By now, you’ve probably surmised that we test-drive a lot of beauty products here at Who What Wear HQ. From nail polish and makeup to hair and skincare, we’re eyebrow deep in all things new, exciting, and wish-list-worthy. That said, due to the number of products we come in contact with, we’ve also transformed into the nitpickiest of beauty consumers. Within seconds, we can tell if a new hair oil is too heavy, and we’re quick to ignore a serum that yields disappointing results.
The good news? We’re far more often impressed than unimpressed after trying out a new product, and usually, we simply can’t wait to spread the word to all of our fellow beauty lovers (also known as you!). Therefore, we’ve decided gushing over our latest fave products should become a monthly ritual, and every 30 days or so, you can expect a full report detailing the highlighters, hair wands, and overnight skincare saviors we’ve quickly fallen head over heels for.
For the most part, we’ll be covering buzzworthy launches, as those typically take up most of the action atop our product-filled desks, but we won’t dismiss new-to-us products, either. Sometimes, our best discoveries are found on a friend’s vanity or on someone’s face at the bar (true story). Ahead are the best beauty products we tried in October! Grab your game face and wallet—you’ll be needing both.
Though I’m a beauty editor by day, I also moonlight as a complete wellness lover. Because really, if I can get beautifying effects from what I’m ingesting and how I’m treating my body, I want to go that route versus throwing my money at lots of skincare and makeup. This is why I’ve been completely obsessed with my latest favorite thing: Armra’s Colostrum Immune Revival. Now, for some context, I’ve been obsessed with colostrum for years (one of my favorite facialists in L.A. actually uses it in her topical products), and it’s also a key ingredient in one of the most expensive (albeit amazing) smoothies on planet earth: the Billion Dollar Smoothie at SunLife Organics. But after spending hours on the internet trying to find a version I could use at home, everything I found looked low-quality and sketchy. So when Armra landed on my doorstep, I freaked the eff out, and it’s been a nonnegotiable in my daily routine ever since. It’s pure, grass-fed bovine colostrum, and it’s basically a fountain-of-youth substance that can help strengthen your skin, lung, and gut barriers; heal your microbiome; and increase cellular health and performance for optimal immunity. I’ve had more energy, my breakouts all but vanished, and my skin looks glowier and bouncier, if you will, a month or so in of taking it daily. I love the unflavored option for versatility purposes, but the blood-orange-flavored sticks are super handy when you’re busy and on the go.
Le Labo’s collab with the Met is one of the hottest candle launches that comes to recent memory. It’s limited edition (like, might sell out any minute), so I recommend snagging one as a gift for your artsiest friend ASAP and keeping another for yourself. It smells so enticing, even though it’s packed with an absurd number of fragrance notes—I mean, laurel, rosemary, eucalyptus, thyme, cumin, clove, amber, patchouli, sandalwood, and more? As Le Labo puts it, “it is a mess, but a beautiful one,” and it couldn’t be more right.
If you, like me, start shedding dry skin like a snake once November rolls around, you’ll appreciate this ultra-hydrating night cream. Packed with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and prebiotics, it’ll have you waking up seasonally confused (in a good way since your skin will be plump and hydrated despite the weather).
No, Olio e Osso lip balms are not new, but they are new to me, and ever since I got my hands on one, it’s all I want on my lips. It definitely gives you a slight tint, but the way it makes my lips feel? I don’t think they’ve ever been this soft before. I have told everyone I know (including my mom) to get their hands on one of these, so now I’m sharing with the world—this lip balm is the best. Buy every color.
Okay, hear me out. If a fall candle were a person, they would smell like this perfume. I know that sounds out-there, but I promise it makes sense, and I mean it in the best possible way. This scent is kind of like what it would smell like if you were to eat homemade apple pie on the crispest October day while wrapped in a plaid blanket. It’s dreamy. I’ve been wearing it nonstop.
Okay, you know what I said before about Olio e Osso being all I want on my lips? I lied, because I also can’t stop slathering on Glossier’s new Balm Dotcom. I’ve always been partial to Balm Dotcom—the Cherry version is a forever fave—but this one smells like Thin Mints, and it leaves the sheerest wash of warm brown on your lips, so it’s my new favorite.
