Occasionally, we use affiliate links on our site. This in no way affects our editorial decision-making.
Each month, Fashionista editors try a *lot* of beauty products. And while not every formula we test is a winner, we’re constantly unearthing new favorites. Here, we’ve rounded up our latest hair, skin, fragrance, wellness and makeup discoveries — whether fresh-to-market drops or merely recent additions to our personal routines.
Between non-stop “Love Island USA” drama and the endless questions around Taylor Swift‘s upcoming nuptials (I refuse to believe it’s at MSG), there’s too much to keep track of this summer. But, team Fashionista is focusing on what we can control: our beauty stashes.
Our editors reached for plenty of skin-care products this month, including a gentle exfoliating cream cleanser, a manuka honey-based gel moisturizer, a smoothing mandelic acid serum and a K-beauty hybrid double cleanser. Our June beauty favorites also spotlighted some hair-care (a dry texture spray) and body-care (a milky self-tan essence) discoveries, but our makeup bags received the most love this month. A lengthening tubing mascara, a crease-proof eye shadow stick, a blurring lip balm and a long-lasting cream bronzer stood out as impressive additions to our makeup routines.
Ahead, see (and shop!) our editors’ must-have beauty finds from June.
Macrene Actives High Performance Cleanser, $95, available here: “Upper East Side derm Dr. Macrene Alexiades happens to hold a B.A. in Biology and a Ph.D. in genetics in addition to her M.D. (all from Harvard, nbd) and is a leading researcher on the use of lasers in skin care. So it’s safe to say she knows her stuff — and she applies all that knowledge to her eponymous skin-care brand, Macrene Actives. While the entire line is beautiful, this cream cleanser has become an instant favorite: Formulated to maintain proper pH and balance the skin, it relies on plant surfactants to gently exfoliate, as well as potent antioxidants to protect skin, emollients to moisturize and niacinamide to keep pores clear. Massaging it into my face has become the part of my beauty routine I look forward to most.” —Steph Saltzman, Beauty + Style Director
The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Milk & Jelly Double Cleanser, $23, available here: “I just finished my first tube of this 3-in-1 cleanser, and I’m shocked by its efficacy at a really great price. I’ve liked everything I’ve tried from the Korean skin-care brand, but this face wash is next-level good. It has two chambers: a milky oil formula that dissolves all my makeup and sunscreen, plus a jelly cleanser that leaves me feeling ultra-clean without stripping my skin barrier. It’s basically like I’m double cleansing but I only have to do it once.” —Elizabeth Denton, Deputy Content Editor
Good Weather Skin Daily Lip Sun Gloss SPF 30, $24, available here: “I want to take a moment to apologize to my lips, because I frequently forget to apply an SPF lip balm. It’s not for the lack of options (of which there are many), but rather for the unpleasant experience of drying formulas or overpowering sunscreen smells. However, Good Weather Skin’s Sun Gloss has changed the game: Thanks to a formula of hyaluronic acid, mango butter, jojoba oil and rosehip oil, my lips feel hydrated (and protected!) without cracking or flaking once the gloss dissipates. I’m a fan of the Ripe Berry shade, which delivers a subtle plum-tinted hue.” —Catie Pusateri, Staff Writer
Charlotte Tilbury Easy Eye Shadow Stick, $32, available here: “Crease-proof? Blendable? Easy to glide on? Pigmented? Check, check, check and check. Oh, Charlotte Tilbury, you’ve done it again. This shadow stick is a must for literally any beauty look I’m going for, whether I’m in a rush and doing a no-makeup-makeup moment or doing a full-glam beat for a night out.” —Janelle Sessoms, Staff Writer
Beauty of Joseon Daily Relief Sunscreen SPF 40, $18, available here: “I do not play about sun protection. I have very strict criteria for my sunscreen: no pilling, no purple or white cast, zero greasy residue and no odor. Beauty of Joseon passes all of these tests. Even applying it using my mandatory two-finger rule, this formula delivers a dewy finish while maintaining a lightweight feel — perfect for midday heatwaves. It’s also SPF 50+ with a PA++++ rating — the highest level of UVA protection under the Japanese PA ranking system.” —Neia Dizon, Editorial and Multimedia Intern
Aveda Tousle Texture Dry Texture Spray, $37, available here: “I’ve been using Aveda since high school, but it’s been a while since I’ve discovered something new from the brand I’m excited about. Until now, with the launch of this body-enhancing texture spray. The (truly!) dry mist bulks up strands and creates soft, movable texture without turning waxy or greasy, and it really lifts strands rather than weighing them down. I like to flip my head over and mist it all over for major fullness or spritz it on a loose braid to help set a wavy texture in place.” —Steph
Hourglass Phantom Smoothing Blur Lip Balm, $38, available here: “Hourglass just launched my dream lipstick and not enough people are talking about it. The formula is basically like if 2016’s matte lipstick had a baby with an ultra-hydrating lip balm. My favorite shade is Whisper, a natural-looking pink-mauve that delivers the perfect wash of color with a soft matte finish that actually lasts. And my lips are hydrated at the same time? A total win.” —Elizabeth
