Princess Diana will always be associated with her short haircut, and in the ‘80s and ‘90s, hordes of women rushed out to copy her signature shaggy ‘do. Although she sometimes wore her hair slightly longer or more tousled, there were very few occasions when she deviated from wearing it down. One of those was the 1984 State Opening of Parliament, which Diana attended alongside Queen Elizabeth and King Charles (then Prince Charles).

Princess Diana had been married to Prince Charles for just three years at the time, and she tested out a swept-back updo with the Spencer Tiara and a long, ruffled dress for the ceremony. In his new book, Swan Song: Diana, My Sister, Princess Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, detailed the incident that resulted from her new hairstyle at the event.

“Her hair stylist, RIchard Dalton, swept Diana’s hair into a ‘chignon’—a bun pinned at the nape of the neck, as favoured by some movie stars a generation earlier,” Earl Spencer wrote. He added that fans let out “gasps of admiration” when she got out of her carriage since the public was “used to her trademark look” and “surprised that this had been replaced by something so ravishing.”

Diana chose the Spencer family's diamond tiara—the same style she wore on her wedding day—for the opening of Parliament, and her brother noted that it "looked magnificent atop her sweeping hair, while her bone structure was shown off to great effect."

Although Diana’s updo was a hit with the public and the press, Earl Spencer wrote that Queen Elizabeth “was not amused” by the scene-stealing moment. Instead of covering the late monarch’s address to Parliament, all of the headlines “were about Diana’s new hairstyle.”

“Diana was told off, and she—ever respectful of ‘the boss,’ as she called the Queen—from that point on, always wore her hair more simply at events that they both attended,” Earl Spencer wrote.

Ahh, Milan Fashion Week, arguably the most glamorous installment of the fashion month calendar. Honestly, whenever I'm in need of beauty inspiration to knock me out of my minimalist, Brooklyn girly rut, I always look to the Italians. Whether an editor who has traveled across the world to attend shows like Prada, Gucci, Max Mara, and Armani or a local hopping between designers, MFW S/S '27 is serving up plenty of stunning street style beauty looks. The week is also proving that despite the revival of long hair, particularly in the States, the bob and lob are not going anywhere anytime soon. Red hair is also cementing its place as a fashion girl favorite, while unexpected hues like green and pink make their stylish presence known.

For more Milan Fashion Week street style beauty looks, keep scrolling.

Ferrari Red Lips

Razor Sharp

Sleek Chignon

Green with Envy

Half Braid, All Style

Mega Mermaid

Platinum Pixie

Go Fish

Take a Dip

Barrette Bling

Going Green

Gorgeous, Gorgeous Gray

Kiss and Make Up

Do the (French) Twist

Stuck in the Middle with You

Lovely Lob

Cherry Cola Chic

Perfectly Pixie

Bang Up Job

Ruby Toes

Flip Twist Pony

Curl Up and Glow

Make It Micro

Up, Up, Updo

Cool Girl Copper

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

It’s official—it’s finally fall. As I say goodbye to my summer linens and lightweight makeup routine, I’m also reworking my fragrance tray, frontlining only the best fall fragrances for 2026. While I have quite a few new additions to the ungodly number of bottles I already own, if you’re just getting into the perfume space, you may be wondering what counts as a fall perfume to begin with. Thankfully, I’ve phoned a friend.

​“For me, fall is about warmth meeting freshness, transforming crisp notes into softer, richer textures,” says Kamila Lelakova, senior perfumer at CPL Aromas. “It’s the contrast between cool air, warm skin, and a deeper, more enveloping atmosphere.” That is the exact vibe I am going for over the next few months, and quite a few brands seem to have gotten the memo, if the latest launches are anything to go by.

​I’ve had the distinct pleasure of getting my hands on some of these new releases early, and I have to admit that fall ‘26 perfume launches have been some of the best that I’ve come across in recent memory. From a stunning take on iris from the house of Creed to a beast-mode riff on lavender from Mind Games, fragrance obsessives (me) are feeling sufficiently fed, and I can confidently say your new fall fragrance is somewhere on this list.

Still, the list includes tried-and-true favorites if you prefer the classics, so keep reading for the best fall fragrances for 2026, plus additional tips from Lelakova on how to make sure your fragrance wardrobe is ready for colder weather.

The 10 Best Fall 2026 Perfumes

• Best Fall 2026 Perfume Overall: Creed Iris Debonair Eau De Parfum
• Best Lavender Fall 2026 Perfume: Mind Games Knight’s Tour Extrait De Parfum
• Best Fall 2026 Vanilla Perfume: Balenciaga Vanilla XXL Extrait de Parfum
• Best Viral Fall 2026 Vanilla Perfume: Le Labo Vanille 44 Eau De Parfum
• Best Fall 2026 Citrus Perfume: Bond No. 9 The Scent of Peace for All Eau De Parfum
• Best Fall 2026 Booster Perfume: Veronique Gabai Eau De La Nuit Eau De Parfum
• Best Fall 2026 Oud Perfume: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Oud Velvet Mood Extrait De Parfum
• Best Fall 2026 Designer Oud Perfume: Gucci The Voice of the Snake
• Best Fall 2026 Musk Perfume: D. S. & Durga I Don't Know What Eau De Parfum
• Best Fall 2026 Molecular Perfume: Escentric Molecules Molecule 01 Eau De Toilette

Best Lavender Perfumes For Fall 2026

I have been on a serious lavender kick recently, and in the fragrances below, I've paired it with some of my favorite notes like iris and pear. If your fragrance palette is anything like mine, your nose is about to be in heaven.

Best Gourmand Perfumes For Fall 2026

Everyone knows that fall and winter are when gourmand perfumes really shine. Still, the options below could command a room in any weather at any time of year, because they take one of the most universally beloved notes, Vanilla, and turn it up a notch.

The Best Citrus Perfumes For Fall 2026

Citrus scents are usually staunchly recommended in the summer months, but when done correctly, they can be fantastic transition fragrances in the fall. If you prefer more fresh perfumes that have better lasting power than the category is known for, start your search here.

Best Oud Perfume For Fall 2026

It wouldn’t be a fall perfume story without a few oud scents in the mix. Whether you love the notoriously beast-mode note or are easing into the space, the scents below are the perfect place to start (or expand) your oud perfume collection.

Best Musk Perfumes For Fall 2026

It wouldn’t be me if I didn’t mention a musky, molecular fragrance in a perfume roundup, regardless of the season. It’s one of those rare notes that feels appropriate to wear year-round, regardless of weather, so if you want a simple, everyday scent that you can throw on without thinking, my two favorites await you.

What Are the Notes That Perform Best in Fall and Winter?

As I always say, there are no rules in the game of beauty. However, there are some notes that simply perform better in certain climates versus others, and there are a few that Lelakova particularly gravitates toward and notices that others do, too.

​“In colder weather, consumers tend to gravitate towards materials that bring warmth, depth, and texture, such as spices, woods, and vanilla,” she says. “More sensual notes, including leather and amber, can also create a richer, more enveloping experience.”

​Evocation also matters in perfumery, as scent is closely tied to memory, so the atmosphere a perfume creates can feel better suited to one season than another. “Earthy materials add another dimension, evoking the outdoors and the changing season,” Lelakova adds. “These notes can transport us to memories or create a sense of bringing the outside in, from the crispness of frosted leaves to the warmth of skin and the comforting depth of woods and resins.”

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

The beauty world, the internet, and I have spent a week asking who copied whose sliced hydrogel eye patches. The truth? Nobody copied a formula. They all got the same new kitchen gadget under the false pretense of exclusivity, poured different juices into it, and sprinted to be the first to launch.

Last Thursday, Fenty Skin teased the Dew N Plump Fresh-Sliced Hydrogel Eye Patches: an air-tight tube, one twist, one sad little slice of jelly, “the first of its kind,” coming soon. Then the Glow Recipe Exopeptide Caffeine Brightening and Depuffing Fresh Slices appeared in the identical cylinder. Then Huda Beauty’s first real skincare swing, Undereye Jelly Patches, same slot, same slice, same “how did we all show up in the same dress?” energy. Then Vitamasques—yes, the sheet-mask people—started teasing a scrape pack they say they have been producing since last November.

By the time the Spider-Man meme went viral on Instagram thanks to Fenty Skin, it became clear something suspect was going on behind the scenes. The real story: Seoul had already been selling the same packaging since July. Wonder Bath’s Slice Serum (pore, spots, lift; 60 sheets) has been on wonderbath.com the whole time for $29. The brand is still South Korea only, with a U.S. launch date that is “soon” in the way landlords say “the super is coming.” Fenty’s rumored price tag was in the low $40s. Same deli slicer. Different turkey.

Huda Kattan bluntly weighed in on eyepatch-gate on Instagram: “I think it’s pretty obvious that we all got screwed over by the same packaging supplier. Formulas are different, but we were lied to on exclusivity with the packaging supplier. Pretty crazy.” Glow Recipe has been insisting the gels are not twins and that the pack is only part of the equation. Wonder Bath, the true original, left a note on social: there is room for everyone.

How Does the Eyepatch Slicer Work?

Stop picturing a stack of eye patches drowning in goo. Think of the new design like a cake tin with a horizontal knife. Yesterday, Glow Recipe posted a video to their Instagram lifting the curtain on how the physics of the slicer work, as the pack moved down a lab supply line pouring pink formula into branded components.

What Supplier Sold Everyone the Same Packaging?

Obviously there’s a mystery packaging manufacturer that everyone used, but no one will reveal. Is it because brands don't want more of the same flooding the market? Or is it an issue of learning how much packaging really costs versus retail? A source close to LVMH exclusively told Marie Claire, "It's not a custom Fenty mold. If it were, LVMH/Kendo would never allow it on the open catalog." That led to an in-depth search to find the packager.

The closest public match for the hardware is not a mystery contract manufacturing organization (CMO) in Guangzhou. It is a stock component on a packaging marketplace: Samhwa 100ml PP Fresh-Slice Hydrogel Eye Patch Dispenser (SEP-F100M-01-A-IP), molded in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do. One rotation shears one patch. The chamber holds 60 to 70 slices. Samhwa Co., Ltd. — 삼화, Uiwang-si, one of Korea’s big-three packagers, is primarily backed by private equity firm KKR as of last fall. Based on publicly available bill of lading information, the manufacturer has shipped the slicer to Maybelline, YSL, Innisfree, Dr. Jart+, L’Oréal, and a “+5” other brands that should make every beauty director sweat. Wonder Bath’s people, who I spent the wee hours of the morning on the phone with, have described Samhwa as a packaging house shopping the design, which is how four (now five) pipelines fill at once.

