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Get A Jumpstart On Building Your Summer Beauty Arsenal With May’s Best New Products

Summer’s almost here.

by Amanda Ross

Updated: May 30, 2023

Originally Published: May 7, 2023

Isle Of Paradise

Woman using Isle Of Paradise shower products

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

Who needs May flowers when you could have a cabinet full of pre-summer beauty products instead? The month’s just begun, but already, increasingly-packed calendars and climbing temperatures (not to mention the lifted moods they bring) suggest it’s the ideal time to start transitioning hair, makeup, and skin care routines into more summer-friendly versions. As it happens, though, May’s best new beauty products have the entire situation covered — head-to-toe, in fact.

The start of a fresh season always brings with it some of the year’s best formulations, often especially designed to deal with heat- and sun-centric issues. This month’s just-launched products make quick work of all sorts of summer dilemmas: KP bumps and strawberry legs, split ends, dull skin, and makeup that won’t slide around the second you start to sweat. It all starts in the shower with Isle Of Paradise’s just-released body care collection, complete with exfoliants, hydrating washes, and targeted treatments all designed to make users feel their most confident while baring skin this summer. Meanwhile, humidity-exacerbated frizz (and, let’s be real, hair sweat) meets its match with an alluring, luxe hair perfume scent from SACHAJUAN. And while everyone else is dealing with migrating makeup, incredibly lifelike falsies by Velour and a buildable serum foundation from French favorite Rituel de Filles are designed to hang on all day.

Ahead, explore the very best of May beauty.

May 2023 Skin Care Launches

Best New Mask

Lancer Skincare Legacy Saffron + Sandalwood Treatment Mask

Lancer Skincare

Legacy Saffron + Sandalwood Treatment Mask

With wedding season in full swing, be the most luminous guest at the reception with Lancer Skincare’s new, big event-perfect peel-off mask. Hero ingredient saffron targets inflammation, one root cause of everything from hyperpigmentation to compromised skin barriers. | Pros: 30-minute treatment time; peel-off | Notable Ingredients: Saffron petal; Indian sandalwood; caviar lime |

Best New Cleanser

Pai PHAZE PHA Clarifying Face Wash

PHAZE PHA Clarifying Face Wash

As temperatures climb, all that sweat and sunscreen can lead to increased breakouts, especially for the acne-prone skin. Pai’s PHA-powered cleanser thoroughly clears pores and lifts away congestion while delivering a balancing boost of moisture. | Pros: Uses PHA, a gentler alternative to AHA exfoliants; regulates skin microbiome; best for oily or combination skin | Notable Ingredients: Gluconolactone (PHA); prebiotic insulin; NMF sugar complex |

Best New Moisturizer

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan

Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan

Oily and acne-prone skin types, your summer salvation is here. As The Ordinary’s very first gel moisturizer, this new launch only requires a pea-sized amount of product to restore hydration levels and prevent further water loss — without overwhelming the skin with oil or exacerbating breakouts. | Pros: Lightweight; safe for use on active acne | Notable Ingredients: Beta glucan (derived from reishi mushrooms) |

Best New Face Oil

TULA Overnight Oil Concentrate

Overnight Oil Concentrate

Part serum, part oil, TULA’s latest launch works overtime to smooth the look of fine lines, even out tone and discoloration, and add moisture and bounce back in through a fortified moisture barrier. | Pros: Clinically researched; suitable for all skin types | Notable Ingredients: Peptides; alpine rose; summer truffle; niacinamide; prebiotic-probiotic blend |

Best New Serum

Sulwhasoo Concentrated Ginseng Brightening Serum

Concentrated Ginseng Brightening Serum

Managing to smooth texture, brighten uneven tones, and deliver hydration to thirsty skin, Sulwhasoo’s latest serum is the multiuse workhorse that might just become the centerpiece of your entire routine. | Pros: Great for all skin types; a little goes a long way | Notable Ingredients: Melasolv; ginseng; niacinamide; glycerin |

Best New Lip Balm

Rose Inc. Lip Treatment Hydrating Balm

Lip Treatment Hydrating Balm

Your new permanent purse companion is right here. Chicly packaged and infused with the softest scent, Rose Inc.’s new lip balm delivers instant hydration and slip, lightly plumping lips for a line-smoothing effect. | Pros: Hydrating and plumping; 50 percent PCP packaging | Notable Ingredients: Rosehip fruit extract; ginseng glycolic extract; plant epidermal growth factor |

