The 317 (!) Best Beauty Products Fashionista Editors Tried in 2020

By The Citizen on December 31, 2020

Just in case you need a few hair, skin, makeup or fragrance recommendations.

Each month, Fashionista editors try a *lot* of beauty products. And while not every formula we test is a winner, we’re constantly unearthing new favorites. Here, we’ve rounded up our latest hair, skin, fragrance, wellness and makeup discoveries — whether fresh-to-market drops or merely recent additions to our personal routines.

Despite the catastrophic, historic, absolutely wonky year that was 2020, team Fashionista still found some time to test a lot (no, like a lot) of makeup, skin-care, fragrance, hair and wellness products. Perhaps it helped us escape the news cycle… or maybe we just had a whole lot of extra at-home time on our hands.

But here’s the upside: We discovered quite a few products we really, truly love — and now we’ve compiled all 317 (!) of ’em here for you to peruse should you, too, have a whole lot of extra at-home time on your hands.

January

The year started on a high, hopeful note, with team Fashionista finding a handful of dreamy new favorite lip colors, a miraculously quick-drying nail polish and *lots* of intensive moisturizers (for hair, body and face).

**Essie Expressie Quick-Dry Nail Polish in Precious Cargo-Go!, $9, available here:** “I love this dusty olive green color, and I love the fact that this formula dries in mere minutes even more.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director

View the 36 images of this gallery on the original article

February

Back in February — blissfully ignorant February! — we tried a face mask that gives us “angel” skin and a makeup brush that’s the next best thing to having legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath herself on hand.

**Amika Flash Instant Shine Hair Mask, $25, available here:** “More like a salon color glaze than a typical hair mask, this thin, transparent gel coats strands in light-reflective gleam without weighing them down. And it really does work in just a few minutes.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director

View the 33 images of this gallery on the original article

March

In March — oh, March — we turned to hair, makeup, skin-care and wellness items for a bit of comfort during a difficult month.

**Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm, $22, available here:** “Summer Fridays ventured into a new category this month (lip care!) and I’m really impressed by the result. The brand’s ‘lip mask’ — which is essentially a thick, ultra-coddling lip balm — blankets lips in a super-moisturizing blend of shea and murmuru seed butters to lend incredible softness and suppleness. Plus, it has a dreamy vanilla scent and doesn’t rely on lanolin or beeswax, making it a completely vegan (and pretty groundbreaking) formula.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director

View the 26 images of this gallery on the original article

April

April’s showers were accompanied by a candle that goes a long way toward enhancing a home workspace and hand soap and sanitizer that were actually in stock.

**Beautycounter Counter+ All Bright Vitamin C Serum, $79, available here:** “I’ve only been using this natural vitamin C serum for a few weeks, but I’ve been really impressed by how simultaneously gentle and effective it is. My dark spots and overall skin tone are a bit brighter — a real feat during social isolation — and I haven’t experienced any irritation, though I’ve been incorporating it into my routine slowly, only using it every third day.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director

View the 33 images of this gallery on the original article

May

In May, we sought out products to soothe our stress breakouts, our muscle tension, our frizz and our minds.

**Moroccanoil Dry Body Oil, $48, available here:** “It was the scent of this oil that first drew me in — musky and sweet, with a hint of orange blossom — but the fast-absorbing, non-greasy formula and easy-to-use mist-on applicator solidified my obsession.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director

View the 26 images of this gallery on the original article

June

June was a month when we discovered bold makeup palettes that sparked our creativity, scalp treatments that pack major results and skin care that keeps ingredients fresh and cuts down on waste.

**BeautyStat Universal C Eye Perfector, $65, available here:** “Created by cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, this brand is all about potent actives and smart formulas that *work*. This silky eye cream delivers a 5% concentration of stabilized vitamin C for brightening, wrinkle fighting and fine line smoothing, alongside a dose of CBD for its anti-inflammatory, soothing properties. I’m hooked.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director

View the 24 images of this gallery on the original article

July

July got us acquainted with a remarkable aluminum-free deodorant that really works, a moisturizing hand sanitizer (in super-cute packaging!) and a handful of summery fragrances and candles that brought a bit of escapism to our lives.

**Kosasport Chemistry AHA Serum Deodorant in Serene Clean, $15, available here:** “I’ve tried just about every aluminum-free deodorant, and this is one of the most impressive formulas I’ve encountered. A clear, lightweight gel, it relies on alpha hydroxy acid to prevent body odor, plus it’s spiked with a bunch of good-for-skin ingredients to keep underarms happy. There’s an unscented version for the fragrance-averse, but I love the super-subtle, refreshingly green smell of the ‘Serene Clean’ variety.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director

View the 24 images of this gallery on the original article

August

In August, we tested an exfoliator that doesn’t irritate, a lymphatic drainage tool that had several beauty editors (and our beauty director) hooked and a peppy nail polish color perfect for the dog days of summer.

**Hyper Clear Brightening Clearing Vitamin C Serum, $36, available here:** “A potent dose of vitamin C works with kojic acid to fade dark spots, which seem to have come out in full force for me over the last few months. I love that this serum is non-sticky and also gentle, thanks to the inclusion of aloe and anti-inflammatory turmeric high up on the ingredients list.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director

View the 31 images of this gallery on the original article

September

Our September favorites comprised reusable eye masks that are as simple as they are genius and subtle makeup picks we’d been relying on for all our Zoom meetings.

**Dieux Skin Forever Eye Mask, $25, available here:** “These reusable eye masks are as genius as they are simple: The medical-grade silicone patches can be placed atop any eye serum or cream to enhance absorption by preventing evaporation, and then you just rinse them off and store them in their tin until next time. Innovative, sustainable, effective — and Instagrammable.” —Steph Saltzman, Beauty Director

View the 24 images of this gallery on the original article

October

In October, we were all about mood-boosting finds.

**Klur Gentle Matter Daily Moisture Cleanser, $22, available here:** “It takes a *lot* for me to get excited about a cleanser — they’re barely on your skin for a minute! — but this beautifully light and gentle gel cleanser had me hooked after just a couple of uses. It doesn’t get foamy or sudsy, but it sort of melts into skin as you massage it in, dissolving makeup and daily grime, but leaving natural moisture behind. Unlike balm or oil cleansers, though, it also rinses away easily and quickly. My face feels refreshed and hydrated after I use it in a way almost no other face wash has ever accomplished.” —Stephanie Saltzman, Beauty Director

View the 17 images of this gallery on the original article

November

November’s picks included innovative ways to finally master the at-home manicure and pedicure and moisturizing skin care to keep us dewy through winter.