THE W LIST

The Very Best Beauty Products of 2023

by Maryam Lieberman

a photograph of a woman with multicolored makeup
Photographed by Carlijn Jacobs for W magazine. Makeup by Sam Visser, hair by Olivier Schawalder. Styled by Imruh Asha.
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This year, there were a handful of new beauty launches that not only blew our minds but our paychecks as well. And they were well worth their price tags: high-quality care is crucial, and a night cream with superior efficacy seems like a better investment than a pair of low-rise, Y2K-inspired jeans. The beauty market in 2023 offered some brilliant formulations, a variety of new (and forever classic) shades of makeup, as well as a few standout at-home skincare tools. Thanks to the pervasive Barbiecore trend, hot pink lips experienced a huge resurgence; other beauty trends fueled by TikTok, like Strawberry Girl Makeup and the Latte Look, dominated the beauty scene. A strong brow was more certain than the economy, and firm, glowing skin was once again, hands down, what we all wanted from our new skincare products. Below, we’ve assembled the worthiest beauty launches of the year—from lipsticks to serums and everything in between.

This is a must-try that will have you hooked after just one use. Sisley’s highly advanced formulation delivers radiance to your skin in a matter of hours, merging the brand’s famed cutting-edge science and high-grade botanicals to deliver a truly sublime repairing night cream. The composition uses targeted steps to promote detoxification and skin resynchronization, while 25 antiaging aggressors work while you sleep—so your skin can slay the next day.

Yes, a “berrylicious” lip color can still be super sophisticated. One of the most striking colors to launch this year, Dior has created a favorite lip hue we plan to wear well into 2024. The sophisticated, high-shine red pigment stays on for 12+ hours without any bleeding or smudging.

If you prefer firm, hydrated eyes and a formulation that combats dark spots and hyperpigmentation, this is an excellent choice to consider. The hero ingredient, arbutin (which is sourced from the bearberry plant), is known as “nature’s hydroquinone,” reducing spots in the eye area as well as future hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanin production.

This is our favorite brow gel in existence. The gel holds a sculpted brow look perfectly without an overly weighted feel (we’d expect nothing less from brand founder and noted celebrity brow artist, Kristie Streicher). The proprietary blend of ingredients contains nourishing argan oil, protective red algae extract, and red clover extract, which stimulates hair growth.

For La Mer devotees who crave a softer, lighter version of the original that’s just as hydrating and transformative, Soft Cream is for you. This ultra-moisturizing cream contains a highly advanced delivery system utilizing billions of graduated spheres of La Mer’s Miracle Broth composition to provide the brand’s signature hydration and absorption benefits.

One and done, baby. Fenty’s new mascara warmed our hearts and strengthened our lashes in 2023. This product is ideal for those of us who want glam lashes but don’t have time (nor the patience) to pile on application after application. There’s no clumping, either—just beautiful, voluminous lashes. We have no doubt this product will be one of your favorites for years to come.

This excellent face oil, made from nature’s finest resources, minimizes the appearance of large pores with each use. Cosmoss, Kate Moss’s botanicals-based beauty and lifestyle brand, delivered a superbly nourishing face oil this year that contains one standout active ingredient we loved: tears of Chios, which acts as a natural anti-inflammatory agent and calms the skin beautifully. The brew also contains blackberry seed oil and is abundant in vitamin C to gently help brighten the skin. Chia seed extract keeps the complexion moisturized through the day and while you sleep.

This SPF foundation provides one of the most gorgeous matte-glow finishes that will not disappoint. Fermented kefir—which helps regulate microbiome balance—and the brand’s lab composition of niacinamide not only aids in hyperpigmentation reduction, but with continued use, also works on diminishing fine lines. Additionally, this product is workout-friendly as it is non-comedogenic, transfer-resistant, and fragrance-free.

Your skin is absolutely more supple, softer, and more hydrated long-term with Chanel’s latest cream. The maison’s fast-absorbing face cream penetrates seamlessly into the skin while delivering firmness with a subtle (and more importantly) natural glow. Vanilla planifolia is the key ingredient in the composition, replete with firming polyketones that provide unprecedented luster. To be worn on its own or under makeup, La Crème also comes with a travel-friendly refill.

It’s been six months since this product launched, and we are still obsessed. Trust us when we say that this stellar color’s appeal will never vanish; you can plan on wearing it in 2024 with an LBD or jeans. Three years in the making, this opaque pink pigment has specifically been designed to mimic the same texture of a smooth, silicone phone case. It’s bold, creamy, and lasts all day.

This post-summer skin serum was a definite must-have this year, healing and repairing any over-sunned, over-weathered skin. It’s fast-absorbing, and your dermal layers will drink up this reparative secret-sauce serum formulated by none other than the renowned aesthetician and Beauty Sandwich founder, Iván Pol. The powerhouse actives—firming African Kalahari melon seed oil, protective milk thistle, reparative pomegranate oil, and rock samphire sea fennel—noticeably improve overall skin tone and yield a vibrant radiance.

We found this lip formulation to be outstanding, not just for the attractive lip pigment but because it keeps our lips impressively soft and hydrated (which is not an easy feat these last few months). The peptide-rich lip balm is infused with squalene oil and hyaluronic acid which aids in keeping the lips soft as silk.

To boost your skin’s collagen and elastin production, Editrix’s at home-microneedling kit is a worthy investment with superlative results. It is unique in that it uses a microneedling stamp (not a roller, as those may tear your dermal layers) that delivers a powerful fusion of hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, stabilized vitamin C, niacinamide, peptides, and water extracted from inside grains of rice. It’s also the only microneedling device on the market that comes preloaded with serum and is disposable, so there is zero chance of contamination. One kit provides a two-week supply for noticeably tighter, brighter skin. The recommended usage is for 4-6 weeks consecutively to see best results.

This face cream is excellent to apply under makeup to keep skin dewy. The cream is also abundantly rich with botanicals such as mountain arnica, edelweiss, and alpine rose, which keep skin hydrated.

This was one of the most promising skin products we fell in love with this year. The serum’s chlorophyll infusion reduces redness, while nature’s hydroquinone, alpha arbutin, and licorice root reduce signs of UV damage and blemishes or spots. Give it a month to see results—and apply this product day and night to fully capture the benefits.