I’ve been looking for a sweet and fresh, everyday fragrance with just a hint of a musk this season. Jo Malone’s English Pear & Freesia isn’t new, but it fits the bill with notes of just-ripe pears, white freesia, and patchouli. It’s also very versatile; I’ve been wearing it from morning to night. (I purchased both the 50ml and 100ml so I could use it at home and on the go.)
For years, I’ve noticed just how drastically my skin changes as we head into the cooler months. My skin tends to get dry and dull, making it difficult to find makeup products that give my skin the hydration and glow I’d love to have year-round. Rose Inc’s Skin Enhance Luminous Skin Tiny Serum Foundation does an amazing job of giving me light coverage while also plumping and smoothing my skin. It’s my skin but better!
I love this creamy, musky scent—it’s perfect for fall! With notes of bergamot, cardamom, jasmine, violet leaf, and sandalwood, it strikes that perfect balance between floral, woody, and musky.
I don’t usually use a blow-dryer anymore, but I recently started using this dryer with the diffuser attachment to dry my curls and, wow, was I impressed! It’s really compact, dries my hair quickly, and uses less heat than most dryers so it doesn’t dry out my already dry curls!
I couldn’t decide if I loved this incredible brand’s Cleaning Clay or Face Oil most! Honestly, I can’t decide, so they both make my favorites this month. I recently went in for a facial with holistic aesthetician Jordan LaFragola at her beautiful L.A. studio. She handcrafts her own Flora Mirabilis products, and they feel so lovely and calming for the skin. I love this cleansing clay because it features one of the gentlest clays, kaolin, to help unclog pores. Linoleic acid–rich carrier oils in the formula also help support healthy barrier function and decrease moisture loss. The face oil is equally as good and smells amazing.It’s packed with 10 transformative plant-based ingredients to help brighten, balance, soften, and restore the skin.
It’s no secret I’m a big fan of Peach & Lily products. (The brand’s Matcha Pudding Antioxidant Cream has been a mainstay in my skincare routine for years.) So when it came out with a new moisturizer, I knew I had to try it. With a formula that’s chock-full of peptides (12 to be exact!) plus hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, and rice ferment, it firms the skin, prevents lines and wrinkles, and supports the moisture barrier. Translation? It can plump and smooth the skin over time. The best part is that it works for all ages; it’s not thick and pore-clogging like other anti-wrinkle creams on the market. My sensitive, redness-prone skin loves it. I’m obsessed.
I’m on my second bottle of this moisturizer, and wow. The formula is really lightweight but leaves my skin hydrated and dewy. Whenever anyone compliments my skin, I point them straight to this product.
Your scalp is begging you to start using this. Trust me.
Speaking of your scalp, I’m on a mission to grow my hair, and I’ve been religiously using this stimulating roller every night before bed. It’s only been about a month, but I’m hopeful to have my hair looking and feeling much fuller by the end of the year.
As someone with super-fine hair, I tend to avoid using any post-shower hair products out of fear that my freshly washed hair will turn greasy. But with the weather changing in NYC, my hair is desperate for added hydration, so I’m currently testing out Ouai’s Leave-In Conditioner. Not only does it smell heavenly, but it also adds moisture without weighing down my hair. I can’t stop using it now.
If you’re a fan of Herbivore’s Lapis face oil but not a fan of its $72 price tag, this is a great alternative. I’ve had a few spots that need some TLC, and this product has sped up the healing process while adding a beautiful glow to my skin. This will be in my rotation all through winter.
I’m forever Team Cream Products over powder, but that doesn’t negate the fact that it’s taken me a minute to find the perfect bronzer. I’ve tried everything from liquid to stick formulas, and this one blows them all out of the water. It blends seamlessly into my skin and never takes on that muddy look that can happen with bronzer/contour products. My only wish is that the brand add more shades to its range, but overall it’s a great product.
Honestly, I surprised myself by loving this so much. It boasts notes of cherry liqueur and almond, which I know sounds like a lot. It should be too sweet for me, but I find it intoxicating! The hold it has on me is ridiculous: I find myself eager to spritz myself multiple times a day, and I’m not sure what I’m going to do when I run out.
I’m a total skin-tint fiend. I love lightweight formulas that enhance my natural skin without being overly heavy, and this is the latest one I’ve added to my rotation. It’s next-level good: It doesn’t even look like I’m wearing makeup, it lasts for hours, and it gives me the perfect amount of coverage. It’s everything I want in a skin tint.