The packaging photos show liquid hydrogel pouring into a figure-eight well—the same as Glow Recipe's recent video. That well is the negative of two under-eye crescents spooning. The gel sets in the jar, and a blade in the lid advances the loaf a few millimeters, shearing a kidney-shaped slice through a slot. The catalog copy is already the launch caption: “Fresh slice hydrogel eye patch grinder, fully sealed, zero contact.” MOQ (minimum order quantity) 5,000, about six weeks. Inpackedpackaging.com has not yet revealed our request for Samhwa's price per unit based on their MOQ.

Can All These Sliced Eyepatch Formulas Be Different?

Samhwa sells empty genius. They do not mix your niacinamide. Whoever fills the well—a CMO, an in-house kitchen, a lab that also does sheet masks—pours their own mixture into the same cake tin.

That is why Glow can load exopeptide and caffeine, Fenty can do niacinamide plus Kalahari melon and star fruit, Huda can do whatever jelly she is calling a first skincare act, Wonder Bath can split the SKU into pore / spot / lift, and Vitamasques can keep the caffeine-and-collagen house style they already sell in foil packets. The polymer backbone is usually some wet cocktail of glycerin, gums, hyaluronic acid, water, and a gelling agent that sets sliceable. The brand story lives in the pour: caffeine for the “I have a podcast” crowd, fruit juices for the Fenty crowd, PDRN or peptides if you need to spice up a press release. Different recipes. Same loaf pan. You can taste the difference and still be watching the same cooking show.

Who Really Had the Eyepatch Exclusive?

Wonder Bath had the packaging to themselves from July into September 2026. They are still Korea-only. A packager can sell a quiet window—ie. don’t shop this SKU to the big U.S. accounts until Q3—without that window being a patent. Vitamasques saying they have been making a scrape pack since November 2025 is a big tell: the tool was already in circulation while prestige brands were still under the impression that their launches would be the “first of its kind” in fall 2026.

Are More Eyepatches In the Pipeline?

If Impacked’s “brands shipped to” line is even half right, scrape-and-slice packs will not stay a four-hand pileup. They will become the cushion compact of 2027: a stock mechanism every prestige line feels obligated to “interpret.” Expect Maybelline and L’Oréal mass versions that cost $16 and look like the same turkey. Expect YSL to do it in a heavier, gorgeous cap and call it a ritual. Expect Innisfree and Dr. Jart+ to act like they invented hygiene. Expect a dozen indie brands to buy the 5,000-unit MOQ, wait six weeks, and start rolling out marketing materials.

What we’ve seen over the past week is the premiere of a factory loaf—with different toppings. Fenty’s teaser, Glow’s influencer barrage, Vitamasque’s cheeky teaser, and Huda’s creator video all marketed the same shiny new design entering the American retail space. But let it be known: Wonder Bath was first.

The Eyepatch-Gate Takeaway

The consumer is not crazy for feeling punked, but the gels can still work. The hydrogel can still depuff a red eye. The honesty problem is upstream: marketing a purchase-order window as an invention. If you want the original, wait for Wonder Bath to clear customs or buy from the Korean site and accept the shipping. If you want the American cut, just be well aware of what you’re holding—a Korean packager’s aspic, portioned on demand, dressed for multiple different parties.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

If you know me, you know that I don’t mess around when it comes to my space. I like my 500-square-foot studio to look and smell like a fancy Parisian hotel room. I have luxury candles burning every night and a large assortment of reed diffusers that I flip like clockwork every Sunday. I’ve put a lot of time, effort, and money into curating the energy of my small space. Maybe it’s counterintuitive, but I like to feel like a VIP guest in my own home. As a result, I have become bizarrely passionate about little things like laundry detergent, surface cleaners, and most notably, hand soap. My latest obsession, a Cashmere Musk-scented hand wash and balm duo, is the brainchild of sister brands Oak Essentials and Jenni Kayne.

I actually have two sets—one for my bathroom, one for my kitchen—and have already made the executive decision that this duo will be my housewarming gift for anyone and everyone I know moving into a new apartment here on out. The smell is delicious (more on that in a bit), the formulas are equal parts elevated and luxurious, and the heavy glass bottles are absolutely breathtaking. Yes, I really do get this excited about hand soap. And balm!

To read my full review and shop the collection, keep scrolling.

What Does the Oak Essentials X Jenni Kayne Hand Wash and Balm Duo Feel and Smell Like?

I’m the first to admit that there are plenty of gorgeous hand soaps out there: Loewe Tomato Leaves, Salt and Stone Lily & Yuzu, and Flamingo Estate Jasmine Damask all have real estate in my home. But this set is in a league of its own. For starters, they come as a package deal, and nothing screams “I’m at a five-star hotel” like matching hand soap and lotion.

The soap has a particularly noteworthy foam. It bubbles up quickly and washes away just as seamlessly. The formula is hydrating by design, with coconut probiotics and vitamin B5, both of which pull in moisture and support a healthy skin barrier. I’m someone who washes my hands approximately 90 times a day, so extra hydrators are not only appreciated, but necessary. Then, there’s the fragrance of it all. If you’ve smelled Jenni Kayne’s Santo Wood Eau de Parfum then you know around what to expect. If not? It’s a warm, cozy, and instantly soothing blend of warm musk, earthy vetiver, and a hint of lavender.

Now, we move onto the balm. It carries the same scent, just slightly less concentrated, housed in a thick and nourishing cream. Mango butter is the star—it’s rich in fatty acids and incredibly moisturizing but is known for rubbing in quickly and not leaving a greasy feel behind. I’m religious about using a pump every time I wash my hands so they don’t get dried out—especially with fall officially here.

Is the Oak Essentials X Jenni Kayne Hand Wash and Balm Duo Worth It?

I’m well aware that $79 for a hand wash and lotion is steep. But I’m a big proponent of indulging in little luxuries. Hear me out: you’re going to use the wash at least seven times a day—and if you’re religious about using the lotion directly after, you’ll avoid dry, winter hands. The bottles practically double as home decor, and every time I look at them, they spark joy. But it’s not just for me—any time someone visits my apartment, they can’t help but comment on my chic bathroom soap. Now I just need to get the matching candle and fragrance, and I’ll have a full Cashmere Musk home.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

True story: I spent three days in Stockholm learning about a single serum. That might sound excessive, but there was a lot to unpack with Shiseido’s new Vital Perfection Intensive SculptDefine Serum. Alongside beauty editors and influencers from around the world, I explored the world of Shiseido with the brand’s scientists and spoke one-on-one with the people behind the cutting-edge formula. Plus, Anne Hathaway is the face of the whole thing, which admittedly did not hurt my interest. I mean, have you seen her lately? And, of course, I put the $155 serum on my own face.

The big promise is right there in the name: sculpting. The serum was developed around Shiseido’s research into skin sagging, but the science went way beyond the collagen conversation I was expecting. The brand’s scientists walked us through five factors they’ve been studying related to sagging, including everything from circulation to nerve activity. There was a lot going on beneath the surface that, frankly, I had never really thought about. Even more surprising: according to Shiseido’s testing, changes can be visible in as little as one week. (I know, that's a massive claim. I admittedly had my doubts, too.)

Naturally, I had questions. I’m 27, so sagging isn’t exactly at the top of my skincare concerns yet, but I am a beauty editor, which means I’m professionally incapable of looking in a mirror without noticing some tiny new thing (occupational hazard). I also spend a lot of time writing about skincare for people decades older than I am, so I wanted to know who actually stands to get the most out of a serum like this. And three days of talking about sagging has a way of making you wonder whether you should be doing something about it proactively, too. So I asked Nathalie Broussard, Scientific Communications Director of Shiseido, whether someone my age actually needs it—and if not me, who?—and then took it home to see what it could do for my skin.

What Is the Shiseido Vital Perfection Intensive SculptDefine Serum?

Before we get into the science, there’s an important distinction to make. A topical serum can improve things like elasticity, texture, and fine lines, but it can’t physically reposition tissue that has already started to sag. So, despite words like “lift” and “sculpt” being all over the name and marketing, this isn’t a facelift in a bottle. If that existed, people wouldn't spend as much on cosmetic surgery as they do.

What Shiseido is claiming is that it can improve the appearance of sagging by addressing some of the changes in the skin that accompany it. And rather than zeroing in on collagen alone, the brand looked at everything from circulation to skin cell activity. “We have a new approach to targeting sagging, not only focusing on the skin itself, but really addressing the main factors that induce sagging,” Broussard tells me.

The formula is built around the brand’s D-AminoLift Complex, which includes niacinamide, an MVP ingredient proven to improve elasticity, reduce fine lines, and even out skin tone. Shiseido also added watercress extract to support the skin’s natural collagen and its proprietary brightening ingredient, 4MSK, to target dark spots and dullness. In much simpler terms: there’s the firming side of the formula, and then there’s the brightening side.

Who Is the SculptDefine Serum Actually For?

At 27, I had to ask the obvious question: Do I actually need this yet? According to Broussard, not necessarily. She says Shiseido designed the serum broadly with people 40 and older in mind, when sagging tends to become a more legit concern.

That doesn’t mean you have to wait for your 40th birthday to use it. “If you are 30 years old and really concerned by sagging, feel free,” Broussard says, adding that the formula is gentle. But she also told me that starting about a decade earlier for preventative purposes is already plenty. So, no, I don’t need to panic about sagging at 27—and neither do you—which was nice to hear after spending three days talking about it.

Putting the Shiseido SculptDefine Serum to the Test

One more level set: As I said, I’m 27 and don’t have significant sagging, so I was mostly watching how my very discreet fine lines reacted and whether my skin looked any bouncier. Radiance was another big one. Still, I couldn't get past the one-week claim—I'm a logical person. Shiseido reports visible improvements in signs of sagging after seven days, which Broussard says were measured through both expert evaluations and instrumental testing. Even she was genuinely surprised by the speed. “When we are addressing sagging, it can take a long time,” she tells me.

So, I used it morning and night. No, I did not suddenly have a newly chiseled jawline, but my skin looked good. Like, really good. It was glossy and ridiculously smooth, with this plump, almost taut quality to it. Almost like a fresh batch of Botox had been injected. That's probably what I mean when I say my skin looked “firmer.” By the end of the week, my forehead was so smooth it looked like something could bounce off of it. I also loved it under makeup; everything layered beautifully on top without losing that almost glassy finish.

Then there's the fragrance. I am very anti-fragrance in my skincare, but it's incredibly light and, much to my surprise, beautiful. You get a little whiff when you put it on, and that's pretty much it. Did it lift my face in seven days? I wouldn't say that. I'm also not exactly the ideal test case for that claim. What I can say is that my skin looked noticeably smoother than it did when I started, with a bounce to it that I really loved.

Is Shiseido’s $155 SculptDefine Serum Worth It?

