New Beauty Obsessions for February
There’s a lot that’s new in the goop clean beauty shop this month, and after trying, falling in love with, and agreeing upon all of it, the editors in the beauty department each emerged with a few favorites. From a magic new serum for skin to a shelf’s worth of next-level hair products, here’s what Jean, Megan, Simone, and Brianna can’t get enough of this month.
JEAN
GODFREY-JUNE
executive beauty director
“Concealer (as opposed to a ton of foundation) is the key to a natural, no-makeup look. And the key to imperceptibly but effectively concealing dark circles, breakouts, or really anything is a concealer brush. This one is just the best concealer brush ever, hands down: It gives you the precision to put the pigment only where you need it, which is everything.”
“My foolproof formula for shiny, bouncy, soft, full-of-life hair is this shampoo and conditioner. And now it involves 90—90—percent less plastic: These refill pouches are full of the good stuff and easy to store until you pour them into the original, buy-it-once bottle. They are also 100 percent adorable-looking.”
“The fact that stress affects the way your skin ages is something I know but often ignore. The people at de Mamiel have clinically proven this new serum’s results on skin. It leaves mine more radiant, not to mention smoother, and it stops the my-skin-refuses-to-be-moisturized feeling that I get this time of year. It’s a miracle.”
SIMONE
KITCHENS
senior features editor
“The wintry mix of drier air, cool temperatures, and hot showers left my scalp feeling out of whack. So after every shampoo, I’ve been massaging in drops of this lightweight serum to help protect, hydrate, and support scalp health. It’s infused with active ingredients like apple stem cells, lupine protein, and rose and rosemary hydrosols to help nourish. I love the way my hair air-dries after I use it—soft and shiny (with no residue) and with the most subtle, super appealing botanical scent. But more than anything, I’m relieved by how my scalp feels: soothed, balanced, and healthy.”
“Since I’ve started using this flexible palm-size brush from Manta, my superfine, tangle-prone curly hair has never felt stronger, shinier, or smoother. The brush molds to the shape of your hand and your head, creating less tension, while its bendy, forgiving bristles minimize snags. (Manta’s founder, British hairdresser Tim Binnington, created it for his wife when she was growing her hair back after an illness, because her regular brushes were causing breakage.) I used to get trims every couple months to keep damage under control, but somehow since using this brush, my hair feels healthier than ever without them. Every night before bed, I brush out my curls, massage in hair oil, then braid it back. And the brush is also amazing for detangling in the shower—it feels so good.”
“I still can’t believe someone managed to invent this truly transformative hair mask. Made with tsubaki seed oil for deep hydration and yuzu fruit extract to smooth the cuticle, it is lightweight and smells amazing—that’s the Crown Affair signature scent of yuzu, lemongrass, and bergamot, and I love it so much. I use a wide-tooth comb (the one that’s in the Crown Affair set) to apply the mask, then leave it in for five to fifteen minutes—depending on how dry my ends feel—for the most nourished, healthy hair. I rinse and wrap my hair in the brand’s genius microfiber towel, and the results are, quite simply, my most shiny hair imaginable.”
Megan
O’Neill
senior beauty editor
“This is a straight-up magic trick for instantly sculpting my face and making it look like my cheekbones are more ‘there.’ (I have more of a baby face than a chiseled one, which I’m perfectly happy with, but who doesn’t want to switch it up sometimes?) It’s creamy, foolproof to apply—the stick makes it super easy to draw and blend it in where you want—and this shade, Truffle, is a bit richer than Biscuit, so it flatters medium to dark skin tones especially beautifully.”
“Hairstylist after hairstylist tells me scalp health is crucial for shiny, healthy hair, and this scalp tonic, designed to dissolve product buildup, oil, and dead skin, is my new secret weapon. Apply it directly to your scalp—enough so that you can work it in all over (bonus points for smoothing it in with the gua sha comb I love). Leave it on for twenty minutes or so to allow the faintly herby scented blend of detoxifying yet somehow also moisturizing oils to do their thing, then rinse it out in the shower right before shampooing and conditioning. I do it once a week and am obsessed with how pristine-feeling and comfortable it leaves my scalp. And yes, it really does work for all hair types.”
“Gua sha anything grabs my attention because the gua sha face massages I’ve been doing while working from home make such an incredible difference in my skin. Gua sha is an ancient Chinese therapy that involves smoothing a sculpted massage tool over the face or body, and this gua sha comb made of hand-cut jade is by far the most glamorous thing in my bathroom and feels incredibly good on my scalp. I use it with the Scalp Detox—it helps distribute the tonic and feels even better. I also use it to comb through my curls (I soak them in conditioner, then go in with the gua sha), so they stay defined and untangled all week.”
Brianna
Peters
assistant beauty editor
“I hoard Westman Atelier’s Baby Cheeks Blush Sticks because I’m obsessed with how a quick swipe instantly wakes up my entire face. Plus they have skin-care benefits: They’re infused with hyaluronic acid, jojoba, and Ayurvedic oils. I’ve been waiting for this perfect burnt-rose shade—it’s the most gorgeous pop of color in the winter for cheeks and lips.”
“I swear this is the key to a good hair day. I use it once a week when I do a sort of ultimate, do-everything shower (exfoliate, shave, deep-condition, etc.). I smooth this into my scalp and hair right before I get in, then wash it out with the goop G.Tox scalp scrub right before I get out. It leaves my scalp feeling refreshed, and it leaves my hair shinier, bouncier, and softer all week long.”
“This! I have long, fine hair and finding a great (clean) dry shampoo was a challenge until I tried this brilliant, next-to-nothing powder. It gives me fancy-salon-blowout volume and absorbs oil like nothing else—so my hair looks amazing. I can get away without shampooing for three days.”
