I Tried Over 100 Beauty Products This Month—These 17 Are Coming With Me Memorial Day Weekend
May’s new launches are the real deal.
On a normal month, I test roughly 50 products. My desk is a disaster zone of makeup, skincare, and fragrances at all times, and my at-home situation resembles that of Sephora’s storage closet. But this month I tested well over 100 beauty products. It’s been a swatching, skincare reviewing, fragrance spritzing marathon of a month, making me more prepared than ever for whatever Memorial Day Weekend throws at me.
Intense humidity? There’s a lightweight moisturizer for that. Going to the beach? SkinCeuticals’ new SPF will be in my beach bag. Flying somewhere? Olay’s new liquid-free cleansing patches are TSA-approved.
I have my squad of new May beauty launches assembled and at-the-ready, but the rest of the MC team has acquired some new favorite too. To hear about every item that got our attention, read ahead.
The Best May Beauty Launches
The Best New Lipstick
"I find myself reaching for nude lipsticks when I want to look done up, but not over the top. Like when I'm running errands, heading to the beach, or jogging outside—activities I enjoy without needing much makeup. I tried Merit's new ginger shade with great trepidation, most nudes make me too pale or too washed. But this soft peach shade was perfect on my recently tanned dark skin. I plan to keep it in rotation all summer." —Deena Campbell, Beauty Director
The Best New Lightweight Moisturizer
“I, like a good beauty editor, swap out my heavy creams for lighter-weight gels when summer starts approaching. This year, the season change-up was a welcome one, courtesy of True Botanicals’ latest launch. Powered by brightening ingredients like turmeric and ginger, the gel-based hydrator leaves my skin glowing in an I-drink-eight-glasses-of-water type of way. The texture is incredibly lightweight and it layers with ease under makeup.” — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
The Best New Vitamin C Product
“I can always count on Kopari Beauty to deliver lightweight, feel-good products that pack a punch, and this Vitamin C moisturizer is no different. Upon application, it melts into skin without leaving grease in its wake, making it perfect for a layered skincare routine or as a primer under makeup. It's also filled with Vitamin C and with skin-supporting antioxidants, resulting in less redness, fewer breakouts, and a brighter complexion overall.” — Gabrielle Ulubay, Beauty Writer
The Best New Blush
“I’ve politely sat out from fashion’s beribboned coquette trend, but I’m one hundred percent on board with Westman Atelier’s new Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in the Coquette shade. It’s the gentlest peachy pink that makes me look like a flushed Bridgerton extra promenading around a candlelit garden. Like Westman Atelier’s other blush sticks, it can also function as a lip color—and I have definitely doubled up with matching cheeks and lips since ordering it. A hydrating formula (made with jojoba oil and berryflux vita extract) that teams up with my moisturizer to save my perennially dry skin is another bonus. ” — Halie LeSavage, Senior News Editor (Beauty & Fashion)
The Best New Body Serum
“I know I've made the conscious decision to live in Minnesota, but I did not agree to the current dryness levels. Save for summertime (and even sometimes then), my poor arms and legs are so very dry that a good lotion might not even do the trick. The answer? OSEA's new Hyaluronic Acid Body Serum, which has consistently saved my skin ever since it made it way into my (yes, also very dry) hands. Featuring five molecular weights of hyaluronic acid, polyglutamic acid, and hydrolyzed glycosaminoglycans, this light, lovely, fragrance-free serum provides deep hydration that lasts a whopping 24 hours.” — Sophia Vilensky, Beauty Freelance Writer
The Best New Tinted Balm
“Sometimes dreams do come true. Even dreams that seem so very far fetched, like your all-time favorite Hollywood darling, Miss Sofia Coppola, pairing up with the maker of one of your favorite lip balms, Augustinus Bader, for a new trio of brilliantly tinted lip products. Available in three sheer-yet-buildable shades (a pink, a coral, and a plum, swoon!), the balms feature Augustinus Bader's Trigger Factor Complex 8: "a proprietary blend of natural amino acids, high-grade vitamins, and peptides inspired by over 30 years of research, innovation, and clinical study." At long last, I can retire my last Sofia lip product: a tube of Marc Jacobs So Sofia lipstick that, while fabulous, is certainly past its expiration date.” — Sophia Vilensky, Beauty Freelance Writer
Also Recommended
The Best New Concealer
"My under eyes are prone to creasing, so while I would love to layer an eye cream, brightener, and concealer on the daily, I know it's a recipe for disaster. That's why I'm obsessed with Refy's newest launch, which combines all three products into one gorgeous, hydrating concealer. It has light-medium coverage and leaves my under-eyes looking fresh and even toned." — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