At $155, this is an investment serum, and I don’t think everyone needs to make that investment—myself included, at least not specifically for sagging at 27. But I loved using it enough that I kept reaching for it long after my official test was over. The finish alone is gorgeous, especially under makeup, and my skin consistently looked better when I used it.

If sagging and loss of firmness are already concerns for you, though, I think the formula makes much more sense for the price. Just keep your expectations realistic: this is skincare, not an in-office treatment, and I wouldn't buy it expecting a brand-new jawline in a bottle. I would buy it for how incredibly smooth and bouncy it made my skin look—and if it gets me one step closer to Anne Hathaway's stunning complexion in the process, I'll take it.

Shop My Other Favorite Shiseido Products

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Nothing gets us more excited than talking about a not-so-little tweakment or a nip-tuck procedure. In the spirit of transparency, Marie Claire’s aesthetics column, Life in Plastic, delivers a first-hand peek into what goes on behind the doctor’s door.

Meredith Marks is a 54-year-old woman starring in The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. She received a facelift with Dr. Garo Kassabian in February 2026. This is her story, as told to Marie Claire, edited for length and clarity.

I tune out most of the stuff people say about me. Any speculation about whether I did this, that, or the other—I don’t really care. At the end of the day, I do look different in my photos. I take it as a compliment when people say I look like 12 different people. It means I have a versatile look. I’m changing it up. I just can’t let this get to me.

But I got to the point last year where everything on my face felt heavy—I wanted to lighten and brighten. I was itching to look like a more refreshed version of myself. I feel so great. I feel very young. I’m very healthy. I wanted my face to match how I felt. I ended up having a facelift with Dr. Kassabian in February. Honestly, I never had any intention of hiding it. It’s actually funny how little I was hiding it. I was posting on Instagram with Caroline [Stansbury] and Sergio and back on my DJ tour 10 days after my surgery. I didn’t make an announcement about it, but I’m very open about it.

About 10 days post-surgery, I had a production meeting for Real Housewives. I thought, "Oh, they're gonna know" the second I was on camera. I had a cowboy hat on, you know? I wasn’t hiding it; I just wanted things to unfold naturally. We’re talking, and this whole meeting, nobody says anything. Finally, I go, I’m just going to tell you. I take off my hat, and they’re all looking at me like, What?! What are you trying to tell us? They had literally no idea; I had to spell it out for them.

I don't like a lot of what's going on on my show where women are trying to out each other for plastic surgery they’ve had done. If you wanna talk about it, you should talk about it. If you don't wanna talk about it, it's up to you. Because of the history we have had of these women continually trying to out each other like it's some big secret, I made the conscious decision not to keep it a secret during filming. Women should feel empowered to do whatever they want, whatever makes them feel good. I'm more about empowering and supporting women than tearing them down. It's interesting because I think a lot of women get criticized for aging and for looking old. Then they go to do something to look better, and they get criticized for that. It's so ridiculous. Who cares?

At the end of the day, I did it for me, and I’m thrilled with my decision. I literally squeezed the facelift into the middle of my tour, and the surgery was only four weeks before filming the season. I didn’t want to look like a different person. I just wanted to look refreshed, and I feel like I do. I wouldn’t change a thing. I’m really happy with the outcome, and my recovery was so easy.

The Consultation

I saw a gazillion different doctors. I ended up going to Dr. Garo Kassabian, who is in Beverly Hills (although he’s coming to New York City). He’s trained with the best of the best and studied with Bruce Connell, who pioneered the modern facelift. What really sold me on him, aside from the fact that he’s so well qualified, was looking at patients in his waiting room during my consultations. There was one guy who was two weeks post-facelift, and it looked like he had nothing done. I genuinely had no clue that he’d had surgery. It was crazy. I’ve never seen people recover like this.

“I think recovery starts before surgery. Before an operation, I want a complete picture of the patient’s health—appropriate bloodwork and medical clearance, medications or supplements that may affect bleeding or healing, hydration and nutrition,” says Dr. Kassabian. “During surgery, meticulous technique matters tremendously. We carefully manage blood pressure with the anesthesia team, control bleeding throughout the procedure, work in the appropriate anatomical planes, and handle the tissues as gently and precisely as possible. Incision placement and closure are equally important—where an incision is placed, how much tension is applied to the skin, and how the tissues are handled can all influence bruising, swelling, scar quality, and how the face ultimately heals. Every patient heals differently. I can’t eliminate bruising or swelling, but I can control many of the variables that contribute to recovery.”

Facelift Surgery Prep

I didn’t do anything crazy to prepare. You obviously don’t want to have any alcohol for a few weeks before and after. I eat pretty healthy as is. I abided by all the rules, didn’t take aspirin—stuff like that. I was going to take arnica, but Dr. Kassabian actually told me to hold that until after surgery. I thought that was interesting.

Day of Facelift Surgery

There’s so much anxiety because it’s your face—what if something goes wrong? I personally get a lot of anxiety surrounding any general anesthesia. Under twilight? I’m great, no problem. But I had a bad experience when I was very young with general anesthesia, and now I have this fear instilled in me forever. But my anesthesiologist was incredible. Of course there’s a little anxiety about getting botched or something, but I was really calm with Dr. Kassiabian because he’s so accredited.

“I performed a bespoke face and neck lift using a combination of endoscopic and deeper-plane techniques, but I wouldn’t define it as a traditional deep-plane facelift. Her surgery was designed around what actually needed to be repositioned,” says Dr. Kassabian. “What I don’t want to do is create a lift by putting excessive tension on the skin. I want to reposition the underlying structures and allow the skin to redrape naturally. The best plastic surgery, to me, is when someone looks rested, refreshed, and more youthful, but people aren’t quite sure why. No two people age exactly the same way, which is why I treat the person in front of me rather than an age or a procedure. My goal is to have my patients look better, younger, but not different.”

Immediately After Surgery

I spent 48 hours with the nurse, which was a good thing because my husband [Seth] is not really a great nurse. He gets reaked out from all this stuff; it's not his favorite thing. The first two days are uncomfortable, and you're medicated. I slept a lot. I wouldn’t call it fun, but it wasn’t excruciating pain at all. I also only had to wear a chin wrap to cover sutures; I didn’t have a traditional head wrap. “One of my priorities immediately after a face or neck lift is being able to see and evaluate the surgical area. Excessive bandaging can make that more difficult and, in some circumstances, can obscure an early issue such as bleeding or a hematoma,” says Dr. Kassabian. “For me, compression should have a specific purpose, not simply be used because it has traditionally been part of facelift recovery. The postoperative plan is part of the surgical plan.”

My breast implants were 10 times more painful. It was totally manageable and by day three, that’s when you really turn the corner. I felt a million times better. My head was clearer, and that feeling of just being out of it faded away. I did a lot of red light, and I started with copper peptides right after, too.

Day Four to 10

I was so shocked by how speedy the recovery was. I was expecting to be really black and blue and have to avoid people for a while. Not just visually, but physically, I thought I would be more out of it. Meanwhile, 10 days post-op, I went back to my DJ tour. I literally squeezed the facelift into the middle of my tour. My right side had more swelling than my left at first, but it evened out eventually.

The Facelift Surgery Takeaway

I'm thrilled, and I could not be any happier. It’s very natural-looking, and I really feel like I look exactly how I did 20 years ago. I still look like me. It's just a refreshed version of myself. I don't think I'd change a thing. I don’t feel like I made any mistakes. I just want it to last forever, and unfortunately, nothing does.

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Meet the Expert

There’s nothing like coming home after a long day, putting on your robe, and taking off your makeup. It quite literally feels like washing the day off and level-setting as you wind down for the evening. In fact, if you end the day with makeup on your skin, a quality makeup remover should be the first step in your evening skincare routine.

​"Our skin encounters and collects impurities throughout the day such as sweat, dirt, makeup, environmental toxins and allergens," Deanne Mraz, MD, previously told Marie Claire. "It's important to cleanse that away and let it reset to naturally repair and regenerate. It's also important to cleanse your face before applying skincare so that it can absorb into the skin and do its job."

​Still, without the right tools, the routine can start to feel like more of a chore than something you look forward to every evening. As someone who wears glasses unironically (I can’t see, y’all), but who also likes to have a little fun with their eye makeup, it gets annoying when I go to take my makeup off but am then left with an entirely different issue: random pieces of cotton or fabric on (or sometimes in) my eye, or removers that leave behind a gross film.

​As such, I’ve made it my mission over the past few months to find only the best makeup removers to make my cleansing routine as seamless as possible. From cotton pads that have stood the test of time to oil and liquid formulas that I swear by, the products ahead are the creme de la creme of makeup removers that will get every last drop of foundation and mascara off my face—no extra scrubbing or picking cotton off my face needed.

Best Makeup Removers

• Best Makeup Remover Overall: MakeUp Eraser Neutrals 7-Day Set
• Best Makeup Remover Cotton Pads: Shiseido 100% Natural Facial Cotton
• Best Makeup Remover Towelette: Clé de Peau Beauté Makeup Cleansing Towelettes
• Best Micellar Water Makeup Remover: Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water Face Cleanser for Sensitive Skin
• Best Makeup Remover for Barrier Repair: Innbeauty Project Extreme Cleanse Milky Micellar Cleanser
• Best Luxury Cleansing Balm: Elemis Pro-Collagen Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm
• Best Affordable Cleansing Balm: SheGlam Nourishing Neroli Face Cleansing Balm

Best Makeup Remover Overall

Best Makeup Remover Cotton Pads

Best Makeup Remover Towelette

Best Micellar Water Makeup Remover

Best Makeup Remover for Barrier Repair

Best Luxury Cleansing Balm

Best Affordable Cleansing Balm

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For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Expert

Beauty routines are integral to getting In The Mood—not for any other person, but for you. Here, get a glimpse into the products, habits, and mantras that help powerhouse women slip into the sexiest version of themselves.

I’ve done enough celebrity interviews to be able to tell when someone is actually a beauty girl. There are a few dead giveaways: one, they introduce me to a product I’ve never heard of (that’s a tricky one); two, product names roll off their tongue with incredible ease; and three, they start pulling random products out of their handbag or bathroom drawer just to show me a creamy formula or application tip in action. Julianne Hough checked every box.

Now I’ve been following Hough’s career for, well, ever. I’ve been watching Dancing With the Stars since the show’s premiere in 2005 and am a loyal TikTok follower. So when I walked into our interview at Zero Bond in New York City last month, I was armed with a list of Very Important Beauty Questions. For starters: how does your skin look so glowy? The answer was Daxxify, fitting given she’s the injectable brand’s latest ambassador. “Daxxify has really made my skin look so much more alive. I’ve looked at other women and been like, how is your skin so glossy? I thought it was hydration, so I was drinking all the water on the planet. But even then, even with glowy makeup, I didn’t feel like I looked alive. It wasn’t until I started using Daxxify that I noticed such a difference.”

