August may be winding down, but the beauty world clearly has no plans to clock out early. This week’s best launches are giving us plenty to play with as we make the inevitable transition from summer beauty to fall, from soft-focus complexions and the return of a much more comfortable matte lip to glossy hair, nostalgic fragrances and even hand soap chic enough to deserve prime bathroom real estate. Consider this the last beauty haul of August and a very good preview of what’s coming next.
Dior
If your makeup is going to be photographed, it might as well know how to act in front of the camera. Dior is expanding its Forever complexion family with three new backstage-inspired essentials designed to prep, perfect and set the skin. Inspired by Peter Philips’ work behind the scenes at runway shows, photo shoots and red carpets, the new Forever Skin Veil and Forever Velvet Veil primers offer two approaches to a flawless base: luminous and glowy or softly blurred and matte. Both feature 4-in-1 formulas meant to refine the look of skin before foundation even enters the chat. Then there’s Forever On Set Powder, a translucent setting powder that blurs and locks everything into place without masking the skin underneath. Paired with Dior’s Forever Skin Glow or Forever Skin Wear foundations, the result is less filter, more really good skin, whether there’s a high-definition camera around or not.
Price: $54
Price: $54
Price: $56
Matte lipstick is back, but nobody asked for the dry, cracked lips that came with it. Under Peter Philips’ creative direction, Dior is introducing two new takes on the finish with Rouge Dior On Stage Matte and Rouge Dior On Stage Ink Blur Matte. The former brings liquid-lipstick technology into a traditional bullet, combining intense pigment with perfecting powders for a soft, velvety finish that promises up to 24 hours of no-transfer wear without leaving lips begging for moisture. Ink Blur Matte takes things in a softer direction, delivering buildable, weightless color with a blurred, almost cloudy finish that still promises the same serious staying power. Together, they make a pretty convincing argument for giving matte lips another chance. And this time, you can leave the emergency lip balm at home.
Price: $48
Victoria Beckham
Leave it to Victoria Beckham to make a lip pencil feel like an accessory. Victoria Beckham Beauty has given its cult-favorite Lip Definer a very Posh upgrade, redesigning the pencil with a fine point and sleek, elongated aluminum case that makes lining, defining and getting every last bit of product easier. The waterproof formula remains smooth without being too soft, staying where you put it without feathering, while added peptides bring a little lip care to the equation. The shade range now includes seven lip-tone-inspired colors, including the new 01.5, a soft beige-brown that Beckham herself has already cosigned. But shades 05, a caramel made for tan to deep lip tones, and 06, a chestnut for deep to rich complexions, are the ones darker-skinned beauty lovers should keep an eye on. Because a good brown lip liner will forever have a permanent place in our makeup bags.
Valentino Beauty
Everything from the ’90s eventually finds its way back into fashion, and apparently, the fragrance counter is no exception. Valentino is reaching into its archives to resurrect Vendetta, the fragrance first introduced by Valentino Garavani in 1991, for a new generation. This time around, the House is giving us a duo: Vendetta Donna mixes tuberose with juicy red orange nectar and creamy sandalwood for a floral gourmand with some bite, while Vendetta Uomo gets spicier with ginger, cinnamon liquor and warm woody notes. Even the bottles received a fashion-minded update, dressed in Valentino’s graphic “V” motif and topped with a pleated cap inspired by couture. More than three decades later, Vendetta is back, but she’s certainly not interested in smelling like 1991.
Glaze
Black hair deserves to be black black. Glaze is expanding its best-selling Supergloss collection with Raven Black, an at-home gloss created specifically for virgin dark brown and black hair. The treatment uses light-reflecting pigments to deepen your natural color while giving strands that expensive-looking, high-shine finish without the commitment or potential damage of permanent dye. Think richer color, more dimension and the type of glossiness that makes a fresh silk press look even better. And with Glaze reportedly selling one Supergloss every 60 seconds, Raven Black arrives as a welcome addition for those of us who want to refresh naturally dark hair without completely changing it. One important caveat: this one is meant for untreated hair, so skip it if your strands are bleached, highlighted or chemically lightened.
Price: $18
Allies of Skin
Lip gloss has officially entered its skincare era. Allies of Skin’s new Peptint Tripeptide & Goji Cell Plumping Lip Treatment gives you the high-shine finish of your favorite gloss while putting in a little overtime underneath. The formula combines Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, rose cells and goji berry cells to help lips look plumper, smoother and more hydrated with every swipe. It’s sheer, juicy and glossy without being all looks and no substance. Consider it skincare for the one part of your face that probably has at least three glosses dedicated to it in your bag already.
Price: $28
Oakcha
Apparently, tea isn’t just for drinking anymore. OAKCHA is steeping the fragrance world with four new scents inspired by the comforting brews we reach for when we need a little moment to ourselves. White Tea House keeps things fresh and airy, Lavender Stem takes cues from creamy lavender tea, Rooibos Reserve goes warmer and earthier and Matcha Ritual brings the unmistakable green richness of everyone’s favorite very photogenic drink. Each fragrance can stand on its own, but OAKCHA encourages a little experimentation, too, with all four designed to be layered with one another or your existing favorites. Consider it your permission to play fragrance barista and concoct a scent order that belongs entirely to you.
Glow Recipe
The matte lip revival continues, but Glow Recipe would like to leave the crustiness in the past. The K-beauty favorite is bringing its treatment-first philosophy to makeup with the new Vegan PDRN+ Tinted Soft Matte Lip Blur Balm, a six-shade lip color inspired by Korea’s soft-blur lip trend. Its whipped, cushiony texture diffuses pigment across the lips for that hazy, lived-in matte finish without cracking, flaking or making every lip line known to mankind visible. But this is Glow Recipe, so skincare is naturally doing some heavy lifting, too. Vegan prickly pear PDRN+ joins hyaluronic acid, panthenol, red microalgae and colloidal oatmeal to help hydrate, soothe and support the lip barrier while you wear it. In other words, it’s proof that matte lipstick and moisturized lips no longer have to be mortal enemies.
