I usually stick to the subject of fragrance here, and I’m generally bored with end-of-year listicles, but a recent Starving for Beauty newsletter recently reminded me that I do enjoy learning about other people’s favorite beauty products — at least, when the people in question are writing with experience and a clear point of view (rather than being paid to recite the press releases for merchandise that they probably haven’t even tried).

In that spirit, here are some cosmetics and body products I really, really liked in 2024 — most of them were fairly new to me, and I’ve repurchased or am about to repurchase all of them. (Nothing here is a paid recommendation or an affiliate link!)

Hair: My town has very hard water, which takes its toll on my wavy/curly hair by making it simultaneously flat and unruly. I do have an add-on filter on my shower-head, but it doesn’t seem to make much of a difference. What does make a difference, I learned this year: a chelating shampoo and conditioner, used weekly to remove mineral residue. I like Malibu-C Hard Water Wellness Shampoo and Conditioner. Also essential: a lightweight leave-in conditioner as an initial styling step. Crown Affair‘s The Leave-In Conditioner (followed by The Texturing Air Dry Mousse) makes my hair easier to style.

Skincare: We visited London back in January and I picked up some trial-size products from a Neal’s Yard shop. I liked almost everything I tried, and now I mail order their Rehydrating Rose Facial Oil and Rejuvenating Frankincense Hydrating Cream every few months. My evening cleansing routine got even more consistent this year: I use a cleansing balm from Good Molecules or Neutrogena, followed by LaRoche Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Facial Cleanser (as a “French drugstore” alternative to my usual CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser). In the morning, I just use the hydrating cleanser.

Makeup: I’ve found that choosing cosmetics gets a lot easier when you limit yourself to brands that are women-owned and/or feature women over 40 regularly in their promotional images and videos (criteria I’ve been using for my own shopping, lately).

• Flyte.70: I always have at least one S + S Lip Sheer in my bag; my favorite shades are Wishing Well (which reminds me a bit of Clinique Black Honey), Roam, and Fast Car. I’ve also repurchased their Hazy Cheek Crème cream blush in Tenderness and their The Final Act Lucid Finishing Powder in True Colors.
  
• Jones Road: Not everything from this brand has worked for me, but I’m hooked on their Face Pencil (a concealer in pencil form) and their Tinted Face Powder. I also use Miracle Balm in the shades Dusty Rose and Pinched Cheeks; it feels like a hybrid of a very sheer cream blush and a subtle, moisturizing highlighter, and it’s an excellent late-afternoon pick-me-up.
  
• 19/99: I’ll never understand how over-scaled false lashes became such a popular option for regular, off-stage, non-drag life. I prefer subtle mascara, and 19/99 Lash Tint Mascara feels perfect to me. No clumping, no flaking, no irritation — just little extra definition. Their Precision Color Pencil in Neutra (a neutral-to-warm rose color) is also excellent. So pigmented, yet smooth.
  
• Surratt Beauty: A generous friend at Surratt gifted me with some products, and I liked them so much that I’ve gone to Saks to get more on my own. For me, the stars of the line are the powder eye shadows (so many beautiful browns and taupes and champagnes), the Lipslique lipsticks (especially Eglantine and Perfectionniste), and the Surreal Foundation.

Body: This year, I fell back in love with drugstore lotions like the classic cherry-almond-scented Jergens formula (maybe the recent cherry trend in fragrance made me think of it?) and Johnson’s Baby Lotion (yes, the pink one). For hands, Blueland’s collaboration with @TheBlackForager caught my attention and I purchased a set of Foaming Hand Soap tablets. Beach Roses was a limited edition, alas, but I also like Perrine Lemon and Lavender Eucalyptus. (Tip: save yourself some hassle and buy Blueland’s own dispenser bottle!)

Teeth: I will keep buying LUSH Toothy Tabs until they are discontinued, which I hope will never happen, because I recently took a brief detour back to conventional toothpaste and remembered that it irritates the skin around my mouth.

Nails: The constant social media ads for Olive and June finally got me, and I ordered a few things last summer. Fortunately, I can say that the polishes do last well on me (Patron of the Arts is a beautiful deep nude-rose color) and the polish remover is quick and easy. Next time, though, I’d skip the cuticle serum.

Did you commit to any new favorite beauty products this year? Tell us!

Image: detail of the cover of Femina, December 1935