August 2022’s Best New Beauty Products, According To A Beauty Editor

It has certainly been the summer of gloss, but summer is coming to an end. Fall has always felt like a time for a matte lip to me, but it’s never a good time for dry lips. This new matte lip cream from NYX blends whipped shea butter and cocoa butter with gorgeous pigments for a vibrant, matte finish that won’t leave your lips parched. It’s also vegan, available in 13 shades, and costs less than $10.

I’ve raved about these ColourPop liners already, but it bears repeating: These are luxe, long-lasting eyeliners with drugstore price tags. The Graphix Ink Liners come in 10 vibrant shades, go on smooth, and stay on through even the sweatiest of days.

Overnight masks are a must for me when I spend a lot of time in the sun and this new sleeping mask from Mario Badescu works like luxury skin care for a fraction of the cost. It delivers powerful hydration, thanks to a combination of peptides, mango seed butter, and jojoba seed and moringa oils, but also smooths texture and balances skin thanks to niacinamide and lactic acid.

I don’t wake up every morning with bouncy skin and I’ve accepted this as part of the natural aging process, but wearing a layer of this mask to bed goes a long way. I might not have jello skin, but there’s definitely a springiness to it when I use this mask.

If you’ve ever used salicylic acid, the main ingredient in Bubble’s new acne serum, you know it can leave your skin feeling dry and flaky. Super Clear unclogs pores with 2% salicylic acid and willow bark extract, but it also includes squalane and colloidal oatmeal to soothe and hydrate skin, as well as neem seed oil, which keeps acne-causing bacteria at bay. Basically, it helps your skin get rid of, stay clear of, and heal acne, and all for less than $20.

There are few things as satisfying as exfoliating rough, summer skin and then moisturizing the smooth, baby soft skin underneath. This new body scrub from Grown Alchemist is about as clean as clean beauty can get. Its blend of activated charcoal, peppermint, and Kaolin clay exfoliates, detoxifies, and smells like the kind of dreamy, European spa vacation I will likely never be able to afford, but I can easily imagine while scrubbing my elbows and knees.

Clinique’s Black Honey lipstick has been TikTok viral for a while, but the brand just launched the cult-fave shade in a brand new finish. Half-lip butter, half-lip gloss, Clinique’s Pop Plush Creamy Lip Gloss is universally flattering on literally all skin tones. Feel-wise, it’s more buttery than sticky, thanks to aloe, avocado, and shea butters, and when I say it melts into your lips, I mean it really, truly *melts*.

Ferulic acid is an ingredient that’s expensive, but that Elite Daily editors swear by when it comes to correcting adult, cystic acne. This new cream from DERMAdoctor isn’t cheap, but I’ve tested it and it’s done wonders for my irritated summer skin . In addition to ferulic acid, it also contains ceramides and Vitamins E and C. In other words, it boosts glow without stripping moisture, making it a great option for sensitive skin that’s easily inflamed. It’s also incredibly rich, so a little bit goes a long way.

August is the time of year when my skin starts getting really dry and, subsequently, starts to break out around my nose and chin. This new sunscreen from Alicia Keys’ Soulcare is non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores, and also delivers an extra dose of moisture to your skin along with SPF 30.

Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Sleep Mask was a hit when it first came out and its new formulation is better than ever. The formula features ingredients that brighten and smooth skin without causing dryness or irritation and its special blend of exfoliating acids was designed to be effective, but gentle enough for sensitive skin.

As much as I love my inevitable sun-kissed (even with SPF) skin every summer, I definitely don’t love the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that’s exacerbated by beach vacations and long days in the sun. This new pre-cleanse treatment from Urban Skin RX is a new, powerful hyperpigmentation fading product that doesn’t include hydroquinone.

If you’re a POC and have dealt with hyperpigmentation, you’re probably familiar with hydroquinone, an ingredient with a problematic history, commonly found in “skin-bleaching” products. It’s effective, but can have intense side effects. HyperCorrect Intense Fading Cream skips hydroquinone in favor of cysteamine, an equally effective ingredient previously only available through a dermatologist. It also includes niacinamide and Vitamin E so it soothes your skin while treating dark spots.

There’s a lot to love about Ariana Grande’s rem beauty. The quality is high, the products are innovative, and, sometimes, you even get a tear-jerking nod to Mac Miller thrown into the mix. The latest launch from the brand, rem beauty’s sweetener concealer, is another A+ in my book.

While it technically launched on July 28, it’s perfect for August’s heat waves and the skin concerns that come with them. The formula features antioxidant and hydrating ingredients and the shade range is on point. The line even includes pure white and pure black concealer shades, so you can create a custom shade based on how much time you spend in the sun.