The Best Beauty Products We Tried in May, Including Bella Hadid’s Perfume and a New Tarte Primer

At PEOPLE, we take beauty testing very seriously. We regularly sift through hundreds—no—thousands of suggestions and products, carefully selecting, spraying, and applying the latest and greatest deals so that we can share with you, dear readers, the ones that are worth your hard-earned money.

And we’re very aware that beauty products are subjective, which is why we consult with experts like dermatologists, makeup artists and hair stylists to determine what will best suit our specific skin and hair type. Sometimes, though, there are those particularly great deals that we feel the need to shout from the top of the mountain of bottles, tubes and packaging, which is why we’re publishing this monthly series of our absolute favorite picks.

Below, we round up the makeup, skin care, and hair products that made us try again in May. From the hydrating Tarte primer that removed one editor’s makeup shine during an 85-degree outdoor wedding to the fragrance-body oil hybrid that marks supermodel Bella Hadid’s first foray into beauty, these are the beauty products we couldn’t get enough of this month.

Anisa Beauty Pinnacle skin brush

Beauty Anisa

Buy at Anisabeauty.com $28

“With dozens of new products landing on my desk every day, I was a bit skeptical when I opened the box and found this skincare brush. From the first swipe, I could see it smoothing all my lotions and potions into a more even layer than I could ever do with my skilled hands. And, because of how quickly I could work with the brush (and, let’s be real, because it picked up my abundance of product) I was more inclined to treat my neck and chest as well.” — Jackie Fields, Deputy Beauty Director

The 7 best makeup brushes, tested and reviewed

Makeup by Mario Softsculpt Multi-Use Bronzing and Shaping Serum

Sephora

Buy at Sephora $36

“Makeup by Mario’s Bronzing and Shaping Serum is up for grabs for one of my favorite products this summer. The lightweight formula is thicker than your average bronzer drops, but not as concentrated as a cream bronzer, making it the perfect product for your skin’s-but-better glow.” — Karli Bendlin, Director of Content Strategy

Neutrogena Invisible Daily Defense Face Serum SPF 60+

Amazon

Buy at Amazon $21 $13 Buy at Target $17

“I always joke that my face is the palest part of my body in the summer, but it’s for good reason — I’m liberal with face sunscreen. And recently, this SPF 60 serum that Halle Bailey once raved about has been the easiest way to ensure my skin gets sun protection and the hydration he needs. Whether I’m heading to the beach or a sweet morning brunch, you can expect this sunscreen/serum hybrid to butter up my skin.” — Alyssa Brascia, Shopping Writer

The 12 best beach-tested sunscreens from Neutrogena, Supergoop and more

Cadence Set for skin care

Cadence

Buy at Amazon $42 Buy at The Container Store $42 Buy at Keepyourcadence.com $42

“I’ve been a fan of the Cadence capsules for a while, but I’ve recently been introduced to their skin care package and it’s a huge plus for summer travel. This set of three capsules is shorter and wider than the brand’s classic medium capsules, so it’s perfect for gooey skin care products like serums and sunscreens.” — Erin Johnson, Associate Editorial Director

Elf Cosmetics Stay Cool Primer Stick

Elf cosmetics

Buy at Target $7 Buy at Ulta $8 $4 Buy at Elfcosmetics.com $7

“I can list all the advantages of the new Elf Cosmetics primer stick (like its super moisturizing ingredients, the cooling gel formulation or the extremely easy application), but I’ll cut to the chase: this is the best primer I’ve ever tried. A few swipes of this will make my skin the most radiant ever, even without makeup, which by the way is super smooth and has mega staying power with the primer below. You definitely don’t want to sleep on this $7 steal.” — Michelle Lee, Editorial Assistant

Tarte Base Tape moisturizing primer

Ulta

Buy at Ulta $18

“I threw this Tarte Hydrating Primer in my travel bag for a wedding I was attending and it totally blew me away. It applied so smoothly, had a light feel and a fresh coconut scent. It was hydrating and set my makeup nicely, but didn’t add any extra shine, which was impressive since it was 85 degrees outside during the event.” — Madison Yauger, Shopping Editor

Farmacy Honey Milk moisturizing essence

Sephora

Buy at Sephora $34

“I recently became obsessed with this moisturizing essence from Farmacy, and now I can’t travel without it. The texture is super light and creamy, and it absorbs like a dream into moist skin. The deeply hydrating formula is packed with moisturizing ceramides and soothing chamomile, and it hasn’t broken out my reactive skin in the two months I’ve been using it. If anything, my skin is more even than usual!” — Cai Cramer, Shopping writer

Orebella Salted Muse perfume

Ulta

Buy at Ulta $35

“Let me say before this that I am a long time fan of Bella Hadid. Naturally, I was eager to grab one of her first fragrances when Orebella launched – but no matter how much I admire celebrities, I won’t flaunt their products unless I really approve of the quality. With high expectations, I spritzed Salted Muse onto my skin and rubbed in the oil-based formula—the enticing scent of sea salt, sandalwood, lavender, and fig—and this fragrance became my new fixation.” — Alyssa Brascia

Matrix Food for Soft rich moisturizing mask

Matrix

Buy at Amazon $42 Buy at Ulta $42

“My hair has been on the verge of falling out since I started swimming every day, so this hair mask from Matrix came into my life at just the right time. After just one use, my dry and frizzy hair was noticeably softer and shinier. I’ve been using it for about a month now and I can see a huge difference in the way my hair falls and bounces — it’s brought life back to my damaged hair!” — Erin Johnson

Fenty Soft’ Lit Naturally Luminous Longwear powder

Fenty

Buy at Sephora $40 Buy at Fentybeauty.com $40

“In high school, I struggled with a severe bout of acne caused by a horrible drugstore powder. So as you can imagine, every time I have to test a new facial product for work, all I see are red flags and warning signs. But the new Fenty Beauty foundation, which I use in the shade 175, changed everything for me. This formula works overtime to actually be good for your skin—and by that I mean hydrating, brightening, and delivering antioxidants—instead of just clogging it up in product.” — Michelle Lee

Altesse Studio The Repair & Shine hair brush

Studio Altesse

Buy at Altesse-studio.com $260

“Altesse Studio has been making luxury hairbrushes in France since 1875, but the brand only recently entered the US. The high-quality brushes are made from 100% wild boar hair, which help capture and distribute oil throughout the hair for shinier and smoother locks. However, what helped me the most was that regular use of Repair & Shine’s signature brush should allow for longer shampooing intervals, and after a few weeks of using their recommended 100-stroke method — Marcia Brady would be proud! — I am officially a believer.” — Carly Bendlin

dpHUE Glossy Glaze

dpHUE

Buy at Dphue.com $29

“I was shocked to see that after drying after this shower treatment, my hair seemed to glow with a deeper, richer shade that almost looked like my purest color had been pulled from the roots. From the very first use, my locks were shiny and hydrated—looking and feeling healthier than they had in a long time (it didn’t hurt that I had just cut my hair into a French bob). The slight color lasted about two washes (noticeably), but the hydration seemed to last much longer.” — Alyssa Brascia

Lancôme Hypnôse Drama mascara

Lancôme

Buy at Nordstrom $33 $17 Buy at Lancome-usa.com $33

“Can we normalize wearing dramatic lashes every day? If you agree, I have a mascara recommendation for you. This newbie to Lancôme brings drama with a buildable formula that gives you bold lashes with every swipe. You also don’t have to worry about run-on or mascara running down your eyes for the rest of the night because it has a strong hold (trust me, as someone with almond-shaped eyes and oily lids).” — Michelle Lee

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education