The HYPEBAE Best: All the Beauty Products We Loved in 2020
From skincare to makeup to haircare, our editors share 20 of their beauty faves this year.
As with many things, our relationship with beauty has changed in one way or another over the course of 2020 — and that isn’t necessarily such a bad thing. Between prioritizing skincare, particularly nourishing treatments for the hands and the body, and discovering the joys of colorful, experimental eye makeup in the age of mask-wearing, we are finding ways to take care of ourselves while embracing the mood-lifting power of beauty products we enjoy. That in itself is a silver lining during these deeply unusual times.
From skincare to makeup to haircare, here, we round up 20 products that HYPEBAE editors tried and loved this year. See the rest of The HYPEBAE Best 2020 rankings here.
SKINCARE
Aesop Sublime Replenishing Night Masque
A godsend to those who suffer from dry, patchy skin, the Aesop Sublime Replenishing Night Masque is packed with nourishing ingredients — including vitamins B, C, E and F — that will give your skin a drink of moisture overnight. With a light and quick-absorbing gel-cream texture, the hydrating masque is ideal for your nighttime skincare routine.
CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser
An affordable drugstore buy that has gone viral on TikTok, this CeraVe facial cleanser helps gently exfoliate and remove dirt and oil without stripping the skin of its natural moisture — thanks to the product’s hero ingredient, salicylic acid. The cleanser is also formulated with ceramides, known for their ability to restore a healthy skin barrier.
Drunk Elephant F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask
Another overnight mask we tried and enjoyed this year, the Drunk Elephant F-Balm Electrolyte Waterfacial Mask is the answer to dull, fatigued skin. From a four-electrolyte blend that promises to strengthen skin barrier and calm redness, to vitamin F and niacinamide that are known to effectively improve skin texture, the product will have your skin feeling and looking refreshed and supple when you wake up in the morning.
Humanrace Humidifying Cream
From the lineup of Pharrell‘s well-received skincare brand, Humanrace, the Humidifying Cream combines squalane and snow mushroom (an ingredient commonly used in Chinese medicine) to offer hydration and a soothing effect for the skin. What’s more, our editor credits the product for giving her skin that dewy, glowing look without making her face look greasy.
Krave Beauty The Beet Shield
Krave Beauty, the skincare company founded by Liah Yoo, is easily one of the best new K-beauty brands on the market. With a thoughtful, less-is-more approach to beauty, the brand boasts a core range of products that helps cleanse, moisturize and protect the skin. The Beet Shield in particular is a daytime fluid that helps keep environmental aggressors at bay. As suggested by its name, the product is formulated with antioxidant-rich beetroot extract that helps mitigate hyperpigmentation.
MAKEUP
Byredo Colour Stick
With the help of makeup artist Isamaya Ffrench, Ben Gorham‘s Byredo has created arguably one of the chicest makeup lines the industry has seen in recent years. The Colour Stick, a standout product from the color cosmetics collection, arrives in 16 universally flattering shades and is designed to be used for the eyes, cheeks and lips.
Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer
A full-coverage concealer that instantly brightens the under-eye area and blurs any blemishes, this Dior Makeup product is one that is worth splurging on. Characterized by its creamy and easily blendable texture, the long-wearing concealer requires almost no touch-up throughout the day.
Kosas Revealer Concealer
Another tried-and-true concealer loved by the HYPEBAE editorial team, Kosas‘ Revealer Concealer is an ultra-lightweight formula that offers medium coverage, making it ideal for everyday use on dark circles and any spots that require attention. With hyaluronic acid, peptides and caffeine, the skincare-infused makeup product also helps hydrate and visibly plump the skin.
Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer
A bestseller from Selena Gomez‘s Rare Beauty, the Positive Light Liquid Luminizer offers everything we want in a highlighter. Not only does it give the skin a lasting radiant glow, but the liquid formula also layers beautifully on top of other makeup. Even better, the product is dermatologist-tested and is suitable for sensitive skin.
