SPIRITED
The Best (Free People) Beauty Products Of 2023
By: Allie White
Here are our top 20!
The stuff we reached for again and again…and again this year. (And they’re so good they’ll probably make our list next year, too.)
THE BEST WAY TO GIVE YOUR SKIN WHAT IT NEEDS, WHEN IT NEEDS IT:
Iconic. Bioactive. Mask heaven. Use them one at a time depending on what your skin needs that day or mix-and-match on different areas of your face.. Balance and strengthen your skin barrier with the Silica Mud Mask; nourish and detox with the Algae Mask; soothe and brighten with the Mineral Mask; improve texture and tone with the Lava Scrub Mask — truly, it’s impossible to go wrong with this thoughtful, incredibly effective quartet.
WHEN YOU WANT YOUR FACE TO FEEL LIKE A SALAD, IN A WONDERFUL WAY:
Clean, natural, unisex, minimal...the ideal words to describe this scrumptious face oil that seriously elevates the daily ritual of caring for your skin. While olive oil can sometimes be too heavy for sensitive or easy-to-clog faces, this stuff is magic. The perfect lightweight blend of olive, jojoba, sunflower, rosehip, sea buckthorn, and blue chamomile oils to soften and hydrate. Oh, and it smells like walking through an herb garden in a forest right after a light rain.
FOR A LUXURIOUS, INTENSELY SATISFYING SKIN CLEANSE:
When you’re just rinsing it down the drain, it’s easy for a cleanser to become an afterthought. Fortunately, YTTP’s Superfood Antioxidant Gel Cleanser is impossible to forget even after it’s long gone. The gel lathers beautifully as it removes dirt and toxins, and injects antioxidant goodness from cold-pressed superfoods like alfalfa, green tea, kale, and spinach.
THE SPF YOU’LL ACTUALLY ENJOY APPLYING EVERY MORNING:
Supergoop!’s Glowscreen is a cult favorite for a reason: Sun protection (SPF 40) in a lotion that doubles as a primer to prep skin for a day outside as well as for makeup application — what more could you ask for?!
ULTRA-FLATTERING, ULTRA-LONG-LASTING, NOT-AT-ALL-DRYING LIP COLOR:
If there was an award for the most hydrating, most flattering, most beloved lipstick of all time, Madame Gabriela would have no competition. Not only are the colors chef’s kiss perfection, the antioxidant-rich blend of Manuka honey, vitamin E, avocado oil, and lavender makes this stuff so hydrating and nourishing that you’ll be tempted to wear it to bed.
A FOOL-PROOF EYESHADOW THAT DOES GOOD FOR THE PLANET:
No single makeup product has ever been so easy to apply — and to apply well — as RMS’ Eyelights Cream Eyeshadow. No creasing, no smudging, no rubbing. Just gorgeous, buildable color that can be applied with a simple swipe of your finger in packaging that’s way better for the planet than your average cosmetic: eyeshadows are packaged in aluminum tubes with instructions on exactly how to recycle the packaging when you're done, complete with a little key to squeeze out every last drop so nothing goes to waste.
FOR DAYS WHEN YOU WANT TO PLAY “CHIC PARISIAN”:
Lips that look like you just ate a cherry popsicle and made out with your crush for an hour in the middle of a cafe in Paris? Check. Any and all shades of Le Lip Tint from French Girl Organics will help you achieve the aforementioned look. The mineral formula is a gorgeous blend of wildcrafted waxes, butters and oils to leave lips super-hydrated and beautifully tinted.
THE ACTUAL PERFECT BROW GEL:
If you’ve tried every other brow gel on the market and are ready to give up because clumping, sticking and weird tints aren’t your jam, please just give this a shot. Formulated for a soft-to-medium hold that just so happens to be buildable and long-lasting, the Cult Brow Soft Hold Brow Gel truly lives up to its name. Just looking for some light brow guidance? One coat it is. More serious hold? Layer this stuff to your heart's content without it getting goopy. Just want to condition your brows into feather-soft oblivion? Thanks to the pro vitamin B panthenol, you can do it all at once.
PERFUME FOR YOUR PITS, LUXURY EDITION:
Never before has a natural, plant-based, aluminum-free deodorant smelled so dang good and been so dang effective. The natural, synthetic fragrance-free formulas are delicate enough not to irritate your skin (thanks, seaweed extract and hyaluronic acid) but powerful enough to keep your pits smelling fresh — actually, they’ll smell like high-end perfume — for the entire day.
