The 24 Best Beauty Products Fashionista Editors Tried in October

Each month, Fashionista editors try a *lot* of beauty products. And while not every formula we test is a winner, we're constantly unearthing new favorites. Here, we've rounded up our latest hair, skin, fragrance, wellness and makeup discoveries — whether fresh-to-market drops or merely recent additions to our personal routines.

As autumn's changing leaves coincide with our editors' changing beauty routines, we've got one thing on our minds, it seems: hydration. Hydrated skin, to be exact. With increasingly cold, dry weather headed our way, we turned to barrier-protecting skin care such as a particularly festive pumpkin exfoliating mask, a Hailey Bieber-approved gel serum and a moisturizing eye cream that leaves the notoriously sensitive area well taken care of.

Though we're reaching for a lot of skin care, our October makeup moments included a range of creamy lip liners (all of which are sure to rake in compliments) and a lightweight but long-lasting eyebrow gel.

See (and shop!) all of our favorite October hair, makeup, skin-care and fragrance finds, below.

Shani Darden Signature Nourishing Facial Mask, $58, available here: "Facialist Shani Darden makes one hell of a skin treatment, and this soothing, clay-based mask is no exception. Kaolin and bentonite sop up excess oil help clear pore congestion, while colloidal oatmeal, aloe and a blend of tea extracts soothe redness and irritation. Some clay masks can render skin parched and stiff, but this one solves that issue with the inclusion of squalane to lock in moisture." —Steph Saltzman, Beauty Director

Aquis Flip Hair Drying Towel, $50, available here: "This towel stays absolutely locked onto my head while it dries my curls without smushing them down. I also love that it's made from recycled water bottles (love the planet) and antimicrobial copper (hate mold and mildew)." —Liza Sokol, Sr. Audience Development Manager

Bobbi Brown Lip Liner Pencil in Ballet Pink, $30 $26, available here: "I'd been on the hunt for a pink-y nude lip liner for so long, and this became an instant favorite. This ultra-creamy pencil glides on effortlessly and never feels dry or flaky once applied (an issue I've had with some other lip pencils)." —Brooke Frischer, Staff Writer

Glossier Boy Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel-Pomade in Auburn, $18, available here: "I've spent a while searching for a brow product to match my auburn hair — it's always too red for brown shades and too brown for red shades — but I've finally found the perfect fit with this Glossier eyebrow gel. I also love the formula, which is both lightweight and long-lasting." —Catie Pusateri, Contributing Writer

YSL Beauty Libre Absolu Platine, $162, available here: "This radiant bottle puts a new spin on YSL's 2019-born Libre fragrance: Absolu Platine is a more intense version of the floral-yet-musky scent. I appreciate how it lasts on my skin throughout the day without being overpowering." —Andrea Bossi, Staff Writer

Summer Fridays The Mini Lip Butter Balm Set, $25, available here: "Every beauty girl I've met agrees that Summer Fridays' lip butter balms are simply the best; the rich, lightly tinted formula moisturizes all day without getting clumpy or crusty. But this Sephora-exclusive set of minis sold out in a flash and, after nearly a year of waiting, just finally restocked. I never hit 'check out' so quick in my life." —Savannah Sitton, Contributing Market Editor

Nyx Lip Liner in Nude Truffle, $5, available here: "Yet another drugstore beauty find that I've been inspired to try from TikTok. I love how easily this lip liner goes on." —Olivia Novato, Contributing Writer

Neocutis Neo Restore Post Treatment Nourishing Mask (Pack of 6), $122, available here: "I'm very much in my face mask era. This one is a great recovery treatment to feed skin the moisture it needs after intense exfoliation. After wearing the sheet for about 30 minutes, I massage the remaining smooth, gel-like serum into my skin, leaving me with a dewy glow that I swear is visible even into the next day." —Brooke

OPI Nail Lacquer Nail Polish in I’m Not Really a Waitress, $11, available here: "I'm loving this deep red nail polish for my fall manicure — it has a sparkly sheen that just catches the light and leaves me staring at my nails every chance I get." —Catie

Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask, $60, available here: "It's pretty difficult to not fall in love with this mask during the autumn season. Not only do I feel the AHA chemical exfoliant working with a slight tingle as I wear it, but the straight-up pumpkin pie scent also makes me feel festive. Plus, I've noticed the problem spots on my face began to fade away after just a few uses." —Brooke

Peter Thomas Roth Even Smoother Glycolic Retinol Hydra-Gel Eye Patches, $65, available here: "In just three applications, these eye patches destroyed some persistent milia that had staked out under my right eye (without irritation!). The combination of glycolic acid and retinol is offset by shea butter, avocado oil and vitamin E, and I've also noticed some general texture improvements when I use them as part of a weekly routine." —Liza