TikTok convinced me to get this, and I’m so glad it lived up to the hype. It’s a hybrid formula that nourishes lips like a balm, plumps ’em up, and adds a high-shine finish. It’s made with menthyl lactate, so there’s an instant cooling sensation, plus the conditioning complex really nourishes and hydrate lips so they look and feel their best.
Full disclosure: I’ve only been using this for a couple of days, but so far, I’m really into it. It almost looks (and feels) like whipped butter. It absorbs really fast and leaves a subtle cooling sensation, which feels really nice at the end of a long day. My skin does feel more hydrated and maybe a little brighter? Only time will tell.
This is my favorite type of lip color. It’s the perfect light pink with cool undertones and it doesn’t leave my lips feeling dry or flaky. I’ve been using this day and night, I can’t get enough.
I have spent years—yes, years—trying to find the best concealer that works for my South Asian skin. After trying dozens of brands, I’ve found my perfect match with Kulfi Beauty. My chosen shade (Mango Drop) matches me perfectly, and the formula is hydrating, brightening, and buildable. It blends like a dream, and I cannot sing higher praises.
I’ve been an avid user of Glossier’s Balm Dotcom for years, and its latest collab with Swiss Miss has to be my favorite one yet. It has a minty-chocolate smell and leaves a warm-brown tint that’s perfect for fall.
Like concealers, I’ve also had bad luck with brow pencils. I love my Merit brow gel, but my brows are on the shorter side, so I’ve been on the hunt for a pencil that I can fill my sparse ends with. I do have dark hair, but some pencils will still look too stark compared to my natural brow color, and that wasn’t the case at all with this one. Refy’s brow pencil is easy to use, lasts all day, and you can barely even tell I’ve drawn over the sparse areas. I will definitely be repurchasing!
I’ve been hearing so much praise for Saie Beauty (especially its latest collab with Reformation), and I’m here to tell you that the hype is very much real. This tinted moisturizer blends beautifully into the skin and offers just the right coverage I want for everyday use. It also feels lightweight, so it’s hard to tell I’m even wearing a base. I wear SPF every day, but it does help that this tinted moisturizer comes with SPF 35!
In my experience, there are a lot of eye creams out there that have a pretty package but don’t quite do the trick. I’m often hesitant to try something new, but since this one was created by one of the most prominent New York plastic surgeons, Robert Schwarcz, I gave it a whirl. I saw immediate results and love that it has a plant-based formula. The applicator has a cooling effect that feels really nice before bed.
It’s been ages since I updated my hair tools. Don’t shade me, but I think the last time I got a new blow-dryer was my senior year of high school. I don’t blow out my hair at home often since I’m a big fan of the salon treatment, but ever since I got a Brazilian Blowout, I’ve been able to spend more time experimenting and improving my strategy. I finally got my hands on this very popular hair dryer, and it is a complete game changer. I finished my hair in record time and loved that it has so many settings to choose from. PS: I can’t believe it’s on sale.
There are a lot of sheet masks in this world, and I’m past the point of playing around with the fruity concoctions that line the walls of every beauty store. These milky masks feel a lot more trustworthy. I tried mine for the first time last night, and it was love at first sight. I woke up glowing.
As I’ve been blow-drying my hair more often, I’ve found this detangling spray extremely helpful. Usually when my hair is curly and dried, it can get a bit tangled. Giving it a quick spray resolves that problem lightning fast.
I have been trying out different lash serums for quite some time but never found one that really spoke to me. They always got in my eyes, which was quite uncomfortable. This led to me never being consistent enough to see results. The applicator on this new lash-defining serum is out of this world. It makes it so easy to apply without getting any product in my eyes, and I’m already seeing results.
I’ve been spraying my hair with this before I head out the door between washes for a bit of added moisture and shine. While I was initially using it for practical purposes, I am now simply obsessed with how good it smells. My friend was looking for a new hair perfume, and I told her to skip the pricey tags and just get this spray. When I spray my hair with this I don’t even need to wear perfume that day.
I came home from out of town, and per usual, my skin wasn’t in its best shape. I decided to try out a new collection of serums, which led me to this face oil. I’m usually not one for putting oil on my skin, but this product acts more like a serum and hydrates without clogging pores. It only took two or three days to get me back in good shape and looking my best.