PERFUME FOR YOUR PITS, NATURE HIKE EDITION:
Another extremely effective, extremely delicious-smelling deodorant, this time from Milk + Honey. No harmful chemicals or aluminum here: just a lovely, effective mix of baking soda, arrowroot powder, lavender oil, shea butter and tea tree oil.
SUPER-CHIC SUDS:
Terra-Tory’s Soap Cubes are truly the pinnacle of natural luxury — there’s something about seeing and feeling the naturally-occuring flecks of ingredients throughout the soap that makes you feel as virtuous washing your body with these as drinking a green juice after meditating.
A TRANSPORTIVE,TRANSCENDENT FRAGRANCE:
We love a brand that honors its history while looking toward its future, and Free People has absolutely nailed it with this fragrance launch. Named after the company’s first office in Philadelphia, the 1809 Collection is a beautiful display of 100% natural formulas totally devoid of artificial notes and chemically-altered ingredients. With Surf, we have a warm floral, citrus, exotic flower blend anchored in vanilla notes. Vacation in a bottle.
THE SOLUTION TO GREASY POST-BODY-MOISTURIZING HANDS:
How has it taken this long to solve the problem of having too-oily hands after a full-body moisturization session? No matter, PROSHINE is the hero we needed and they delivered. What looks like a stick of deodorant is actually an ultra-moisturizing, solid blend of 100% plant-derived shea butter, mango butter, moringa oil, tamanu seed oil, and B5 that offers full-body skin hydration while keeping your hands clean, literally.
GUA SHA FOR YOUR BODY,
MINUS THE GUA SHA:
And for those among us who like a little something left on our hands, allow me to introduce MARA’s Sea Sculpt™ Body oil. Yes, it’s moisturizing as heck but what’s really appealing about this stuff is that it has the power — thanks to plankton and celery seed — to firm up and sculpt skin.
GET YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM UNDER CONTROL:
This drinkable magnesium will 1) make you feel like Alice in Wonderland thanks to the spirulina that tints the water blue and 2) give you the best, stress-free sleep of your life. Oh, and it’ll also help support gut health, energy levels, muscle strength, and bone density — all while tasting like lemonade.
YOUR BEST FRIEND BETWEEN WASHES:
A tress refresh on non-wash days, Summary’s dry shampoo powder harnesses the oil-absorbing power of arrowroot and bamboo powders, the shine-reducing benefits of tapioca and rice starch, and the antioxidant benefits of butterfly pea flower and blueberry extract. Bonus points for the non-aerosol pump delivery — you’ll never end up accidentally swallowing a cloud of this stuff while using it.
FOR THE HEALTHIEST SCALP OF YOUR LIFE:
You should be treating your scalp the same way you treat the skin on your face: with care and attention to what ails it on any given day. Act + Acre’s Microbiome Cooling Scalp Serum is the answer to that personalized skincare approach when your head is feeling particularly itchy. The leave-on formula works to balance the scalp’s microbiome and get it to a healthy, calm, non-flakey place.
A CLEVER, FORGETFULNESS-PROOF
WATER BOTTLE:
In the immortal words of Zoolander™, “moisture is the essence of wetness and wetness is the essence of beauty.” Make your hydrating experience cute and functional with Mayim’s ingenious collapsible bottle. The slinky-like body means it takes up virtually no space if you’re throwing it in a bag on the go, and the carabiner clip means you’ll never lose it. No excuse not to hit your water goals every day!
THE THING YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED BUT NOW CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT:
Never again will the front of your hair fall out of its ponytail and mingle with the sudsy water you’re using to wash your face. No more fringe getting tangled in your mascara wand. Adios to crusty strands that found their way into a clay mask during spa night. While Kitsch’s spa headband is comically extra-wide, it delivers with 100% efficacy on its promise to keep your hair where it belongs and keep it there clean and dry.
A TINY BIT OF FUNGUS POWER
IN YOUR POCKET:
Mushrooms are having a “moment” in the wellness world, but hopefully it’s a long-lasting one: these smart fungi have been revered for their healing powers for centuries. What is unique about the current moment, though, is the delivery mechanism, which is what makes SuperMush’s approach so appealing. Pop one of their mints — Creativity or Daily Flow — and reap the benefits of Cordyceps, Reishi, and Lion’s Mane before you can say “mushrooms are magic.”
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