22 Beauty Products That Won Our Editors' Hearts In April
As the saying goes, "April showers bring May flowers," which makes April sound like a real bummer. But we think the month deserves a little more credit, because this year it brought us more than rainy weather: Game of Thrones returned, giving us a reason to look forward to Sunday night. There was Beyoncé’s Homecoming album and Netflix documentary. We got new music from Taylor Swift. And to top it all off, a ton of springtime beauty launches dropped (hello, floral fragrances and pretty pastels).
And when we found time — between obsessing over GoT theories and listening to “Before I Let Go” for the 5,309th time — our beauty team tested as many of these new products as possible. From luxurious hair tools to zit patches, there were a number of products that became instant favorites and will surely have a place on our vanity well into summer. In case you're looking to replace some of your empties during spring cleaning, we’re sharing the beauty newness that we loved in the month of April, ahead.
At Refinery29, we’re here to help you navigate this overwhelming world of stuff. All of our market picks are independently selected and curated by the editorial team. If you buy something we link to on our site, Refinery29 may earn commission.
"As someone with sensitive, acne-prone skin, I've been devoted to the same moisturizer for the last three years. (It's a scary skin-care world out there.) But when the Sephora Collection team informed me that their new moisturizer was non-comedogenic and clean, I was convinced to cheat on my holy grail — and this is one cheating scandal with a happy ending. This weightless formula earned a permanent spot in my morning routine for the warmer months. It has hyaluronic acid and vitamins C and E to lock in hydration and encourage a natural glow." — Thatiana Diaz, Beauty Writer
Sephora Collection All Day Hydrator - Hydrate & Glow, $16, available at Sephora
"NARS cult-classic Orgasm shade was always a little too light for my skin tone, so I was never able to join in on the hype. But when the brand made a 'universally flattering' liquid highlighter version, I decided to test it out to see if this version would fit me better. And it absolutely did. The formula blends seamlessly onto my skin and leaves me with a dewy glow. I've gotten non-stop compliments since adding it to my routine, and now I want to add highlighter enthusiast to my Instagram bio." — Diaz
NARS Orgasm Liquid Highlighter, $30, available at Sephora
"I admit I was wary of recommending the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer to anyone when I saw the $400 price tag. And even though the tool has tons of celebrity stylist fans, my skepticism was at an all-time high. But since trying it out, I have recommended it to my mother, friends, coworkers, and one stranger. I've never had a tool — with the diffuser attachment — dry my curls in under 10 minutes and leave my hair with zero frizz. Plus, I love this limited-edition version with 23.75 karat gold and blue body, because it adds a special, luxurious touch to a tool that I’m now calling a worthy investment." — Diaz
Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer 23.75 Karat Gold, $499, available at Sephora
"I'm generally skeptical of brow serums, but this formula has made me a convert. In just a few weeks, it's made all the small holes in my brows fill in, which means that I've retired my brow pencil and have just been using my go-to Benefit brow gel. An easier morning routine in exchange for a few swipes at night? I'm sold." – Lexy Lebsack, Senior Beauty Editor
Vegamour vegaBROW Volumizing Serum, $79.95, available at Vegamour
"I bought two of these lip stains on a recent trip to Seoul, South Korea, and I'm already thinking about ordering more. In fact, it might be my favorite lip color of all time. It allows you to define the shape of your lips and legit doesn't wipe off or budge when eating. Fair warning: You can't really fully remove it, no matter how greasy or strong your makeup remover is, so plan for a tint of color the next morning, too. I bought Candy Jenny (a bright pink) and #Luztic (a bright red) and wholeheartedly recommend both shades." — Lebsack
Stylenanda 3CE TATTOO LIP TINT #CANDY JELLY, $14, available at Stylenanda
"Since the launch of Fenty Beauty, various brands have been in a race to create the most impressive shade range imaginable. This month, Pür Cosmetics launched its new foundation and concealer product in a whopping 100 shades — the most ever launched by a brand at one time. Now, while that news is nice, what really matters is if this stuff is good — and it is. As someone who's pretty much always battling a breakout somewhere, I'm never not touching up my foundation with a little more concealer. With this product, I just need one product all over the face and I'm good. It doesn't dry out, like many of my other concealers do, and it leaves a really lovely velvety finish that lasts all day long." — Rachel Lubitz, Senior Beauty Writer