Pat McGrath Labs x Supreme MatteTrance Lipstick
Supreme
Perhaps one of the buzziest makeup launches this year, the Pat McGrath Labs x Supreme MatteTrance red lipstick will go down in the pop culture history books as the iconic crossover between streetwear and beauty. The special-edition item first became available to the public this September, followed by a limited restock in December. Unsurprisingly, both drops of the collectible lipstick were quickly sold out.
HAIRCARE
Ceremonia Aceite de Moska
Founded by Swedish Latina Babba C Rivera, Ceremonia launched in 2020 with a mission to increase Latinx representation in beauty. The haircare brand’s first product, Aceite de Moska, is a scalp remedy oil that promotes hair growth and strength with natural ingredients like aloe vera, castor oil and chia seed oil.
BREAD Hair-oil
A product developed especially for textured hair (3A to 4C curl types), the BREAD Hair-oil is formulated with moisturizing and vitamin C-rich Australian Kakadu plum oil to keep hair strands soft and supple. To do the most in the shower, the product can also be applied on dry hair and the scalp as a pre-wash treatment.
F. Miller Hair Oil
Another beautifully designed bottle to add to your bathroom vanity, F. Miller‘s Hair Oil employs a blend of botanicals to strengthen, hydrate and add shine to the tresses. Apart from being a scalp treatment, the product is also meant to be used on body hair and beard as a softening oil, as well as on the eyebrows as a growth serum.
BODY AND HAND CARE
Byredo Tulipmania Hand Cream
A luxurious hand treatment from Byredo, the Tulipmania Hand Cream makes a great addition to any bedside drawer. On top of repairing the skin with much-needed moisture after frequent hand-washing, the product also smells amazing with its floral notes of freesia and tulip.
Glossier Body Hero Exfoliating Bar
Further elevating the shower experience, Glossier launched the Exfoliating Bar in October as part of its Body Hero collection. At first glance, the product looks like a bar of soap, when it is actually a solid body scrub. Biodegradable bamboo powder helps gently exfoliate skin from the neck down, while sunflower seed oil and aloe leaf juice keep the skin feeling hydrated.
Nécessaire The Body Wash
Nécessaire‘s Body Wash is not your typical shower gel. With ingredients rich in vitamin B3, C and E, the product not only cleanses the body, but it also helps nourish the skin with repeated use. Available in heavenly scents of Bergamot, Sandalwood and Eucalyptus, the foaming gel will instantly transform your daily shower into a hotel spa experience. There’s also a fragrance-free option for those who prefer that.
FRAGRANCE
Aesop Rōzu Eau de Parfum
The perfect balance between floral and woody scents, Aesop’s Rōzu Eau de Parfum is calming and invigorating all at once. Combining ingredients such as rose, the minty herb shiso and guaiacwood, the warm fragrance brings to mind the great outdoors and offers a sense of grounding and comfort.
BEAUTY TOOLS
Crown Affair The Comb No. 001
Proper hair-brushing plays a huge role in maintaining the health of the scalp and hair. With its sleekly designed comb, Dianna Cohen‘s Crown Affair will certainly get you excited about this part of your haircare routine. Handcrafted in Switzerland from plant-based cellulose, the aesthetically pleasing comb is created for use on both dry and wet strands, as well as on all hair types.
Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener
A game-changing innovation, the Dyson Corrale features flexing copper plates that allow you to style your hair with better control and efficiency, while reducing the amount of hair breakage typically associated with the use of conventional flat irons. The hair straightener’s cord-free design makes it all the more convenient to use and compact for storage.
SACHEU Beauty Facial Roller
From Sarah Cheung, the content creator known for her popular YouTube channel of makeup tutorials and product reviews, SACHEU Beauty launched in September with positive reviews among members of the skincare community. Unlike most facial rollers on the market, the brand’s massage tool is made with 100% stainless steel to prevent the growth of bacteria.
