Best of Beauty 2026 _ Makeup, Skincare & More

We're three months into the year and I've already tested a lot of new beauty products. Some were really good, some not so much. So today I'm sharing the ones that have really impressed me, the ones I keep reaching for over and over and that just make me happy, and some that I've already used up. These are my absolute favorite makeup, skincare, hair care, body care, and a few random products of 2026 so far. Welcome back to my channel. Welcome if you're new and let's get into it. There are products in this video I have not shared with you yet that I just keep reaching for over and over and products I have shared with you in other videos going back to January that made enough of an impression on me to be in this video. So with those products, I will be as detailed as possible, yet short and sweet since I've already given you thorough reviews. And of course, everything I'm sharing and wearing today is linked for you down in my description box and as many products as possible through YouTube shopping. So I'll start with what's on my eyes today. This beautiful wash of color that is so quick and easy to apply. This is the Lancome Idal Goddess Dimension Eyeshadow in the shade Dawn Reflection. This is what I do every day when I apply it. I just swirl my finger in it and swipe it on my eyelids. And the shade Dawn Reflection is described as a peachy gold nude shimmer, but there are no shimmer or glitter particles. It's just a beautiful sort of wet look. It's pigmented and smooth, flattering and long lasting. I swipe it on and blend it out and up into my crease. There are matte shimmer and sparkle finishes, and I just keep reaching for it. I think there are 12, yes, 12 shades to choose from. So if you love a one and done shadow, I have just been loving this formula. I'll stick with eyes for a second and talk about my eyeliner pick of the year, which is NYX Epic Inky Stix Eyeliner. I love this eyeliner so much, and this is coming from someone who usually uses eyeshadow to line my eyes. It's just easier and more flattering in my opinion on mature lids. But there are a few eyeliner pencils that I do like, and this is one of them. So the reason why I like this so much is because of the ultra slim slanted tip. It's kind of like a slanted eyeshadow brush, but in eyeliner form, it allows me to do a tiny little flick and get very close to my lash line, and I can smudge it, which I really like to do, and I'm done. It's very, very quick. The shade I have is Ember Energy, which is a deep espresso brown. That is a thicker line than you usually get. But I have raved about this since it launched. I already have a backup. I think it's fantastic. I don't have every category in this video, but I do have two foundations, a drugstore and a high-end foundation for very different reasons. So I'll start with the high-end foundation, Laura Mercier Tinted Blur Balm. This really surprised me because I don't typically like the heavy greasy feeling of most balm foundations, but this is very different. So I have it in shade 02. This is a stiffer balm, and it's supposed to give you kind of a cream-to-powder finish. I was also very skeptical of that because on the opposite end of the spectrum, I thought that was going to kick up dry patches. This is incredibly skin-like and natural. It doesn't exacerbate dryness. It also doesn't make me greasy during the day. Because it's a more solid type of balm, you swirl your brush into it to pick up product, and I find I do have to really dig my brush in. It almost seems like it's not picking up much product at all. It takes very little product to get really pretty, smoothing, skin-like coverage. You can build it from sheer to medium coverage, but I usually build it from sheer to light coverage, and it's just beautiful for no-makeup makeup or light makeup days. It's very silky when you apply it, and it gives me a nice satin finish throughout the day. This was such a surprise, and I've really been enjoying reaching for it. If you regularly watch my videos, you're probably going to be able to guess what my drugstore foundation pick is for 2026. NYX Make Em Wonder Soft Matte Foundation. Just like this, this blends out, looks, and wears beautifully on all areas of my combination skin, the normal dry areas around the perimeter and the center of my face, which gets some oil and shine breakthrough during the day. This is buildable from light to medium full coverage, and right after I apply it, it has a skin-like pore-blurring soft matte finish that morphs into a natural matte finish as it settles into my skin throughout the day. It feels lightweight and is long-wearing and wears just beautifully throughout the entire day. Now, I've already raved several times about COVERGIRL's new blush and bronzer launch this year, so I had to go in this video because I just think for the money, these are so, so good. I'm only holding up the blush here, but I think the bronzer is great too. So this is the COVERGIRL Skin Enhancer Baked Luminous Blush. This is the shade Strawberry Drizzle. It's what's on my cheeks right now. Now, I recently did a dupes video where I compared this to one of my favorite blush formulas of all time, Kosas. They both have two blush shades swirled together with no glimmer or glitter. They just give you this healthy luminous flush lit from within glow. There are good