This year, the Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation proved to be one of the best foundations on the market—and one of the more expensive. The $69 price tag on the medium coverage, natural finish foundation landed it on our Best of Beauty Splurges list—which means we think it’s worth putting your wallet through it. “This is the foundation I can rely on to deliver a natural yet flawless finish every single time,” says associate content manager Hannah Brower.
Pound Cake
Started by two college students at Temple University (Camille Bell and Johnny Velazquez), Pound Cake Beauty has shaken up the lip category with their innovative lip oil. The Best of Beauty-winning Pound Cake Cake Theory Lip Oil tones lips to combat dark spots and freckles while also moisturizing.
I wore this lip oil for my surprise engagement and after a night of crying and kissing, the pigment and shine held up. Not to mention it felt moisturizing and not annoyingly sticky on my lips.
Black Girl Sunscreen
For a while, there was a drought in sunscreens that didn’t leave a white cast on brown skin. In 2016, the founder of Black Girl Sunscreen, Shontay Lundy, set out to do something about it. The brand launched with Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 made specifically for people of color.
Now, the brand has expanded its SPF collection to include multiple lotions, sprays, and lip gloss. Senior beauty editor Jesa Marie Calaor, who has medium-tan skin, loves the Make It Glow SPF 30 (which won a Best of Beauty award this year). “This lightweight, non-sticky formula leaves my skin feeling moisturized and looking glowy,” she says. “I love its fine-mist nozzle, too.”
Dr. Few
Dr. Julius Few is a board-certified plastic surgeon in Chicago. At the top of this year, he brought his expertise into product development, launching his eponymous brand. Dr. Few offers eight skin care products including the C Serum, the Supreme Oil Serum, and the newly minted Best of Beauty winner, the Dr. Few Tinted Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30.
This lightweight moisturizer boasts sun protection for all skin types and lives up to it. I usually stick to chemical sunscreens because mineral formulas almost always leave a white cast so I hesitantly applied two fingers-worth of this sunscreen on my face. I was pleasantly surprised when it melted seamlessly into my skin leaving no tint or cast.
Eadem
Cool girl skin-care brand Eadem launched in the 2021 class of the Sephora Accelerate program. The products are as effective as they are pretty—the aesthetic packaging makes them look good on any bathroom shelf or counter.