The Best Lip Liner
"This lip liner has not left my side since it landed on my desk. The pencil feels comfortable in my hand and the pigment glides across my outer lip line with ease. The real defining factor though is how long it lasts: I have a defined boarder around my lips for hours without reapplication." — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
The Best New Cream
“My skin has been a mess this past month. Every ailment (be it perioral dermatitis, rosacea, or a breakout) has been caused by a compromised microbiome, aka the skin barrier. In order to sort our my skin, I incorporated this new cream which leverages hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and a few peptide strains to keep moisture locked in and my skin as balanced as possible.” — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
The Best New Makeup Brush
“I know a skincare brush might seem excessive, but hear me out. This single tool is the sole product you need to create a spa-like ritual. With densely-packed bristles that won’t waste product, using the brush is not only a sanitary way to apply the product but also creates a soothing feel reminiscent of a facial massage.” — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
The Best New Bronzers
“Summer brings out my low-maintenance side. I’ll trade an extra 20 minutes on the beach for a full face of makeup at dinner, any day of the week. But because of Nudestix’s easy to apply formulas, I don’t always have to. This handy, travel-friendly kit is perfect for the on-the-go application and comes with two matte bronzers and one matte blush.” — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
The Best New Cleanser
“You know the TSA clear bag you have to house all your liquids? Well, mine is always overflowing. That in mind, I will happily welcome any skincare product that doesn’t take up space. Such is the case with Olay’s newest Cleansing Melts. The little square slices just require water to be activated, at which point they foam up into a gorgeous cleanser. It leaves skin feeling balanced, soft, and clean.” – Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
The Best New Serum
“I love hydrangeas—they’re my favorite flower. But I only recently learned that they possess a host of skin benefits. Byroe, which has quickly become one of my favorite brand for superfood-powered serums, developed a hydration serum using upcycled hydrangea. The result: A non-sticky, lightweight formula that leaves my skin looking plumped, bright, and balanced.” — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
The Best New SPF
“As someone with hyper-sensitive, rosacea-prone, ghostly pale skin, sunscreen is my most valued skincare product. I’ve tried hundreds over the years, so believe me when I say that this new SkinCeutical’s innovation is one of the best out there. With SPF 50 and chemical and physical blockers, this non-greasy blend calms down my redness and leaves a hydrating, natural finish on my skin. It’ll be in my beach bag all summer long.” — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
The Best New Face Tool
If a sculpted complexion is what you're after, makeup and skincare go hand in hand. That's why this new collaboration between Facegym and makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench is so brilliant. "Together, we've harnessed design and technique to create a new tool and technique ideal for preparing the skin before makeup application," explains Facegym founder Inge Theron. While two more tools are coming, Sculpt 01 is what I'm most excited about; the versatile tool features multiple sculpted edges (a comb, large curve, ball tip, and scalp claw) to promote tension release in the face and scalp. Benefits include an enhanced appearance (thank you) and collagen synthesis, as well as the promotion of long-term skin and hair health.” — Sophia Vilensky, Beauty Freelance Writer
The Best New Lip Plumper
"I'm officially a lip oil convert after trying Tarte's juicy new release. It has a glossy finish without any stickiness, and its hydrating and plumping effects are visible after a single use. The Mixed Berries shade is the perfect mauve-pink to layer over my PillowTalk lipstick (just don't tell Charlotte)." Halie LeSavage, Senior News Editor (Beauty and Fashion)
The Best New Calming Moisturizer
“I will forever be a Tata Harper Superkind fan. The range, which is specifically developed for sensitive skin, has always agreed with my rosacea-prone complexion. So, when the brand launching a Calming Creme, I jumped at the change to try it. It drastically improves my redness, feels luxurious, and instantly calms irritation.” — Samantha Holender, Beauty Editor
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Samantha Holender is the Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.
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