After you’ve swapped out your winter coats for eyelet sundresses, sent off your taxes, and bleached your bathtub, there’s one more step before spring can officially commence: a cosmetics clean out. The changing season is the perfect time to recycle any old or expired products — or the ones that just aren’t sparking joy in the way that they used to.
Since we know how hard it is to let things go, we’re making sure the products we do add to our collections are worthy of that real estate. And, for our beauty editors, there were a number of contenders this past month. From CBD serums to fresh fragrances, find out what survived our spring cleaning purges, ahead.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
“I know more about the difference between sativa and indica than I do the difference between cannabis oil and cannabis seed oil, but I do know that this new serum contains both — and is also the most luxurious CBD-powered formula to enter my CBD-skeptical orbit. The packaging is pretty, it feels positively dreamy going on (silky and fast-absorbing, a “dry oil”), and I wake up with clearer, calmer skin when I press it on before my Augustinus Bader at night. It’s especially helpful for the persistent redness around my nose, which I’d previously thought was a lost cause.” — Rachel Krause, Senior Beauty Editor
Flora + Bast Age Adapting CBD Serum, $77, available at Sephora
“I mainly use Instagram to click listlessly through people’s Stories while procrastinating getting out of bed in the morning, but occasionally I also discover really cool new beauty brands. Co-founded by chic, dewy-skinned BFFs Francesca Marino and Eva Seta, Bejbiskin represents what I can only hope is the future of skin care: intelligent, well-priced formulas created by people who really care about what’s inside the aesthetically-pleasing bottle.
"I’m obsessed with spritzing on this soothing, antioxidant-packed toner straight after cleansing while my skin is still wet. It’s a simple, twice-daily step that has given me noticeably brighter skin — and, like the other two products currently in the lineup, leaves out the essential oils and other irritants that drive my sensitive skin insane.” — Krause
bejbiskin HYDRATING SPRAY TONER, $25, available at bejbiskin
"The staple products in my curly hair transition have been Olaplex’s shampoo, conditioner, and treatment. These three steps were recommended by my stylist to repair the heat damage I have from years of straightening, and they’ve made all the difference.
"But, along the way, I wished there was an Olaplex leave-in treatment for my styling routine, too. Little did I know that the brand had it coming down the pipeline and, voilà, Olaplex’s first styling cream is here. Like the brand’s other products, I saw results after just one use; my hair is significantly less frizzy after diffusing it and my curls feel dramatically softer and more moisturized now." — Thatiana Diaz, Beauty Writer
Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother Reparative Styling Creme, $28, available at Sephora
"For me, the fewer the products, the better. I’ve been swiping this bronze-y coral on my eyelids, cheeks, and lips and it delivers my ideal flush of all-over color. The dual-sided product also comes with a blending brush, so I can easily apply it on the go — whether that’s at my desk or on the train. (Yes, I’m that person, don’t @ me.) Gone are the days of needing to pack a blush, eyeshadow, lipstick, and three different brushes in my bag." — Diaz
NudeStix Nudies Matte Blush & Bronze, $32, available at Ulta Beauty
"I never thought I’d see the day when a setting powder could even come close to my longtime favorite from Laura Mercier, but Kylie Cosmetics’ version took me by surprise. Not only did the powder seamlessly blend into my skin, leaving zero white cast, but it also made my makeup last for 15 hours. At the end of the day, I was left with a bit of a glow, but far from the oily mess I’m used to." — Diaz
Kylie Cosmetics Translucent | Loose Setting Powder, $19.2, available at Kylie Cosmetics
"I feel like Supergoop is never not impressing me with their sunscreen products, and this first foray into color cosmetics is no exception. At first, I thought having SPF in something as minor as your eyeshadow was a bit silly. But, come to think about it, when I do apply sunscreen, I try to not rub it all around my eyes, which leaves places like my eyelids unprotected.