ingredients in both, and they both wear really well. Now, I did say in that dupes video, the COVERGIRL blush has a little bit more pigment to it. I don't get kick up when I dip my brush into the pan, but just so I don't lay down too much at first, I do like to just slightly tap my brush off either onto the back of my hand or onto a tissue first. I mean, you get a lot of bang for your buck. It applies beautifully and blends out like a dream. The bronzer too. And this lipstick shade that's on my lips right now is one of my favorite shade or lip shade discoveries I can remember in months and months, not just 2026. I just love this creamy pinky brown. This is one of Charlotte Tilbury's moisturizing formulas, the Kissing Formula in the shade Naughty Talk. It leaves my lips feeling moisturized. It has nice pigmentation with a satin finish. It's a nice pinky brown neutral nude that goes with anything, and it leaves my lips feeling soft and comfortable. I absolutely love it. I bought a thermal brush to try it out wondering what all the fuss was about, but I had no idea. I was going to end up using it every single day in some capacity since I bought it. I freaking love this thing. And what I found out since getting it is that not all thermal brushes are created equally. I mean, I guess like any other thing in the world, but a lot of people that are getting the viral TikTok ones or just random ones are finding their hair gets dried out really easily or they just break on them or they don't smooth or control frizz. I'll just say I'm glad I got this one so this is the Mane It's Giving Body Medium Hot Round Thermal Brush. There are other sizes. This is just the one I decided to get. It has one temperature, 355 degrees. You plug it in and turn it on. It heats up very quickly and you can use this for loose waves, for more volume or to give your hair a little, you know, a bit of a kind of a flippy, more carefree look than just stick straight hair or you can use it to give your curtain bangs or your bangs some extra oomph for, you know, a little flippy look. I cannot get this with a straightener or with a regular curling iron. This has a ceramic coated barrel and negative ions which keeps your hair shinier and healthier and helps reduce static and moisture loss which happens when you heat style your hair. I use this every single day. I don't think I could be without it at this point. Okay, this is different from any skincare product I have ever used which says a lot because I've used a lot of skincare products over the years. I've seen this on my Instagram algorithm and I was so curious about it. So this is Dr. Brandt Microdermal Point. I see and feel a difference in my skin when I use this. It's a skincare product that mimics the effects of microneedling without the needles and without the super high price tag. It uses these tiny little natural spicules that create how many, three million microchannels in the top layer of your skin within five minutes. It replicates the effects of microneedling by stimulating your body's natural healing process and by allowing products you apply after it and by allowing its ingredients to penetrate deeper into your skin. So it helps renew and restore your skin and there are actives in here like peptides which help boost collagen production, even out texture and smooth fine lines. You can definitely feel the super fine sandy like prickly grittiness. It feels really, really strange. It's not like an exfoliant at all. I would say it's more like micro prickles versus micro needles. If you've ever had microneedling done, it definitely tingles and it makes my skin red which is normal. Microneedling does the same thing but on a bigger scale. And when I apply other products, serums or whatever after, I can sort of feel those prickles, that sensation a little bit on a lesser scale and I can tell that those products are being absorbed more readily into my skin because they just sink in so quickly. And the next day my skin looks glowy, plump, healthy. I just notice a difference. I'm only using this one to three times a week because I also use a retinoid and I don't use them on the same night. I also have sensitive skin so I don't want to overdo any kind of product like this. It's a really interesting and different concept. I'm trying some other products from Dr. Brandt too. Why don't I hold the bottle to the front so you can see it? If you've tried this, let me know your thoughts in the comments. It's just so different to me. If you've tried anything I'm sharing in this video, let me know your thoughts in the comments. I'm anxious to know what my long-term results will be but so far I am really, really liking it. Now I hadn't shared that one in another video so I went into a bit more detail than I will this one because I have shared it in one other video a couple of months ago. This is Summer Fridays Cloud Dew Gel Cream Moisturizer. This had to be in this video. I think this is such a fantastic release from Summer Fridays. Also the cleanser they released at the same time which I have finished already. I have already talked about that too. I talked about them together. It cleanses without stripping. It has a nice light scent. If you like a sensorial experience with your cleanser, I have very sensitive skin. I have done so well with both of these and they're both excellent for all skin types. So I went into a