According to my weather app, spring has officially sprung! It’s time to dust off our sandals! Push aside those heavy winter creams for a lightweight hydrator. Swap out your full coverage foundation for a lightweight tinted moisturizer. It’s Taurus season which means we’re all about working smarter, not harder, and April’s beauty launches do just that. From a plant-based hairbrush that is good for the environment (and your hair) to a serum that doubles as a face roller, consider us impressed. Our beauty team tested all the latest beauty launches in April 2023 and here are our favorites.
Skin Fetish: Divine Bronzer
Bronzer is the ideal makeup product to trick people into thinking you’ve just returned from a tropical vacation on a secluded island instead of where you’ve actually been—sitting in front of your laptop for hours in The People’s Republic of Your Apartment. My current go-to for this form of deception is Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Divine Bronzer. The pigment is dense so a little product goes a long way and the silky-smooth formula means it glides right onto your face without making your skin look streaky or muddy like a bad spray tan. I swirl some powder onto a brush and tap it onto my cheekbones and temples, where the sun would naturally hit, to add depth to my skin tone that says, “Sorry, I’m OOO all month!”
Peptide Lip Treatment in Passionfruit Jelly
There’s a constant discourse about celebrity beauty brands. Are they good? Is it worth it? Is it all a scam?? After doing some investigative reporting, I’m here to let you know that yes, Rhode’s Peptide Lip Treatment is good. Like, really good. I apply it liberally all over my lips and even though the formula is thick, it doesn’t feel oily or too goopy. It’s cozy, like the way your favorite oversized hoodie feels. The shea butter and oils in the formula comfort and moisturize dry, chapped lips, and it leaves behind a juicy, mirror-shine finish with no tackiness. The Passionfruit Jelly limited-edition formula is addicting—the smell is absolutely divine.
Sheer Lipstick Balm in Flamingo
I know… another lip product?? I can’t help it—I like what I like! And I am obsessed with lip products. I have at least three on my person at all times. With this lipstick balm, you get all the perks of a lipstick (read: color) without any of the downsides (flakes, patchy application, embarrassing smudges of pigment on your teeth). Plus, it’s formulated with vitamin E boosting your lip’s hydration levels. The hint of pink color is also buildable—swipe once for a sheer finish, twice for medium coverage, and three or more times for a bold, shimmery hue. (Also, how fun is the packaging?)
The Depuffer
There are so many things that made me love this product I almost don’t know where to begin. This roll-on serum has a metal applicator that reminds you of the most luxe face roller—something us puffy girls take very seriously. Then there is the actual formula. Arnica is the hero ingredient to help reduce the look of swelling while centella asiatica helps reduce visible redness. As someone who deals with these two issues daily (especially during spring allergies), this product has quite literally been a game changer for me.
Molecular Repair Hair Oil
This oil is extremely lightweight which is very welcomed by my fine hair. A little goes a long way so I massage a drop or two into my palms before raking it through my mid-lengths to ends. It has the K18 peptide to help reverse damage and frizz. I’ve really loved using it on damp hair before I air dry or style. Recently I have been using my Dyson Airwrap religiously and I noticed that using this before made my hair feel extra soft and shiny. Plus did I mention it also provides heat protection? A match made in hair heaven.
The Ultimate Detangler Plant Brush
I always take notice when a brand makes actual headway in being sustainable beyond a vague marketing term. I am here to confidently say that this plant-based hairbrush is a true innovation. It’s made of 85 percent sustainably sourced castor oil that the brand transformed into biodegradable plastic. It has the same two-tiered bristles that we know and love from the brand which makes it a pro at detangling. I’ve used it on both wet and dry hair but love using it most post-shower.