The 30 Greatest Spring Magnificence Staples to Purchase, In line with a Magnificence Director
Most Wanted is a weekly series in which one editor, staffer, or influencer shares their top 30 must-haves or current wish-list items.
After a long, long winter—most of which I spent in Minnesota—I’m ready for a change of season, not only in terms of my climate but also in terms of my beauty MO. Even though summer is usually the season we associate with a complete product overhaul, I’ve been feeling impatient. Hints of spring and summer are officially in the air, and I’m ready to hit the ground running by amping up my beauty aesthetic as well.
Once the UV index starts to climb, I hone in on certain parts of my routine, i.e. my lips, eyes, hair, and skin. These are the features I personally like to play up and ensure are in tip-top shape once spring and summer roll around. If you, like me, would like to get ahead of the curve for the warmer, sunnier seasons ahead, keep scrolling. Thirty beauty staples I’d recommend buying sooner rather than later are just below.
Lips
MAC
Lipglass Lip Gloss in Very Go Lightly
Viva MAC Lipglass—an iconic rite of passage for anyone born in the ’90s and a perfectly light-catching staple for anyone who wants their lips to glow like a supermodel’s. I’m partial to Very Go Lightly, a prismatic champagne.
Anfisa Skin
Ân-Gloss Ceramide Lip Treatment
As far as lip treatments go, this is the latest formula to get your hands on. Beautifully packaged, this buttery elixir teems with skin-identical ceramides and vegan cholesterol to help reactivate the skin’s lamellar matrix and skin barrier. The end result is soft, supremely hydrated lips that actually stay that way. Unlike most heavy-duty lip treatments, it’s crafted with noncomedogenic ingredients, so I don’t wake up to bumps and breakouts around my mouth.
Hourglass
Shape & Sculpt Lip Liner in Uncover 4
Just when I think I’ve found my holy-grail lip liner, a new one comes along to take its place. Currently, said newcomer is this creamy, transfer-resistant number from Hourglass. The shade Uncover 4 is my ride-or-die.
E.l.f. Cosmetics
Glow Reviver Lip Oil in Jam Session
I’ve gone through at least three of these—not because I actually ever hit empty but because I make the fatal mistake of handing it to a friend for a shine top-up and they ultimately refuse to give it back. If you want a lip oil that looks and performs better than its counterparts four times the price, this is your best bet. Beware: The shade Jam Session will become a fixation, so I’d recommend buying five.
Wonderskin
Wonder Blading Lip Stain in Lovely
This is not a new product by any means, but I slept on it for years despite hearing plenty of fellow beauty editors wax poetic about its uncanny lip-staining ability. Essentially, it’s like a cheaper, more temporary alternative to lip blushing. Paint it on (yes, it comes out as a metallic royal blue, and you will look like a space alien), let it sit, then swipe off with a damp washcloth. You’re left with perfectly stained lips that look completely natural. It’s the most low-lift alternative when I don’t want to bother with lipstick or other maintenance-heavy lip products.
Lawless
Forget the Filler Overnight Lip Plumping Mask in Birthday Cake
I talk about this plumping lip mask all the time, so I apologize if you’re sick of hearing about it. That said, it is and always will be the only lip product I wear to bed, and it’s my favorite daytime lip topper as well. The shine! The plumpness! I’m basically wearing it 24/7 and have worked my way through at least 10 pots. Birthday Cake is the best.
Eyes
Make Up For Ever
Artist Color Pencil Brow, Eye & Lip Liner in Limitless Brown
Just wait until you see the difference this liner makes when you use it to rim the inner and outer corners (waterline only!) of your eyes.
Make Beauty
Multi-Chromatic Metal Reflecting Eye Shadow in Onyx
I’m not a huge eye shadow gal, but if I’m wearing it, I want it to be shimmery but not too shimmery, and I want it to make me look like Lily-Rose Depp. These new reflective shadows from Make Beauty satiate the craving.
Olaplex
Lashbond Building Serum
I categorize my life into two different eras: before lash serums and after lash serums. I’ve tried practically every formula under the sun, including prescriptions like Latisse, and am happy to conclude that this one from Olaplex is truly the best.
Surratt Beauty
Noir Lash Tint
An oldie but a goodie! This strange-looking rod has been in my makeup lineup for years, yet I’ve never found any other product that can rival its lash-lengthening effect. I know lots of products claim to be “extensions in a bottle,” but this one quite literally is. It won’t give you much thickness, but if you’re after doe-like lashes that could land you a starring role in a Disney movie, go ahead and invest in this.
KVD Beauty
Ink Liner Waterproof Felt-Tip Liquid Eyeliner
I love liquid liner and have flirted with plenty of formulas over the years. Many disappointments later, this perfectly sized pen from KVD Beauty has come out on top and is now the gold standard I compare all others to. I waffle between the brown and the black, and I appreciate that the rich pigment—and my precise application—doesn’t deteriorate through the day or night. On the off chance I fall asleep with makeup on, I’ll wake up to eyes that are still perfectly lined.
Tweezerman
Procurl Eyelash Curler
If you’re not curling your lashes, this is your sign to start. As someone with very large, round eyes and lashes prone to major droopage, this model is the best I’ve tried. I no longer bother with others.
The consistency of this formula might take some getting used to—it’s thick and a bit tacky, and it looks wildly iridescent straight out of the tube. Once you see its brightening and tightening benefits take hold of your eye area, you really won’t care. The magic ingredients are 0.07% retinol and a unique Liquid Crystal Technology, which gives the product the look of unicorn blood.
Hair
Dae
Fairy Duster Volumizing Dry Shampoo Powder