lot of detail about how impressive all of the beneficial ingredients are that they've packed into this moisturizer. So I'm gonna link that video up in the corner and down below but in a nutshell, it goes beyond what they list as being the key ingredients. There is so much more in this moisturizer which was the first thing that really impressed me. You're getting a cosmetically elegant, lovely sensorial experience. This moisturizer locks in moisture without feeling heavy. It's amazing for your skin barrier. It's rich in around 15 amino acids which significantly improve your skin's appearance because they build fibrous proteins in your skin. You have collagen, elastin, and keratin which support smoothness, firmness, and elasticity. They hydrate deeply, hold that hydration in your skin and strengthen your skin barrier. It also has peptides, vitamin C, E, and other antioxidants and other ingredients to calm, soothe, and even your skin tone. All of this and more in a lovely cream gel formula that sinks in beautifully and feels hydrating yet lightweight, provides long lasting hydration while strengthening your skin barrier and visibly plumping your skin. This is just a home run from Summer Fridays in my opinion, and it's extremely underrated. I feel like I have maybe about this much left and I'm gonna have to repurchase. I just, I love it. This is another hair tool that has become a regular part of my life. I'm so mad at myself for not trying this or discovering this before 2026. I saw it out there and I just thought it's not gonna work for me. I don't need it, but little did I know I would fall in love with it. This is the Volume Rudy, which I clearly did not use today. I should have, but I didn't. This is the 3 4th inch volumizing ceramic hair iron. It has this checkerboard pattern inside. It gives your hair a lift. If you have lifeless, flat, fine hair, I start underneath my top layer because you don't want to see the crimp and I usually crimp two or three layers a couple of inches down and that gives me plenty of lift. It lasts too, so it gives you a teased effect without teasing your hair. Teasing just never worked for me and this does. It also lasts throughout the day. The temperature is adjustable and it locks closed. Why don't all flat irons lock closed like this? That has really, really spoiled me. I lock it before I store it, before I travel. I mean, everything needs to lock closed. It also has a really long swivel cord. If you have fine, thin hair, you need this. I cannot tell you how much I wish I had discovered this earlier than I did. I've been waiting and waiting to talk to you about the Glow Recipe Korean Facial Inner Toner Pads. There are three different ones that do different things, brighten, exfoliate, or deeply hydrate, repair, and soothe and they have a set with all three. Now, these are not your typical toner pads like you would normally think about a toner pad. These are used differently. So when you take the lid off, you have a little tray in here with some tongs and when you lift that up, you'll just see a wad of very, very thin pads and a lot of liquid. These pads are very, very thin and you use them almost like you would a K-Beauty facial mask, but in a more targeted way. After cleansing, you use the tweezers to pull out a single pad and you place them on areas of concern. You can leave them on five minutes up to 15 minutes if you want an extra boost. If you have sensitive skin, you can just sweep them over your face like you would a regular toner pad. Most of the time, I combine different pads over various areas of my face depending on what I want to do where, like hydrate under my eyes, brighten certain areas, exfoliate, whatever I'm wanting to do to create my own customized K-Beauty face mask and I'll cut pads if I need them to fit a certain way. So the vitamin C brightening pads help brighten, refresh, and revitalize and they target dullness, dark circles, and hyperpigmentation. The LHA and AHA exfoliating pads have five gentle acids. My sensitive skin has no issues tolerating these whatsoever. They exfoliate while hydrating and soothing and they target uneven texture, pores, and dryness. And the PDRN repair and soothe pads have two types of vegan PDRN. They soothe and target irritated, dry, sensitized skin. These are in regular rotation for me. I see and feel a difference when I use these. I will definitely repurchase when or if I ever run out. I feel like there's a never ending supply of little thin pads in each of these probably because of how I use them since I split them up and do my own custom little mask. This is a great K-beauty launch. I think sometimes people forget Glow Recipe is K-beauty. I love these and will continue to use them. I'm really picky with vitamin C serums partially because I have sensitive skin with rosacea. It's hard for me to tolerate a lot of vitamin C serums. Also, the texture sometimes gets to me. They just are not always cosmetically elegant. Sometimes they pill. Sometimes they make me oilier and greasier than I like in the center of my face and my incredible humidity and heat I live in most of the year. This one, Remedy for Daily Defense Vitamin C, I have raved about and I have been using it almost daily since I got it except when I've been testing some other things. So if you have sensitive skin or rosacea, you may do better with a vitamin C derivative. They