February 2022 was the month the world started ever-so-cautiously thawing. Restaurants in our neighbourhood reopened indoor seating, the awards-season conversation finally felt celebratory rather than virtual, and the front rows at New York Fashion Week were full again for the first time in two years. The Fall 2022 shows ran the second week of the month, then the calendar moved to London, Milan, and Paris, and we spent every spare evening watching backstage clips for the makeup looks that would set the tone for spring. Beauty-counter conversations were back to “what do I wear under a mask” and “what looks good on camera” — a small mood shift that read like nothing and like everything at the same time. Here is what dominated our routines and our wish lists through the shortest, sharpest month of the year.
Skin tints replaced foundation for awards season
The Oscars were still over a month away, but the Critics Choice and SAG ceremonies meant the red carpet had already started moving. The dominant note from the makeup artists working on it was the same one that had been building for two years: lighter skin coverage, sheerer formulas, more visible texture. Fenty Beauty‘s Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint had been doing brisk business since its late-2021 launch, and it was the product we kept hearing artists name when asked what was on the kit table. Ilia Beauty‘s Super Serum Skin Tint kept the prestige version of the conversation going at a slightly higher price. Tower 28‘s SOS spray rounded the routine out as the post-application setting step. The result on screen was skin that looked like skin, lit a little better.
The red lip’s Valentine’s revival
Valentine’s Day fell on a Monday, which was either entirely the wrong night for it or oddly perfect, depending on who we asked. Either way, the red lip was back in our beauty editor inboxes at a volume we had not seen since 2019. Charlotte Tilbury‘s Matte Revolution in So Marilyn and Walk of No Shame were still the references; MAC‘s Ruby Woo and Russian Red, both more than a decade in the catalogue, were both back in steady rotation; and Nars‘s Audacious lipstick in Rita kept its place on every red lip recommendation list. The renewed attention had a logic to it: people were going out again, masks were finally optional in many cities, and a strong red lip was the most efficient way to feel back in the room.
Lash serums grew up
Lash extensions had been impossible to maintain through two winters of intermittent salon access, and the at-home lash serum had quietly turned into a real category. Vegamour‘s GRO Lash Serum took the prestige-clean lane with a plant-based formula and serious editorial coverage; RevitaLash Advanced kept the dermatologist-recommended position. Both required real consistency — twice a day, give it eight to twelve weeks — and the results were genuinely visible if you stuck with them. The reason February was the right month to start was simple: by mid-spring, when sunglasses came off and bare-skin makeup looks took over, you would actually have lashes to show. We had heard friends recommend each enough times that it felt safe to put both on the list.
Fragrance came back into the conversation
Two years of working from home in pyjamas had not been kind to fragrance, but February was the month the category came back into the conversation. The TikTok trend of the moment was “smells like a hug” — warm, gourmand, vanilla-and-amber compositions that read more like a sweater than a statement. Le Labo‘s Santal 33 was still the cult Brooklyn perfume; Byredo‘s Mojave Ghost and Bal d’Afrique kept their place; and Tom Ford Fucking Fabulous and Lost Cherry were the names everyone we knew was either obsessed with or actively avoiding because of how often they had encountered them. The unifying note was that we had finally remembered that scent was part of getting ready, and the pleasure of putting something on your wrist before leaving the house was small but real.
Hair masks earned weekly slots
By February the hair on most heads had been through dry indoor heat, three rounds of cold-weather coats, and any number of postponed salon appointments. The deep-treatment mask had stopped being a once-in-a-while thing and become a real Sunday ritual. Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask was the broadest pick — twenty minutes once a week and the bond-building effect was meaningful. Briogeo‘s Don’t Despair, Repair! Mask was the more hydration-focused alternative for textured hair. Kérastase‘s Discipline range, which we had been writing about on and off for years, was still the prestige reference. None of these were new in February, but the routine they fit into finally felt non-negotiable.
Closing
The shortest month finished with a strong red lip in the bag, a face mask in the routine, and a perfume on the dresser for the first time in too long. Spring 2022 fashion week had given us our first proper preview of what March would look like — tailored, confident, less swaddled-and-cosy and more ready-for-something — and the makeup conversation was tracking the same direction. The first Tuesday of March is also the last week of the awards calendar before the Oscars, so expect us to come back ready to break down what worked on camera and what we were already shopping. We will see you then.
Shop the edit
- Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick — a classic Valentine red.
- Milani Cheek Kiss Cream Blush — the soft flush for the lip-and-blush cycle.
- Maybelline Fit Me Foundation — an everyday base for awards season.
- CeraVe Moisturizing Cream — winter-skin rescue under it all.
As an Amazon Associate, Tried & Tested Beauty earns from qualifying purchases. The links above are affiliate links.