5 New 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.

Rhode Pocket Blush in Piggy, $39

Hailey Bieber’s beauty brand Rhode is best known for its skincare and ultra-viral Peptide Lip Treatments, a line of glossy balms that come in core and limited-edition scents and shades, many of which I’ve collected over the years. And when Bieber started teasing makeup products, I got the same gotta-have-them-all feeling. 

The Pocket Blush might give the Peptide Lip Treatment a run for its money in terms of hype. It’s a peptide-infused cheek stick formulated to seamlessly melt into skin for a natural and buildable colour. You can’t beat the convenience of a blush stick, but one of my pet peeves is when the product is too dry and drags onto the skin, which inevitably results in a patchy application. This one is easy to apply—either with fingers or with a brush—and has a beautiful, slightly dewy finish and plenty of pigment. 

The blush comes in six shades, ranging from a bright coral to a bronzy maroon. My favourite is the adorably named Piggy, a light pastel pink that still packs a punch. 

Olaplex No.5 Leave-In Conditioner, $44

There’s one surefire way to tell that a new product is doing its job, and that's when people around you start noticing you’re glowing up. I can’t tell you how many compliments I got on my hair after trying this leave-in conditioner for the first time. “Did you get your colour done?,” someone at the office asked. “Your hair is so long and shiny,” my friend told me over brunch that weekend. 

The leave-in conditioner contains the same bond-building technology as Olaplex’s OG haircare system. It’s applied on damp, towel-dried hair to repair strands, seal the cuticle and protect hair from heat damage. The consistency is creamy and doesn’t leave that crunchy feel you can sometimes get with leave-in formulas. The word is overused when talking about beauty, but this product truly is weightless. 

The No.5 Leave-In Conditioner tackles all my biggest hair issues: It helps manage frizz (my number one challenge this time of year) and it leaves my hair soft, shiny and healthy-looking. The compliments are just the cherry on top of a great hair day.

CeraVe Intensive Moisturizing Lotion, $26

The weather is finally getting colder, and as much as I enjoy cozying up to my plushest sweaters, the change in seasons has made my skin dry, flaky and generally irritated. I’ve been slathering on CeraVe’s new Intensive Moisturizing Lotion every night before bed, and it makes my skin supple and soft without feeling greasy. 

This formula contains the same ceramides and hyaluronic acid as the Moisturizing Cream and Moisturizing Lotion (two of my long-time favourite body-care products), with the addition of five percent urea and shea butter to smooth and hydrate more deeply. And like the original cream and lotion, it’s fragrance-free and ideal for sensitive skin. 

Olay Cleansing Melts + Hyaluronic Daily Facial Cleanser, $19 for 32

There’s nothing I love more than a new beauty innovation, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on the Olay Cleansing Melts, a new-gen face wash that comes in the form of tiny, water-activated pads. Just soak one pad in water in the palm of your hand, lather up until it foams and wash your face as usual.

The foam is surprisingly silky, and there’s plenty of product in one “serving” to wash both face and neck. It’s not a makeup remover, but it did remove my light foundation and non-waterproof mascara at the end of the day. For anything more heavy-duty, I would recommend taking off your makeup before washing your face.

The melts come in three formulas, enriched with active ingredients to target concerns: hyaluronic acid, vitamin C and retinol. Each one contains just eight ingredients, and only the vitamin C iteration contains fragrance. The hyaluronic acid formula is perfect for my sensitive skin as it’s fragrance-free and extra hydrating.

This is a genius carry-on travel beauty packing hack—I can’t wait to take these pads on my next trip.

Merit Great Skin Priming Moisturizer, $52

I’m not a minimalist by any stretch, but I’m always looking for products that can do double duty to save me time in the morning. And with days already getting shorter, the thought of tackling a 10-step beauty routine in the dark before work has never been more unappealing. Cue the launch of cool-girl-on-the-go beauty brand Merit’s new face cream, which moisturizes and primes in one step. 

The fragrance-free formula features a cocktail of actives that include collagen-boosting peptides to firm and tone skin. It’s also packed with gentle ingredients, like oat extract to soothe and hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate.

The texture is light, but nourishing, which is what I’m looking for in a moisturizer. Whether I continue on to apply foundation or not, it creates the perfect canvas.