Pür 4-in-1 Love Your Selfie Longwear Foundation & Concealer, $36, available at PÜR
"I've had some pretty great luck with perfumes this month. After years of being loyal to Byredo's Gypsy Water, I've started falling in love with other scents that include notes I love, like patchouli and musk. This particular fragrance from Michelle Pfeiffer's new brand Henry Rose has both of those notes, making it my new go-to spritz before a night out. Just one pump lasts for hours, and I've honestly gotten stopped by strangers who ask what I'm wearing." — Lubitz
Henry Rose LAST LIGHT, $120, available at Henry Rose
"I love rose, but with some rose-heavy perfumes, one spritz can make you feel like you've just hugged your 75-year-old grandma a little too long at the Bat Mitzvah. Others balance out the sometimes-intense floral with other scents, like peony and currant and amber, in a mixture that I personally find intoxicating. White Tea Wild Rose from Elizabeth Arden is very much the latter, making it my favorite light, floral scent that can transition from work to after-work rosé." — Lubitz
Elizabeth Arden White Tea Wild Rose Eau De Toilette Spray, $24, available at Elizabeth Arden
"It's not every day I get excited about lip balm but this jumbo-sized stick is just so good. First off, it smells like coconuts — not the fake, artificial kind, real coconut milk! Secondly, it's packed with intense hydrators like shea butter, coconut oil, borage oil, avocado oil, and aloe vera, so I don't find myself reapplying it every thirty minutes. I equate the experience of spreading it onto my lips to a friendly hug, because it's just so comforting." — Mi-Anne Chan, Beauty Writer & Host
DedCool Coconut Milk Chazstick, $14, available at Dedcool
"I can't get enough of blue eyeshadow right now, so naturally, I gravitated toward Hipdot's Cenote Palette — a fifteen-pan palette chock full of bold mattes, sultry shimmers, and just the right amount of mid-tone blending shades. " — Chan
HIPDOT Cenote Eye Palette, $30, available at HIPDOT
"You've probably never thought to yourself, I wonder what would happen if I freeze-dried my serum, but Georgia Louise has. Yes, the same woman behind Cate Blanchett's flawless skin just launched a 32-day system of topicals — including hyaluronic acid, collagen, vitamin C, and synthetic EGF) — freeze-dried in their purest form. Why? The actives penetrate the skin even deeper, so you're not just getting surface-level benefits, but long-term ones, too. Basically, I'm obsessed — and I'm only on my first week of the regimen. It's been several months since I've woken up with plumper, softer skin and, although it seems like a small victory, it's one these tiny tablets have given back to me." — Sam Sasso, Beauty Writer
Georgia Louise Pure Molecule, $550, available at Georgia Louise
"Is it just me or do underarms get really dry? I've been soothing my dehydrated pits for weeks thanks to this deodorant and serum hybrid that softens the skin while keeping the smell of stress sweat far away." — Sasso
Dove Dry Serum Rose Silk Antiperspirant & Deodorant , $10.99, available at Target
"I rarely use drugstore hair products anymore, but Mark Townsend (yes, Dakota Johnson's hair guru) convinced me that my dry, damaged, and split ends desperately need this conditioner. He instructed me to use this rich conditioner as a pre-shampoo treatment on my ends only. The result: softer, nourished hair. " — Sasso
Dove Ultracare Crème Concentrated + Repair Conditioner, $4.88, available at Target
"I’ve never tried a Virtue product that I didn’t love, and this new volumizing mist is no exception. I have long, fine hair that I shampoo and blow-dry every other day — using Drybar Detox Clear dry shampoo in between — and this lightweight spray gives it much-needed body and grip without ever weighing my roots down, no matter how overzealous my application. It's not sticky or crunchy, and the brand's signature protein complex promises to protect hair against heat and breakage, too — all while smelling like a tall glass of mint lemonade (the real thing, not from concentrate)." — Rachel Krause, Senior Beauty Editor
Virtue Labs VOLUMIZING PRIMER, $36, available at Virtue Labs
