5 New Skincare and Makeup Products Our Beauty Editor Loved This Month

When it comes to beauty, there’s no shortage of options; seemingly each day, there’s a new makeup, skincare or haircare product to swipe, blend, dab and lather. It’s my job to put them all to the test and vet them against my tried-and-true favourites to see what’s really worth the hype—and the money. Here are the new beauty products I’m currently using on repeat.

Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm in Iced Coffee, $33

Every iteration of this lip balm has been a hit, but this might be my favourite yet. Iced Coffee packs the same ultra-hydrating shea and murumuru seed butters as the OG, with a sheer—almost undetectable—latte hue and a sweet caramel coffee scent. I love this lip balm’s slanted plastic applicator, which fits the shape of my lips perfectly and gives an even coverage. Plus, the hydrating properties last for hours. What more could you ask for?

Merit Brow 1990 Gel Pencil, $33

I’m a huge fan of Benefit Cosmetics’s ultra-fine Precisely, My Brow Detailer ($34), but lately I’ve been switching things up with Merit’s first-ever brow pencil. Merit’s pencil has a slightly bigger tip—0.1 mm bigger, to be exact—but the gel formula is sheer, which allows me to be messier in my application. It’s perfect for days when I need my brows to look a little denser and I don’t have time to painstakingly draw individual hairs. This product is better suited to those who naturally have fuller brows as you don’t get the defined strokes needed to shape your arches with precision.

The pencil comes in four shades, but the formula isn’t opaque, so they work for most people. I appreciate the fact that they lean cool or neutral, as the biggest issue I face with brow products is that they tend to be too warm for my natural hair colour.

Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Island Glow Lip & Cheek Tint, $50

This tint for lips and cheeks is the perfect addition to a beach bag. While a tropical getaway isn’t in the cards for me this summer, it gives me the most gorgeous, just-back-from-vacay dewy flush. The formula is initially a little tacky to the touch, but once applied it melts into the skin and stays put all day. On the lips, I like to pair it with lip balm for extra hydration.

The shades look bold in the compact, but don't worry—they’re much more wearable than they first appear. Sun-Blushed Glow, a beautiful rosy coral, is my current fave. (Pro tip: For a natural look, I recommend gently tapping the product into the skin or lips with your fingers.)

Makeup By Mario SoftSculpt Bronzing & Shaping Serum, $49

I’ve tried just about every bronzer out there, but I’ve never found one that I truly loved. They were either too powdery, too orange or too muddy for my skin tone. This one by Makeup by Mario changed the game for me. The gel-like liquid formula—which can be dispensed via a pump or a doe-foot applicator—is sheer, buildable and packed with hyaluronic acid for hydration.

You really can’t mess up the application: it buffs out easily with a brush, but I also like to tap it into the skin with my fingertips for a glow that looks completely natural, sans telltale streaks. (It also doubles as contour, if that’s your thing.)

The product comes in seven shades, and I’ve been switching back and forth between Fair and Light depending on the level of warmth I’m looking for.

Three Ships First Light Vitamin C + Caffeine Eye Cream, $41

The jury’s still out on whether or not you really need an eye cream in your skincare routine. I can usually take it or leave it, but Canadian brand Three Ships’ First Light eye cream has me hooked. It’s made with vitamin C and caffeine to brighten and reduce the appearance of dark circles, as well as squalane to hydrate. The formula is lightweight and absorbs quickly without any greasy residue, and my skin is noticeably softer and more moisturized after application. But my favourite part is the tube’s cooling ceramic applicator—it feels amazing on the skin and helps de-puff the under-eye area.