New Beauty Editor Obsessions for December

Jean Godfrey-June

executive beauty editor

1. “Once, in the hospital wing of the luxe and old-school Clinique La Prairie spa in Montreux, Switzerland, a small, studious doctor leaned across the table toward me. ‘You are healthy,’ he said. ‘But you could get more magnesium.’ More recently, Stanford neurobiologist Andrew Huberman extolled magnesium’s benefits on Armchair Expert, and my interest flared again. Magnesium supplements support sleep; and magnesium soaks, a peaceful psyche. I have no trouble sleeping, but my psyche could not be described as peaceful.

2. “Steeping myself in the new magnesium-flake-infused Anchor bath soak from acupuncturist and aromatherapist Annee de Mamiel is extra psyche-soothing because I know it was made by de Mamiel, who is one of the most serene, grounded people I’ve ever met. In addition to magnesium flakes, she’s blended three kinds of salt (Himalayan, Epsom, and Dead Sea) into the bath, along with jasmine, lavender, and frankincense, plus all manner of rare botanical extracts. It smells and feels absolutely fantastic, and the fantasticness continues after you emerge from the bath—you kind of just have to lie down, stare at nothing, and enjoy how great your body feels or (option B) fall asleep. It’s heaven. It also makes a gorgeous gift: It comes in the most beautiful metal-embossed black glass jar, tied with the pale-blue de Mamiel grosgrain ribbons.”

3. 
   de Mamiel Anchor Bath Soak goop, $88

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1. “Think body oil and you think, Not getting dressed after that. But this spritzable, exquisitely scented (orange flower, acacia, vanilla, roses, and more) dry oil is about a thousand times easier to use than your typical pourable oil, and it leaves your skin soft and supple, not to mention ready to slip into whatever outfit you’re planning that day (or night). It’s made on an organic farm in Tuscany, and the oil smells and feels as gorgeous and glamorous as that sounds.”

2. 
   Seed to Skin The Serenity Time Defying Dry Body Oil goop, $162

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1. “This absolutely incredible plum-seed face oil (it smells faintly of amaretto) from California has been out of stock for most of the pandemic, and at last the super-moisturizing-but-sinks-right-in miracle is back. It’s packed with antioxidants, omega fatty acids, and polyphenols, but the way it feels on your skin (and of course the way it makes your skin look) is the reason to buy it. I’m stocking up lest it sell out again.”

2. 
   Le Prunier Plum Beauty Oil goop, $72

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Megan O’Neill

senior beauty editor

1. “This golden aluminum flask looks like something out of a storybook (or possibly the latest Dune movie, which I can’t wait to see again) that might hold a miracle youth-restoring brew. What this completely recyclable refill container does hold is a superserum designed to smooth fine lines (the German professor behind the line infuses every formula with a patented high-tech complex/youth-restoring elixir), moisturize, calm, and invigorate skin. I massage it in every morning and night, and the milky cocktail of soothing and brightening pomegranate seed concentrate, edelweiss extract, vitamin C, and rice bran oil sinks in instantly. The results: My blemish-prone skin is less angry and waaay more radiant. The serum step—I don’t skip it anymore; boy, does it make a difference.”

2. 
   Augustinus Bader The Serum Nomad goop, $350

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1. “Am I more taken with Pharrell’s style (hot-pink Chanel cardigans! piles of glinting gold chains and bejeweled necklaces! cat-eye sunglasses and fresh sneakers!) or with his seemingly ageless and poreless, impossibly glowing skin? Of course I had to try his new totally clean, powerfully skin-boosting Humanrace skin care. The Humidifying Cream is my favorite—the blend of calming snow mushroom and tiger leaf extracts and intensely moisturizing plant-based squalane melts right in, infusing my skin with a dewy summertime sheen even when it’s forty degrees out. It’s rich yet super lightweight, refreshingly unscented, made for all genders (Pharrell is adamant about that), and layers beautifully over my Augustinus Bader serum to seal everything in. The bright-green packaging rules, plus it’s refillable (the refill containers are made with over 50 percent postconsumer recycled plastic). I love Pharrell, I love his new plumping cream, and I love that he’s as into sustainability as he is into looking so supremely dapper.”

