Each month, Ujo Shop editors try *a lot*beauty products. And while not every formula we test is successful, we’re always finding new favorites. Here, we’ve collected ourshair, skin, fragrance, wellness and the latest cosmetic discoveries– whether it’s just dropped onto the market or just the latest additions to our personal lines.
Between the non-stop drama of “Love Island USA” and the endless questions about Taylor Swift’s upcoming nuptials (I can’t believe she’s on MSG), there’s a lot to keep track of this summer. But, the Ujo Shop team focuses on what we can control: our hidden beauty.
Our editors found an abundance of skincare products this month, including a gentle cream cleanser, a manuka honey-based gel moisturizer, a smoothing mandelic acid serum and a K-beauty hybrid double cleanser. Our June beauty favorites also featured some haircare (dry texture spray) and bodycare (milky self-tan essence) finds, but our makeup bags got a lot of love this month. An extendable tube mascara, an anti-fade eyeshadow stick, a matte lip balm and a long-lasting cream bronzer stand out as impressive additions to our makeup routine.
Ahead, see (and shop!) our editors’ best finds from June.
Macrene Actives High Performance Cleanser, $95, available here:“Upper East Side Derm Dr. Macrene Alexiades has a BA in Biology and a Ph.D. in Genetics in addition to her MD (all from Harvard, nbd) and is a leading researcher in the use of lasers in skin care. So it’s safe to say she knows her stuff – and she uses all that knowledge in her eponymous Macreneser pure product, Although this Macreneser pure product is becoming a brand An instant favorite: Formulated to maintain the right pH and balance the skin, it relies on plant extracts to gently exfoliate, along with powerful antioxidants to moisturize and niacinamide to keep pores clear
The Face Shop Rice Water Bright Milk & Jelly Double Cleanser, $23, available here:“I just finished my first tube of this 3-in-1 cleanser, and I’m shocked at how well it works for such a great price. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from this Korean skincare brand, but this face wash is next-level good. It has two compartments: a milky oil formula that dissolves all my makeup and sunscreen, and a leave-in jelly cleanser without jelly strips’ actually like cleansing twice but I have to I only did it once.” —Elizabeth Denton, Deputy Content Editor
Good Skin Daily Lip Sun Gloss SPF 30, $24,found here:“I want to take a moment to apologize for my lips, because I often forget to apply SPF. There is no shortage of options.many), but rather the unpleasant feeling of drying formulas or the strong smell of sunscreen. However, Good Weather Skin’s Sun Gloss changed the game: Thanks to the formula of hyaluronic acid, mango butter, jojoba oil and rosehip oil, my lips feel moisturized (and protected!) I’m a fan of the shade Ripe Berry, which delivers a subtle color with a bright color.” – Catie Pusateri, Staff Writer
Charlotte Tilbury Easy Eye Shadow Stick, $32, available here:“Crease-proof? Blendable? Easy to blend? Pigmented? Check, check, check and check. Oh, Charlotte Tilbury, you’ve done it again. This shadow stick is literally a must-have for any beauty look I go for, whether I’m on the go and doing a no-makeup moment or doing a full-on night out. —Janelle Sessoms, Staff Writer
Beauty Joseon Daily Relief Sunscreen SPF 40, $18, available here:“I don’t play with sun protection. I have very strict criteria for my sunscreen: no pilling, no purple or white, zero oily residue and no fragrance. Joseon Beauty passes all these tests. Even using it using my mandatory two-finger rule, this formula delivers a dewy finish while maintaining a light weight feel – perfect for daytime heaters of 5++ and PA+5+0 SPF. The highest level of UVA protection under the Japanese PA rating system.” -Neia Dizon, Editor and Multimedia Intern
Aveda Tousle Texture Dry Texture Spray, $37, available here:“I’ve been using Aveda since high school, but it’s been a while since I’ve found something new in a product that I’m excited about. Until now, with the introduction of this body-enhancing texture spray. The dry mist (really!) collects strands and creates a soft, bouncy texture without turning waxy or greasy, and lifts strands up on top of my head instead of lifting them down like my scalp. in a loose braid to help set the wavy texture in place.” — Steph
Hourglass Phantom Smoothing Blur Lip Balm, $38, available here:“Hourglass just launched my dream lipstick and enough people are talking about it. The formula is basically like the matte lipstick of 2016 had a baby with an ultra-hydrating lip balm. My favorite shade is Whisper, a natural-looking pink-mauve that delivers a perfect wash of color with a soft matte finish that keeps the essence hydrated at the same time. —Elizabeth
