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These New Beauty Products Are Here To End 2023 On The Perfect High Note

The most wonderful time of year.

Updated: Dec. 25, 2023

Originally Published: Dec. 17, 2023

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The weather outside is slowly inching toward frightful, but it doesn’t get much more delightful than hunkering down with your just-discovered hair, makeup, and skin favorites. Perhaps more so than any other month, December 2023’s best new beauty products have impressive range. If you still need to work out a winter-friendly hydration routine, for example, there’s plenty of robust formulas launching. On the other side of the coin, there’s plenty of more frivolous fun with things like eye glitter and head-turning hair perfume. It’s all joyful enough to feel like a party no matter what your holiday plans are, like a glass of prosecco in product form.

One universal theme, though? Most of the new December launches seem to be all about maximizing shine — pretty appropriate for this time of year. Glow Recipe’s recently-released toner is all about revealing your brightest, smoothest skin, for example, while OUAI’s highly-anticipated gloss puts a spotlight on your hair. With New Year’s Eve just days away, it’s impossible to resist the allure of product-induced glow.

Ahead, explore the best new beauty finds of December across hair, makeup, and skin care. There’s still plenty of time to end 2023 on the ultimate high note.

December 2023 Skin Care Launches

If your skin can’t quite handle slugging but still needs some extra wintertime TLC, try a barrier-specific cream like Drunk Elephant’s new arrival. Apply it as the final step in your evening routine so it locks in your other products, using its proprietary blend of lipid-rich butters to prevent moisture loss. | Pros: Sanitary push-down dispenser; improves redness | Notable Ingredients: 6-Butterlipid complex; alpha glucan; zinc and copper gluconates |

Best New Toner

Glow Recipe

Cloudberry Bright Essence Toner

$38

In clinical studies, participants found Glow Recipe’s brightening toner started noticeably working after just two weeks — start it now for luminous skin within the first month of the new year. The secret is in its antioxidant and vitamin C levels, both instrumental for increasing the efficacy of other products and revealing your best, smoothest complexion. | Pros: Good for hyperpigmentation and dullness | Notable Ingredients: Cloudberry concentrate; glycerin; Coenzyme Q10; rice water |

Best New Mask

Murad

Cellular Hydration Barrier Repair Mask

$55

It took two full years to perfect the richly hydrating formula of Murad’s new mask, a buttery, instantly-soothing cream that works overnight to repair and restore stressed skin. It can be used alone or as part of the brand’s just-launched Cellular Hydration trio. | Pros: Suitable for all skin types; fast-acting | Notable Ingredients: Bilberry seed oil; hibiscus extract; shea butter |

December 2023 Hair Care Launches

Best New Scalp Treatment

Goldie Locks

Scalp Serum

$90

Luxurious and highly effective might be the best hair care product combination as far as user experience goes. Goldie Locks’s latest checks all the boxes with a revitalizing serum that helps clear and stimulate the scalp. It’s formulated with a proprietory blend, Capixyl, to help foster growth and improved density. | Pros: Tapered dropper for targeted application; multi-benefit | Notable Ingredients: Bakuchiol; ginseng root extract; niacinamide |

Best New Shampoos

Living Proof

Clarifying Detox Shampoo

$36

Even thinner hair and sensitive scalps will love Living Proof’s gentle yet robust clarifying shampoo. It helps clear away product and hard water buildup, as well as infuse hair with some weightless moisture. | Pros: Non-harsh | Notable Ingredients: Charcoal powder; stearic acid |

BREAD BEAUTY SUPPLY

Clear-Wash: Detox Clarifying Shampoo

$24

Wash 2023 out of your hair with BREAD’s just-released clarifying shampoo, a satisfying-to-use cleanser that harnesses a botanical blend to clear the scalp and strands of buildup. Fragrance-free and suitable for all hair types — even color-treated — it’s the best way to leave the year behind. | Pros: Pump-style dispenser; sulfate-free | Notable Ingredients: Sage; rosemary; eucalyptus leaf extract; amino acids |