Erborian CC Red Correct Color-Correcting Cream, $46, available here: “I tried Erborian after reading Steph’s glowing review of the brand’s CC Cream Color-Corrector, and sure enough, it did not disappoint. This redness-reducing CC cream has effectively put my foundation out of work. Formulated with glycerin, centella asiatica extract and SPF 25, the lightweight cream glides on green before neutralizing any redness. It has a surprisingly skin-like finish, and it’s meant to gradually reduce redness with regular use. Since my skin tone can best be described as ‘milky white,’ the cream’s encapsulated pigments leave a slightly tan tint so I always bring it down to my neck for cohesion.” —Catie
It Cosmetics Do It All Lip Transformer, $29, available here: “I’m always down to try a 2-in-1 beauty product, and this dual-ended liner-and-balm duo is a unique one. The creamy, precision-tip liner is long-lasting and moisturizing (thanks to the incljusion of cupuaçu butter and jojoba oil). I then flip the pen around to apply balm, which offers just enough color to wear solo but is also sheer enough for a layered look.” —Janelle
Clio Kill Lash Superproof Mascara, $15, available here: “I usually skip out on a full face and opt for the basics (lip stain and sunscreen), but this mascara has become part of my everyday routine. It holds a curl all day long (even for my stubborn, straight lashes), doesn’t smudge and adds both volume and length. In fact, it’s so effective at lenghtening that I can actually feel my lashes brush against my eyelid when I blink — a weird but oddly gratifying sensation.” —Neia
Cyklar Self-Tanning Milky Essence, $36, available here: “I’m pretty sure I’m supposed to be olive-skin-toned, but because I’ve been a beauty editor for almost half my life and never go in the sun, I’m pale in a sort of sickly way. (Pale olive skin is just… queasy green? Chic.) So I’ve tried just about every sunless tanner on the market, and this one is officially at the very top of my list. I massage the super-light, runny gel all over with an applicator mitt post-shower, and it dries within a few minutes, leaving zero trace of stickiness behind. I love that it leaves my skin feeling smooth and hydrated with a bit of a bounce (thank you, ceramides, allantoin and squalane!) in addition to imparting an even, realistic golden hue. My ghostly legs and I are eternally grateful.” —Steph
Merit Clean Volume Tubing Mascara, $28, available here: “I’ve become quite the tubing mascara fanatic, and Merit’s new formula is a welcome addition to my stash. It applies in smooth layers that lengthen and separate my lashes, rather than veering into clumpy and goopy territory. For me, the mascara’s greatest strength is its brush: Its small wand coats each lash with precision, eliminating unwanted smudging during the application process.” —Catie
E.l.f. Save Your E.l.f. Hypochlorous Mist, $12, available here: “Every skin-care brand and their mother has a hypochlorous acid mist at this point, and with good reason: It’s great for any skin type and has a multitude of uses (healing, calming, bacteria-thwarting, refreshing). E.l.f.’s version comes in a generously sized bottle, offers a pleasantly light mist with even dispersion and has the same exact functionality as the other pricier HCAs I’ve used. I’ll definitely be telling my friends they can switch to this budget-friendly option next time they need to re-up on theirs.” —Steph
Reale Actives Go Deep 8% Mandelic Acid Serum Concentrate, $39, available here: “I’ve always cautiously approached exfoliants due to my sensitive skin, but after a recent facial revealed lingering congestion, the esthetician encouraged me to try mandelic acid. I started using this serum (from Alix Earle’s new acne-focused skin-care brand) with an 8% concentration of the ingredient. It’s smoothed my skin’s texture (without irritation!) thanks to a blend of synactin AC, arginine, squalane, licorice root extract, centella asiatica extract and garcina mangostana peel extract.” —Catie
Aunu Mānuka Moisturizer, $82, available here: “I was already a fan of Aunu’s entire manuka honey-based line, but this new lightweight gel moisturizer is a lovely summer addition. The honey is naturally soothing and anti-bacterial (so therefore anti-breakout!), while a mix of ceramides, squalane and jojoba moisturize and strengthen the skin barrier. Plus, niacinamide offers a bit of brightening, skin-tone-evening power. This might be weird, but to me it smells exactly like the way the Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly tastes (complimentary; that’s my favorite flavor!!!). It’s just lovely for summer.” —Steph
Rhode Pocket Bronzer, $25, available here: “Hailey, you did it again. This new cream bronzer — housed in the same ‘pocket’ stick format as the brand’s popular blush — is yet another winner. The problem I’ve had with most cream formulas is that while they apply and blend smoothly, they don’t last very long. Not so with this one. A few swipes of a brush over the intensely-pigmented product and a bit of buffing is all it takes to get glow-y in seconds, and then stay that way all night (even in very humid conditions, like Manhattan in June).” —Steph