"As far as I'm concerned, this downright delicious blend of peony, pink pepper, and lychee over a woodsy musk base is the definitive spring/summer fragrance. The top notes are bright and fresh, but the drydown maintains a warmth and complexity that a lot of other fruity florals lack, and I can't stop spritzing it on before I leave the house every morning. It does help that it reminds me of a grown-up, more nuanced version of the Lancôme Miracle I used to douse myself in from the ages of 14 through 16." — Krause
Ex Nihilo Lust In Paradise Perfume, $325, available at Saks Fifth Avenue
"These pimple patches are a fair bit pricier than most on the market, but they're also better. From the branding to the ingredients to the actual function, you can tell a lot of thought went into creating them: Each patch is accompanied by a cleaning swab soaked in salicylic acid, tea tree oil, alcohol, and vitamin E to sterilize the area, and the microdart technology means the salicylic acid, niacinamide, peptides, and hyaluronic acid can get way in there to treat more than just what you see on the surface. I stick one on before bed when I feel an under-the-skin cyst forming, and the vague sense of something brewing is usually gone by morning." — Krause
ZitSticka KILLA KIT, $29, available at ZitSticka
"I would be lying if I said I understood the technology behind this 'refresh' spray. Despite the fact that I can’t explain what’s happening at a molecular level, I can say that when I wake up with messy hair that’s crimped in different directions and I think I’m going to have to resort to a bun, I spritz this stuff from mid-shaft to ends, finger-comb it through, and all the dents and flyaways magically just fall back to smooth." — Megan Decker, Beauty Writer
Playa New Day Mist 3-in-1 Styler Refresh, $24, available at Sephora
"There are some people who are crazy-loyal to the Drunk Elephant skin-care line, but I'm not one of them. This scent-free cleansing balm was my first foray into the brand, and after adjusting to the strange experience of rubbing what feels like solidified wax on my face, I started drinking the Kool-Aid. Never has my cleansing routine been so easy, with my makeup literally melting off my face with zero stinging or residual redness at all." — Decker
Drunk Elephant Slaai™ Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser, $34, available at Sephora
"Makeup artist Nikki DeRoest recently launched her own brand called Roen Beauty, and the second she started promoting the curated eyeshadows — two 4-pan palettes and one single shade — on her Instagram, I was in lust. The individual, shimmery Disco pan is my favorite for its versatility. Despite the fact that it's a packed powder, I like to use the pad of my ring finger to tap it from the pan onto my eyelids, delivering a few flecks of glitter. If I'm going out on the weekend, I'll layer it, but on a regular Wednesday morning, I prefer a soft touch." — Decker
ROEN BEAUTY DISCO EYE, $29, available at ROEN BEAUTY
"I’ve been loving shimmer nail polish lately. Not glitter, or foil, or multicolored confetti, but barely-there shimmer that I only notice when the light hits my nails just so. This shade is undeniably subtle. I’d compare it to the polish version of a good spray tan, because it gives my nails a warm, airbrushed shine that I can almost pull off as just my naked nails — when the depressing reality is that under two coats of polish, they're cracked and brittle as hell." — Decker
Dior Summer Look Diorific Vernis (Limited Edition) , $28, available at Neiman Marcus
"Truth time: I have never used dry shampoo. Tell me, does it make sense for a woman with natural hair who doesn't even own a brush to sprinkle white powder all over her scalp? That's a no. Instead, I rely on hydrating sprays to revive my curls on day three, four, five, heck, on day 10, too. This one from Aveda is kind of like an essence from the skin-care aisle, but for your hair. It hydrates my curls without making them frizzy. And, if my scalp is feeling a little itchy, I just spray it directly in my parts to get the gentle cleansing of the micellar technology. It also has one of those clean, earthy scents that Aveda is known for." — Jessica Cruel, Deputy Beauty Director
Aveda Rinseless Refresh Micellar Hair & Scalp Refresher, $31, available at Nordstrom
"I love that this cleanser comes in a huge, refillable glass jar that reduces packaging waste. But it's what's inside that's really special. The gel cleanser takes off every last speck of makeup, and keeps my oily skin perfectly balanced. The name is no joke — this stuff truly smells like a kale and broccoli smoothie. But in a refreshing way?" — Cat Quinn, Beauty Director
Youth To The People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser, $54, available at Sephora
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