Of course, my questions didn’t stop there. We covered all the bases—her makeup routine, bizarre beauty habits, favorite perfume (PSA: it’s one Mariska Hargitay gave her)—over the course of 30 minutes. To find out all her product recs and exactly how Hough gets In the Mood, keep reading.

The first thing that I do is look under the covers, grab my dog Sunny, and pull her up and cuddle her for a good, solid 10 minutes before I even get out of bed. People ned to know this: petting a dog is one of the best things you can do for your nervous system. Then I probably chug a bottle of water before I even get out of bed.

I now have a roommate, which I haven't had since I was 19. It’s me and my bestie Tyler. We'll like text each other and be like, "Morning, do you wanna go grab coffee?" We'll put music on, and I'll make breakfast. It’s actually so nice. It’s kind of amazing; I really think friends should live together.

I’ve been shaving my entire body—like my arms, too—since I was eight because I’m the baby of the family. I’m the youngest of five, and once my sisters were doing it, I was just hairless. I’m a Venus razor girl, and I’ll just switch out the head. I do need to use shaving cream, though, because I have to feel smooth. I don’t wash my hair every day, though.

I’ll brush my teeth, but then I’ll always have to pee. So I’ll be brushing my teeth while I’m peeing. Is that weird? I feel like that’s very unsexy. I can’t just be brushing my teeth.

I don’t change my fragrance. I’ve been wearing it forever. It’s called Ilary. So Mariska Hargitay is my favorite human on the planet, and when I met her for the first time in 2015, I gave her a hug and was like, whoa, you smell so good. She reached in her bag, grabbed it, and gave it to me. I usually keep two on me for that reason. And then, do you remember that brand, Kai? I use that lotion and oil, too.

Ok well for skincare, I’ve been using Keren Bartov. I love her Advanced Serum and the Booster Peel and Glow Serum. Then, I’m probably reaching for Armani Luminous Silk, Thrive Causmetrics Mascara, and the Rodan & Fields Lash Serum. My eyelashes are insane now. I’ve tried serums in the past and they never worked. This didn’t change the color of my eyes either or anything like that. I laminate my brows. I actually changed the shape of my eyebrows to be more like Gracie Abrams vibes. I want there to be speculation that I got a brow lift. Between that and Daxxify, I feel like it changed the shape of my face a bit.

I love Patrick Ta—I use his Body Glow on my face, and then his matte eyeshadows. I’m a closeted hair and makeup artist for sure.

I’m very specific with my team about what I like and what I don’t. I mean, me and Riawna [Capri] have been best friends since we were 19. We’re like sisters, so I’ll be like, That piece is too flat. This one is too fluffed up. I’ve used Joico shampoo and conditioner for a really long time. I’ve also used Seven Seconds, which is Riawna’s product that she did with inCommon, forever. It’s like a magic mist. Oribe is a great textuizing spray and I also really like their wax spray; it’s really great for the bottoms of short hair.

I’ve had a bob since 2024, but this is my most Julianne hair. If Warhol still existed, this is how he would paint me, you know what I mean? I’m identifiable by my hair—and I know that. I’ll wash my hair and tuck it behind my ear into a shape that I like and pull up the root. I’ll let it dry a bit and I’ll put the hair dryer on it quickly to give it some good volume. I’ll tweak it with a flat iron afterward, but I really like when there’s a swoop at the front.

I normally do gel that’s a nude, milky color. I really like natural. I always do Russian manicures. They’re the best thing ever. On my toes though, I really like red. There’s something hot about a woman with red nails just feeling her power.

I don't have an extensive routine, but I have to wash my face. I don't care what time of night it is. Especially living in New York, it's an absolute must. You have got to shower and you have got to wash your face. I’m a hairless clean freak who brushes her teeth while peeing.

I look back at my younger self and I’m like, you really had no idea. You’re so cute. I think it’s fun to look back and see the curiosity that I had. It’s just cool to see your own evolution, you know? I plan on staying curious and always being hungry to learn.

Probably using oil in the shower when you’re shaving.

Shop Julianne's Routine

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

It's a tough act to follow New York Fashion Week, but the London S/S '27 season is proving that, at least when it comes to showgoers street style, there is endless hair and makeup inspiration to go around. The second leg of fashion month is always a feast for the eyes, with the street style set rushing between shows donning all manor of creative hair colors, maximalist manicures, and makeup that wouldn't look out of place at the weekend's hottest downtown party. Were there several haircut styles I'll be earmarking for my pending fall chop? Absolutely, but more importantly, there was an irreverent, playful energy that only the Londoners know how to do with their beauty choices. It speaks to how, at the end of the day, your hair and makeup should feel fun; like truest expression of who you are and not just enhancing your attractiveness.

Keep scrolling for the best beauty street style looks of the week, and be prepared to make some bold choices for your next glam transformation.

The Best London Fashion Week Beauty Street Style Looks

On the Down Low

Seeing Red

Go for Bold

Sculpted to Perfection

Perfectly Petite

All Twisted Up

All Messed Up and Nowhere to Go

Ore You Ready For It?

Put a Bow On It

Aqua Chic

Ballet Beautiful

Platinum Party

Florals for Fall

Shell Yes

Feelin' Blue

Gimme Gray

Crimson Kiss

Blue Eyed Babe

Defying Gravity

Pony Power

Pretty In Pink

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

It’s officially the first day of fall, which is all the encouragement I need to start planning makeup for occasions that aren’t on my calendar yet. A blue smokey eye for a holiday party? Already saved. Frosted lipstick for dinner with the girls? I’ll spam the group chat. My everyday routine could use a little seasonal adjustment, too, and the best fall makeup trends offer plenty to work with before the invitations arrive.

The place to start is skin. Even with all that eye and lip inspiration, there’s no need to go heavier on foundation for fall. “Even in fall and winter, people still want skin to look fresh and alive rather than overly matte,” says makeup artist Kelly Zhang. Keep the base light and let a dark lipstick do most of the work, or add a smudge of liner that doesn’t need to be perfectly drawn.

Between the runways and the Zendaya looks makeup artist Ernesto Casillas keeps supplying (his Instagram is my 2026 beauty bible), I’ve narrowed down the seven makeup trends I’m most excited to wear this fall. Fair warning: You might want to locate your blue eyeliner.

Skin That Looks Like Skin

Foundation should leave a little room for your actual complexion this fall. “People still want glow, but they want it to look natural—healthy, fresh, and almost like you can’t tell where the foundation starts and the skin ends,” says Zhang. Casillas’s makeup on Zendaya during The Odyssey press tour captures that balance in all its stunning, glowing glory. Application makes a difference here. Zhang recommends brushing on foundation in very thin layers, then adding coverage only where needed. Her fall pick is the Tower 28 Swipe Serum Foundation, which she loves for its super natural-looking finish and lightweight feel.

Muted Blush

A dusty rose or soft brown blush feels particularly pretty once the fall wardrobe comes out to play. Tibi’s spring 2027 models wore brown-toned cheek color, a vibe that fits Zhang’s prediction: “I think we’re going to see blush become a little more muted and sophisticated for fall.” Muted is relative to your complexion, of course. A shade that subtly warms one face might disappear on another, so choose enough depth for the color to register. Blend pretty well around the edges with a fluffy makeup brush for a diffused flush.

Smudged-Out Eyes

My daily smokey eye feels particularly well timed for fall. At Tory Burch’s S/S 2027 show, dark liner had a blurred, softened look that made eye makeup look a little sultry. You can get there immediately with a creamy eyeshadow stick and a small blending brush. Work close to the lashes, softening the line before the formula sets, and keep the deepest color at the roots. Brown makes an easy daytime option; charcoal is good for a night out.

Blurred Lips

A berry lipstick becomes surprisingly easy to wear when you soften its edges. “The blurred lip is a romantic, almost cinematic take on a lip stain,” makeup artist Sir John previously told MC. “It feels like the aftermath of something—like you’ve been sipping tea, eating berries, or kissing someone you shouldn’t.” REFY’s blurred liner is the easiest cheat code to this look. For fall, try a plum or rosy brown, keeping the color strongest in the center of the lips and tapping it outward with a fingertip. Let the pigment fade toward the border rather than drawing a sharp outline.

Frosted Over

Consider this permission to bring out the frosty lipstick before winter. The r.e.m. beauty look pictured here pairs pale, pearly pink lips with silver-toned lids, offering plenty of inspiration for wearing shimmer all over. In the Di Petsa S/S '26 image (middle), we get a little more color: a pink-lilac highlighter catches the light across the upper cheeks and along the nose. Both make a little frost fit right in for the colder weather. Start with a sheer layer of reflective lip color or a subtle shimmer, or try a cool-toned highlight applied sparingly to the cheekbones. The full combination can wait for party season.

Lips Only

This fall is saying: One lipstick, very little else. Models at the Marc Jacobs S/S '27 show wore dark lips with bare eyes, letting their colorful pouts dominate the face. An oxblood shade makes an easy way to borrow the look, particularly against glowing, healthy-looking skin. Play with the blurred trend or go all out with a sculpted lip.

Blue Eyes

Thomas de Kluyver and Casillas (again) are supplying just about all my eye makeup inspo right now. Casillas plays up Zendaya's glam, which covers both ends of the blue spectrum: a pale shadow with long, fluttery lashes, and a deeper smokey eye with brighter blue shimmer underneath. The second is already on my list for holiday parties, but there’s plenty to borrow from either look, even if you’re easing into color. A blue pencil along the upper lashes is a simple starting point; blending shadow over the lid and beneath the eye gives you a more dramatic result. Keep the lip understated and let the blue shine.

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For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

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Although New York Fashion Week kicked things off, it’s only the beginning of the fashion month festivities. For anyone unaware, there are four major cities that host each season: New York, Paris, London, and Milan. Yesterday, September 21 marked the last day of London Fashion Week S/S ‘27, and while the beauty trends stateside were all about low ponytails, almond nails, and glossy, editorial lids, across the pond, the aesthetics are getting more grungy, eye-catching, and sculptural.

​With that being said, don’t let that scare you from taking inspiration from the runways. While the looks are magazine-worthy, many are quite easy to integrate into your own beauty routine. From the ruddy, lived-in cheeks at Maximilian Raynor to the middle parts that felt like they were present at practically every show, you don’t have to completely upend your current rituals to get in on the fun. Ahead, find five of my favorite London Fashion Week beauty trends, plus products that you can use at home to replicate the high fashion glamour.

