perfect for combination skin. It absorbs so quickly and looks great under makeup, too."
iS Clinical Active Serum: "When Rosie Huntington-Whiteley told us that she uses this 'life-changing product' I obviously had to try it, as she's literally a living goddess. This serum is good skin in a bottle. It's anti-aging, brightening, hydrating, anti-acne and glow-inducing."
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