ESTEE LAUDER FUTURIST SKIN TINT SERUM FOUNDATION WITH SPF 20

Rating : 4/5

Price : $55.00

Size : 1 oz

Where to Buy : esteelauder.com, Sephora, Ulta, Macy's, Dillard's, Von Maur, Neiman Marcus

Cruelty Free : No

If Double Wear was your go to back in 2016 for those full glam moments, then Futurist Skin Tint is your new bestie for 2025! We no longer seem to be in the days of absolutely caking on makeup like we did almost ten years ago (I'm still doing it....oops). Instead, the trends these days are more natural and radiant. I'll be honest, I didn't think I'd like this because I am not a skin tint or tinted moisturizer type of gal. When I do makeup, I tend to go all in. But, after receiving this in my monthly gratis, I decided I may as well try it. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! The formula of this is just impeccable. It has the consistency of a serum (hence the name) and feels completely weightless on the skin. The finish is radiant, but not greasy looking. Your skin truly does get that natural glow when using this product. This foundation also has SPF 20 which helps to protect your skin against UVA & UVB rays. But what I love most about this product is the versatility. If I want to use it as a skin tint, i'll do a couple drops on my face and rub in with my fingers and I've quickly got an even complexion . Or, I can do a few layers of the product to give me the same coverage as Double Wear but with a more radiant finish! I've noticed this foundation plays great with several other creams and powders, which is a major win for a product that's this thin. Now, the two reasons I didn't give this a 5/5 are pretty minuscule in the grand scheme of things. One, I don't really like the dropper style applicator. It can sometimes get clogged (mine does at least) or simply doesn't grab enough product each time it's dispensed. I prefer a pump applicator to make sure every ounce of product is being used, but that's just me being picky. Two, I do wish this had a longer wear time. Their website says 8 hour wear, but I begin seeing separation around 6 1/2 hours. I usually wear this to events where I know I won't have my makeup on for more than a few hours because foundation separating is one of my biggest pet peeves. But other than that, this is a win in my book! This is ideal for the person who wants ONE product that can perform in many different ways.

MILK MAKEUP ODYSSEY LIP OIL GLOSS

Rating : 5/5

Price : $26.00

Size : 0.2 oz

Where to Buy : milkmakeup.com, Ulta, Sephora

Cruelty Free : Yes

If I'm spending more than $15 on a lip product, you gotta know its damn good. I was a bit perplexed at first when this product came out. I thought a lip gloss thats also an oil seemed to make zero sense. But, now that I've tried it, I'll never go back to a regular style gloss. This genius hybrid gives the deep hydration of an oil and the high shine of a gloss but WITHOUT the stickiness! When a guest comes into Sephora and wants to try a new gloss, almost all of them say they don't want anything sticky. That's when I take them to the Milk Makeup gondola and almost everytime they try it, they'll buy it! And that's because they are shocked by how incredible the formula is. This unique product is made with jojoba seed oil, cloudberry seed oil, and vitamin C & E. All of which help deeply moisturize. the lips. It comes in 12 shades which is a perfect mix of clears, nudes, pinks and even some fun colors as well! So there is truly a shade for everyone. This oil can be used on its own since it is so opaque or can be used as a topper on any lipstick. Whether you are a full glam girlie or a natural beauty, you NEED this in your bag!

AMIKA PERK UP DRY SHAMPOO

Rating : 4/5

Price : $28.00

Size : 1.8 oz

Where to Buy : loveamika.com, Sephora, Amazon

Cruelty Free : Yes

I had never heard of the haircare brand Amika until I began working at Sephora. But the fun, whimsical floral themed gondola made me curious to try. Their hero product is the iconic Perk Up Talc Free Dry Shampoo. According to their website, it was voted the #1 prestige dry shampoo in the U.S. in 2024. Which is certainly a big accomplishment considering all the prestige hair brands out there. What makes this product unique is that it is made without talc (a common powdery ingredient often used to mattify or absorb oil) but instead uses rice starch, a natural alternative making it a clean dry shampoo. Although other brands have created talc free dry shampoos in the past, several of them don't deliver the same boost of volume you get with Amika. For a while, this one of my favorite dry shampoos. I loved the fruity smell (which also helps to dimish odor), the insane volume it gave, and the fact that there was no white cast. I could seriously go up to four days without washing my hair when using this product. However, my one issue was the gritty feeling it left. This is VERY common for dry shampoos due to the composition of the formula itself. I have very fine hair and am also weird about certain textures so that part I struggled with. But, if that isn't something that bothers you, I say give it a try! It's also very reasonably priced for being a clean, prestige dry shampoo! I can't wait to try more stuff from Amika because I've been impressed with it all thus far!