I Tried 31 New Products This Month, but Only 14 Ended Up on My Beauty Shelf

At any given moment, my work desk usually looks like a chaotic accumulation of scattered compacts, used brushes, and a rainbow of swatches on glass palettes, and that’s just the way I like it. The most essential (and favorite) part of my job is testing out all the latest formulas about to hit the market. February was full of promising new product releases, and while I’d consider myself a beauty hoarder, I’ve learned to edit down my stash down to only the formulas that I frequently reach for.

In this month alone, I tested 31 products, from cream blushes to perfecting foundations to plumping glosses. While I ended up simply liking many of these goodies, only a handful of them had me smitten enough to earn an official place on my beauty shelf. Below are the 14 beauty products I’ve added to my permanent collection.

14 New Beauty Products I Added to My Routine

• Haus Labs PhD Hybrid Lip Glaze Plumping Gloss, $26; sephora.com.
• Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Bronzer, $11; target.com.
• Tower 28 LipSoftie Lip Treatment, $16; tower28.com.
• Naked Sundays CabanaGlow SPF50 Mineral Glow Bronze Serum Drops, $35; us.nakedsundays.com.
• Catrice Nude Drop Tinted Serum Foundation, $10; amazon.com.
• Winky Lux Cheeky Rose Liquid Sculpt, $19; ulta.com.
• Curie Deodorant & Body Spray, $16; curiebod.com.
• Raw Sugar The Not So Dry Shampoo, $12; rawsugarliving.com.
• Saie Dew Blush, $25; saiehello.com.
• Laura Mercier Real Flawless Weightless Perfecting Serum Concealer, $33; ulta.com.
• One/Size Secure the Glow Tacky Hydrating Primer, $36; sephora.com.
• Iconic London Lit and Luminous Baked Highlighter, $29; sephora.com.
• Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder, $38; sephora.com.
• Lion Pose Ghost-Buster Mineral Sunscreen SPF 42, $46; sephora.com.

Haus Labs PhD Hybrid Lip Glaze Plumping Gloss

I was absolutely not a gloss girl until I tried this new plumping lip glaze from Haus Labs, and now it's safe to say I pretty much slather this on top of most of my lipsticks. The prickly pear oil and collagen in the formula are intensely hydrating and feel uber-comfortable for extended wear. Plus, it's one of the few plumping glosses on the market that doesn't actually sting my lips, thanks to its proprietary polyplumper complex that combines a potent blend of peptides and polymers.

Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Bronzer

Milani is a drugstore all-star, and it’s continued to impress me with its newest addition to its Cheek Kiss line. This TikTok convinced me to jump on the bandwagon, and I’m so glad I did. The cream bronzer blends beautifully on my skin, whether I layer it over the foundation or just dab it on my primed skin. It’s available in four very flexible shades and boasts skincare ingredients like hydrating Bulgarian rose, fatty acid-rich watermelon seed oil, and brightening pomegranate seed oil.

Tower 28 LipSoftie Lip Treatment

Leave it to Tower 28 to create one of the most pleasant tinted lip masks. My lips are constantly irritated, making it hard for me to wear lipstick some days. That's when I whip out these incredibly sweet-scented balms that instantly soothe my pout. It's packed with nourishing ingredients like lysine, shea butter, and jojoba oil.

Naked Sundays CabanaGlow SPF50 Mineral Glow Bronze Serum Drops

One of Naked Sunday’s most appealing features is it infuses high SPF into every single product. I like to add a couple of these bronzing drops to my foundation, especially if it’s a paler shade, to not only add a new level of protection but also create a luminous glow. The fluid also includes skin-first ingredients like hyaluronic acid, pink algae, and rosella extract for added hydration.

Catrice Nude Drop Tinted Serum Foundation

Serum foundations are the best of both worlds: They provide coverage without sacrificing skincare. Furthermore, they always feel lighter on my skin than a standard foundation. Even though this tinted serum is full of moisturizing elements, like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E, it has a beautiful matte finish that I'll appreciate more come summer.

Winky Lux Cheeky Rose Liquid Sculpt

When I saw influencer Mikayla Nogueria raving about this formula, I knew I needed to get my hands on it. The small sponge applicator lets me apply the product exactly where I want it, and the liquid blends seamlessly with other products. It plays very well with other cream and liquid products as well.

Curie Deodorant & Body Spray