also don't smell like hot dogs the way a lot of vitamin C serums do. They're also more stable and have a longer shelf life. So this is a next-gen 15% high stability vitamin C plus an advanced antioxidant complex plus brightening serum. So you're getting a lot here in this one bottle. It's very lightweight. There's no offensive odor. It sinks into my skin so nicely and doesn't pill under makeup. I don't feel like I have another layer of something under my skin care and yet it feels hydrating at the same time. It has a really nice ingredient profile. So if you haven't tried this, you know, I do want to give their cleansing balm a quick shout out because I tried it in 2026 and it's fantastic. It has that great twist to dispense packaging. It effectively removes waterproof makeup, sunscreen without stripping your skin without leaving an oily or greasy residue. It's also fragrance-free. There are nice ingredients in it. So if you're looking for an effective cleansing balm, definitely check that out. I think it's great. You know, I've talked about some hair products and cleansing my face, which requires holding my hair back with something. So I'm just going to give this a quick shout out. I think I shared this in my January favorites. My mom gave me this fun, happy headband for Christmas and I shared some of those in my January favorites. And this just makes me happy every single time I put it on to cleanse my face. And so I'm sharing it in this video because this is one of my favorite products that I've shared in 2026 so far. I've not seen another bubble headband like this and it makes me happy every time I put it on. So I had to put it in this video. I just absolutely love it. And that's what this video is all about. This is one of those random products I had to throw in just because it makes me happy. We 100% need to be taking care of our body skin like we do our faces. And most of us don't. I mean, how many of us have seen elderly people with thin, super dry body skin? And I mean, once it gets to a certain point, it's really, really hard to reverse it. And I just don't want my body skin to be like that. I feel like I was on the path of my body skin being so dry. Regular lotion just wasn't penetrating it. And I have two things here that have transformed my body skin over the past couple of months in ways other products just haven't. So I have the Osea Anti-Aging Body Balm and Glytone Exfoliating Body Lotion and they have helped me in different ways. So I'll start with Glytone. I've used other exfoliating body lotions drugstore to high end and I feel like this one has done something that those haven't. I don't know how or why, but it has. It's formulated with 17.5 free acid value glycolic acid. Maybe that specific formulation has something to do with it. I don't know. But it's supposed to exfoliate dull, dead skin cells while nourishing your skin so that your skin is smoother, softer, and healthier. And I feel like that's exactly what it's done. Now it is kind of a thick lotion. So you need to know that going in. Sometimes I apply it by itself. Other times I cut it with either a thinner lotion or with castor oil, which is really great for your skin. A specific kind of castor oil that's very important, but that just helps it apply a little bit easier. And then I apply it and let it sink in before applying my regular clothes for the day. I'll put on a robe or, you know, just some kind of lounge wear while it sinks in for a bit. When I first started using this, I could tell it was doing something to my skin. It almost, I don't want to say itched, but I could feel a slight tingle in certain areas of my skin that I knew were drier. And it took a few weeks before I really started seeing and feeling a difference with my skin. And now I just keep using it. I'm alternating it every other day now with Osea anti-aging body balm. I started using this after my skin was softer with this. Osea is a very silky lotion. It melts right into my skin and there are ingredients in here to help firm, smooth, and improve elasticity. And this gives your skin this beautiful, healthy, radiant glow. So if I'm going somewhere and I want my skin to just have that beautiful radiance to it, which it now can have because it can actually penetrate into my skin versus sitting on top like a lot of lotions would before, that's when I use this. So, you know, I'm kind of alternating the two for very different purposes. This is unscented. This does have this kind of citrusy, oceanic scent to it, which I really like, especially in spring and summer. It does dissipate on me. I don't find it competes with perfumes or anything I put on later. It just kind of sinks into my skin. So this is more for exfoliation purposes to get rid of the dull, dead skin cells and to keep them away. While this gives me those nice anti-aging ingredients and gives me that luminous, healthy glow. If you're into organizing and just products for that in general, like I am, and you've been on the constant hunt for the perfect makeup bag, like I have, I'm happy to report that I now have two different sizes of the Etoile makeup bags. I finally got them. They've been on my wishlist for the longest time. I don't think in this clip here that they were packed fully, but I think you can get a grasp of how they're organized on the inside. I love that the interior compartment can come completely