Makeup Your Mind
Some of August 2022's best new beauty launches chosen by Elite Daily's beauty editor Amber Rambharos...
I’m A Beauty Editor, And I’m Obsessed With These August Beauty Launches

Serums and face masks and liners, oh my!

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Amber Rambharose, Lindsay Hattrick, Keys Soulcare, NYX Cosmetics, Maya Chia
We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

The sweatiest season is upon us, y’all. It’s the time of year when any and all makeup starts melting off your face. In August, I usually start using waterproof eye makeup, not because I’m suddenly encountering a lot of water, but because my own body has turned against me and sweat is smearing my mascara, eyeliner, and eyeshadow. Because it’s too dang hot outside, many of my picks for August’s best beauty launches are designed to endure treacherous weather conditions and any related ailments. (Yes, I am dramatic and I will not apologize.)

If you’ve gotten sunburned or your face feels like an oil slick, I’ve got you covered. If you spend all of August sweating, but want your makeup to stay put, I’ve also got your back. Ahead, you’ll find skin care products that’ll soothe dry skin, help balance oily skin, and clear up sweat-related breakouts. I’ve also made it a point to include the latest and greatest makeup that won’t drip down your face no matter how sweaty your brows or upper lip get. I’m the queen of upper lip sweat, so you can trust any and all of my lippie recommendations.

Hair-wise, you’ll find products here that address concerns like frizz, dullness, and product buildup. Stay tuned throughout the month for updates as new products drop and remember, we’re in this — this being the dreadful heat — together.

We may receive a portion of sales if you purchase a product through a link in this article.

A Perfectly Pumpkin Spiced Palette

My first eyeshadow palette was Too Faced and I’ve loved the brand ever since. It’s latest palette features 18 cozy shades in matte, metallic, satin, and shimmer finishes. The shadows pack a major punch of pigment, but my favorite thing about this palette is how well the colors interact with each other. They blend seamlessly and really sing when layered.

A Foundation That Comes Ready To Set

When Patrick Ta drops a product, you know it’s going to be an enhancer — pop it on and you’ll still look like you, but a version of you that can afford a live-in glam squad. Launched on Aug. 30, his latest innovation, the Major Skin Crème Foundation & Setting Powder Duo, is no exception. It’s a smooth and creamy concealer that comes in a compact with its own shade-matched setting powder. The finish is dreamy, even on my dry, textured August skin, and the final effect is blurred and beautiful.

A Matte Lip Cream That Won’t Dry Out Lips

It has certainly been the summer of gloss, but summer is coming to an end. Fall has always felt like a time for a matte lip to me, but it’s never a good time for dry lips. This new matte lip cream from NYX blends whipped shea butter and cocoa butter with gorgeous pigments for a vibrant, matte finish that won’t leave your lips parched. It’s also vegan, available in 13 shades, and costs less than $10.

Vibrant Eyeliners You Won’t Sweat Off

I’ve raved about these ColourPop liners already, but it bears repeating: These are luxe, long-lasting eyeliners with drugstore price tags. The Graphix Ink Liners come in 10 vibrant shades, go on smooth, and stay on through even the sweatiest of days.

A Peptide-Rich Hydrating Sleep Mask

Overnight masks are a must for me when I spend a lot of time in the sun and this new sleeping mask from Mario Badescu works like luxury skin care for a fraction of the cost. It delivers powerful hydration, thanks to a combination of peptides, mango seed butter, and jojoba seed and moringa oils, but also smooths texture and balances skin thanks to niacinamide and lactic acid.

I don’t wake up every morning with bouncy skin and I’ve accepted this as part of the natural aging process, but wearing a layer of this mask to bed goes a long way. I might not have jello skin, but there’s definitely a springiness to it when I use this mask.

An Acne Serum That Won’t Dry You Out

If you’ve ever used salicylic acid, the main ingredient in Bubble’s new acne serum, you know it can leave your skin feeling dry and flaky. Super Clear unclogs pores with 2% salicylic acid and willow bark extract, but it also includes squalane and colloidal oatmeal to soothe and hydrate skin, as well as neem seed oil, which keeps acne-causing bacteria at bay. Basically, it helps your skin get rid of, stay clear of, and heal acne, and all for less than $20.

A Body Scrub That’ll Leave You Baby Soft

There are few things as satisfying as exfoliating rough, summer skin and then moisturizing the smooth, baby soft skin underneath. This new body scrub from Grown Alchemist is about as clean as clean beauty can get. Its blend of activated charcoal, peppermint, and Kaolin clay exfoliates, detoxifies, and smells like the kind of dreamy, European spa vacation I will likely never be able to afford, but I can easily imagine while scrubbing my elbows and knees.

A Glossy Take On A Viral Lip Color

Clinique’s Black Honey lipstick has been TikTok viral for a while, but the brand just launched the cult-fave shade in a brand new finish. Half-lip butter, half-lip gloss, Clinique’s Pop Plush Creamy Lip Gloss is universally flattering on literally all skin tones. Feel-wise, it’s more buttery than sticky, thanks to aloe, avocado, and shea butters, and when I say it melts into your lips, I mean it really, truly *melts*.

A Glow-Boosting Cream For Sensitive Skin

Ferulic acid is an ingredient that’s expensive, but that Elite Daily editors swear by when it comes to correcting adult, cystic acne. This new cream from DERMAdoctor isn’t cheap, but I’ve tested it and it’s done wonders for my irritated summer skin. In addition to ferulic acid, it also contains ceramides and Vitamins E and C. In other words, it boosts glow without stripping moisture, making it a great option for sensitive skin that’s easily inflamed. It’s also incredibly rich, so a little bit goes a long way.

An Ultra-Hydrating Sunscreen

August is the time of year when my skin starts getting really dry and, subsequently, starts to break out around my nose and chin. This new sunscreen from Alicia Keys’ Soulcare is non-comedogenic, so it won’t clog your pores, and also delivers an extra dose of moisture to your skin along with SPF 30.

A New Twist On A Cult-Fave Sleeping Mask

Glow Recipe’s Watermelon Sleep Mask was a hit when it first came out and its new formulation is better than ever. The formula features ingredients that brighten and smooth skin without causing dryness or irritation and its special blend of exfoliating acids was designed to be effective, but gentle enough for sensitive skin.

An Effective Hyperpigmentation Treatment

As much as I love my inevitable sun-kissed (even with SPF) skin every summer, I definitely don’t love the post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation that’s exacerbated by beach vacations and long days in the sun. This new pre-cleanse treatment from Urban Skin RX is a new, powerful hyperpigmentation fading product that doesn’t include hydroquinone.

If you’re a POC and have dealt with hyperpigmentation, you’re probably familiar with hydroquinone, an ingredient with a problematic history, commonly found in “skin-bleaching” products. It’s effective, but can have intense side effects. HyperCorrect Intense Fading Cream skips hydroquinone in favor of cysteamine, an equally effective ingredient previously only available through a dermatologist. It also includes niacinamide and Vitamin E so it soothes your skin while treating dark spots.

A Concealer That Doubles As Skin Care

There’s a lot to love about Ariana Grande’s r.e.m. beauty. The quality is high, the products are innovative, and, sometimes, you even get a tear-jerking nod to Mac Miller thrown into the mix. The latest launch from the brand, r.e.m. beauty’s sweetener concealer, is another A+ in my book.

While it technically launched on July 28, it’s perfect for August’s heat waves and the skin concerns that come with them. The formula features antioxidant and hydrating ingredients and the shade range is on point. The line even includes pure white and pure black concealer shades, so you can create a custom shade based on how much time you spend in the sun.

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