Editors' Faves

The Best New Beauty Products of February 2019

Here's what Allure editors are currently obsessing over.
beauty products on green background
Alexa De Paulis

At Allure, we get inundated with the latest and greatest of beauty's offerings every day. Most of it is exciting, some of it confusing, and sometimes it gets overwhelming — alas, that is the beauty editor's burden to bear. When we really like something, though, you can trust that our opinion has come from vetting it against everything we've seen before. It's a big beauty playground out there and we'll gladly do the dirty work to test everything under the sun. The top of the top that we encounter graduate to our Best of Beauty trials. Speaking about overwhelming — let's stick to the present for now and just talk about the brand-new hair, makeup, and skin-care products we're obsessing over right now.

Photos courtesy of brands

All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.

  • Orc Skin Come Closer Perfecting Foundation
    Courtesy of Brand
    1/21

    Orcé Skin Come Closer Perfecting Foundation

    "This new beauty brand makes foundation specifically with Asian skin tones in mind, so finding a shade with golden undertones is like jackpot, immediately. The formula is medium-coverage but it builds nicely so it can be sheered out or layered and doesn't feel cakey at all. It has a lovely subtle luminescence in the finish so my skin still glows through, looking like a goddamn pearl." — Sable Yong, digital makeup editor

    $89 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of brand
    2/21

    BIJA Essence Rejoice Body Oil

    "BIJA Essence is a line of four body oils that are made from ethically-sourced, high quality ingredients. The founder, Evelyn Subramaniam, wants her customers to feel connected to the products and incorporate them into their daily rituals. While all four blends are delightful, Rejoice is a favorite for me — it has a lively blend of grapefruit, cyprus, and organic ylang ylang essential oils (among others) and is a great pick-me-up for the 4 p.m. slump." — Rosemary Donahue, digital wellness editor

    $59 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of brand
    3/21

    Sephora Makeup Match Full Coverage Foundation Brush

    "Although everyone seems to be all about blending their foundation with sponges, I prefer reaching for a brush for the job lately. This Sephora one is unexpectedly fluffy. Most foundations are super dense and deposit too much product onto the face for a thicker, heavier effect. This one diffuses the foundation for a more even, natural-looking finish." — Devon Abelman, digital beauty reporter

  • Courtesy of brand
    4/21

    Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner

    "Once upon a time, I had cystic acne and would pick at every single pimple that would emerge on my skin. Ole Henrkisen (and some prescription meds) helped cure my acne, but the scarring and dark spots where still there, haunting me. When I found out they were launching a Dark Spot Toner I had to try it. Let's just say this brand hasn't let me down yet, this stuff is liquid gold." — Angela Trakoshis, editorial assistant

    $28 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of brand
    7/21

    June CBD Apothecary Indulgent Body Oil

    "With the CBD craze going on in beauty right now, it was hard to find 'the one.' As someone who gets a stiff neck on the regular — a drop of this body oil rubbed on the sore spot after a long day is just pure bliss" - Angela Trakoshis, editorial assistant

    $55 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of brand
    8/21

    Skinbetter Science Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment

    "Rumor is, it took SkinBetter two years and 50 formulations before landing the final version of its first-ever moisturizer, the Trio Rebalancing Moisture Treatment. Now, if you're not a skin-care geek like me, this probably means nothing to you. But for my fellow nerds (hi, I see you), this just means a lot of work went into the making of this ultra-hydrating moisturizer made with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and ceramides — and after a few weeks of use, it certainly shows. After consistently using the cream, which has a texture that's neither thick nor thin (kind of like the Goldilocks of moisturizers, if you will), my skin has felt and looked more plump and hydrated than ever before. That says a lot, considering how many moisturizers I try in my line of work." — Sarah Kinonen, digital skin editor

    $135 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of brand
    9/21

    Maison Margiela Fragrances Replica Under The Lemon Trees

    "I normally stay far away from anything lemon-scented or lemon-flavored. An unfortunate experience with lemon-coated medicine when I was a little kid and the caustic scent of cleaning supplies kinda ruined it for me. So when a bottle of Margiela's Under the Lemon Trees arrived in my office I almost didn't even give it a whiff. I'm glad I did, though. This fragrance captures the zesty, earthy quality of the citrus fruit, while the addition of coriander and musk give it a warm, sunny quality to the scent that is incredibly sexy." — Sophia Panych, digital deputy beauty director

    $126 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of brand
    10/21

    Kristin Ess Scalp + Hair Milk Oil

    "I feel like the Anemoi are blowing their heavenly breaths on my scalp when I use this. Besides the fact that it's incredibly soothing, I also noticed that it does add moisture (not grease) to my dry winter scalp. Oh, and it smells just as good as it feels." — Jihan Forbes, digital hair editor