Best New Hair Gloss

OUAI

Hair Gloss In-Shower Shine Treatment

$34

It’s been a long time coming — fans have been asking OUAI founder Jen Atkin for a hair gloss for years, and the brand really delivered. Apply it all-over after shampooing, wait about five minutes, and rinse it out for tons of shine and even a color vibrancy boost. | Pros: Suitable for all hair types; in-shower treatment | Notable Ingredients: Sugar beets; rice water; hyaluronic acid |

Best New Conditioner

John Frieda

ULTRAfiller+ Thickening Conditioner For Fine Hair

$12

The name is pretty accurate here. Using gap-bridging technology, John Frieda’s new conditioner fills in the spaces between hair fibers for an instantly denser, thicker look and feel. It’s part of a three-step system that includes a shampoo and leave-in spray, but even on its own, the product works wonders. | Pros: Works with one use; created for fine hair | Notable Ingredients: Biotin; hyaluronic acid |

Best New Hair Perfume

Balmain Paris Hair Couture

Hair Perfume in Cardamom 1974

$177

Balmain Hair Couture’s cardamom-scented spray is so much more than a simple fragrance. It’s formulated specifically for hair, eschewing alcohol and drying ingredients in favor off shine-boosting, moisturizing alternatives. Spritz it through your lengths for reflective luster and the warmest holiday note blend. | Pros: Gentle on hair; long-lasting | Notable Ingredients: Silk protein; argan oil |

December 2023 Makeup Launches

Best New Eyeshadow

Pat McGrath Labs

ChromaLuxe Artistry Pigment

$35

Catch anyone’s eye with the Dame’s latest launch. Available in six otherworldly shades, the creamy texture is easy to apply with fingertips, gliding across the lid and leaving behind the most mesmerizing finish. | Pros: Powerful sparkle; rich color options | Notable Ingredients: N/A |

Best New Lip gloss

Too Faced

Kissing Jelly Lip Oil Gloss

$22

Part juicy lip oil, part long-lasting gloss, Too Faced’s kiss-proof product is a taste of summer in the dead of winter. Choose between six semi-sheer shades, ranging from sparkle finish to high-shine. | Pros: Large, soft applicator; glass-like shine | Notable Ingredients: Sunflower seed oil |

Best New Eyeliner

Fenty Beauty by Rihanna

Glitty Lid Shimmer Liquid Eyeliner

$24

Fun fact: you’ve probably already seen this eyeliner in action. Rihanna wore the silver shade to Fenty Beauty’s official Ulta launch back in 2022, a metallic cat-eye that sparkled even in photographs. Now, it’s finally available to the masses in three party-perfect colors. | Pros: Fine-tipped applicator; shimmer finish | Notable Ingredients: Mica; silica |

Best New Lipstick

Neen

Going Steady Longwear Lip Tint

$29

The perfect lipstick for sipping, kissing, and chatting away is finally here. Neen’s new launch glides right onto lips and drys down into a soft matte finish that never feels too dry or on the verge of cracking. It’s impressively long-lasting, even through a long night of holiday cheers. | Pros: Non-drying; transfer-proof | Notable Ingredients: Avena sativa kernel oil |

Best New Foundation

CoverGirl

Simply Ageless Skin Perfector Essence Foundation

$22

Welcome to the new frontier. One-part makeup, one-part skin care, CoverGirl’s latest foundation uses a plant-based retinol alternative to plump up skin, while the pigment portion of the formula blurs and evens out tone. | Pros: Multifunctional | Notable Ingredients: Bakuchiol; glycerin |

December 2023 Body Care Launches

Sol de Janeiro

Delícia Drench Body Butter

$48

Body skin needs extra TLC in the winter, and Sol de Janeiro’s latest launch is just the thing to keep dryness and KP at bay. The rich cream melts right into every zone of the body, while the fresh, tropical scent is nearly enough to stave off the winter blues on its own. | Pros: Lingering scent; instantly absorptive | Notable Ingredients: Bacuri butter; prebiotic hibiscus |

This article was originally published on Dec. 17, 2023