Glam Goes Grunge

While I saw quite a few grungy makeup looks (Dreaming Eli was hauntingly beautiful), what was the throughline across the shows? It was in the eyes. Whether it was a smudgy eyeliner à la Alexa Chung in the ‘00s or an intense smokey eye with equally hardcore lashes, the Indie Sleaze era is back in all its glory after a few years of slowly trickling back into the zeitgeist.

Cheeky Pops of Color

Whether or not your personal glam philosophy could get you into Berghain, anyone can get in on the pops of color that were present on quite a few cheeks during London Fashion Week. Some iterations looked flushed but perfectly pinched, while others looked futuristic and ethereal—both aesthetics are attainable using the products below.

High-Fashion Braids

There’s nothing I love more than seeing braided hairstyles get intricate, and I feel sufficiently fed by the runways this season. Edeline Lee gave the traditional ballet bun a twist, Labrum London showed one of the most beautiful crown braids I’ve ever seen, and Yuhan Wang proved that stitch braids aren’t going anywhere any time soon. In short? It’s time to get more creative with our natural hairstyles, and I, for one, will be doing just that. While you’re experimenting, use the products below to keep your hair and scalp in good health.

Middle Part or Bust

Wherever you stand on the middle-versus-side-part debate, the London fashion crowd is firmly in the former camp. Charlie Constantinou saw models combining the part positioning with voluminous curls and sometimes even a baby braid or two. Erdem stuck to the plot and even had that middle part separating a perfectly cut set of bangs. Even Roksanda paired the style with one of its gorgeously minimalist designs, a chic contrast to the show's multicolored tasseled shoes.

Neutral, Not Boring, Nails

While there were a variety of nail shapes and lengths this season, there was one thing that most of them had in common: they were all painted with neutral colors. Whether it’s a simple milky white on extra-long coffin nails, a negative space French manicure, or even a “naked” nail moment, the color palettes featured tans, blacks, and greys—the perfect color palette to take you from work to drinks with ease.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

On Saturday, September 19, Molly Sims, the founder of YISE Beauty, posted a reel to her personal Instagram account, calling attention to beauty industry IP drama that had been bubbling behind the scenes. Following the March 2024 launch of YISE Beauty's Wide Awake Concealer, Jones Road Beauty, founder and makeup artists Bobbi Brown’s no-makeup-makeup line, launched a Wide Awake Brightening Concealer last week.

Over a clipped, to-camera delivery, Sims wrote: “This isn’t about a name. It’s about ideas and the work that goes into bringing something to life. I’m not mad. I’m just incredibly disappointed.” She tagged her brand YISE Beauty in the caption.

Within a day, the video had more than 900,000 views and over 18,000 likes with a thousand comments—and multiple celebrities and other founders, including The Rock, founder of Papatui, swapping similar stories. Shoppers in the comments were pledging to stay loyal to YISE, and brand followers were running to Jones Road's latest Instagram to call out the identical product name.

Sims's reel doesn't explicitly mention Jones Road or point fingers at specific copywriting, but it strongly hints at a collision with the brand's marketing campaign. For background: YISE promoted a Hotline campaign tied to their Glow Peptide Serum launch earlier this year; Jones Road used a Hotline campaign for its concealer launch, where customers could call makeup artists for advice on shade selection and undertone consults. Now the "disappointment" appears to be less about a product name overlap and more an insult to the brand's originality.

Jones Road first appeared to prune the comments thread on the Hotline Instagram posts. Then, two of the campaign posts disappeared from the brand's feed altogether. Only one Hotline Instagram reel remains at the time of publishing.

Yesterday, Brown responded to Sims from her personal account, @justbobbidotcom. That matters. A founder speaking in her own voice is meant to feel human, not corporate. However, her statement did not address the part of the squabble that is actually about the campaign's marketing architecture: the wake-up-call and hotline language Jones Road wrapped around the launch (“Your Wakeup Call for Dark Circles Is Here”). She spoke to the name. She did not speak to the sell.

That omission is the interesting part. Sims’s reel was explicit: this is not only two words on product packaging. It is the feeling that the marketing idea got recycled with a bigger megaphone. A statement that stays on nomenclature leaves the marketing complaint unanswered. Regardless, Brown's statement included that the brand would be changing the name of the product—an expensive repackaging and rebranding decision.

On the legal point, Sims’s “this isn’t about a name” is emotionally true and doctrinally incomplete. U.S. trademark law is stingy with descriptive phrases. “Wide awake,” used for a product whose entire promise is looking less tired, is the definition of descriptive. The Patent and Trademark Office does not hand out exclusive rights to ordinary English that tells the customer what the product does. You can sometimes acquire protection if a descriptive phrase becomes so associated with one source that consumers hear a brand, not a benefit. That is a high bar, expensive to prove, and even then it does not freeze the whole vocabulary around tired eyes.

For example, Dominique Cosmetics has sold a Wide Awake Full Cover Concealer for de-puffing featuring caffeine and a cold tip applicator since May 2022. YISE has sold Wide Awake as a tinted brightening eye cream, with shade extensions after an early sell-out for two years. Jones Road then launched the Wide Awake Brightening Concealer. Three uses. Same two words. That is crowded language, not a slam-dunk infringement fact pattern.

It's also important to note that the products underneath the pile-on are not identical. Jones Road’s pots are a classic Bobbi Brown move: color-correct first, then conceal, and hydrating enough not to crease. YISE’s cream is the treatment-first hybrid Sims sold as the cheat sheet for women who skip eye cream. Dominique’s wand is the cooling, caffeinated concealer play. Different formulas; same two words.

The optics aren’t clean. Trademarks are not a vibe check. They also are not a permission slip to ignore that a smaller brand already taught customers to say those words at checkout.

When your campaign is built around a wake-up call, a hotline, and a product named like someone else’s hero SKU, you do not get to be shocked when people start calling out the similarities. I might have late-night dark circles from keeping up with this drama—but there are at least three eye creams claiming they invented faking a good night's sleep.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

I’m the first to admit that the beauty industry is incredibly saturated, so trust that I say this statement with every fiber of my being: we don’t need any more hair brands. Sure, I’ll make an exception for some mind-blowing new technology or a yet-to-be-formulated serum that actually prevents frizz, but until then, I suggest addressing your need for discovery by trying some of the most underrated hair brands on the market. I’ve tried quite literally hundreds of hair brands over the past decade, and while I have undying love the Rôzs, Crown Affairs, and Kérastases of the world, they feel very appropriately hyped up.

Meanwhile, so many of my favorite products are from brands you’ve maybe (?) never heard of. Despite being among the most effective formulas at incredibly reasonable price points, they still manage to feel like an if-you-know-you-know industry secret. One of them makes the best dry texturizing spray for fine hair I’ve ever tried. Another is cheaper than Pantene, with a formulation that feels like it should cost $40+. To get up to speed with these and my other underrated hair obsessions, keep scrolling.

Maria Nila

I discovered this brand about a week into my first job as a baby assistant beauty editor. The brand has its roots in Stockholm and a very highly regarded reputation across the Nordic region, but only came to the US market in 2019. The brand prides itself on being 100 percent vegan, color-safe, and highly efficacious without using silicones. I swear my hair looks its most voluminous and shiny when I’m in a regular routine with the High Gloss collection and Dry Texturizer.

Kerasilk

You know how fresh and fluffy your hair feels after a salon blowout? Like how the hair at the crown of your head falls back differently and your roots stand up prouder? I’m constantly trying to recreate that vibe at home—and believe me when I say that Kerasilk is best suited for the job. It’s an OG hairstylist brand (it’s been around for decades) and while the bottles might not look the sexiest, the formulas are bar none better than anything else I’ve tried—especially for fine hair.

Ceremonia

The only thing chicer than this brand’s packaging is its founder, Babba Rivera, who will 100 percent be your favorite Instagram follow of all time. In 2022, the Ceremonia became the first Latin-founded hair brand to be sold nationwide at Sephora. It’s well-deserved. Beauty Director Hannah Baxter says the product lineup is one of her all-time favorites for her fine wavy hair. “It’s really great for styling, but not feeling too precious. The smells are really incredible—it has that guava fruit vibe. For my curly girls, it’s very slept on,” she says.

JVN

I went back and forth as to whether this brand felt underrated enough to go on this list, but inevitably, I think it’s well overdue for a resurgence, so here we are! For the uninitiated, it’s founded by Queer Eye’s Jonathan Van Ness (hence, JVN) and was incredibly popular around launch in 2021. But following the closure of former parent company Amyris, which came with a bankruptcy filing, JVN ended up being sold to a private equity firm called Windsong Global. But! Rest assured, even though there were some bumps in the road the brand is back on its feet—with an air dry cream that puts every competitor to shame.

Monday Haircare

Once upon a time, I got a press kit from Monday Haircare, obsessed over the pink packaging, and immediately popped it in my shower. First impressions: gorgeous formulations, incredible smell, and maybe the shiniest hair of my life. I went to look up the stats online, fully expecting a $30-$30 price point, only to learn that almost all of the brand's products are under $8. It was, and remains, probably my biggest beauty shock from the past 10 years. Plus the founder Jamiee Lupton is beyond fabulous (and kind!)—and runs four other beauty brands.

Dr. Groot

K-Beauty skincare gets most of the love these days, but K-Beauty haircare deserves just as much hype. My favorite brand is Dr.Groot, which is hyper-focused on hair thinning, thickening, and shedding prevention. The price points are super reasonable, and while I haven't been using them long enough to notice growth just yet, my scalp feels lighter, calmer, and healthier.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

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I don’t know about you, but the siren song of fall is calling to me like a deluded sailor at sea. I’m ready to cozy up under 85 blankets, put up cheesy home decor, and eat soup like my life depends on it. While I’ve been preparing to go into cold weather hibernation, I’ve of course been reworking all my beauty routines to remain as effective as possible, all from the comfort of my home. That includes perfecting how to DIY a facial at home—because I can't always make it to the spa.

​While I can’t do any lasers or more intensive skin treatments on myself for the most part, I’ve found it surprisingly easy to pamper my face like a pro. A double cleanse, an extraction or two, a face mask, LED light therapy—these are all products and techniques that I, and realistically almost anyone, can do at home, and I plan to take full advantage of my skills when it goes from chilly to downright cold and dreary in the next few months.

​Ahead, I’m sharing all the products I currently use and plan to incorporate into my beauty and wellness routines over the next few weeks. Whether you’re aiming to invite a little more zen into your life or are to become your own at-home esthetician to keep up your facial routines without having to set foot outside, keep reading for the products that will make your at-home facial routine exponentially easier. Prepare to emerge in the spring looking like the most glowy, well-rested version of yourself—ever. You’re welcome.

