Wish Lists & Guides

The post-Oscar afterglow brief defines the month, daylight saving turns SPF year-round, Pat McGrath Labs reframes prestige, Pixi Glow Tonic dominates Target, and the carry-on routine becomes the realer test of an edit.

Awards-season carpets reset to dewy, NYFW Spring 2016 backstages telegraph a bare-canvas spring, the matte-liquid lip becomes a category, and hand cream becomes the more reliable trend signal than any lipstick.

Contour winding down, dewy ascendant, the Lip Kit restocks dominating commerce, and the products from 2015 we refused to retire as winter pared the routine back to actives.

The five brands that defined 2015, NYE makeup forecast, the second Kylie sellout, the cushion compact becoming a category, and last-minute gifting consolidated to five reliable answers.

Kylie Lip Kit’s 30-second sellout, beauty Black Friday going prestige, deep-burgundy nails finally landing, Drunk Elephant earning the holiday slot, and the routines that got quieter and better.

Halloween makeup at peak elaboration, Pat McGrath’s Gold 001 sellout, Olaplex No. 3 going home, holiday gift sets landing early, and the Sephora-vs-Ulta race we are watching.

September 2015 in US beauty: Allure Best of Beauty held real authority with Glossier/Drunk Elephant/Charlotte Tilbury/Olaplex wins, NYFW Spring 2016 went bare-faced, Kylie Cosmetics confirmed November launch, Charlotte Tilbury The Queen became the year’s carpet red, and fall foundation reformulations brought real upgrades.

August 2015 in US beauty: YSL Cushion arrived with the widest shade range yet, back-to-school drugstore launches went bigger with Maybelline Vivid Matte Liquids and ColourPop, strobing remained the year’s technique, the post-summer skincare reset began earlier, and beauty-influencer culture hit a real tipping point.

July 2015 in US beauty: Glossier Stretch Concealer arrived and confirmed the brand’s sustainability, the hot-weather makeup edit consolidated, hair masks crossed into the weekly routine with Olaplex No. 3 leading, Drunk Elephant continued building cult status, and beach-hair moved past salt spray.

June 2015 in US beauty: Olaplex No. 3 brought the salon bond-rebuilding treatment home, Pride 2015 brought the year’s loudest color amplified by Obergefell, self-tanner application got idiot-proof, body care expanded into prestige territory, and YSL Cushion confirmed a wider shade range for fall.