Skin care, hair care, makeup and beauty brand reviews
Aveda uses ayurvedic herbs and plant-based ingredients in their hair care. Their Invati shampoo and Rosemary Mint scalp treatment are salon and consumer favorites. We have a soft spot for Aveda because it’s the rare beauty brand that smells like a spa and behaves like a laboratory. Founded in 1978 by a hairdresser who studied … Read more
Living Proof’s patented OFPMA technology repels dirt and oil, keeping hair cleaner longer. Jennifer Aniston’s hair product line delivers salon-quality fullness and smoothness. We have a soft spot for Living Proof, and it’s partly because the brand’s origin story sounds like a science fair project that got wildly out of hand. Living Proof was co-founded … Read more
Briogeo’s natural, sulfate-free hair care treats everything from curls to color-treated hair. Their Charcoal Revival and Scalp Revival lines are cult favorites. We have a soft spot for Briogeo, and it started with a flat, straw-like blowout that no amount of serum could fix. Briogeo was founded by Nancy Twine, a young woman who grew … Read more
Kérastase is L’Oréal Luxe’s flagship hair care brand. From Elixir Ultime to Genesis, Kérastase combines luxury textures with proven hair science. We have a soft spot for Kérastase, and it started in a salon chair. Our stylist reached for a gold bottle of Elixir Ultime, ran it through our ends, and our hair suddenly looked … Read more
Olaplex’s bond-building hair treatment repairs disulfide bonds broken by chemical damage. From No.3 to No.0, Olaplex transforms damaged hair for professionals and at-home users. We have a soft spot for hair treatments that actually deliver, which is why Olaplex has been a fixture in our bathroom since we bleached our hair for the first time. … Read more
Laneige’s Lip Sleeping Mask is the cult-favorite lip care that repairs overnight. Tatcha, Dior, and Fenty Beauty fans all agree: Laneige’s moisture technology is unmatched. We have a soft spot for Laneige, and it started with a chapped-lip emergency. A friend handed us a tiny pot of the brand’s Lip Sleeping Mask on a cold … Read more
COSRX snail mucin essence became a K-beauty cult favorite. Their affordable, science-backed formulas deliver real hydration and skin barrier repair. We’ll admit it: we were late to the snail mucin party. By the time we finally tried COSRX, the brand’s Advanced Snail essence had already gone viral on TikTok, sold out repeatedly, and become the … Read more
Neutrogena face washes and cleansers use dermatologically proven ingredients. From salicylic acid to oil-free formulas, Neutrogena clears and prevents breakouts. We have a soft spot for Neutrogena. It was the first serious skincare brand we ever bought with our own money, back when we were fifteen and fighting our first real breakout. Two decades later, … Read more
We have a soft spot for brands with a century of receipts, and Kiehl’s has been doing this since 1851, when it opened as a neighborhood apothecary in New York City. The same family ran it for generations, and that pharmacy DNA is still visible in everything from the apothecary-style jars to the way sales … Read more
We have a soft spot for a founder who annoyed the beauty industry on purpose. Paula Begoun spent the 1980s writing books that tore apart overpriced creams under the nickname “The Cosmetic Cop,” and in 1995 she launched Paula’s Choice to prove her point: formulas should be judged by their ingredient lists, not their candlelight … Read more