Hi! Dev here! It’s our very first time and I am ecstatic to deliver our monthly Beauty Edit, curated by moi. DEON LIBRA’s monthly Beauty Edit consists of new beauty products we’ve tried this month and some of our favorite tried-and-true repurchases. These 10-15 beauty gems are sectioned into 5 main categories: Skincare, Body, Fragrance, Hair, and Makeup.
Let’s get into it!
Skincare
01
Kinship | Pimple Potion
$19
Maskne is basically still running amok on my face, and anything that isn’t harmful, but promises to zap TF out of whatever these masks are conjuring up under my skin, I am willing to try. I received this powerful pimple zapping potion from the Supergreat app, and it’s one of the best pimple solutions I’ve tried. Bakuchiol me, please!
02
Caudalie | Vinoperfect Anti Dark Spot Serum
$79
I’ve been using this brilliant Caudalie serum for years but forgot to repurchase the last time I emptied. Definitely annoyed with myself for that one. There isn’t a single product I’ve used that even comes close to how quickly this Caudalie serum fades my hyperpigmentation. Lately, I’ve been experimenting, using it on my chest, back, and shoulders. My body acne leaves me scarred with pretty stubborn hyperpigmentation, so I’m praying this does the trick. Keep you posted. F U, dark spots!
03
iNNBEAUTY PROJECT | Slushy Serum Moisturizer Crush
$28
It’s getting warmer, which means as the chairman of Team Oily AF, I’m quickly sliding into Greaseball Land. *major eyeroll* iNNBEAUTY’s serum moisturizer is light, fluffy, and leaves my skin feeling hydrated, plump, and smooth. Just like my beloved Kinship Pimple Potion, it has my new favorite beauty ingredient—bakuchiol, a plant-based retinol alternative, that refines pores and smooths texture. This moisturizer is going to be so clutch when the warmer weather is finally here to stay.
Body
04
Merci Handy | Namaste Deodorant
$12
I’ve been using natural deodorant consistently for about 3 years, and the first thing to know about natural deo is that it typically isn’t formulated to keep you dry. Its purpose is usually just to keep you from being a smelly little sh*t. But I often find that natural deo does neither for the grown man pits God so graciously blessed me with. I was beyond pleasantly surprised that this natural deo kept me pretty fresh throughout the day (with only one re-application). Not to mention the smell is so damn clean and pleasant, I often think that the scent must smell what hugging Jill Scott probably feels and smells like. Thanks for the intro, Supergreat!
05
Lush | Sleep Body Lotion
$12-$33
This is a #holygrail product for me. We’ve been besties for what feels like a century. Sleepy body lotion has put me to sleep on some of my most restless nights. The aromatic combination of the lavender + tonka bean is simply magical. This non-greasy dream cream is superb at locking in moisture and leaving my skin supple and hydrated all day. Now, I use this as my body lotion even when I’m not trying to sink into a deep slumber!
06
BEAUTY GOODIES. | Professional Eye Lash Lift & Brow Lamination Kit
$23
My brows are unruly AF. Always have been. I’ve been wanting to try brow lamination for so long but refused to pay $200 for someone else to possibly butcher my brows. I can do bad all by myself (but rarely do when it comes to my own brows). For years, I’ve been doing all of my own brow maintenance and shaping at home. So, why wouldn’t I do my first brow lamination myself? This kit is affordable, the directions are clear, and overall it is pretty simple to use. My brows were so much easier to tame post-lamination and the treatment lasted about 4 weeks. Definitely using the kit again, soon. Multiple lamination sessions for $23 and not $200+ per session?! BIG WIN x BIG BROW ENERGY!
Consult with your esthetician before performing any at-home professional beauty service.
Fragrance
07
Kuumba Made | Vanilla Bean Fragrance Oil
$10-$22
Scent is deeply personal for me. At any given moment, I am most likely wearing 3 layered fragrances to ensure I smell like me + only me. I use 2 “el cheapo” (as my Mom calls it) fragrance oils to create my base scent: a tiny, super affordable amber oil and this deeply intoxicating, warm vanilla bean fragrance oil. Literally can never go wrong with this. It just mixes so well with any and everything! And, yes… this is that vanilla oil from my Into The Gloss Top Shelf.
08
Boy Smells | Suede Pony
$98
Listen… Boy Smells did their muhf*ckin’ thang with this one. Suede Pony is an absolutely incredible “genderful” fragrance. With deep heart notes of hazelnut, suede, and blond woods, and lighter pineapple and saffron top notes, ISSA WINNER! I always gravitate towards unisex scents that typically lean more towards warm + woodsy. Suede Pony delivers, for sure.
09
Snif | Way With Woods
$65
Way With Woods is a “luxury-level” genderless fragrance that definitely leans into my woodsy, “I smell like your man but better and more intoxicating and definitely more lickable” obsession with fragrance. Mixed notes of amber (my addiction), white tea, mandarin, vetiver, sandalwood, and musk… *chef’s kiss* Literally makes you want to f*ck yourself. SO DAMN GOOD!
Hair
10
Imania Beauty | High Maintenance Elixir
$42
My seborrheic dermatitis LOVES this black-founded hair oil. With 100mg of broad-spectrum hemp, this lightweight healing oil gives my scalp the best tingles, relieving stubborn itching while stimulating hair growth and sealing moisture. Extra brownie points for High Maintenance Elixir because it also has the following adaptogenic ingredients: amla, moringa, brahmi, and holy basil. And you know it’s always the adaptogens for us!
11
Herbal Essences | Hello Hydration Conditioner
$6
My hair has been insanely dry this cold AF season. I’ve tried too many hair products this Winter and am pretty much just over the dryness and shedding. Since nothing else was really working, I thought it would be a good idea to try using my old high school #holygrail conditioner—Herbal Essences Hello Hydration. Best $6 I’ve spent in a while. My hair is soft, manageable, and takes a third of the time it used to take to detangle. Sometimes we just need to go back to our oldies.
12
Olaplex | N°3 Hair Perfector Repairing Treatment
$28
If you follow me on Instagram or Twitter, you probably see blabbering about how much I love Olaplex N°3 often. This at-home treatment reduces breakage, minimizes damage, and protects the structure of your hair strands. I have horrible heat damage on the left side of my head, and every time I use N°3 my curl pattern starts to come alive again. It’s literally like hair revival service! Olaplex just allows my hair to thrive!
Makeup
13
DSMD Shop | Sponge
$6
Black-owned and honestly a better blending sponge than that “popular” one. Affordable AF, too? Need I say more?! These sponges are so soft and bouncy, they easily blend everything out flawlessly.
14
NOORFACE | SKINGLASS (in OG)
$38
The Instagram hype got me (& I’m so glad it did). This healing and highlighting oil is lux, baaaaaabyyyyy! I’ve been mixing the SKINGLASS OG with my moisturizer and/or sunscreen daily, and the Krispy Kreme glaze perfection I’m left with is impeccable!
15
Kosas | Cloud Set Setting Powder (in Silky)
$34
This setting powder is unreal. Kosas calls it “actual angel skin,” and I agree. I recently did a makeup overhaul and got rid of 98% of my makeup. Cleaner makeup products that actually work for my complexion and help combat my psychotic oiliness is the goal, and Cloud Set takes the cake! Take my coins, because even with a cloud of light dust over bare skin, this is stunning! Blur me! Glow me! Love me (& my oil)!