May 2023 Hair Launches

Best New Curl Creme

Kevin.Murphy Killer.Twirls Nourishing Curl Refining Air-Dry Creme

Killer.Twirls Nourishing Curl Refining Air-Dry Creme

A one-and-done for bouncy, air-dried ease, Kevin.Murphy’s new cream shellacks curls in a hydrating, defining blend of organic oat milk, shea butter, and an in-house refining complex. Together, they shape and maximize curls while reducing frizz and adding healthy shine — no blow-dry necessary. | Pros: Hydrating; anti-humidity | Notable Ingredients: Shea butter; oat milk, citric acid |

Best New Wave Spray

Redken Beach Spray Volume & Texture Spray For Beachy Waves

Beach Spray Volume & Texture Spray For Beachy Waves

Instant beach waves, no coast — or harsh salt — required. Redken’s new Beach Spray adds bends, waves, and a sultry, tousled texture when spritzed on dry hair. The sea salt-free formula is surprisingly lightweight, without crunch or stickiness. | Pros: Fresh scent; non-drying | Notable Ingredients: Limonene; calcium carbonate |

Best New Scalp Treatment

dpHUE ACV Exfoliating Scalp Detox

ACV Exfoliating Scalp Detox

Regular scalp detox is an essential for hair health, but it’s stress-free with dpHUE’s latest. The easy-to-use bottle features a tapered tip for direct application to the scalp, while the gently exfoliating formula removes buildup, excessive oil, and stimulates blood flow for hair growth. | Pros: Only requires 10 minutes | Notable Ingredients: Apple cider vinegar; glycerin; clover flower extract |

Best New Conditioner

Redken Acidic Bonding Concentrate Lightweight Liquid Conditioner

Acidic Bonding Concentrate Lightweight Liquid Conditioner

Hair bonding treatments are among the industry’s biggest breakthroughs in recent years, and the effects of Redken’s latest conditioner help prove why the technology is so useful. The AHA in the formula fortify weakened hair bonds, bolstered further when combined with the line’s exisiting shampoo-conditioner duo. | Pros: Spray-style application method; lightweight; bond-rebuilding | Notable Ingredients: Citric acid |

Best New Hair Perfume

Protective Hair Perfume Bois Noir

Protective Hair Perfume Bois Noir

Really, SACHAJUAN’s latest soon-to-be-cult launch is so much more than just a new edition of the brand’s hair-friendly fragrance. Not only is it free of the drying ingredients often found in traditional perfumes, but the spray-on also reduces static and frizz, adds some weightless shine, and even protects against color-fading UV damage. | Pros: Multifunctional; odor-masking; notes of sandalwood, vanilla, cashmere, cardamom | Notable Ingredients: Olive oil esters; sunflower seed extract |

Best New Hair Mask

Matrix Food For Soft Hair Mask

Food For Soft Hair Mask

Sundays are for sleeping in and self-care — and this thick, hydrating mask sets hair up for success all week long. Especially useful for dry or porous hair, it helps rebuild moisture level without fading color or leaving behind a greasy residue. | Pros: Suitable for all hair types; fast-acting | Notable Ingredients: Avocado oil; hyaluronic acid; |

May 2023 Makeup Launches

Best New Mascara

Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Volumizer Mascara

Thrive Causemetics

Liquid Lash Volumizer Mascara

Glossy, dramatic volume is easily achievable with Thrive Causemetic’s newest release, but it might be the simultaneous conditioning, strengthening benefits that makes this mascara a must. While the fluffy-bristled, tapered brush curls, plumps, and lengthens, the formula’s fortifying peptides and hydrating ingredients coats lashes. | Pros: Available in two shades; great for all lash types; conditioning | Notable Ingredients: peptides; sodium hyaluronate; organic pea sprout; castor seed oil |

Best New Brow Pencil

ILIA In Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil

In Full Micro-Tip Brow Pencil

Fans have been waiting for a brow pencil made with ILIA’s signature, sophisticated take on minimalism since the brand first launched, but the In Full brow pencil makes the wait worthwhile. A finely angled nib deposits just enough pigment, available in eight ultra-natural shades, with a spoolie found at the other end for easy brushing. | Pros: Lifelike shades; double-ended pencil | Notable Ingredients: provitamin B5 |

