I Tested Hundreds of Beauty Products This Year—Here Are My 15 Favorites

Lip care is everything to me, so much so that I’ve mentioned my obsession with the Laneige lip sleeping mask a couple of times now. But while I typically use that guy at night, I came across a daily lip balm that has become a staple in my bag. The Fresh lip treatment is formulated with sugar, hyaluronic acid and sea fennel, which makes it hydrating and soothing on my lips. I only need to reapply one or two times a day, so a single tube can last me quite a while. 

In 2024, I was on the hunt to find a moisturizer that doesn’t a) irritate my skin b) feel greasy by the end of the day. There was a lot of trial and error, but the Laneige moisturizer proved to be worth it after my first night of testing. It’s packed with ingredients like blue hyaluronic acid for hydration, squalane to even out tone and loads of vitamins to firm my skin. I’ve been using it for a couple of months now and I notice how different my skin feels. My face looks (and feels) softer and smoother than ever before—no oiliness here. 

A beauty goal I set for myself was to improve my bodycare routine this year. Aside from body washes and scrubs (which I’ll get to later), I saw this viral lotion all over my feed and needed to get my hands on it. Let me tell you: It’s worth the hype. The rich formula includes shea butter, which leaves my skin soft and never greasy or sticky, and it spreads evenly and absorbs quickly. Oh, and the scent is what really roped me in. It has notes of whipped vanilla, caramel and musk that stays on your skin for hours. People often ask if I’m wearing perfume and I honestly have to tell them it’s just my body lotion. 

Speaking of bodycare, I dabbled in the everything shower trend this year, with the result of implementing body scrubs into my routine. While my tried-and-true favorite is Dove Exfoliating Body Scrub, I was pleasantly surprised by how frequently I found myself reaching for Ouai’s sugar scrub as well. The 2-in-1 contains gentle sugar crystals that exfoliate and remove my dead skin cells to reveal a super soft layer beneath. The formula also has panthenol, glycerin and coconut oil to lock in moisture even after I step out of the shower. Of course, it smells absolutely amazing—thanks to the hints of bergamot, cedarwood, lychee and white musk. 

Eye masks were all the rage in 2024 and I wanted to jump on the trend. PureWow readers couldn’t get enough of Grace & Stella eye masks, and I couldn’t agree more. They really do live up to the brand’s promise: to improve the appearance of dark circles, reduce puffiness and hydrate the under-eye area. I usually put them on in the morning for 15 minutes and receive a boost of hydration within seconds. It definitely takes getting used to (and it offers temporary results that fade in about 20 minutes) but it’s been a nice pick-me-up for my tired eyes. 

OK, it’s only been a couple of weeks since I started testing this hair mask, but it’s made quite the impression on my curls. It aims to prevent breakage and maintain moisture, which has been a godsend during the colder months. The formula includes white tea and manuka honey, which softens and nourishes my low porosity hair. The texture has an amazing slip, so I don't have to spend too much time detangling in the shower. I typically section my hair, apply the product and wait about 10 minutes or so before rinsing and continuing with my shampoo. But occasionally, I leave it on for an additional five minutes and apply my hair steamer to really penetrate the product deeper in my scalp and strands. 

Scalp care has been on the top of my list this year, and this scrub shampoo from Briogeo gets high praise from me. Infused with binchotan charcoal and essential oils (like tea tree and mint), the formula helps detox and remove any existing build up. It also contains coconut oil to control oil production and lock in moisture. The scrub cleanses well and offers a cooling sensation to soothe my scalp before I even get to using my shampoo. I deal with a ton of product build up, which in turns leads to irritation and itchiness, so applying this scrub has worked wonders towards keeping my scalp squeaky clean. 

I’ll admit I’ve always been wary of styling gels, but 2024 proved that there are plenty of lightweight options out there. Take this Matrix one for example. Its key ingredient, manuka honey, moisturizes and shapes my curls without weighing them down, and I never have to worry about flakes or a weird crunchy texture after it dries. It has truly helped define my hair and change my perception of a styling gel for natural hair. 

Hair tools have certainly come a long way—and this multi styler is by far my favorite hair tool for drying, styling and smoothing. It comes with five attachments and I’m able to use them interchangeably with ease. It may be lightweight (coming in at just 1.5 pounds), but it does the job in half the time of a traditional hairdryer, without damaging my strands. I've also used curlers, with positive results.

I could write an entire story about my favorite lip products I tried this year, but if I have to pick one that is always in my bag, it’s the Haus Labs lip gloss. Whether I’m rocking the “Fig,” “Cocoa” or “Persimmon” shade, I can’t get enough of its moisturizing, non-sticky formula. It acts as a lip oil, balm and gloss rolled into one, so my lips are always shiny and supple. It even leaves a nice tint that works alone or layered with my favorite lipstick. Featuring prickly pear oil, collagen and polypumper, it’s a formula that ensures my pout has never looked better. 

I’ve written about all kinds of mascaras, but Tower 28 Beauty really checked all my boxes in 2024. The impressive wand helps lengthen and define my lashes. And due to its buildability and flake-free finish, I’ve hardly had to rely on falsies all year. It’s also designed with aquaflex technology—most commonly used in haircare products—to define the lash curl while leaving them incredibly soft. Plus, the mascara has castor oil to condition and strengthen. 

I’ve been on a foundation stick kick all year, from Fenty to Ilia, since I’ve found they offer better (and buildable) coverage and complexion-matching than a bottle or compact formula. The LYS Beauty offering is by far the best one I’ve tried. It prides itself on giving a natural, almost skin-like finish and I stand by its claims. With just a few swipes, it blurs my textured skin and hides any dark spots or blemishes with zero greasiness or cakey makeup at the end of the day. It also gets brownie points for containing skincare ingredients like green tea extract, watermelon seed extract and rosehip oil.

One of the rising trends of 2025 is ‘90s makeup, and this eyeshadow palette proves I’m already ahead of the game. It features 12 neutral shades that let me play around with natural or dramatic looks. They’re buildable and blend seamlessly using my makeup brush or even just my fingers—plus, the palette is tiny so I can plop it in my bag when I’m traveling. 

Celebrity perfumes often get a bad rap, but this Fenty fragrance will surely change your mind. It has warm florals that give a sense of comfort and luxury. Thanks to notes of musk, Bulgarian rose and magnolia, I can’t help but spritz it on daily. The amber-brown bottle is also a nice touch on my dresser and stands out in my collection.