Welcome to Stuff We Want, where we talk about the best new beauty products we tried each month. These are the things our editors loved in February, from old favorites to brand-new releases.
February Beauty Trends
February, with its shiny cards and candy hearts, brings some much-needed light to the dead of winter. And that includes the month’s biggest beauty trends: Ballet slipper lips and romance waves made our routines more fun and gave us a lot of new products to love.
Editors’ Everyday Favorites
This past month, Glamour editors bought more basics, and we’re not just talking about Levi’s that were inspired by American Love Story. We found everyday heroes that helped us look our best, from serums that were good for winter skin to concealer and foundation formulas that worked well. Plus, the new products from our favorite brands that we were most looking forward to in February didn’t let us down. They included Rhode’s new lip and face masks and a lot of new K-beauty products.
Standout Beauty Picks
What else helped us get through the shortest, coldest month? Fun pink and red dark spot stickers that get rid of hyperpigmentation and look good doing it, a new perfume milk that has skin-care and long-wear benefits, a brilliant frizzy hair product for keeping flyaways in check on windy mornings, and so many more must-have items that will make you swoon.
Top Skincare Products
Every new skincare product that comes out these days seems to promise “glass skin in a bottle.” But I can vouch for this one: This serum gently exfoliates with glycolic acid while hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and PDRN soothe and restore the skin barrier. It’s the perfect mix for dull, dry winter skin. The packaging is also new and fun to use. To easily put 2–3 drops of serum directly on your skin, just push down on the squishy top of the bottle. I notice an instant boost in hydration when I use it every night. After two weeks, my skin looks brighter and more even-toned, and I don’t have the flaky redness that most chemical exfoliants cause.
I’ve tried a lot of dark-spot correctors to help get rid of stubborn acne scars. These cool little patches are nothing like anything I’ve tried before. They stick on like a regular pimple patch, but they also help fade areas of hyperpigmentation. I’ve only been using these for a little over a week, but I’ve already noticed that the skin around my mouth is clearer and brighter.
Makeup Must-Haves
This month, my feed has been full of tributes to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s timeless beauty. I’ve been looking for the perfect blurred ’90s-style red lip. My favorite right now is this sheer lipstick balm. The color is bright and buildable, but it’s not too heavy, so it doesn’t feel like you’re making a big commitment. The balm-like texture is also moist and doesn’t dry out.
I already love Charlotte Tilbury’s skin care products, so I was very excited to hear about the brand’s new concealer. It has a thick, rich formula that lets you hide texture and uneven tone with just one swipe. It’s everything you want in a full-coverage cover-up. The formula is easy to build up, and a little goes a long way.
Fragrance & Hair Essentials
I can’t believe I haven’t looked for a product like this before, since I’m obsessed with scents that smell like second skin. The hyaluronic acid-infused serum soaked right into the crook of my elbows and wrists, leaving my skin feeling hydrated. It also left a lived-in scent of mandarin and vanilla that lasted through an afternoon.
This is the prettiest bottle in the Born in Roma fragrance line so far, and the scent is so good because it has Juicy Plum Accord, Osmanthus Accord, and Rich Vanilla in it. It’s a warm floral scent that will carry you from winter to spring and make everyone compliment you.
K-Beauty Highlights
Then I Met You Snail Mucin Eye Cream That Firms and Brighten
I use this plumping, bouncy blue formula every day and night. Azulene from chamomile gives it a calming color, and volufiline and snail mucin work together to make it firmer. It not only moisturizes my skin, but it also helps smooth out the lines under my eyes and make my dark circles look a little less hollow.
Embellished Cat Eye Manicure Emerges as the Bold Nail Trend Beauty Insiders Predict Will Dominate
This juicy gel cream from Beauty of Joseon has fermented retinol and ginseng ceramide. The mix keeps my face calm while the retinol dose that is easy for beginners to use starts to work. It doesn’t work for big, quick changes, but if you want to slowly get used to retinol, this is a good choice for beginners.
