New is good; effective is better. Out of all the launches of the past year, these
groundbreaking debuts got rave reviews from experts, editors and pretty much
everyone who tried them.
“I’m often met with the same eager, ‘But you’re so young!’ comment whenever it’s time for my twice-a-year wrinkle reducer. They’re right—26 is young, but that shouldn’t dictate whether or not I opt for a dose of preventive, furrow-freezing toxin in between my brows every now and again. The introduction of Jeuveau—the first cosmetic use–only neurotoxin competitor to hit the market in a decade—is a refreshing one: bright colors, youthful vibe, an open dialogue—everything that makes me feel like it is, in fact, OK to want something to move a little less. Even better, after a consultation with my board-certified dermatologist who agreed it would be the best treatment for me, while I realize results vary, I’m still loving what I see in the mirror a whopping five months later.” —Danielle Fontana Dooley, Senior Digital Editor
SUPERSMILE WHITENING BOLT ($45)
“When it comes to my drinks of choice, my teeth take a bit of a beating. I may no longer be a coffee drinker—made the switch to tea years back—but even green tea leaves something behind on my pearly whites. I also cherish a nice glass of red wine at the end of a long day. But instead of treating stains after they happen with all sorts of strips, pens and gadgets, why not prevent them from happening in the first place? Enter this new breakthrough from Supersmile, which provides two key functions in two quick steps (without sensitivity!): Brush Step 1 onto teeth to instantly whiten— using key ingredient Calprox—and then Step 2 to lock it in. This creates a sealant protector on the enamel that lasts for hours, so you can actually apply it before sipping that stain-generating Bordeaux and avoid dreaded ‘wine mouth.’” —Brittany Burhop Fallon, Beauty Director
SIO BEAUTY CRYO DROP ($115 for tool; $135 for full system)
“SiO Beauty founder Gigi Howard took all the facial tool trends and put them in one place with her cool (no pun intended) new skin-toning device. The idea is smart: Combine cold therapy and massage to tackle a multitude of skin issues like redness, pore size, radiance and, my personal favorite, puffiness, all while helping to ‘push’ products—the full system comes coupled with a serum— a bit deeper. Does it look like you got a facelift overnight? No, but it does successfully hide any evidence of a late-night sushi run in the morning.” —Liz Ritter, Executive Editor
DR. SWEAT CLINICAL STRENGTH ANTIPERSPIRANT PADS ($20)
“I can confidently say I’ve tried every antiperspirant in the deodorant aisle, and I can say with even more certainty that none of them have really worked for me and my excessive sweating. Fed up with everything that promised dry underarms, I all but dismissed this new once-a-week sweat solution when it came across my desk—but in the name of investigative journalism, I took it home. Now, I’m a believer. Created for hyperhidrosis sufferers, but suitable for any heavy sweater, the thick, coaster-like pads are drenched with 15-percent aluminum chloride to cause the tissue around sweat glands to swell and block any wetness from reaching the surface of the skin. Now a permanent addition to my shopping list, one jar delivers 70 days of sweet, sweat-free freedom—a privilege I’d pay any amount for.” —Danielle Fontana Dooley, Senior Digital Editor
“A new skin-toning treatment, Emtone delivers radio-frequency and targeted pressure energy through the skin to treat all major contributing factors of cellulite. I treated the backs of my thighs and lower buttocks—basically everything below my bathing suit where I have some dimples (the nice way of saying cellulite) and ridges. During each of my four treatments, my skin did heat up a bit and was slightly red afterward, but returned to normal by the end of my car ride home. From what I know about other cellulite treatments, achieving noticeable results with little to no pain is almost unheard of. Although it takes three months to see the final outcome, I could see some smoothness on my butt and thighs after the first two sessions, like I put a blur filter on my skin.” —Tatiana Bido, Features Editor
AESTHETICS BIOMEDICAL SOME SKINCARE ($900)
“I’ve always tried to keep my routine minimal, so when I heard about SoME, a new product that takes the place of your serum, moisturizer and eye cream, I was immediately intrigued. The catch? The platelet-rich plasma (PRP) from your own blood is the key ingredient and added to a proprietary bottle of serum. Each of the three bottles lasts a month if you apply it twice a day. It’s not FDA-approved, the price tag is steep, but it’s an interesting new way to use your body’s own power to transform your skin—mine is brighter, more even in tone and less puffy.” —Emily Taylor, Editorial Assistant
FRANZ SKINCARE PREMIUM DUAL FACE MASK SYSTEM ($80 for three)
“When I first heard there was a microcurrent mask you don’t have to plug in, I thought how can it be? Traditional microcurrent treatments use low-voltage electricity to send soft, gentle waves of current that stimulate facial muscles, leading to toned and firm skin. The FRANZ mask looks like your normal sheet mask, but it’s actually two masks in one. First, you place a wet, serum-infused mask on your face, and then you place a second mask with a microcurrent charge on top of it. Next, you place a boosting essence on the ends of a microcurrent mask, which blends positive and negative ions from salt and fresh water, creating a cordless charge. The microcurrent top mask gives the active ingredients in the bottom mask an extra boost by sending currents through the mask and your skin. Whatever the science behind it, I’m sold on the instant glow it gave my skin and the lasting hydration effects.” —Tatiana Bido, Features Editor
ALLEYOOP MULTI-TASKER 4-IN-1 MAKEUP BRUSH ($24)
“Founder Leila Kashani created a think tank of 200 inspiring women and asked them all what their most-used beauty brushes were. Then, she completely obliterated the need for them with her Multi-Tasker, which boasts a trio of brushes—ones for blush, brow and eyeshadow pomade—and a sponge for concealer, effectively freeing up covetable space in our overflowing makeup bags and saving us time in the morning locating our beauty tools. I’ll never admit to my chronic lateness, but I have been known to manage time less-than-effectively. This genius, all-in-one brush makes it so easy to get ready on-the-go.” —Emily Taylor, Editorial Assistant
KÉRASTASE K WATER (Price varies depending on the salon)
“When you want shiny, healthy-looking hair, but don’t have the time for a cut, Kérastase K Water is the golden ticket. Currently available in 1,000 Kérastase salons across the country, the treatment is the brand’s first-ever to use Lamellar technology to resurface hair without any added weight or residue. After shampooing, my stylist applied the watery liquid from the roots down, massaged it in for a minute and then rinsed it out, skipping conditioner. When my hair was blown out and I saw it in the mirror, I was stunned. Not only was it next-level shiny—the kind you see in hair commercials that I’ve tried to achieve on my own with every product imaginable— but it also somehow made my dry, frazzled ends look like they were freshly chopped. I’m hooked!” —Brittany Burhop Fallon, Beauty Director