Best New Blush

Makeup By Mario Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil

Makeup By Mario

Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil

Creamy, weightless, and available in six summer-friendly shades, Mario Dedivanovic’s latest launch is the very definition of effortless. The dewy-finishes blushes glide on in a sheer wash of buildable color, all illuminated by the formula’s signature pearlescent finish. | Pros: Fingertip application-friendly; highly blendable | Notable Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid; castor oil |

Best New Eyeshadow Palette

MAC Cosmetics Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette in Unfiltered Nudes

Connect In Colour Eye Shadow Palette in Unfiltered Nudes

Every colorway featured in MAC’s new, artist-curated Connect In Colour line is great, but the best of the bunch might be Unfiltered Nudes, a harmonious assemblage of 12 true neutral shadow shades. For more pop, try the other six palettes in the collections. | Pros: Magnet-close aluminum casing; 6- and 12-pan palettes available |

Best New Brow Gel

MILK MAKEUP KUSH Clear Eyebrow Lamination Gel

KUSH Clear Eyebrow Lamination Gel

Equipped with a micro-sized spoolie for extra control and definition, MILK’s new eyebrow gel lifts, separates, and freezes even the most wayward brow hairs for all-day hold. | Pros: Strong 8-hour hold | Cons: Only clear available currently | Notable Ingredients: Hemp-Derived Cannabis Seed Oil |

Best New Foundation

Rituel de Fille 3 Drop Weightless Serum Foundation

Rituel de Fille

3 Drop Weightless Serum Foundation

That elusive, polished-but-natural French girl face makeup is never easier than Rituel de Fille’s new foundation — it’s straight from the source. A serum-style foundation that delivers tone-evening yet breathable coverage with just a few drops, it’s ideal for what will surely be a sweltering summer. | Pros: Skin care-makeup hybrid; 24-shade range; buildable coverage | Notable Ingredients: Jojoba oil; marula oil; fermented phytoene |

Best New Eyeliner

Eye Love You Eye Pencil

Westman Atelier

Eye Love You Eye Pencil

To introduce her new ultra-precise eyeliner, makeup artist Gucci Westman put it to the most glamorous test: Anne Hathaway’s Met Gala makeup look. Available in a cool-toned brown and classic black, the no-tug eye pencil glides right over delicate lids and lashes, complete with smear-free staying power. | Pros: Sharpenable; smooth application | Notable Ingredients: Khôl; jojoba oil; shea butter |

Best New False Eyelashes

Velour Lashes Velour-Xtensions False Lashes Kit

Velour-Xtensions False Lashes Kit

The secret to so many stellar red carpet beauty moments? Some strategically-placed falsies. Velour’s new set helps nail that dramatic-yet-natural effect with lifelike fibers and 12 clustered lashes that provide so much more freedom than strip-style falsies. | Pros: Customizable; tweezers and bond included; beginner-friendly |

May 2023 Body & Nail Launches

Best New Nail Polish

Deborah Lippmann Summer Nail Polish Collection

Deborah Lippmann

Summer Nail Polish Collection

Deborah Lippmann’s summer drop features a four-piece polish collection that taps into the season’s biggest trends. The poolside-perfect colors all feature an infusion of chromatic shimmer that makes popular manicures like mermaid nails a snap. | Pros: Four included colors |

Best New Body Sunscreen

Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen Body SPF 40

Unseen Sunscreen Body SPF 40

“Fan-favorite” doesn’t even begin to cover the fervor Supergoop!’s OG Unseen Sunscreen inspires — now that it’s available for body, expect even more exalting. The sheer, velvety finish makes it an SPF you actually want to apply. | Pros: Invisible finish; doubles as primer | Cons: Not available in mineral form | Notable Ingredients: Olive leaf extract; avobenzone; plant-derived emollients |

Best New Body Exfoliant

Isle Of Paradise Confidently Clear Body Polish Scrub

Isle Of Paradise

Confidently Clear Body Polish Scrub

TikTok’s favorite self-tan brand is expanding into all things body this May with the launch of its Brilliantly Bright and Confidently Clear collections. The latter line’s in-shower body scrub combines physical and chemical exfoliation (and a great tropical scent) to slough off dead skin, fight body acne and KP, and soften you up all over. | Pros: Multiple exfoliation methods; clinically tested | Notable Ingredients: Glycolic acid; polyglutamic acid; hyaluronic acid |

This article was originally published on May 7, 2023