Best Products to DIY a Facial at Home

• Best Cleansing Brush: Bio-Therapeutic Bt-Sonic Facial Cleansing Brush
• Best Extraction Tool: DERMAFLASH Dermapore+ Ultrasonic Pore Extractor & Serum Infuser
• Best Peel Pad: Obagi Medical Clenziderm M.D. Resurfacing Multi-Acid Peel Pads
• Best Sheet Mask: Biodance Hydro Cera-Nol Real Deep Mask
• Best Body Lotion: Eucerin UreaRepair Plus 10% Urea Lotion
• Best Body Oil: iota Diamond Truffle Contour Body Oil
• Best Foot Cream: PurOrganica Urea Cream 40%
• Best LED Face Mask: Celluma Mystique
• Best LED Mat: Higherdose Full Body Red Light Mat

Best Cleansing Brush

Best Extraction Tool

Best Peel Pad

Best Sheet Mask

Best Body Lotion

Best Body Oil

Best Foot Cream

Best LED Face Mask

Best LED Mat

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Without a doubt, blush is in its It-girl era right now. As someone who has made it a personal journey to have the most extensive blush library known to man, I’ve been loving all the launches and, in particular, how nuanced so many of the color families have become. The beauty industry appears to feel the same way because the latest trend taking over social media is all about cheeks that look naturally flushed, almost as if you don't have any blush on at all.

​Aptly called the “anti-blush,” the point of the trend is to get the sculpted definition that perfectly placed cheek color can provide, without opting for the typical pinks or reds that usually dominate the blush category. Instead, it's all about using neutral tones in muted colors that blur the line between blush and contour. “The ‘anti-blush’ is simply the next evolution of all of those sculpted, soft-glam trends that we’ve seen over the past few years,” makeup artist Theo Turner tells me. “It focuses on tones that add natural dimension to the face, in turn amplifying the natural highlights and contours that people already have via their bone structure.”

​The anti-blush trend feels like it was made especially for me, as it has been my goal for well over a decade to find the best blushes that just add a natural-looking hint of color to the cheeks without completely taking over the look. As such, I am uniquely qualified to tell you the best “anti-blushes” on the market, and I’ve done just that with the list of my favorites ahead. Whether you want a blush that you can just throw on and leave the house or you want a color that won’t clash with your smokey eye, the options below will please everyone from the most experienced makeup artist to makeup novices.

How Do I Do the Anti-Blush Trend?

As with any makeup or beauty trend, how you decide to partake is entirely up to you. With this trend in particular, not much changes about the way you apply your blush; it’s more so the color you use and the intention behind the look that you’re trying to achieve.

​“Anti-blush is the latest spin on tonal blush and is the inevitable pushback against the doll pink look that has had our timelines in a chokehold for months, maybe even a year now,” makeup artist Ehlie Luna tells me. “The common thread with the anti-blush trend is that it feels more subdued.”

​To get the look, you can place your blush on the apple of your cheek as you would a traditional pink shade. Still, if you’re like me and prefer for your makeup to lift your features, I prefer to place the cheek color almost above my cheekbone, and I start applying it near my ear, kind of like I would with a bronzer. This allows me more room to blend the color into the rest of the look, while also leaving a little space on my actual cheeks for a transition blush, which can help everything blend together more seamlessly.

The Best Blushes to Try the Anti-Blush Trend

• Best Anti-Blush Overall: Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Blush Blur in Pillow Talk Dreams
• Best Anti-Blush for Dry Skin: Merit Flush Balm in Fox
• Best Anti-Blush for Oily Skin: Dolce & Gabbana Cheeks & Eyes Match Powder Blush in Playful Rosewood
• Best Luxury Anti-Blush: Hermès Rose Hermès Silky Blush Powder
• Best Cream Anti-Blush: Chanel Lip and Cheek Balm in Vital Beige
• Best Drugstore Anti-Blush: Morphe Cloudlight Soft Glow Diffused Blush in Drift
• Best Luminous Anti-Blush: MAC Skinfinish Colorstruck Blush in Antique Velvet
• Best Anti-Blush for Fair Skin: Yves Saint Laurent Make Me Blush in Hot Mauve

Best Anti-Blush Overall

Best Anti-Blush for Dry Skin

Best Anti-Blush for Oily Skin

Best Luxury Anti-Blush

Best Cream Anti-Blush

Best Drugstore Anti-Blush

Best Luminous Anti-Blush

Best Anti-Blush for Fair Skin

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

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I love a dark fall manicure as much as the next person, but I’m not ready to spend the next few months choosing between burgundy and brown. This week’s best nail looks have given me plenty of reasons to branch out, starting with baby blue and maroon—quite possibly my favorite color combination ever. And yes, it looks just as good on nails as I’d hoped. If you’ve been wearing the same wine-colored polish every September, a little blue is a pretty easy way to change things up.

There’s still a deep, glossy eggplant manicure in the mix for anyone who’s ready for a darker shade. I’m also very into the soft washes of color that look like someone dipped a brush into an autumnal palette and got a little carried away. The pale green manicure makes me want to cut my nails short, while the gold chrome looks almost liquid. Ahead, scroll through this week’s favorite nails, preferably before you tell your nail artist you’ll have your usual.

Blue Meets Bordeaux

I’ve already confessed my love for this color combination, but can we take a moment to talk about those maroon tips? The curved edges against the baby blue make a familiar French manicure feel entirely different.

Block Party

The olive green is what makes this mix work for me. Next to bright red and baby blue, it gives the manicure a slightly retro feel, with a few darker nails breaking up the brighter colors. There’s no nail art to account for here, either—you just need a very good selection of polishes.

September Haze

These remind me of a fall landscape painted in a gorgeous watercolor. The blurred patches of rust and gold could be changing leaves; the blue, a little sky peeking through.

Dripping Gold

Apparently, I like my gold a little melted. Raised drips spill over the edges of these short nails, mixed with fully metallic finishes and textured accents.

Short 'n Sweet Pea

This is such a good green. I love it on these short, softly squared nails, and the creamy finish has me reconsidering whether I actually need nail art at my next appointment.

Sunset Frost

For Selena Gomez’s 2026 Emmys manicure, Tom Bachik went with a frosted peach shade on long almond nails. The shimmer shifts to pink, and with all those diamonds, it stands out even more. There’s plenty of sparkle to go around.

Purple Reign

Consider this my suggestion for your next dark polish appointment: a glossy eggplant purple, worn short. It’s deep enough to satisfy a burgundy loyalist, but the purple is still visible enough that you won’t spend the next two weeks questioning if your nails are black.

On the Dot

Black polka dots, a sheer pink base, and absolutely no reason to complicate things any further.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

I am a girl who loves a routine. Give me a schedule to follow, a checklist to accomplish. Every pore of my body just oozes Type A energy. I’m ok with it. I’ve embraced it. And according to my closest friends, family, and co-workers, I’ve maybe been known to go a little crazy with it. But my neurosis has led me to discover the best nighttime routine in the history of nighttime routines. I personally don’t think it’s too extreme—five steps (give or take) total, but I’ll admit, it does take 95 minutes to complete. In turn, I end up having the most peaceful night’s sleep you could ever imagine.

The thing is: I don’t function without adequate, a good-quality, sleep. My head gets foggy, and my yawns become uncontrollable. So if a $100 pajama set and an obsession with home fragrance can bring me brighter days and mental clarity, well, that seems like a fairly rational trade-off in my book. So if you’re looking to upgrade your evenings and bring a little peace and quiet into your home, please read ahead. Because this is the perfect recipe for a five-star before-bed routine.

Everything Shower and Blowout. Every Night. No Exceptions.

New York City is disgusting, and you cannot and will not fight me on that. The second I walk in the door, my clothes go directly into the washing machine and my body goes in the shower. I am washing every bit of subway grime of my body with a luxury soap and scrubbing my scalp with a yummy-smelling shampoo and conditioner. I’m also adamant about giving myself a blowout before bed—it makes me feel clean and fresh. Plus, who doesn’t want to wake up with already-styled hair?

Put on the Coziest Pajamas Imaginable

I am the world’s biggest pajama snob. I have tried pretty much every single brand in existence. My takeaways: always sleep in cotton; pants over shorts; wash them in your fancy detergent. Matching sets are my way of life, and that doesn’t stop at bedtime. Some of my favorite brands include, but are not limited to: Cozy Earth, The Nap Co, Cozyland, Eberjay, and Lake.

Light My Candles and Flip Diffusers

I need a solid 40 minutes to switch my mind off from the day's chaos. Once I’m clean and cozy, I light my candles and flip the reeds in my diffuser so my apartment smells delicious and the mood is relaxing. I cocktail the scent profile in my home depending on the season, but these make up my current lineup.

Make a Hot Cup of Tea—Drink While Watching a Crime Show

As the psycho who finds murder shows relaxing, my go-to sleep ritual obviously involves Law & Order: SVU (yes, I lost my mind when I got to FaceTime Olivia Benson, a.k.a. Mariska Hargitay, this week). It is during my 17th rewatch that I sip on a hot cup of tea. I’m a newer tea drinker, but I have found myself gravitating toward more concentrated sachets, which taste more like tea and less like dirty water.

Silk Sleep Mask and Air Purifier

My allergies this year have both come out of absolutely nowhere and been incredibly rough. Add that to the fact that I have chronic dry eyes and, per my eye doctor, sleep with my eyes open, and I’ve had many nights where I wake up with my eyes absolutely bloodshot because of irritation or a particle landing in it. So far, this two-piece combo seems to be doing a solid job and keeping my eyes ok.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

It’s the annoyance felt around the world. You're about to finish your makeup, and you apply your mascara, ready to go about your day. Except your eyes start to water and run, get itchy, or generally start to feel extremely sensitive, forcing you to ditch all the work you just did to find some relief. It’s an irritating but not unique experience, and it’s something makeup artists run into all the time.

​“Sensitive eyes isn’t really a medical diagnosis, but I think of it as an eye area that reacts easily, whether due to dryness, allergies, contact lenses, ingredient sensitivity, or irritated eyelids,” celebrity makeup artist Christian Briceno tells me. “A reaction might include burning, stinging, watering, redness, or a gritty feeling. On the eyelid, you may see itching, swelling, dryness, or flaking.”

Briceno says that it’s important to pay attention to timing if you think your eyes are sensitive to mascara, as different reactions may be due to other issues entirely. “Eyes that water almost immediately after mascara goes on tell me something different than eyelids that become itchy or swollen the next morning,” he says.

If you’ve done all of the above and have concluded that your eyes are, in fact, sensitive because of your mascara, ahead, I’m sharing some of my favorite formulas for easily irritated eyes. Plus, tips from makeup artists on what to do if your mascara keeps irritating your eyes.

