Welcome to Top Shelf, Highsnobiety's monthly guide to the best new beauty products worth trying — and displaying in your bathroom.
August is over, which somehow means it's time to buckle in and get down to business. Summer was all fun and games, but it's time to get serious and swap festival-ready face gems and cherry red lips for hard-working skincare and cozy fragrance. It's called transitional beauty, people.
From FaceGym's at-home "microneedling" tool to Hermès' new warm, woody perfume, the month was full of stand-out beauty launches.
Let's get into it.
David Mallett - Shampoo & Conditioner Pure
Famed hairstylist David Mallett launched an 11-ingredient shampoo and conditioner that are free of anything and everything that could possibly irritate your scalp. I'm far from a clean beauty freak, but I can get behind Mallett's latest release: the 'poo isn't overly stripping, and the conditioner left my hair feeling super soft and looking sleek.
They're both fragrance free (which does take some getting used to), but your hair will look so good that it won't even matter.
Ceremonia - Pequi Styling Gel
This medium-hold gel is perfect for cleaning up flyaways and boosting shine. If you're looking for a hit of fragrance after using Mallett's unscented shampoo and conditioner, Ceremonia's gel won't disappoint: woody with a hint of vanilla, the smoothing styler smells delicious.
FaceGym - Active Roller
FaceGym, the pioneer of the facial workout, makes microneedling safe and easy with its trio of Active Rollers. Dotted with dissolving microneedles, the disposable rollers are infused with active ingredients that target specific concerns: hydration, fine lines and wrinkles, and hyperpigmentation.
Rolling sesh will leave your face rosy, but it's hardly painful — a mild prickling sensation is the worst you can expect. Pair the Brightening Active Roller with your favorite heavy night cream and you'll wake up dewy AF.
Supergoop! - Lipscreen Sheer SPF 30
I wear sunscreen every day, rain or shine, but I always manage to forget about my lips. Supergoop!'s sun-blocking lip balm acts as my daily reminder and makes reapplication easy.
Erno Laszlo - VTM Cream-to-Foam Cleanser
Calling all double cleansing purists: Erno Laszlo, the skincare brand beloved by Edie Sedgwick, has created a formula that gets rid of makeup and residue in a single step, even on those full glam days. It's kind of like a balm-meets-liquid cleanser — I work it into my face for about a minute before thoroughly rinsing.
Hermès - H24 Eau de Parfum
If you like Hermès' H24 Eau de Toilette, you'll love H24 Eau de Parfum, a more intense version of the fragrance. Created by Christine Nagel, the scent feels like a chic forest. It's green, woody, and warm with a touch of something floral. While it's sold under Hermès' "Men's Universe," it is — like all fragrances — unisex.
Westman Atelier - Vital Skincare Complexion Drops
You know how your skin looks right after you get out of the shower? Westman Atelier's Complexion Drops will give you that dewy, fresh look sans water and steam. Part serum, part light coverage tint, the product evens skin tone and imparts a glass-like finish with just a few swipes. (Note: this is a great product for dry to normal skin, but I would not recommend it for oilier folks.)
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Radiant Concealer
My under-eyes love this creamy, highly pigmented concealer. It cancels out everything — redness, sallowness, dark spots — without the need for color correcting. The concealer is meant to be paired with Charlotte Tilbury's Beauty Skin Foundation but on casual days, I wear it alone.