Erborian CC Red Correcting Color Correcting Cream, $46,found here:“I tried Erborian after reading Steph’s glowing review of the product’s CC Cream Color-Corrector, and sure enough, it didn’t disappoint. This redness-reducing CC cream has effectively removed my foundation from work. Formulated with glycerin, centella asiatica extract and SPF 25, it’s a lightweight red-brightening cream, which eliminates skin discoloration before it becomes red. It’s intended to gradually reduce redness with regular use. As my tone of the skin can best be described as ‘white milk,’ the creamed pigs leave a slight tint so I always lower it on my neck to blend in.” — Cathy
It Cosmetics Do It All Lip Transformer, $29, available here:“I’m always down to try a 2-in-1 beauty product, and this dual-ended liner-and-balm duo is unique. The creamy, precision-tip liner is long-lasting and moisturizing (thanks to the inclusion of cupuaçu butter and jojoba oil). Then I flip the pen to apply the balm, which provides the balm, which providesjustjust enough color to wear on its own but also sheer enough to look bold.”—Janelle
Clio Kill Lash Superproof Mascara, $15, available here:“I usually skip the full face and opt for the basics (lip stain and sunscreen), but this mascara has become a part of my daily routine. It holds the curl all day (even on my stubborn, straight lashes), it doesn’t budge and it adds both volume and length. In fact, it’s so effective at lengthening that I can feel my eyelid against my eyelid but I can actually feel my blink. It’s a strangely satisfying feeling.” —Naya
Cyklar Self-Tanning Milky Essence, $36, available here:“I’m sure I amwhich is appropriateto have olive skin, but because I’ve been a beauty editor for almost half my life and never been in the sun, I’m sickly pale. (Pale olive skin is just… green? Chic.) So I’ve tried just about every sunless tanner on the market, and this one is officially at the top of my list. I massage the super light, runny gel all over with the applicator mitt post-shower, and it dries within a few minutes, leaving a trail of stickiness. I love that it leaves my skin smooth and hydrated with a little bounce (thank you, ceramides, allantoin and squalane!) in addition to giving an even, realistic golden glow. My ghost legs and I are eternally grateful.”—Steph
Merit Clean Volume Tubing Mascara, $28,found here:“I’ve become a tube mascara fanatic, and Merit’s new formula is a welcome addition to my stash. It works in smooth layers that lengthen and separate my lashes, rather than straying into clumpy and goopy territory. For me, the mascara’s greatest strength is its brush: Its thin wand coats each lash seamlessly with precision during the lashing process.” — Cathy
Elf Save Your Elf Hypochlorous Mist, $12, available here:“Every skin care brand and its mother has a hypochlorous acid mist at this point, and for good reason: It’s good for any skin type and has many uses (healing, soothing, antibacterial, refreshing). The Elf version comes in a generous sized bottle, provides a light colored mist with dispersion and has the same expriciity used as ICA. I will be telling my friends to switch to this option budget friendly the next time they need to redo theirs.” — Steph
Reale Actives Deep 8% Mandelic Acid Serum Concentrate, $39,found here:“I’ve always approached exfoliants carefully because of my sensitive skin, but after the recent facial tightening revealed, the esthetician encouraged me to try mandelic acid. I started using this serum (from the new acne-focused brand of Alix Earle) with a concentration of 8% of the ingredient. It is gentle without my skin texture and aging! AC, arginine, squalane, licorice root extract, centella asiatica extract and garcina mangostana peel extract.” — Cathy
Aunu Mānuka Moisturizer, $82, available here:“I was already a fan of Aunu’s entire manuka honey-based line, but this new lightweight gel moisturizer is a lovely summer ingredient. The honey is naturally soothing and anti-bacterial (so it fights breakouts!), while the blend of ceramides, squalane and jojoba softens and strengthens the skin’s barrier. Plus, the skin-lightening niacinamide gives skin energy. It’s weird, but to me it smells so good exactly like how Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly tastes (awesome; that’s my favorite flavor!!!) Lovely for summer. — Steph
Rhode Pocket Bronzer, $25, available here:“Hailey, you’ve done it again. This new cream bronzer – housed in the same ‘pack’ stick format as the brand’s popular blush – is another winner. The problem I’ve had with most cream formulas is that while they work and blend smoothly, they don’t last very long. Not so with this one. A few swipes of the brush over the thickest product to get the product out in seconds, and it stays that way overnight (even in humid conditions much, like Manhattan in June).— Steph
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