Welcome to Face Value, Highsnobiety’s monthly guide to the best new beauty products and the brands behind them.
Got summer plans? Whether you're traveling to the beach or gearing up for a staycation, Highsnobiety has your warm weather beauty kit covered.
Every month, Highsnobiety tests out the latest launches from our favorite skincare, hair care, fragrance, and makeup brands — and they never fail to impress us. From Sachajuan's scented hair spritz to about-face's bold new eye colors, read on for the May beauty drops worth adding to cart.
Moodeaux - PunkStar
Brianna Arps launched Moodeaux in 2021 after noticing that a spray of her favorite fragrance could instantly improve her mood. After digging into the art of scent online, the ex-beauty editor eventually learned that only a small portion of perfume brands on the market are Black-owned. Thus, she set out to stake her claim in the historically homogenous fragrance industry.
Five years later, Moodeaux boasts a slew of accomplishments under its belt, including but not limited to becoming the first Black-owned fragrance brand to launch at Credo. At the end of April (this isn't technically a May launch, but who's counting?), Moodeaux introduced its sophomore fragrance: PunkStar, a dark, sexy concoction that's fruity, woody, and leathery all at once.
In short, it's the leather jacket of your scent wardrobe.
about-face - Anti-Pop Matte Fluid Eye Paints
Halsey's about-face routinely releases the boldest of makeup shades and its latest collection, "Anti-Pop," is no exception. Now in taxicab orange, reptilian green, royal purple, and more, the brand's Matte Fluid Eye Paints — a favorite among professional makeup artists — give us another palette of unorthodox color to work in.
Sachajuan - Protective Hair Perfume, Bois Noir
I try to shampoo as infrequently as possible, which means my hair doesn't always smell crisp and clean. A spritz of Sachajuan's Protective Hair Perfume in Bois Noir — a sweet, woody fragrance — keeps things fresh.
KIKI World - Pretty Nail Graffiti
Manicures are a bit of a process — waiting for your nail polish to dry is tedious, to put it lightly. KIKI World, the new beauty brand led by its customers, launched this month with an innovative new manicure tool: Pretty Nail Graffiti, a nail polish pen that dries in a flash and peels off for quick and easy color changes.
Danessa Myricks - Infinite Chrome Flakes, Bi-Pride
Danessa Myricks, the makeup artist behind some of TikTok's favorite beauty products (you've definitely seen her Blurring Balm Powder on your For You Page), released a special version of her Infinite Chrome Flakes — color-shifting foil that can be used by itself or layered on top of eyeshadow — for Pride Month. The new colorway, dubbed Bi-Pride, glimmers blue, purple, and pink when it catches the light, a reference to the colors of the bisexual pride flag.