out and washable on the inside. So if you spill something or you get makeup or just anything, you can wipe it out. I did not know that until I had it. So that was a pleasant surprise. I feel like these are what I've been looking for this whole time. I think the divided compartments are great. I love all my things divided up. I can fit way more than I thought I could in each of them. So I just wanted to give you a quick report on those if you've been looking at something like this for yourself. There are other sizes and shapes on their website too. It's always nice when you've had something on your wishlist for a long time and you get it and it's more than you hoped it would be. I've been disappointed by things before, but not this. I love these and these will be traveling with me everywhere. A little over a month ago, I discovered armora colostrum and I know it was over a month ago because I recently repurchased it. I drink it every single day. It has made such a big difference in my life. I'm actually drinking it right now. It's what I've been sipping on in between takes. Shared this in my Amazon video somewhat recently. So I will keep this short and sweet. It helps with immunity support, gut health, and energy. I noticed a huge energy boost when I started drinking it daily. There are over 400 bioactive nutrients that support overall wellness. I just feel more energized and less bloated. I have it in vine watermelon. I really like that flavor. I should probably try a new flavor. They do have others. You can mix any of the flavors with water smoothies, any non-hot foods, or you can even pour the powders into your mouth directly. They come in packets, in jars. It is available on Amazon. If you want to order from their website, they have given me a code that lives down in my description box for you, but I swear by this stuff. I'm glad I discovered it in 2026 and it is something that I consume daily. Okay, this will probably be short and it's not necessary. If it's anything necessary, no. But when it comes to home decor, sometimes the little small extra touches make a difference and I kind of like that. And when I walk past this on a daily basis, I think, hmm, that just adds something. So I thought I would share it with you. So a couple of months ago, I got this bubble candle dish, which sounds silly, but it does kind of elevate things just a tad. I just really like it. I don't know. It just takes a plain candle up a notch, I guess. So mine is kind of a smoky tint. They have clear. I think maybe amber too. You can use this for something else too. Maybe you could put coasters in it, candy, I don't know, but it just kind of makes me happy to see it. I notice it. Other people have noticed it and asked me about it. I guess it would make a great gift too. It's just a little happy in my life that does something for me. So I like to share those things with you every now and then too. When the seasons change, it's time for many of us to upgrade or update our shoes, which is what I recently did. I have a few here to show you that I think are really, really cute. So I'm starting with some Mary Janes. They're back in a big way. I did get some nude and black ones, but I also got some leopard ones I think are really, really cute. I have worn these a few times already. They're super comfortable. I don't know if it's because they do have a little bit of a heel here, but they're a soft material and you don't have to squeeze your foot in. They Velcro. You can't see it, but they do. A leopard shoe with a basic outfit brings it up a notch. I have been getting a lot of use out of these already and for a cute, versatile spring summer shoe that could go with linen pants, skirts, dresses, even some cute shorts. I thought this was so, so cute. I like the heel height. It gives just enough height to, you know, kind of elevate an outfit, but it's not so high that's going to kill your feet. I mean, that is just so cute. I'm just over killing my feet these days, you know, which brings me to this shoe, which is still that kind of kitten heel, lower heel height. This is a beautiful shoe. Now they had it in other colors. I saw the nude in one of our local boutiques. It was really pretty, especially with the gold embellishment, a little bead detail. These are really, really comfy and chic at the same time. This would be really pretty with something dressy or even with pants. And here we have a casual shoe in black. I can't tell you the last time I got a black pair of shoes. I just typically wear nude or neutral. So there was something about the contrast of the black with this gold hammered detail here. I just really thought it looked so chic and elevated compared to just a regular flip-flop. I don't know. I just really liked it. This contoured footbed is so comfortable and they stay on because they wrap around the back. I just think these will look so cute with so many different outfits and I'm glad I got these. I purged a lot of out of date things in my closet. So I needed to grab a few new things and I just wanted to share those really quickly. I hope you enjoyed this video. Let me know what your favorite things are so far in 2026 in the comments down below. If you enjoyed this video, I would love it if you would give it a thumbs up and subscribe if you are not already. Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you in my next video. Bye!