These Are Southern Living Editors' Favorite Beauty Products
When a Southern Living editor finds a good product she can go on about it for days. (Please see following slides.) While we're currently working from home, we're still finding ways to connect about the products that are worth writing home about. Here you'll find the cosmetics, skin care, and hair products that are worth their price tags, according to this beauty-product-loving bunch. The best part? Almost all of them are $50 or less.
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
BUY IT: $44; sephora.com
"I feel like fate brought me to this liquid highlighter that can also act as a primer on days when I want a lit-from-within look sans foundation. Add under-eye concealer and poof go the imperfections! This stuff is literally glow in a bottle." – Kaitlyn Yarborough, Assistant Editor
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Curel Hydra Therapy Wet Skin Moisturizer
BUY IT: $10.49; amazon.com
"I know everyone has been on the wet-skin moisturizer bandwagon for a while, so please excuse my late arrival. I slather it on as soon as I turn off the shower, then towel dry as normal. My skin is smooth, comfortable, and not a hint sticky—even on the hottest summer day." – Patricia Shannon, Senior Editor
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Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate
BUY IT: $50; sephora.com
"I'm kind of a serial experimenter when it comes to beauty, so I rarely use the same product more than once or twice, with a couple of exceptions. Kiehl's Midnight Recovery has been with me for so many years I can't even remember when I first started using it. I have pretty dry, sensitive skin, and this stuff is the miracle worker that makes me look and feel refreshed the next day." – Marisa Spyker, Senior Writer
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L'Oreal Revitalift Derm Intesives Hyaluronic Acid Ampoules
Buy: $19.99; target.com
"You've heard the hype about hydration hero hyaluronic acid but have held off on jumping aboard. We get it, you like your moisturizer just fine as it is. I've been there. And then I tried L'Oreal's concentrated Hyaluronic Acid Ampoules. These little vials pack a punch of hydration that smooths and noticeably plumps almost on contact. I used them for a week and by day seven my skin was so smooth I could barely find where my crow's feet once were." – Patricia Shannon, Senior Editor
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COVERGIRL LashBlast Volume Mascara
BUY IT: $7.99; target.com
"It's a family conviction that you should never pay more than $10 for mascara. I like COVERGIRL's LashBlast Volume Mascara in Black Brown best. It never gets clumpy." – Betsy Cribb, Features Editor
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L'Oreal Revitalift Derm Intensives Vitamin C Serum
BUY IT: $19.48; amazon.com
"Using a pea-sized amount of this drugstore serum every morning has made my skin look better than ever—as in, better than when layering tons of way more expensive serums. Suffice to say, simplifying my skin care routine has been the happiest thing I've done all year, thanks to this hardworking tube of anti-aging vitamin C." – Kaitlyn Yarborough, Assistant Editor
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Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner
BUY IT: $26; sephora.com
"My years-long search for a signature eyeliner immediately came to an end when I received a sample of Marc Jacobs Highliner Gel Eye Crayon Eyeliner. This creamy gel liner effortlessly glides onto my waterline and stays in place until I use makeup remover to take it off. While other products in my makeup bag come and go, I don't think I'll ever find a replacement for this formula." – Jenna Sims, Associate Editor
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Mario Badescu AHA Botanical Body Soap
BUY IT: $8; ulta.com
"This budget body wash is my personal secret to soft skin—no messy scrub needed. It's a citrusy, sudsy number infused with ginseng to brighten and revitalize skin cells from head to toe. Plus, everyone is obsessed with the super fresh grapefruit scent. Hot Tip: I double-down on soft skin by using it with a body loofah." – Kaitlyn Yarborough, Assistant Editor
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Neutrogena Revitalizing Tinted Lip Balm
BUY IT: $6.97; walmart.com
"Even if I'm forgoing all other makeup, I'm still going to stash a lip balm in my bag. I own probably too many, but this is the one I reach for first. It might not seem like the flashiest of balms, but it's so good. The shade "Sunny Berry" is sheer and rosy, it has SPF 20 for protection on sunny days, and the formula is super hydrating and smooth. The matte black tube is slim, oblong, and lightweight, so it also gets points for design, which is a treat in a drugstore lip balm. – Caroline Rogers, Travel & Culture Editor
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Neutrogena Shampoo Anti-Residue Formula
BUY IT: $5.19; amazon.com
"I use this clarifying shampoo once a week to remove excess product that has built up over time causing my hair to fall flat at the roots. As someone who might use a little too much dry shampoo at times, this budget-friendly product is a game changer for my oily hair." – Jenna Sims, Associate Editor
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Benefit Benetint Lip and Cheek Stain
BUY IT: $18; sephora.com
"I'm a minimalist when it comes to makeup, so the fact that this can serve as both a blush and lip color earned it major brownie points (I keep a mini in my purse). I've since tried many tints and love that this one goes on smooth and isn't sticky. It's the perfect summer shade since it kind of leaves the same color on your lips as a cherry flavored popsicle!" – Marisa Spyker, Senior Writer
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Cheek Gelée Happy Hydrating Gel-Cream Blush
BUY IT: $44; nordstrom.com
"Not a blush person? This is the formula that will convert you. The Chantecaille Cheek Gelée is a hydrating gel-cream hybrid that goes on sheer and is so easy to apply. The tiniest drop blended into the apples of your cheeks leaves a dewy, healthy-looking flush. It's pricey, but I've been working on a tube in the shade "Happy" (a pretty coral that brightens up your whole face) for about a year with no end in sight, so think of the price tag as an investment in rosy cheeks for years to come." – Caroline Rogers, Travel & Culture Editor
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Maelove Skincare Glow Maker
BUY IT: $27.95; maelove.com
"I start every day with a splash of cold water and Maelove's The Glow Maker Antioxidant Serum. With vitamins C, E, ferulic acid, and hyaluronic acid, this one-product wonder helps me simplify my morning routine without sacrificing my skin care." - Brennan Long, Editor
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Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA +BHA Pore-Tight Toner
BUY IT: $34; sephora.com
"This bad boy does so many things at once! It moistures, reduces the appearance of pores, and is chock-full of actives that gently slough away dead skin cells without irritation."
- Meghan Overdeep, Staff Writer
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Drunk Elephant F-Balm™ Electrolyte Waterfacial
BUY IT: $52; sephora.com
"This hydrating overnight mask makes me feel like one of those dewy-skinned models in the splashy face wash ads—minus the mess that their splashing around undoubtedly makes off-camera. It just feels so luxurious!" - Betsy Cribb, Features Editor
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The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
BUY IT: $7.20; sephora.com
"I use this peel about once a week and that's about all my face can handle. This chemical exfoliant is excellent for evening skin tone."
- Meghan Overdeep, Staff Writer
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Neutrogena Hydro Boost Gel-Cream
BUY IT: $16.49; target.com
"I love anything from the Neutrogena Hydro Boost line. Our beauty editor turned me onto them and me and my dry skin are hooked. I always feel like I've had a facial when I've used any of their masks, serums, or lotions."
- Rebecca Baer, News Editor