I know it’s only the second month of 2026, but this year is not going my (or maybe anyone’s) way. The political reality of this country is frightening, winter has been going on forever and involved like 10 “unprecedented” blizzards, and my health has been a mess. One of the few bright spots has been the beauty products I’ve been testing—there has been so much good stuff. Some months, there are barely three products that stand out, but then there’s last month and this month when I struggle to keep my selection in the single digits. My favorite beauty products of February begin with Fwee’s diabolically good dual-ended lip liner-lipstick and end with a $64 tinted serum from the founder of Hourglass Cosmetics.
Credit: Outside-In
Outside-In is a very insidery brand at the moment, but that will change fast. It’s the second venture from Carisa Janes who previously founded Hourglass Cosmetics. All of the big, very hyped, shopper-loved tinted serums have been disappointing and overrated. Outside-In’s Silk Serum Foundation is what I wish these subpar formulas were actually like. It has a consistency somewhat thicker than water, and seems almost sheer upon first application before adjusting and subtly neutralizing imperfections. You’re not going to get perfect skin from this—you’ll get skin that looks like and is yours but better, in a believable, natural-looking way.
This is good enough for me without the skin care bonus, but for all the ingredient heads out there—there’s brightening, wrinkle-filling niacinamide, and plumping and hydrating hyaluronic acid.
Credit: Amazon
I’m not mad at my skin but I’m disappointed. Just when I thought we were getting along, it went off and began having a weeks-long tantrum. I don’t blame it exactly—my chronic conditions are flaring up, and my hormones are out of whack. Still, I would like for it to be less…sensitive and inflamed. Deinde’s roll-on calming gel does the trick (almost) suspiciously fast. You apply the thick gel in a layer and don’t rub it in like you would with any other skin care product. It covers skin in a calming antioxidant while creating a protective barrier. I saw results from it literally overnight.
Credit: Amazon
Right, so my skin is doing its thing, and it’s bad. Dr.Althea’s PDRN Cream has been my other savior. It allows me to calm my skin through a duo of centella and panthenol whilst still getting firming, plumping, and hydrating anti-aging benefits. I use a half pea-sized amount all over my face morning and night, I’m confident my skin will be healthy again in the not-too-distant future.
Credit: Amazon
I love spending my money superfluously on a $72 Italian dinner plate or $50 lip balm, so the idea of something being good and cheap has historically been hard for me to understand. Fwee turned out to be just that, and its multi-use Pudding Pot was the product that won me over. On one end of this stick is a lip liner, on the other a thin lipstick with light-medium opacity. I was surprised by its prowess before it even made its way to my lips—I swatched the pencil on my hand and unsuccessfully tried to wipe it off. Sure, it smudged a little, but it largely did not move. The lipstick on the other end is a complementary but not exactly matching shade. It gives you a lip combo without having to do the math yourself.
Credit: Amazon
After having been in the beauty industry for more than a decade, it’s rare for me to come across a brand I’m unfamiliar with. It’s my professional duty to try these products as much as anything else, and so MopTop’s Curl Cream went into my hair without much thought. Hours later, after my hair air-dried and I passed by a mirror, I was so surprised by the lusciousness, definition, and shine of my curls. The $19 price tag is very reasonable for a tube this size, especially for one this effective and how little of the cream is needed for results. It comes out of the tube in a thick, near-balm texture that I only need a pea-sized amount of. I emulsify it in my hands, run my fingers through my hair, and voila—I’m ready to go.
Check out some of my long-time beauty staples below.
