Whether you're in the market to buy a Mother's Day [1] gift or treat your favourite Taurus to a birthday present, May is a great month to shop. If you want to kick off your Spring with a beauty or skincare purchase, look no further than the following 13 items. We've been testing each one for months and hand-selected the ones worthy of a space on our (too-full) beauty editor vanities.
Read on to see what you'll be spending your entire paycheck on in 3 . . . 2 . . . 1 . . .
Eir NYC Hydrating Face Mist
"I get to kick this month off with a move to a sixth-floor walk-up apartment (lucky me!), and I'm enlisting my friends and family to help. To ensure that my stressed-out self doesn't freak out mid couch-moving à la Ross in that "Pivot!" scene from Friends [3], I'll be spritzing this stress-relieving formula all around my aura. I love how this Hydrating Face Mist [4] ($30) both calms and hydrates skin. It's made of aloe, rosewater, and witch hazel, which makes it an amazing option for anyone trying to fight the good fight against free radicals and acne. I have no beach vacations planned, but if you do (you lucky dog), this also doubles as a sunblock remover." — Alaina Demopoulos, editorial assistant, Beauty
Peter Thomas Roth Acne Face & Body Scrub
"Every time the weather changes, my skin suffers from more breakouts than usual. This Peter Thomas Roth Acne Face & Body Scrub [5] ($28) is ideal for someone like me who has problematic yet sensitive skin. While the salicylic acid is sure to help clear up my blemishes, it also contains superfine jojoba beads to exfoliate and leave my skin feeling extra soft." — Krista Jones, assistant editor, Shop
Gibson & Dehn White Tea & Cedar Candle
"I'm a candle snob, and I barely exit my rotation of three tried-and-true favorites. I really only picked up this Gibson & Dehn White Tea & Cedar Candle [6] ($38) out of novelty, as the brand name is very similar to where my boyfriend works. I'm glad fate intervened and had me add this to my bougie shelf; this light, aquatic scent is totally perfect for Summer. The sandalwood, amber, and lemon scent gives me hope that I may get out of my concrete jungle soon and lay out on a beach. I love how the notes envelop a room without overpowering it, and if you've got any funky smells going on in your apartment, this will clear those right up. (Though I wouldn't know anything about funky smells because I am a rose-scented goddess all.of.the.time.)" — AD
Korres Cashmere Rose Body Butter Spray
"Nothing to see here . . . just the best-smelling body lotion I've smeared all over my fine self in a minute! Seriously, this Korres Cashmere Rose Body Butter Spray ($34, out later this month on HSN.com [7]) is a true delight to wear. It's a lightweight lotion, but instead of rubbing it on straight from the bottle, you spray it over your body like a perfume. What comes out is a thick, luxurious formula that's so soft and romantic, it should be a law that you have to put it on before each and every date night. What's more is that the smell is super long-lasting, so no matter how late your night goes, you'll smell like a damn dream." — AD
Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist Intense Deluxe Edition 7
"When Jurlique drops a new face mist, I consider it the social event of the season. All of the Australian spa brand's scents are splashy, feminine, and decadent. This Rosewater Balancing Mist Intense Deluxe Edition 7 [8] ($65 — try saying that five times fast!) comes in a cute-as-can-be hefty pink bottle and leaves your skin feeling super hydrated and refreshed. I'd highly recommend keeping this on hand for the grossly hot days to come, as it instantly lifts your mood and cools you down. It also leaves a nice dewy glow to your makeup look." — AD
Sisley-Paris Hydra-Global Serum
"This thick, water-based formula has a decadent lavender scent I cannot get over. That would be reason enough for me to engulf my face in it, but along with plain smelling nice, the Sisley-Paris Hydra-Global Serum ($270, out May 1) works wonders to make my fatigued, five-hours-of-sleep-a-night-looking face appear as if I just came back from a week at Canyon Ranch. It contains vitamin E acetate and malachite extract to stop free radicals from forming, plus adenosine to boost collagen production and Japanese cedar bud to exfoliate and provide elasticity. Basically, much like women, this serum can do it all." — AD
Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer in Fanta-Stic
"I just came off a bender of only wearing taxicab yellow nail polish [9] to match a similarly hued Winter coat. Now I'm (thankfully) shedding that faux fur number, but I'm still on my citrus kick. For the warmer months, I'm transitioning into the Creamsicle-orange Marc Jacobs Beauty Enamored Hi-Shine Nail Lacquer in Fanta-Stic [10] ($18). It's long-lasting (withstands my incessant nail-biting quite well), easy to apply (hello, huge polish brush), and professional enough to wear to work while still looking cute for the 'gram (a true must)." — AD
Beauty Pie Superactive Capsules
"These capsules may be teeny-tiny, but they pack a punch of peptides so strong, your skin will practically plump on command. Beauty Pie recently launched two versions — Pure Double Vitamin C & Vitamin E [11] and Hyaluronic Acid & Biopeptide Microspheres [12] ($65, or $11 with membership) — both of which your pores will suck up like a vacuum. Though each formula contains different active ingredients, both are targeted to halt visible signs of aging. Just squeeze the top, twist, and pinch out the liquid. I use it in lieu of serum right before moisturizer. (Squeezing the product out of the capsules is also weirdly satisfying . . . just putting that out there.)" — Maggie Panos, editor, Voices and SEO
Nannette de Gaspe Baume Noir
"Is this Nannette de Gaspe Baume Noir Face Cream [13] ($295, out May 1) pricey? You betcha. Is it worth it? I'm going to give a resounding hell yes to that question. This velvety-soft moisturizer is packed with squalene, vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and tea extract to keep things looking moisturized, firm, and super pretty. You can literally feel the blackberry-scented purple formula getting down deep into your skin, cleansing your face from the inside out. The result is positively radiant skin that will give you a filter-esque complexion just in time for wedding (and wedding photo) season." — AD
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Endless Blue
"As documented on POPSUGAR.com, my goal in life is to turn myself into a pair of blue jeans [14]. A noble pursuit, I know. I can now get a denim-blue eye shadow look courtesy of the Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil in Endless Blue [15] ($18), which is versatile enough to be both a liner and shadow. If you want a precise, thick stroke that won't budge, use it on your waterline for a killer look. You can also blend it into your lids to make a mean smoky eye. It's available in 39 shades, including a rose tone called Go Ahead Pink, which makes a lovely cheek blush too." — AD
Smashbox Always On Petal Metal Metallic Liquid Lipstick in In Bloom
"I've found it: the perfect rose gold lipstick. I will await my Nobel Peace Prize now. This Smashbox Always On Petal Metal Metallic Liquid Lipstick in In Bloom [16] ($24) is metallic without being too splashy, rosy without being too boring, and liquid enough to feel hydrating once applied, but matte enough that it won't end up all over your teeth. I'm so in love with the end result, I could cry. (I just have a lot of feelings, OK?!?)" — AD
Huda Beauty Obsessions Eye Shadow Palette in Gemstone
"Just as I was about to hit pan on my OG favorite Huda mini — the Electric Obsessions Palette [17] ($27) — its younger sister came a-calling. This compact Gemstone offering ($27, available May 1) has a range of crystal-esque hues that are oh so girlie and fun. I plan on wearing the emerald option for my birthday party, and I can count on the lighter rose gold hues to take me from 9-to-5." — AD
Kiehl's Glow Formula Skin Hydrator
"I'm a fan of Kiehl's products, plus a fan of looking f*cking fantastic, so when I saw Emma Stone [18] looking f*cking fantastic in a new Kiehl's product [19] at this year's Oscars, I knew I needed in. At long last, the Kiehl's Glow Formula Skin Hydrator [20] ($38) is available to us non-Oscar attendees, and I haven't gone a day without using it since it came to my desk. This formula is first and foremost a light moisturizer that slides perfectly over those hard-to-reach dry cracks in your face around your smile lines and nose. Along with that, it leaves a gradual highlight that works into a bonafide 'glow' the more you use it." — AD