2. 
   Humanrace Humidifying Cream goop, $48

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3. 
   Humanrace Humidifying
   Cream refill goop, $44

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“Everything about these subtly tinted liquid balms—how fantastically shiny and full they make my lips look, the cushiony hydration they impart, that they feel like exquisitely contoured chess pieces in my hand—makes me deliriously happy. I love to pull one from my bag (handling something so sleek makes me feel sleek) and smooth on the blend of deeply nourishing jojoba, almond, and argan oils that leaves my lips supple for hours. This kit comes with the two bestselling shades: Nana is the sheerest, juiciest, sexiest, barely there nude that makes me realize how unmodern and weirdly formal a lot of other nude pigments look, and Pipsqueak is a translucent cranberry red that’s as stunning with cropped RE/DONE jeans and a vintage camo T-shirt as it is with the strappy velvet camisole I plan on wearing to the cluster of holiday cocktail parties I have coming up.”

1. 
   Westman Atelier Squeaky Clean Lip Kit goop, $65

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Brianna Peters

associate beauty editor

1. “I first became obsessed with cryofacials when I tried one at HigherDOSE after an infrared sauna session, and the results—luminous, energized, refreshed skin—were amazing. I’m stoked that I can now do the whole treatment myself at home: You keep the two eighteen-karat-gold-plated tools in the freezer until you’re ready to use them, then put on your favorite sheet mask or serum. Gently glide both wands in outward, upward strokes over your face and neck (I focus under and around my eyes). It sounds chilly, but it feels so good. And just five minutes leaves my skin radiant, lifted, depuffed, and totally invigorated. For the full experience, I’m thinking of getting the HigherDOSE sauna blanket.”

2. 
   Angela Caglia Gold Cryo Facial Set goop, $125

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1. “I’ve been obsessed with these velvety, subtly shimmery eye shadow pods (you get three individual pots of shadow that stick together in a magnetized ‘pod’),and now they come in a goop-exclusive set with the brand’s eye shadow blending brush and inky-black, lusciously thick mascara. It’s truly all anyone needs for practically any eye look. I like to blend all three shades—there’s Chocolat, a rich brown; Tabac, a warm bronze; and Neige, an iridescent ivory—on my top and bottom lids for a slightly sultry, defined smoky eye, or apply Neige just under my brow bone and at the inner corners of my eyes (Gucci Westman herself taught me that one). Either way, I flick on the gorgeous mascara and end up with wide-awake eyes and lots of compliments.”

2. 
   Westman Atelier All Eyes on Clean goop, $175

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1. “I’m already into the cult Augustinus Bader face cream, and now, after every shower, I’ve been slathering myself head to toe in this deeply moisturizing lotion infused with powerful clean ingredients like TFC8 (it supports skin’s renewal process), a polysaccharide complex, vitamins B5 and E, and aloe vera. I love the way my skin looks when I use it—healthier-looking, plumper, and firmer—but beyond that, I’m obsessed with how it makes my skin feel: soft, supple, and beautifully hydrated.”

2. 
   Augustinus Bader The Body Lotion goop, $95

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Erica Ndlovu

junior associate beauty editor

1. “I like to keep my morning skin-care routine pretty simple. I’m usually running behind in the a.m.—it takes me far too long to peel myself from my bed for my morning Peloton or AARMY on-demand boot camp. This skin-loving combination is the best: I sprinkle the vitamin C powder into the ultramoisturizing chebula serum (vitamin C serums are notoriously unstable, which is why I love this powder form), and the chebula leaves my skin glowy and radiant. All that’s left to put on afterward is some (mineral) sunscreen.”

2. 
   True Botanicals The Gold Standard goop, $60

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1. “This is the first clean perfume I’ve fallen for since joining goop and learning about the potentially health-harming ingredients in fragrances. The scent is beachy but better—more sophisticated and sexy—with notes of cedar, vanilla, sandalwood, and coconut, and it fully satisfies my island-getaway nostalgia. It’s just light enough to wear year-round and layers beautifully with other scents, and I get so many compliments when I wear it.”

2. 
   Heretic Dirty Coconut goop, $165

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“I’m a notorious overpacker, and this kit has made my holiday-travel packing list a little shorter (if not made more room for an extra pair of shoes). You get a foaming cleanser, an ultrahydrating face mask, hyaluronic and calming serums, a skin-coddling face cream, and the beloved lip balm—all from skin-care guru Dr. Barbara Sturm. The set covers every base while keeping my skin nourished and ready to brave the winter weather. Plus, it’s a great gift for someone you really (really) love.”

1. 
   Dr. Barbara Sturm winter kit goop, $250

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