Best Mascara For Sensitive Eyes

• Best Mascara for Sensitive Eyes Overall: Ilia Limitless Lash Mascara
• Best Waterproof Mascara for Sensitive Eyes: Clinique High Impact Waterproof Mascara
• Best Tubing Mascara for Sensitive Eyes: Sarah Creal Back Of The Cab Volumizing Longwear Tubing Mascara
• Best Lengthening Mascara for Sensitive Eyes: Hourglass Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara
• Best Volumizing Mascara for Sensitive Eyes: Tower 28 Beauty Make Waves Mascara

What Does Sensitivity to Mascara Feel Like?

As with anything health-related, how sensitive eyes present for you may be completely different than how it shows up for someone else. “Some people may experience allergic reactions, manifesting as eyelid swelling, watery eyes, and itching, while continuous use can also lead to eye irritation and dryness,” board-certified optometrist Inna Lazar previously told Marie Claire. “These symptoms can range from mild to severe, including redness and inflammation, itching paired with a burning sensation, watery or teary eyes, swelling of the eyelids and the under-eye area, dryness and flakiness, sensitivity to light, and blurred vision.”

What Do I Do if I Am Sensitive to My Mascara?

If you find yourself reacting to your mascara, don’t freak out. First, you’ll want to stop using the formula that you currently have immediately. Once you’ve found a replacement, you’ll want to be mindful of how you use it. “If you find that irritation starts around the lash line, try not to apply the mascara too close to the roots,” makeup artist Isabel Y Rosado tells me. “Sometimes the texture of a fresh, wet mascara can feel irritating on the eye, so I recommend starting with just a few swipes and building gradually until you get the effect you want.”

​When it’s time to remove your makeup, be gentle. “A cleansing balm or a dedicated eye makeup remover, such as Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover, can help break down the mascara before you cleanse the rest of your face,” Rosado says. “Avoid excessive rubbing.” One removal technique that makeup artist Tim Quinn swears by? “Place a soft cotton pad beneath the lashes, dip a cotton swab into the eye-makeup remover, and gently brush the mascara down over the lashes and onto the pad. It allows the product to lift away without rubbing the eye.” The auxiliaries you’re using with the makeup remover also matter. “I particularly love Shiseido Facial Cotton because the pads are incredibly soft and the fibers don't fluff or stick around the eye area,” Quinn adds.

How Should I Really Use Mascara?

You may think that using mascara means just swiping the product onto your lashes and being done, but what you do with your product outside of use is just as, if not more, important than the product itself.

​“Mascara hygiene is incredibly important,” Quinn tells me. “This is a product that should never be shared, and I replace them approximately every three months, sooner if the formula changes in smell or texture, and I never add water to revive a dry tube.” Additionally, don't pump the wand in and out of the tube no matter how much you may want to get every last drop of product. This can introduce air to the formula, which can make it dry out (and thus, be less effective) more quickly.

​Lastly, refrain from introducing several new eye products at once. “When you try one product at a time, if irritation occurs, you have a much better idea of what caused it,” Quinn says. “And if the eyes or surrounding skin are already irritated or inflamed, that is the day to skip eye makeup altogether.”

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

Meet the Experts

I’m a little woo-woo and witchy at heart. Ask Senior Beauty Editor Samantha Holender; we have lost substantial portions of our workday to conversations about psychics, mediums, and covens. My mom’s birthday is Halloween, so I grew up with a particular affection for all things spooky, and I’ll happily get sucked into just about anything involving magic or a fantasy world. Vampires are an especially easy sell. True Blood, The Vampire Diaries, and, of course, Twilight have all had their hold on me. So when I heard that car and home fragrance brand Drift was launching a Twilight collaboration, I was pretty much guaranteed to try it.

The car fragrance part, however, gave me pause. I hate most car air fresheners. Whatever they’re supposed to smell like, they usually just make me want to gag, and I’ve never particularly wanted one dangling from my rearview mirror. But a chic little diffuser that clips onto my visor? In a scent inspired by Forks, the iconic rainy Washington town where Twilight takes place? I was willing to make an exception.

And now that I’m in the mood for fall, I’ve been working my way through the rest of Drift’s scents, too. Between the car fragrances and the plug-in diffuser I now love at home, I’ve found myself getting surprisingly invested in a category I’d mostly written off. Apparently, it just took a vampire collaboration to get me there.

What Does the Twilight x Drift Scent Smell Like?

I have the Twilight scent in both the car freshener and the home diffuser, and it’s actually lovely. My biggest concern was that it would be overbearing, especially in the car, but I haven’t found that to be the case. Given my usual reaction to car fragrances, that alone is a pretty big win.

The scent pairs rich plum butter—a sweet, fruity note—with soft florals and vanilla, with woodsy notes giving it some depth. “What I love about the Twilight x Drift car and home fragrance is that it captures the mood of the films without feeling overly literal,” says Jeniece Trizzino, VP of product development and innovation at Scentbird and Drift. She explains that the woodsy notes bring “that darker, atmospheric quality that immediately transports you to Forks.”

According to Trizzino, the combination also reflects a shift toward darker, more romantic fragrances for fall, with rich fruits paired with warm vanillas and woods. I love Twilight, but I still need to enjoy what’s scenting my home and car once the novelty wears off. This one passes.

How Does Drift Work?

Drift’s car fresheners come in wood, stone, and metal, and I love how little space they take up. The fragrance-soaked wood and stone blocks snap magnetically onto a metal clip on your sun visor. It’s chic and discreet (say that ten times fast), and you just replace the block about every 30 days. At home, I have the plug-in diffuser, which has three intensity settings. Being able to dial back the fragrance is particularly helpful for someone with my track record of finding scents overwhelming. The refills last up to 30 days, according to the brand. With a subscription, your starter kit includes the clip or device and your first fragrance, then replacements arrive monthly. You can change scents, space out deliveries, or cancel anytime.

The fragrance lineup deserves some attention beyond the vampire collaboration. Teak combines teakwood with amber and cedar, while Cabana has coconut and bergamot for something more tropical. There’s also Open Air, with fresh linen notes, and Wild Lavender in the home collection, which gets an herbal quality from sage. If you already know your fragrance preferences, you’ll have a pretty good starting point here. Or you can opt for the rotating Scent of the Month if, like me, your idea of a signature scent changes regularly.

What Makes Drift Different?

Drift says its fragrance oil blends draw inspiration from “designer-grade scents,” and having tried them, I can see what it means. I also love the organic look of the designs, with wood, stone, and metal options that would fit into pretty much anyone’s aesthetic.

On the formula side, Drift says its fragrances are made without phthalates, parabens, mineral oil, or DEA, and describes its products as safe to use around pets and children. I’m more interested in those specifics than the word “clean” alone, which doesn’t tell me much about what I’m buying. The brand also publishes ingredient lists for its car fragrances—helpful if there’s a particular ingredient you’re looking to avoid, or you’re the kind of person, like me, who reads the back of every beauty product. (Occupational hazard.)

Is Drift Worth It?

I’m a fan of Drift as a whole, and the Twilight collection is an especially good place to start for fall. The plum, vanilla, and wood notes feel right for the season, and I’ve loved having it in both my home and my car. Just factor in the refills before you buy. You’ll need to replace them regularly, and that’s an ongoing expense, especially if you have multiple devices. For me, it’s worth keeping up with the subscription because I enjoy having fragrance in both spaces.

I’m also already eyeing what to try next. The brand has a blend specifically for winding down: Rest & Relax, with lavender, chamomile, vanilla, and woods. I’m sold on the concept of a bedtime fragrance. For now, though, I’m quite happy to spend a little longer in Forks.

Shop My Other Favorite Drift Products

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

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Tonight marks the official end of New York Fashion Week, which means one thing: it’s time for a trend recap. The S/S '27 season marks a major pivot in beauty trends. You can retire blush and slick back buns—it’s all about eyeliner and partless low ponytails now. The simple, short manicures in 20 shades of nude that dominated most of last year? Well, it’s all about almond-shaped extensions in the boldest color you can imagine now. If 2025/2026 was focused on glass skin and bobs, then 2026/2027 is all about the eyes and mermaid waves.

NYFW beauty trends can often feel a bit unattainable—as much as I love a teased updo or black lipstick, I’m not wearing it to work. But this year’s looks are actually very wearable and incredibly easy to recreate. I’m rounding up my seven favorite trends from the week—along with some expert tips on how to get the look and what to use below. Only time will tell whether these trends will carry over into London, Paris, and Milan, but for now, happy scrolling.

Lip Gloss Lids

As a staunch shimmer shadow girl, I’m thrilled to see this trend take off. Here’s the TLDR: take a slightly opalescent shadow—in the color of your choice—and then put a thin film of clear gloss on top. If you’re sensitive to the tacky texture, try using a glitter pot (my favorite is from Bodyography) to achieve a wet look.

Partless Perfection

If one thing was glaringly clear on the runways, it’s that hair parts of any kind are dead. Stylists went to whatever means necessary to hide any sign of a scalp. Some were slicked back; others were teased to a degree that I'm sure made brushing a terrifying experience. Message was received loud and clear: no side parts, no middles parts, no parts at all.

Lots of Liner

Liner is to 2026/2027 what blush was to 2025/2026. Looks ranged from inner corner moments and tightlining to traditional cat eyes. What’s worth noting is the color experimentation: black eyeliner is almost too basic to have real estate in your makeup bag this year. Reach for a gilded shade or a neon hue to switch up your glam for the new season.

Low Ponytails

Beauty Director Hannah Baxter is very much into the low ponytail trend; I personally need a little time to shed my middle-school trauma. It’s a very Olsen twin aesthetic, and with an expertly layered haircut and a chic ponytail cuff, the style has a cool girl vibe. Even Grace Gummer and Shailene Woodley got on board with the look at the 2026 Emmys.

No Mascara Makeup

It’s apparently time to give our lashes a break. Pop on a red lip, a glowy foundation, and give your lashes a good curl before heading out the door. If you can’t get on board with bare eyelashes, take a little Vaseline and brush it on after curling—it’ll help hold the look, even sans mascara.

Almond Nails

Short and square had a good run, but the trend cycle is officially flipping. The longer and pointier, the better. I'll be sticking to press-ons, but if you have strong nails, go forth and conquer with a nail file and and your favorite polish. As for colors? Earth tones are dominating in fall, but don’t be surprised if you start seeing cobalt blues and rich purples.

Why Trust Marie Claire

For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.

The New York City beauty black book is coveted information. Finding a quality skin treatment can feel like hitting the jackpot, especially if you want to optimize the health, look, and feel of your epidermis. And because we are constantly inundated with sponsorships, ads, and free recs (a not-so-secret industry secret is that beauty editors like yours truly, celebrities, and influencers often get many of these facial treatments for "free"), it can really be hard to tell if a place is legit or if it’s just being pandered to because the person recommending it isn’t taking a hit to their credit card in the process. So where does one go to to get a professional facial, laser, Botox, and other facial treatments that are actually worth the big bucks?