"Other than this product being actually good for my skin, I absolutely adore all three shades, which range from light gold to bronze, and have just the right amount of shimmer. I’ve even used these shadows as a base for other makeup, ensuring that even if I want to wear something wild like bright pink or burgundy, my lids stay protected." — Rachel Lubitz, Senior Beauty Writer
Supergoop! Shimmershade Illuminating Cream Eyeshadow SPF 30, $24, available at Saks Fifth Avenue
"With just one swipe of this powder blush, my cheeks are exactly the right shade of pink (as in, not so jarring that I look like I did my makeup in the dark, but not too faint either). It blends easily into foundation and even adds a bit of highlight to my cheeks as well. And just looking at the product in the packaging makes me happy: It’s the sunset-colored terrazzo flooring of my dreams.’" — Lubitz
Thrive Causemetics Cosmo Power Multi-Dimensional Strobing Blush™, $34, available at Thrive Causemetics
"This fragrance is inspired by an ‘icy chill,’ which is exactly the smell I’m looking for in an office building that keeps the thermostat set to 82 degrees. It’s the olfactive equivalent to standing ankle-deep in a cold babbling brook after a long hike through a lush forest. Or, in my case, popping a Listerine Strip as my last resort to regulate my body temperature in a stuffy 3 p.m. meeting." — Cat Quinn, Beauty Director
Serge Lutens L’Eau Froide Eau De Parfum , $160, available at Barneys New York
"I’ll be honest, I thought this ‘training stick’ sounded gimmicky when I first heard about it. It’s heat activated, and meant to treat your face while you sweat. But, after using it for a straight week, I’m now a firm believer in this cute little push pop. Not only does it feel awesome while you’re working out (like a mini AC unit on your face), but my face is so damn glowy after I step off the Stairmaster now. It has become my new motivation to get to the gym in the morning, and that is saying a lot." — Quinn
FACE GYM Multi-Vitamin Training Stick, $43, available at Selfridges
"This berry-tinted cream gives my face the prettiest, faintest hint of a flush. Like I just popped out for a brisk winter walk (Instagram), versus the wind chill turning my face into a ruddy, dry mess (reality)." — Quinn
Rituel De Fille Inner Glow Crème Pigment: Lust, $29, available at Rituel De Fille
"Serendipitously, one of my all-time favorite brands, Lanolips, announced it was launching skin care products in the same week I polished off the last lick of my Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream. I love that this moisturizer, which is made with lanolin and reparative vitamin E, comes in a squeezable tube as opposed to a pot. But more than anything, I can’t get over the satin finish it gives to my skin — like a hydrating moisturizer and makeup primer in one." — Megan Decker, Beauty Writer
Lanolips Face Base Vitamin E Day Cream, $24, available at Ulta Beauty
"I love to be tan, but I hate most at-home self-tanners. I usually commit to a semi-regular spray tan schedule when summer rolls around, and this new EWC lotion is poised to save me a lot of time and money. It smells like cucumber spa water, without even the faintest hint of the telltale DHA stink. The fair to medium lotion gives the perfect airbrushed glow to my typically pale arms and legs, with zero orange streaks" — Decker
European Wax Center Gradual Glow Body Lotion, $18, available at European Wax Centers starting April 1st.
"You’d think I like this perfume because of its bizarre, yet wonderful, backstory: It’s meant to smell like the mysterious Garden of Eden on the Venetian island of Giudecca, right down to the salty soil. But what really gets me hooked every time I spray it is the earthy, woody, dreamy scent. It’s not my typical "spring" scent, but I love it all the same." — Samantha Sasso, Beauty Writer
Hermès Un Jardin sur la Lagune Eau de toilette, $139, available at Hermès
"A leave-in mask is essentially a leave-in conditioner, but there’s something extra special about Briogeo’s reparative Argan oil and vitamin B formula. It leaves my blowouts soft for days — so much so that I have to actually argue with myself to wash my hair when I’ve gone a day too long reveling in the silky texture." — Sasso
Briogeo Strength + Moisture Leave-In Mask, $28, available at Sephora
"I need to take this opportunity to apologize to my face: I’ve neglected it from vitamin C for far too long. In fact, I probably would’ve continued on living a dull, sallow life if I hadn’t met this citrusy serum. It doesn’t smell like rusted pennies, and it doesn’t leave a sticky residue on my face or hands like most vitamin C serums do. It just makes me look alive — as if I know what eight hours of sleep and proper water intake is — and, really, that’s all I’ve ever wanted." — Sasso
Tatcha Violet-C Brightening Serum 20% Vitamin C + 10% AHA, $88, available at Sephora
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Source: Refinery29 – Thatiana Diaz