Every week, our editorial team gets to try out tons of new products. (It’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta do it!) In this monthly column, our digital content manager Melissa Fejtek rounds up the ones that stood out from the pack and actually earned a spot in her routine.

The Retro Sun Product, Reimagined

SHOP

It’s impossible to deny the appeal of Miami-based suncare brand Vacation®, which takes creative branding to the next level. Inspired by the laid-back vibe of ’80s and ’90s tanning culture and vintage Club Med advertisements, Vacation®’s goal is to make sun care feel as fun as it did back then, but without the skin damage. And it really, really does. From sunscreen mousse that resembles a canister of delicious whipped cream to SPF-infused baby oil and browning lotion, the brand takes all the naughty products that used to leave beachgoers red and raw and updates them with derm-backed, skin-loving ingredients that protect against the sun’s harmful rays.

Now, the brand’s buzziest launch to date has arrived: the Vacation® Orange Gelée SPF 30 Sunscreen Gel, which riffs on the nostalgic St.Tropez staple, Bain De Soleil Orange Gelée. Squeeze the tube and you’ll find a new version of the classic orange gel, scented with a French Riviera-inspired fragrance that’s sunshine in a tube. The balm-to-oil formula rubs on clear and leaves skin with a gorgeous glassy shine, while SPF 30 keeps your skin safe. Summer in the Côte d’Azur, anyone?

The Skincare-Meets-Makeup Stick

SHOP

As someone who travels often, I love to keep my liquid makeup products to a minimum. But, I usually shy away from stick foundations for fear that they’ll draw attention to my parched skin. So when I heard about Ilia’s latest launch, the Skin Rewind Complexion Stick, I was immediately curious. The formula (available in 42 shades, FYI) is infused with skincare ingredients like peptides and kelp extract to mitigate that. So why not give it a shot? I swiped the formula onto my bare face and began to blend. To my surprise the formula disappeared into my skin with a few gentle taps. It produced a beautiful veil of coverage that covered up pores, redness and the odd blemish, without feeling so invisible that I needed to go in with a secondary product. It’s easy, travel-friendly and effortless—and that’s exactly what I’m looking for when it comes to spring and summer makeup.

The Luxurious-Yet-Affordable Body Wash

SHOP

Dove is a brand that’s always been dear to me. When I was growing up, my father had super sensitive skin and the only product he could tolerate was the OG Dove Beauty Bar—naturally, it was the only soap we ever had in the house. The scent of that bar takes me back to my childhood and remains a staple in my bathroom to this day. Lucky for me, I didn’t inherit my father’s sensitive skin and I’m constantly rotating through and sampling body washes. Fragrant exfoliating scrubs, sumptuous shower oils and everything in between—it all has a spot in my shower. Needless to say I was excited to test-drive Dove’s new Serum Shower collection, which infuses each product with a hero skincare ingredient.

The Glow Recharge Body Wash (my personal favourite) is infused with 3% brightening vitamin C serum and gently polishes skin to leave you smooth and glowing from head-to-to. And the tropical fruit and berry scent is so energizing. I love to double up my routine and lather up with the Beauty Bar before scrubbing down with the wash. And yes, I do smell spectacular.

The Quiet Luxury Highlighter

SHOP

Remember the days when we wanted our highlighter to be so reflective it was almost blinding? Well, those days are long gone. Just as fashion trends lean into “quiet luxury” and “old money” aesthetics, so does our makeup. In 2024, we want our highlighters to be soft, subtle and offer a lit-from-within glow. That’s where Dior’s Forever Glow Maximizer comes in. The brand’s first-ever liquid highlighter can be applied directly onto bare skin (for a your-skin-but-better look) or over makeup for an extra hit of shimmer. The generously-sized doe foot applicator makes it easy to highlight the areas you want to accentuate, and the formula melts into the skin with very little effort. I’m partial to the peach and rose shades which double up as a blush, but there’s also white pearl, gold and deep bronze colourways to enhance your skin in any way you please.

The Green Juice For Your Skin

SHOP

We’re in the era of supplements. Whether it be collagen in your smoothie or a magnesium-infused ‘sleepy girl mocktail’ for your evening nightcap, chances are you’ve dabbled in a supplement—or at least thought about it. But what about supplements for your skin? That’s what clean beauty brand Youth To The People had in mind when they developed the Superfood Skin Drip serum—a barrier-soothing concoction meant to hydrate your skin ten layers deep. It includes ingredients like antioxidant-rich dandelion root, brightening niacinamide and a superfood blend consisting of kale extract and cold-pressed broccoli seed oil to even skin tone and drench your skin in moisture. I applied the serum and my skin immediately drank it up. My complexion looked supple and hydrated, like I just finished drinking tall glass of water (or three). My favourite way to use it is as a makeup primer—it creates the smoothest base for a flawless foundation application.

Read more:
The Beauty Trends The Pros Are Obsessed With for Spring-Summer 2024
7 Trending Haircuts To Show Your Stylist This Spring
5 Editor-Approved Spring Fashion Launches