    $14 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of Brand
    11/21

    Nudestix Nudies Matte Blush & Bronze in Sunkissed

    "This new shade from Nudestix is one of my favorite blush colors: that warm, terracotta shade that's a bit like a ruddy bronzer. It looks amazing on my golden skin tone and the blending brush on the other end makes this product really easy to use and travel with. I mean, if I ever went anywhere. But I imagine people who do travel a lot would totally love these — oh my god, are these makeup sticks more well-traveled than me? Damn." — Sable Yong, digital makeup editor

  • Courtesy of brand
    12/21

    Physicians Formula Murumuru Butter Lip Creams

    Saturated, satin lip color, longlasting moisturizing feel, and SPF 15 — this drugstore balm hits all the top three tiers for an ultimate lip product. These have been flying off shelves since launching, and it's easy to see why. Of the 11 shades, there's a really nice mix of warm-toned nudes, mauves, and some bolder pinks and red, all of which can give you a low-key polished lip look. (One editor's fave is the shade Brazilian Nut.)

    $8 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of brand
    15/21

    Maybelline New York x Puma Chrome Highlighter in Knockout

    Maybelline New York's powder highlighters belong in some sort of drugstore trophy case — they're that good. The brand's collaboration with athletic brand Puma brings us this mauvey-rose-gold edition that's almost like a highlighting blush. A subtle dusting gives you a slight glimmering flush but you can of course strobe your heart out, if you so desire.

    $10 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of brand
    16/21

    Byredo Unnamed Eau De Parfum

    If you're already familiar with the name-it-yourself fragrance from Byredo, it's because when it originally launched two years ago, it was very limited-edition. Now, it's making a "reedition" (still limited) appearance again, so you can get your hands on it if you missed it during its original launch. The mysterious fragrance is crisp and bright, with a grounding woodiness that's edged with a bit of sweetness — and it'll be whatever you name it. It's always exciting when luxury beauty products come with a fun arts-and-crafts project.

    $250 (Shop Now)

  • courtesy of brand
    17/21

    RMS Beauty Luminizing Powders

    The powder counterpart to RMS Beauty's massively popular Living Luminizer (and its tonally-variated spawns) was a long time coming but it definitely does not disappoint. It gives you that same angelic glow in a gorgeous lucite compact but is more skin-friendly if the idea of patting a creamy oil into your pores makes you cringe. The three shades give you plenty of highlighting options. There's Grande Dame, Midnight Hour, and Madiera Bronze — a pale champagne, rose-gold, and cool bronze, respectively.

    $38 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of brand
    18/21

    Chantecaille Lip Cristal Lipstick

    Cristal may be the fanciest of spirits and libations, but interpreted into a lipstick — you get these three vibrantly effervescent-looking sparklers. The delicate glitter bullets are almost too beautiful to swipe on your lips, but once you do, they coat them in satiny color with a metallic sheen (no gritty, glittery texture whatsoever). Keeping in line with Chantecaille's charitable efforts, every purchase of a Lip Cristal lipstick will plant a tree in Kenya.

    $50 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of brand
    19/21

    Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick

    The luxurious feel of this foundation stick doesn't stop at the packaging — the creamy formula is jam-packed with squalane, camellia seed oil, berry flux vita, and other botanical ingredients to nourish your skin while providing medium-to-full coverage. This is excellent if you've got dry or mature skin (or when we're in a polar vortex), but regardless it'll make you look like a rich, dewy angel. One slight caveat: There are only 12 shades to choose from.

    $68 (Shop Now)

  • Courtesy of Brands
    20/21

    Guerlain Perfumer Boutique Fragrances

    Guerlain has been making fragrance for almost two centuries, but now there's an element of customization to its legacy perfumes. Choosing a scent becomes interactive as the brand now offers a digital fragrance profiling platform in 22 locations, (namely, Saks Fifth Ave, Bloomingdales, and Guerlain boutiques) which collects information about your tastes to present you with what will likely be your favorite new signature scent. Plus, you can get the bottle customized with an engraving, as well as choosing the color and ribbon. One Allure editor's pick: Santal Royale, a luxuriously complex fragrance steeped in notes of rose, sandalwood, and oud. Sure, you could just buy the fragrance in the bottle it already comes in, but for special occasions, the customization makes it unique.

    $200 (Shop Now)

Keywordseditors' favoritesbeauty productsallure editors
Read More
Skin
20 Black-Owned Skin-Care Brands That'll Elevate Your Routine
We found complexion-perking finds for basically every skin type.
Skin
15 Best Moisturizers for Mature Skin to Target Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Aging skin is beautiful, but there's no harm in extra hydration.
Skin
17 Best Face Serums in 2024, According to Dermatologists
The best face serums for glowing skin are here. Infused with vitamin C, retinol, and hyaluronic acid, these derm-approved serums address all skin concerns.
Skin
14 Best Face Washes to Thoroughly Melt Makeup, Sweat, and Oil
The power of a thorough cleanse? Infinite.