To uncover the truth about the best providers in the city, I asked six cool New York women who they see for their facials, Botox, and other beauty treatment needs—and where they actually spend their money. Not sponsored. Not an ad. Completely unbiased. Just the most honest recommendations you’ll find, straight from NYC’s coolest beauty lovers.

Kim Strother, Personal Trainer and Instructor on Melissa Wood Health

• Skin Type: My skin type changes seasonally. In the summer, I’m combination and in the winter, I run dry.
• Most Pressing Skin Concern: Fine lines, loss of firmness, and keeping my skin really hydrated, plump, and lifted. I want my skin to look healthy and alive, not perfect.
• Go-To Beauty Treatment: Red Carpet IonixLight Facial
• Esthetician: Josie at SKIN PEACE in NoMad. She gives the best facial massage on earth. I’ve had a lot of facials over the years, and nothing compares. Her hands are magic.
• Cost: $550 for 90-minutes
• Frequency: Since I usually go every six to eight weeks, I think of it more as part of my overall self-care routine than something I budget for every single month. I especially love going before an event, a shoot, or anytime I want that extra lifted, rested glow.

Why Do You Love It?: It gives me that immediate lifted, plump, glowy look with zero downtime; that’s huge for me because I want results, but I also want to get on with my life. I leave looking refreshed, not like I just had a bunch of stuff done to my face.

But honestly, Josie is why I keep coming back. Her facial massage is hands down the best I’ve ever had. I swear I leave my body a little bit! It’s like the best savasana of your life, except you open your eyes and somehow have cheekbones. She combines different technologies like microcurrent, LED, oxygen, ultrasound, microdermabrasion, and radio frequency, so it does a little bit of everything: lifting, tightening, brightening, smoothing, and supporting collagen. I basically lie there and let her work her magic.

I love the experience so much that I actually give SKIN PEACE facials as gifts. It’s one of those things where once you experience it, you immediately think, "ok who else in my life needs this?"

Olivia MacKinnon, Soloist with the New York City Ballet

• Skin Type: My skin is on the drier side with occasional hormonal breakouts.
• Most Pressing Skin Concern: My biggest priorities are keeping my skin youthful, rejuvenated, and glowing while also keeping it unblemished and moisturized. I'm also very conscious about limiting sun exposure and protecting my skin from sun damage that can lead to premature aging and pigmentation.
• Go-To Beauty Treatment: A facial that centers around extractions, dermaplaning, and a "no-peel, peel" (a gentle treatment that refreshes and brightens the skin without downtime of a traditional peel). That said, my esthetician adjusts the treatment depending on what my skin needs at the time.
• Esthetician: Elena at Gerald Imber, MD, located at 121A East 83rd Street. She is incredible at cleaning everything out. It may not be the most pleasant at the moment, but the results leave my skin feeling so refreshed and clear. I chose her for my pre-wedding facial, which says a lot about how highly I trust her.
• Cost: $400 plus tax.
• Frequency: Considering this is a planned beauty expense that I do regularly, I will budget out my self care treatments for the year beforehand. I tend to do them every two months so I will plan accordingly to that timeline. Taking care of your skin is one of those investments that will pay off over time and I'm willing to invest in what is visually working for me.

Why Do You Love It?: This facial feels like a reset for my skin and keeps me on a good track for my everyday at home maintenance.

Sarah Godfrey, Art Historian

• Skin Type: Combo. It’s a bit more oily over the summer.
• Most Pressing Skin Concern: Now it's dullness. I’ve definitely run myself to the ground with work and other obligations lately and exhaustion always shows up in my skin.
• Go-To Beauty Treatment: A facial.
• Esthetician: I’ll really see anyone at Barbara Sturm, in part because because I really trust the products are going to work for my skin.
• Cost: Between 250 and 300. It can be a bit more if you get add ons. For my skin type, now that my acne is under control, it’s recommended I go about once a quarter, so that’s 1000-1200 a year. One facialist there recommended that if you don’t have active acne, it’s good to go once a season to combat the impact of changing weather on your skin, while avoiding aggravating it with unnecessary treatments.
• Frequency: Around four times a year.

Why Do You Love It?: I trust the products and the people. I’ve tried Accutane, multiple prescriptions, and tons of products throughout my life. Even into my thirties, I’ve had painful and persistent acne. It really impacted my confidence and self-esteem, especially as I got older. In full transparency, I take spironolactone now and I think that has made a huge difference, but I’m also much more diligent about my skincare and the products I use. Barbara Sturm products have been a big part of that journey for me, so I stick to what I know and love.

Morgan Knight, Baker and Founder of Saint Street Cakes

• Skin Type: Combo, but usually leaning dry.
• Most Pressing Skin Concern: Right now, my biggest concern is dullness. For years, I struggled with hormonal acne. So now that I have clear skin, I love just keeping it as glowy as possible.
• Go-To Beauty Treatment: A standard facial: cleansing, exfoliating, extractions, and sometimes LED light therapy. After spending a long day in a hot kitchen with sugar and flour in the air, I love paying extra attention and taking care of my skin.
• Esthetician: Altered States. It’s two doors down from my bakery Saint Street Cakes. It's extremely beautiful inside and all of the practitioners are fantastic.
• Cost: The facial I usually get is $155, which is well worth it for being the only treatment I do to my face outside of at-home skincare. At home, I really love the Ranavat Saffron Oil and The Ordinary AHA BHA exfoliating mask.
• Frequency: Once every two or so months! I do most of my skincare at home, and usually treat facials like a self-care special treat.

Why Do You Love It?: It’s convenient, it’s local, and it always leaves my skin with a little upgrade. I really like to keep it simple, and a good, uncomplicated facial by really passionate and talented practitioners always does the trick.

Téla D'Amore, Co-Founder of Who Decides War

• Skin Type: Oily
• Most Pressing Skin Concern: The fashion industry will steal your youthful shine if you let it . I have super sensitive skin, so I naturally gravitated towards medical-grade skincare early on to keep my skin at bay.
• Go-To Beauty Treatment: I love a Tone, Tighten, and Lift (TTL for short) facial and routine Botox.
• Esthetician: Brad at Contōr Studio. He’s the best and he also does my Botox.
• Cost: Around $1,000 give or take.
• Frequency: Every few months, standard maintenance schedule. With Botox, I get around 10-15 units.

Why Do You Love It?: I suffer from intense migraines, and a few years ago a doctor actually recommended I look into forehead Botox to lightly freeze the area so that I would pause the overuse of those muscles. It really does help, so I’ve always gotten it routinely since then. Of course, the aesthetic bonus doesn’t hurt.

Jaclyn Johnson, Entrepreneur and Investor

• Skin Type: Very dry. Hydration is always the priority for me, especially as I’ve gotten older. I have to be careful not to overdo treatments that can compromise my skin barrier, so I balance anything more active with a lot of moisture and recovery.
• Most Pressing Skin Concern: Fine lines and volume loss (hello, my forties). I’m much more focused on maintaining firmness, hydration and overall skin quality than treating breakouts. I want my skin to look healthy, rested and glowy without trying to erase every sign that I’ve aged.
• Go-To Beauty Treatment: Definitely a combination; I don’t think there is one magic treatment that does everything. Every month, I get a facial at Heyday, usually with dermaplaning and nano infusion, and I rotate in laser and microneedling treatments at Skin Laundry. Then, quarterly, I get Botox. I also recently tried Skinvive in my lower face at JECT. For me, it’s really about combining consistent skin maintenance with a few more targeted aesthetic treatments throughout the year.
• Esthetician: I see Marianna at JECT on the Upper East Side for injectables. At Heyday and Skin Laundry in Williamsburg, I usually book based on my schedule rather than seeing one specific provider every time. I travel and work a lot, so having flexibility matters, but I still want to go somewhere with a consistent approach and practitioners I trust.
• Cost: On a typical month, I spend between $500 and $700 on skin treatments. In the months when I get Botox or add something like Skinvive, that can jump to around $2,000. It is definitely a meaningful part of my beauty budget, but I would rather consistently invest in a few treatments where I can actually see a difference than constantly chase new products and trends.
• Frequency: I do some form of facial or skin treatment monthly and get Botox quarterly. I rotate the monthly treatments depending on what my skin needs—sometimes that is a facial and hydration, and other times it is laser or microneedling for texture and collagen support. I try to think of it as an ongoing routine rather than waiting until I suddenly feel like my skin needs a major intervention.

Why Do You Love It?: I genuinely see a difference. I’ve been getting Botox for more than 10 years, and I really believe consistency matters more than doing anything overly aggressive. The facials keep my skin hydrated and glowing, while laser and microneedling help with texture and collagen over time. Botox softens the fine lines that bother me most. I’m not trying to dramatically change my face; I just want to look like the most rested, refreshed version of myself.

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Oh Nordstrom, how I love you so. Hot on the heels of its Summer Savings Event, the retailer is hosting another sale, this time with up to 25 percent off select beauty brands. Until September 23, brands like Sisley, La Prairie, Estée Lauder, and more will offer savings on cult products for hair, skin, and nails, plus a few wellness goodies sprinkled throughout.

​Some of my personal hero products that are discounted for the event include La Mer The Concentrate, Delina Exclusif from Parfums de Marly, and so, so much more. If that statement terrifies you instead of getting your blood pumping, don’t worry; I know it can be a little intimidating trying to curate the perfect haul when these sales come around. But fear not, dear reader, because that's where I come in.

Since it is quite literally my job to parse through all the items on sale and curate only the best of the best products, I’ve created a ruthlessly precise list of recommendations that I think pretty much anyone will be able to enjoy, and what better time to try a new product than when you can save a couple of dollars in the process?

Ahead, you’ll find the best perfumes, makeup, skincare products, and more on sale (some are even brand new launches) that make fantastic additions to your beauty routine. Fair warning: prepare for all the compliments—there will be many.

The Best Products On Sale at the Nordstrom Savings Event

• Best Eye Patches: 111 Skin Celestial Black Diamond Eye Mask
• Best Face Serum: Dr. Diamond's Metacine Instafacial Plasma Bioactive Growth Factor Serum
• Best Exfoliating Pads: Medicube Zero Pore Pads
• Best Sunscreen: Colorscience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield Flex SPF 50
• Best Detox Mask: Caudalie Instant Detox Mask
• Best Barrier Product: La Mer The Concentrate
• Best Foundation: YSL Skin Affair Soft Glow Cushion Foundation
• Best Musk Perfume: Clive Christian E Cashmere Musk Perfume
• Best Rose Perfume: Frédéric Malle Portrait of a Lady Parfum Spray

Best Eye Patches