SHEGLAM
Summer had its fun with glazed-doughnut skin, but fall is asking us to tone down the shine just a little. SHEGLAM is making the seasonal complexion switch easier with two new base products designed to deliver polished, soft-focus skin without completely mattifying your natural glow. Good Grip Ultra-Blur Primer combines the staying power of a gripping primer with pore- and texture-blurring benefits, plus niacinamide, panthenol and sodium hyaluronate. Layer Lumi Lock & Go Hydrating Cushion Foundation on top for breathable, buildable medium-to-high coverage with a radiant, skin-like finish and up to 12 hours of hydration and comfort. Together, they land somewhere between velvet and satin, which might just be the sweet spot for fall skin.
D.S. & Durga
For anyone who swore they were done smelling like dessert, D.S. & Durga would like a word. The fragrance house is entering gourmand territory with Ain’t That Sweet, a scent designed specifically for people who typically avoid the category. Inspired by co-founder David Seth Moltz’s memories of early-2000s New York, young love and the endless optimism of moving to the city convinced your entire life is about to begin, the fragrance smells like a late-night love note in edible form. Myrrh and Sri Lankan cinnamon give way to date, praline and lily before settling into condensed milk, bourbon vanilla and nutmeg. The result sounds sweet, creamy and nostalgic without veering completely into bakery territory. Basically, it’s gourmand for the person who keeps insisting they’re not a gourmand person.
Haus Labs
At this point, the lip liner might be more important than the lipstick. Haus Labs is making sure yours can handle the assignment with The Edge Lip Shaping Pencil, a new precision liner that promises opaque color payoff and transfer-proof, all-day wear without sacrificing comfort. Vitamin E, ceramides and jojoba oil help keep lips hydrated while giving the pencil enough glide to sculpt, define or slightly overline without all that tugging and pulling. The formula is also vegan and cruelty-free. Wear it underneath your favorite lip combo or fill in the entire lip and call it a day. Either way, consider your edges handled.
Frama
Hand soap doesn’t usually make the beauty launch group chat, but FRAMA’s new bars deserve an invite. The Copenhagen-based design brand is bringing its minimalist approach to one of the most ordinary parts of our daily routines with Bar Soap, a collection meant to make washing your hands feel a little more luxurious. Available in four of FRAMA’s signature scents, Apothecary, Herbarium, Escalier and Columnae, each bar combines gentle foaming agents with active ingredients while looking chic enough to permanently live beside the sink. Pair one with the brand’s Hand Lotion or Hand Cream and suddenly washing your hands becomes less of a chore and more of a full-fledged beauty ritual. Because apparently, even your soap dish deserves a little quiet luxury.
Youth To The People
Retinol is getting a little more backup. Youth To The People’s latest overnight treatment pairs 0.1% pure retinol with its Youth Longevity Complex, a blend of plant proteins, vegan collagen peptide, taurine, niacinamide and acetyl glucosamine designed to support skin while retinol does its resurfacing thing. Packaged in a rich overnight balm, the all-in-one formula takes a more comforting approach to an ingredient notorious for being a little demanding. Consider it your nighttime retinol routine with a built-in support system.
YSL Beauty
Blush isn’t going anywhere for fall, but YSL Beauty is making the flush feel a little more luxurious. This lightweight cream blush melts into the skin for buildable, glowy color without getting sticky or patchy along the way. Hyaluronic acid and peptides bring hydration into the mix, while the easy-to-blend formula gives cheeks that naturally flushed, just-pinched finish. It’s the kind of blush that makes everyone think you’re having a particularly good skin day, and there’s no reason to correct them.
Strawberry is having a beauty moment, and YSL Beauty wants in. The house is giving its iconic Black Opium fragrance a juicy pink remix, adding naturally extracted strawberry to its signature combination of dark coffee, jasmine and warm vanilla. The result takes the familiar gourmand in a fruitier, flirtier direction that feels made for nights when staying home was never really an option. Even the bottle got the strawberry treatment, arriving in dark pink lacquer contrasted against a black center and the iconic Cassandre logo. If pink is the new black, consider this Black Opium entering its sweetest era yet.
m.ph by Mary Phillips
The perfect lip combo isn’t finished until the gloss goes on. Inspired by celebrity makeup artist Mary Phillips’ signature lip technique, Top Coat Hydrating Lip Gloss is the final step designed to give lips that juicy, almost wet-looking shine. Peptides help support smoother, fuller-looking lips while a blend of plant-derived oils brings the moisture and amps up the glossiness without sacrificing that creamy, balm-like feel. Available in eight vanilla-flavored shades, it can be layered over Overliner and Lip Ciggy or worn solo when your lips just need a little extra attention. Consider it the beauty equivalent of putting on one more accessory before leaving the house.
Kiehl’s Since 1851
One cc of filler, minus the needle? That’s the idea behind Kiehl’s new 1CC CollaShot Plump Serum. The formula targets visible signs of collagen loss like diminished firmness, elasticity and plumpness, with Kiehl’s claiming its moisture-plumping effect can deliver the appearance of volume equivalent to 1cc of hyaluronic acid filler. The serum was also clinically tested with GLP-1 users, making it an especially timely addition to the conversation around changing facial volume. Of course, a serum isn’t injectable filler, but for anyone looking for a needle-free way to make skin appear a little plumper and bouncier, CollaShot certainly makes an intriguing case for keeping the syringes out of your skincare routine.
