Welcome to Top Shelf, Highsnobiety's monthly guide to the best new beauty products worth trying — and displaying in your bathroom.
Summer is bringing the heat, which is great for our beach plans but not so great for our beats.
Sweat, humidity, and sunbeams are melting our makeup and pounding our skin with every dermatologist's sworn enemy, UV rays. So, I was thrilled to witness an array of beauty brands launch scorch-proof skincare and makeup newness throughout the month of June.
When Glass Animals sang "Sometimes, all I think about is you" in their summertime anthem "Heat Waves," these beauty products are actually what they were referring to.
Let's get into it.
Starface - Clear As Day SPF 46
Starface's first sunscreen is a banger. We all know that sunblock tends to get greasy — and in the heat, my face becomes slick in about 5 seconds. Starface's latest launch helps curb the oil. Thanks to mattifying dimethicone and hydrating isododecane, Clear As Day won't leave your face shiny or dry it out. It also boasts a magically clear finish — seriously, no white cast in sight. Even better? It plays well under makeup.
Fenty Beauty - Poutsicle Hydrating Lip Stain
99 percent of the time, lip stains either dry your mouth out or refuse to stay put. Hydrating and long-wearing, Fenty Beauty's Poutsicle does neither. "Strawberry Sangria" is my favorite shade: I use it whenever I'm in the mood for a pop of orange-y red.
Gucci Beauty - Brume De Beauté
Spritzing my face with Gucci feels so luxe. The three-in-one priming, setting, and hydrating Brume De Beauté mist smells like flowers and comes in a frosted, Hollywood Regency-inspired glass bottle. Glamour! IMO, the product works best as a makeup "re-activator." If I have plans after a long work day, a couple of sprays on top of whatever I'm wearing resets it for touch-ups.
Pat McGrath Labs - Skin Fetish: Divine Blush
Nail "Regencycore" with Dame Pat McGrath's dreamy new blushes, embossed with roses for extra Instagram appeal. Divine Blush is technically a powder but it applies more like cream, meaning it's easily blend-able and buildable. Let the draping commence!
espressOh - Dewy Latte
espressOh's OHMYGLOW Skin Tint is one my makeup must-haves, so I was confident that the brand's latest caffeine-infused offering, Dewy Latte, would live up to the hype. Indeed, the moisturizing "glow booster" is ideal for those pool or beachside days when foundation is just too much. Pat a pump of Dewy Latte on over your sunscreen and you're good to go.
Soft Services - Speed Soak Skin Rehydrating Gel
Speed Soak will make your post-shower routine so much faster. There's no downtime after slathering yourself in the gel cream: it absorbs in a matter of seconds, which means you can jump right into your clothes without that gross, sticky feeling.
r.e.m. Beauty - At the Borderline Lip Liner Pencil
Released as part of Ariana Grande's latest makeup collection, r.e.m.'s lip liners don't budge and come in a bunch of delicious browns. In other words, Ari holds the key to creating the perfect '90s pout.
ISAMAYA - Browlacq Brow Laminator
Bleached eyebrows are a burgeoning celebrity-backed beauty trend, boasted by it-girls Kendall Jenner, Julia Fox, and the Hadid sisters. To recreate the look at home, try makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench's newly launched brow laminator, part of her eponymous brand ISAMAYA. After slicking your hairs up with Browlacq, apply a full-coverage concealer over them. Where'd they go?!