Prequel Skin Urea Advanced Relief Moisturizing Milk, $22, available here: "This lightweight lotion — which can be used on the face and body, though I've stuck only to the latter — relies on a 10% concentration of urea to soothe and correct rough, dry, patchy skin. There's an initially off-putting hint of strange grittiness as it goes on, but those are just the jojoba esters, which dissipate as they're massaged over skin to provide intense moisture and protection. This stuff has been a miracle worker for my usually ultra-dry elbows and knees during the seasonal change, and it's well worth a fleeting moment of textural weirdness." —Steph

Rare Beauty All of the Above Weightless Eyeshadow Stick in Integrity, $22, available here: "It's hard for me to resist a sparkling champagne shadow, and I immediately fell in love with this Rare Beauty stick version. Not only is it easy to apply for a quick wash of golden shimmer, but it also has a built-in sharpener at the bottom for a crisp application every time." —Catie

Macrene Actives High Performance Eye Cream, $135, available here: "As the weather turns cooler and the air drier, I turn to denser skin-care formulas — and that includes my eye cream. This rich-but-non-greasy formula blends glycerin with a variety of plant-based butters for plenty of moisture, plus it's spiked with peptides to firm, caffeine to reduce puffiness and arginine to brighten dark circles. " —Steph

Shea Moisture Curl Enhancing Smoothie, $18, available here: "Colder weather usually makes my curls lose some of their bounce, but with this product, it's like the seasons never changed. Obsessed!" —Olivia

Rhode Skin Peptide Glazing Fluid, $29, available here: "I've been using Mrs. Hailey Bieber's gel serum as a main hydrating layer before a heavier lotion or cream for a few months now and my skin absolutely adores it. It's lightweight, even with the inclusion of marula oil and I am absolutely on board the 'glazed donut' train." —Liza

Kayali Oudgasm Tobacco Oud 04 Eau de Parfum Intense, $140, available here: "Kayali's scents remain my favorite for layering, and my treasured combination du jour is mixing this spicy, tobacco-and-clove-spiked scent with sugary gourmands to give them some more depth." —Liza

Butter London Jelly Preserve Nail Strengthening Treatment in Victoria Plum, $12, available here: "After years of gel manicures, nail extensions and press-ons, my once strong nails have officially become weak and peel-y. In the lead-up to my wedding next month, I decided to give them a break and use only this health restoring treatment, which is laced with tea tree oil, vitamin E and proteins to help strengthen nails. Plus, I've also come to love its your-nails-but-better tint, which, despite appearing to be a deep wine color in the bottle, goes on with a super sheer raspberry wash (with two coats)." —Steph

Fenty Skin Cookies N Clean Whipped Pore Detox Face Mask, $35, available here: "I am always super skeptical of celebrity skin-care brands, but this mask has always intrigued me — I mean, it had me at 'whipped' and 'cookies.' After finally trying it out, I really love that it's completely fragrance-free and can feel my skin has softened after using it consistently for a few weeks. The texture is buttery yet super lightweight, and has tiny charcoal beads that open up upon application to help sop up excess oil from skin, for a little novelty spa experience." —Brooke

Chantecaille Brilliant Gloss, $40, available here: "This shimmery, sheer lip gloss just climbed my roster of personal favorites, thanks to its moisturizing formula and ability to stay on my lips after guzzling loads of coffee." —Andrea

Peter Thomas Roth Max Vitamin D-Fense™ Sunscreen Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 50, $42, available here: "This creamy sunscreen feels smooth and goes on without a white cast. What I really like, though, is that's also enhanced with antioxidants and to help my skin out, versus irritating it." —Andrea

Nemohamo Booster Oil, $80, available here: "I've been loving this oil as the first step in my skin-care routine. Aside from its moisturizing effect, I also simply love it for its calming, sensorial texture and herby floral scent." —Brooke

Fashion Fair Iconic Lip Shaper Liner, $23, available here: "I like to glide this deep brown liner along the edges of my lips, and then buff it out a bit. I love how it looks paired with a gloss or pigmented lipstick." —Andrea

Motif Dark Spot Correcting Glow Serum, $115, available here: "Lately, I've been dealing with a few more breakouts and dark spots than usual. This serum, which uses vitamin C, helps even my skin tone. With a peachy color and medium viscosity, it smooths on without feeling heavy." —Andrea

In case you missed last month's picks, you can find them here: 

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