Beauty
Beauty
numbuzin, Explained by Number: No.3, No.5, No.9 and Beyond
numbuzin is the Korean skincare brand that turns skin concerns into numbers, and I have sorted the line so the numbers make sense. Here are the No.3 and No.5 toners and serums, the rest of the lineup from No.1 to No.9, and Korean favorites from other brands.
La Vie Est Belle: Three Perfumers, One Praline Heart, a Golden Rose
La vie est belle has been on dressing tables since 2012, and its iris and praline heart still sets the tone for sweet perfume. Here is every La vie est belle bottle in the edit, the Idôle bottles beside them, and the gourmand scents that share the sugar.
Dolce&Gabbana Light Blue, Still the Smell of a Sicilian Summer
Dolce and Gabbana Light Blue launched in 2001 and never really left the shelf, which says something about how well lemon, apple and cedar age. Here are the Light Blue bottles, the other Dolce&Gabbana scents that live beside them, and a few easy summer fragrances from elsewhere.
DKNY Be Delicious and the Apple and Pear Perfumes Like It
DKNY Be Delicious turned a green apple into the most recognizable perfume bottle of the 2000s, and the family keeps growing. Here are the Be Delicious bottles I would tell apart, plus apple, pear and citrus perfumes for anyone who loves that crisp, juicy idea.
Paris Hilton Perfume, Bottle by Bottle: From Can Can to the Rush Family
Paris Hilton perfume started in 2004 and has grown into a shelf of more than thirty bottles, so it helps to have a map. Here are the classics, the Rush family, and four sweet, fruity perfumes from other houses that sit well beside them.
YSL Eau de Parfum, from Libre to Black Opium
A guide to the YSL eau de parfum lineup, from the many Libre versions and Mon Paris to Black Opium and the Le Vestiaire des Parfums collection. Find the one that smells like you.
Tanning Drops, and the 1950s Lab Accident Behind Self-Tan
Tanning drops mix into your moisturizer, but the tanning ingredient inside was found by accident in a 1950s hospital lab. Here are eight self-tanners for the face, drops first, and eight bronzing drops that wash off at night.
Reading the Bleu de Chanel Parfum Bottle, and What Else Belongs Next to It
Bleu de Chanel Parfum is the richest version of a men's fragrance that has been on bathroom shelves since 2010. Here is how the Chanel bottles differ, three more from the house for him, and woody citrus colognes from other houses that sit in the same family.
Versace Eros Energy: The Citrus Rush and the Colognes Around It
Versace Eros Energy is the bright, citrus-first entry in a family that began in 2012. Here is the Eros lineup it belongs to, the other Versace colognes I would sniff next, and six bottles from other houses for a man building a small, sensible shelf.
Korean Makeup Picks, and the Cushion Compact a Parking Stamp Inspired
Korean makeup starts with sheer, dewy skin and soft washes of color. Here are sixteen picks, from SPF cushions and a BB cream to lip tints, a wing liner stamp and a heart-shaped blush.
Charlotte Tilbury Foundation: Matte, Glow and Everything Around It
A Charlotte Tilbury foundation can be matte, dewy or barely there, and the right one depends on the finish you want. I sort the brand's complexion lineup, then glowy alternatives, primers, brushes and setting sprays.
Telescopic Mascara Has Been Starting Arguments for Over 15 Years
Telescopic mascara from L'Oréal Paris has been on shelves for over 15 years and still starts arguments online. Here is the original and the Lift, the lengthening formulas I compare it to, and the primers and serums that work on the lashes underneath.
Hair Styling Powder, and the Time Britain Taxed It
Hair styling powder is the quiet fix for flat roots, and people have been powdering their hair for centuries. These are the volumizing powders and dry shampoo powders that do it without a wig.
The Lip Pencil Is the Easiest Lipstick You Will Own
A lip pencil does the job of a liner and a lipstick in one, and it fits in the smallest pocket. These are the crayons, matte pencils and creamy pencils I would use to color the whole lip, not only the edges.
The Best Shampoo Is the One That Does Less
Shampoo has been sold as a treatment for years when it is fundamentally a cleanser. The best shampoo removes oil and product without stripping the scalp, then gets out of the way. These are the ones that respect that job description.
A Flat Iron Has a Longer Past Than Your Morning Routine
The modern flat iron traces back to a 1909 patent, and the good ones still come down to plate quality and a little restraint. Here are the straighteners I would look at, the heat protectants that go on first, and the smoothing serums that finish the job.
Keratin Shampoo for Smooth, Frizz-Free Hair
Keratin shampoo is a daily care step, nothing like a salon smoothing service. These are the shampoos, masks and smoothing serums I would reach for when frizz and damage are the problem, and how to use them together.
Redken Acidic Bonding: A Salon Brand's Answer to Tired, Stretched Hair
Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate was the brand's first bonding regimen, a three-step system built around citric acid. Here is how the range works, the other bond-building shampoos and masks I would set beside it, and the glosses that add shine at the end.
How to Use Lip Liner
Lip liner earns its place when you use it as the first coat of color, not just an outline.
bareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15, Shade by Shade
The bareMinerals Original Foundation SPF 15 is the loose mineral powder that turned a San Francisco brand into a name everyone knew. Here are the shades I would start with, the rest of the bareMinerals powders around it, and other powder foundations and brushes to try beside it.
Huda Beauty Blush Filter and Other Soft-Glow Blushes
A huda beauty blush is the brand's answer to a soft-focus, airbrushed cheek, and Blush Filter is the one that started it. Here are the liquid shades, the blushlighter palettes and the glowy liquids I would put beside them.
Nail Care Basics: Files, Oils and Hand Creams I Keep Within Reach
Good nail care is a small, boring routine that pays off, and it starts with the right file, a gentle cuticle tool and an oil you actually use. These are the tools, treatments and hand creams I would set out on the bathroom shelf, ending on the cream that finishes it all.
CHI Heat Protectant, and the Pizza Oven Idea Behind the Iron
CHI heat protectant comes from Farouk Systems, the Houston company that says it made the first ceramic hairstyling iron. Here are eight CHI sprays and stylers for heat days and eight other heat protectants I would compare them with.
Oud Perfume Has Lost Its Intimidation Factor
Oud perfume used to arrive with a warning label, smoky and animalic and very much an acquired taste. Western perfumers have spent two decades sanding it down with rose, vanilla and even fruit, and the result is a note that now reads rich rather than challenging. This edit moves from the bottles that made oud a Western luxury code to the ones that make it easy to wear.