These product reviews first appeared Wednesday, January 3, in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter in which our beauty writers share their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. But we liked it so much we wanted to share it with all of our readers. If you want more first impressions of buzzy launches, quick takes on what’s trending on TikTok and Instagram, and deep dives into the week’s best beauty launches, sign up here. The Strategist Beauty Brief is delivered every Wednesday.
We did something a little bit different for the year’s first installment of The Strategist Beauty Brief. We asked our team to share a truly game-changing discovery from 2023 — their beauty breakthroughs, so to speak. Somewhat surprisingly, this list skews toward hair care (and it seems we love a hack to make our good hair days last as long as possible), but read to the end to see what else surprised us.
I’ve been on the hunt to replace Batiste ever since news came out a year ago that there are harmful amounts of benzene in the aerosol cans, and my scalp has been through the wringer since. First, there was a formula that irritated me so much that large pieces of dry skin flaked off my scalp (I know, gross; I’m sorry). Then I tried a couple powders that were much gentler, but they didn’t do much for my greasy hair, especially in the summer. Crown Affair’s dry shampoo was a game changer. Since using it at the beginning of the fall, I’m able to go days after washing my hair without an oily or irritated scalp. Plus, it smells fresh and expensive, adding to the illusion of newly shampooed hair. —Arielle Avila
Since dyeing my thin hair red in 2022, I’ve had a dilemma: space out my washes to keep my color vibrant, or keep washing regularly to keep my greasy roots at bay. Dozens of dry shampoos I tried were too heavy and made my hair look flat — until I discovered this thickening dry shampoo last summer. It refreshes my roots and doesn’t make for an itchy buildup when I use it a few days in a row. It also does make my hair look thicker. I’ve noticed far more body from root to tip. —Rachael Griffiths
Because my hair is very fine, finding a hair mask that’s deeply nourishing but not greasy has always been basically impossible. The closest I’ve come to finding the right one was K18, though that product is technically a leave-in treatment. After years of searching, I think I’ve finally found “the one”: Philip Kingsley Elasticizer. It’s an old-school product — the brand has been making it since 1974, when it was allegedly first formulated for Audrey Hepburn — and the secret sauce is a combination of elastin, castor seed and olive oils, and glycerin.
While I’m typically skeptical of products that promise immediate results for all hair types, I can’t deny I was impressed by how incredibly soft my hair was after just a single treatment. And I also recommended it to a friend with much thicker hair than mine who’s been a sworn convert to the product ever since. Once a week I apply the mask before an evening shower, pop on a shower cap, and leave it to soak in for 20 minutes before shampooing and conditioning my hair as usual. (You can also leave it on overnight, depending on your wash schedule.) —Dominique Pariso
For my whole natural-hair life (since about 2008), I’ve considered my curls “product agnostic.” My hair is unresponsive to everything but a cut. Nothing has an impact on how it looks or feels — not a conditioner, not a gel or styler. (Pretty odd for naturally curly hair. People get really into products and swear by them.) After noticing some hair thinning, I started using Harklinikken’s hair-growth serum last February but was skeptical about the supplemental products. I gave up in October and started using the Mask twice a week. My curls are popping. And even a few days after washing, when they’d previously start to get a little crunchy, they’re now soft and hydrated. I haven’t had a proper haircut in about a year, and before starting with Harklinikken, my hair would be tangled, dry, and difficult to style by this point. But after almost a year of at-home “trims,” my hair is truly unphased. —Crystal Martin
I’ve never been much of a liquid-blush person — I suspect because my first and only experience with it is Glossier’s Cloud Paint, which I found to be overly pigmented and messy. Since then I’ve mostly stuck to cream stick blushes. But earlier this year, I tried the Juicy Pang water blushers from K-beauty brand A’Pieu. I’m a convert. The packaging is similar to nail-polish bottles and just easy to use. I place a couple dots on each cheek with the tiny brush, then I blend it out to a sheer, dewy finish with my fingers. It’s very subtle and natural and comes in several lovely shades — I have Fig and Persimmon. The pleasantly light, peachy smell is a much-loved bonus. I get a whiff of it every time I apply. —Kitty Guo
This article originally appeared in The Strategist Beauty Brief, a weekly newsletter from our beauty writers on their must-tries, can-skips, and can’t-live-withouts. Sign up here.
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