Simply put, it’s our job to find the best beauty products out there for you. From the newest serum to the hottest lipstick color to the dry shampoo that will change your life, we will find it, test it, and let you know what we think. We’re not complaining. It’s a pretty fun gig, and we’ll volunteer to be beauty guinea pigs any day.
But one of the cool things to come out of this is finding out what products you’re loving and buying. It helps us figure out what you want to learn more about and what you’re into so we can bring even more personalized recs to you.
Because we share a lot of our favorites with you every single day, we recognize it might be hard to keep up. So we’ve decided to put together a handy weekly list of what we love and what you love—consider this a CliffsNotes, one-stop shop of what’s really trending and worth adding to your cart at this very moment.
Take a look at what the Who What Wear universe (including editors, staffers, and readers) is obsessed with right now, and if you don’t see a new favorite on this list, we’d love to know. Send us a DM.
Beauty editors Erin Jahns and Courtney Higgs are both loyal fans of this cleanser. Jahns calls it the “unofficial official best cleanser in the universe.” The gentle formula exfoliates, tightens pores, heals skin damage, and removes makeup.
This serum always tops best-of lists. “Trust me—you will see brighter, glowier, more youthful-looking skin within a few days to a week,” Editor in Chief Kat Collings says. “The only thing that’s a slight downside is the product smells a tad like hot dogs. Once it dries, though, I promise it disappears. A bottle usually lasts me four months, which works out to about $1.40 a day. For beautiful skin, I think that’s worth it!”
Higgs put this nourishing face mask on her list of summer beauty must-haves. “It’s packed with natural (and edible!) ingredients like chlorella, spirulina, mango juice, and marshmallow root extract. Just add a few drops of water to one teaspoon of the powder-to-gel formula to transform it into the perfect soothing mask,” she says.
Senior fashion editor Allyson Payer reaches for this glowy serum when she can’t be bothered with makeup. It’s packed with moisturizing oils that leaves your skin bright and smoother.
The Ordinary’s affordable hyaluronic acid is a favorite of Higgs, who says hydration is a top skincare priority for her at this stage in her life. It’s good for all skin types and contains vitamin B5 for even more hydrating powers.
I can wax poetic about this gel moisturizer for hours on end. I’m deeply obsessed with it. Not only is it so affordable, but it also leaves my skin feeling hydrated and cool, which is what I need the most when my skin is angry and parched.
Contributor Caitlin Burnett uses this treatment daily before she puts on her makeup to soothe redness. She says it gives you immediate results: “I rub this green-to-beige cream all over my face, and voilà. My redness is almost nonexistent. Seriously, it’s a game changer. This would be my first recommendation to anyone who suffers from redness because it does an amazing job of neutralizing.”
Bioderma’s micellar water is another drugstore favorite of mine. I use it daily, sometimes both morning and night, to gently cleanse my skin and remove any makeup. It’s usually the next step after washing my face to make sure I’ve gotten all the grime off.
Add water to this powder and it becomes an exfoliating foam. Higgs is adding the product to her summer beauty routine, saying it sloughs away dead skin cells and promotes natural skin turnover.
Laneige’s lip mask is a cult favorite. “I keep the vanilla version of this lip mask on my nightstand and apply a thick layer about 15 minutes before I plan to turn the lights out,” Jahns says. “It drenches any dryness with lasting moisture, it smells delicious, and when I wake up, my lips are noticeably hydrated and plump. It is a bit sticky, but since it’s an overnight treatment, I don’t mind.”
The newest product from popular skincare brand Drunk Elephant lives up to the hype. Jahns says she hasn’t felt this passionate about a new beauty launch in a long time. “At first, the milky color and slightly thicker (but still slippery) consistency made me nervous, but I can’t put into words how delicate, dreamy, and silky this stuff feels on the skin,” she says. “Yes, it expertly vacuums everything from your face you want vacuumed (pollution, acne-causing bacteria, makeup, etc.), but it also leaves your complexion soft, glowy, and superbly clean-feeling with zero tightness or stripping.”
This face serum is formulated with glycolic acid to deeply exfoliate and potassium lactate to smooth and hydrate. Senior fashion editor of branded content Michaela Bushkin says, “The best way to describe this serum is that it makes my skin really happy. It’s never been brighter, clearer, or smoother. All the good things.”
Audience engagement editor Jasmine Fox-Suliaman uses these spot dots for a quick skin fix. “Any time I have a pimple coming on, I plop on one of the clear dots and leave it on for nine hours, and then it’s gone,” she says.
Two celebrity estheticians recommended this serum to Jahns, and it really works. “Now, I use it every morning and night, and my skin has been smoother, less red, and significantly more hydrated and glowy,” she says. “I blame the all-star mix of plumping hyaluronic acid, skin-strengthening vitamin B5, healing Centella Asiatica, and hyperpigmentation-lessening mushroom extract. I’ve been foisting it on anyone and everyone asking for skincare recommendations recently.”
Both myself and Payer use this toner daily. It gently exfoliates and doesn’t sting, leaving your skin refreshed and bright.
This product actually makes me excited to put sunscreen on every day, which is a big plus because I had trouble forgetting before I started using it. It has SPF 40, blue light protection, and the best part is that it has a glowy finish so your skin looks luminous. It’s especially nice when you don’t feel like wearing makeup.
Jahns recommends this cream, saying her under-eyes never looked better. “I’ve noticed a decrease in the lift and brightness of my eyes since I ran out, and I can’t wait to restock. This one is especially great if you’re prone to dryness and flaking, as it has a lovely rich formula that brims with hyaluronic acid, vitamins A, C, and E (which all help with circles and discoloration!), plus the brand’s signature blend of peptides and TNS for extra anti-aging perks,” she says.
The two-step peel pad contains glycolic acid, salicylic acid, and lactic acid to reduce dullness, uneven texture, pores, and dark spots. Ever since Jahns started using them, she’s noticed a decrease in the frequency of breakouts.
Both Jahns and Higgs love this sheer facial sunscreen, and it’s also recommended by dermatologists and facialists. “There are lots of facial sunscreens on the market now that don’t show up ghostly or ashy on brown skin, but that wasn’t always the case,” Higgs says. “For a long time, EltaMD was one of the only brands that offered a truly sheer facial sunscreen. Aside from being one of the first SPFs black people could use, it’s also one of the best.”
La Roche-Posay’s product is one of the best cleansers out there for acne-prone skin. And at $15, it’s a total steal. “In a panic, I once picked it up while traveling because the cleanser I had packed caused a slew of whiteheads. Eek! After cleansing with this formula two or three times, my skin was back to normal. It’s truly miraculous. It is strong, though, so I would only use it a few nights a week and alternate it with a hydrating, gentle formula,” Jahns says.
This ultra-hydrating cream has anti-aging properties. It helps to boost collagen production and fights free radicals. Managing editor of branded content Caitie Schlisserman recommends using it as a final product in your skincare routine, saying your skin will be visibly plumper and brighter. Next up, how to treat 10 common skin concerns that need to be normalized.
