Perfect enough for the new year, too…

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By contributor Arden Andrews. Illustration by Alessandra Olanow.

Rolling into a new year and a new attitude, we’re taking a look back at the best FP-vetted beauty and wellness products of 2022. Whether a bestseller or an insider favorite, someone on our team considers each of these personal hits, like a set of Recess Pickleball Paddles whose elegantly wrapped handles are so dazzling that they become a winning distraction on the court, or The Nue Co Forest Lungs “sensory supplement” fragrance that bottles the experience of bathing in nature, or Norden’s chicly packaged Incense Kit with all of the trimmings to set new intentions.

Below, a trip through the 22 products that we’ve deemed valuable enough to carry into 2023:

An airport-friendly traveler delight. A reusable, collapsible water bottle that squishes down for extra bag space, then accordion-stretches out to hold fresh water in a silicone capsule that feels a little bit like a squishy water balloon.

So chic that pickleball enthusiasts and beginners alike will ooooh and aaaah over their paddle designs and elegantly wrapped handles.

A little of everything you need on a trip and wish you had in a smaller size – like a pouch of No.8 Sleep gummies that help you conquer jet lag with a melatonin and Vitamin B6 blend right next to a tube (not a huge tub!) of Briogeo’s best-selling hair mask.

The rare hydrating cheek and lip oil stain that goes on sheer with its blend of desert oils and botanicals (like cactus flower extract) for pillowy lips and dewy cheeks.

A favorite of makeup artists like Katey Denno, each tiny aluminum tube (complete with one of those handy roller keys for maximizing every drop before recycling) holds a light-reflecting formula that nourishes eyes with natural peptide quinoa extracts.

Finally, an aluminum-free deodorant that’s actually slim, trim, and carry-on ready. Summary’s antioxidant-packed formula absorbs moisture with bamboo powder that seems invisible — plus doesn’t transfer onto clothes.

If you’re a bronzer person, consider Pai’s Impossible Glow bronzing drops, the fastest way to get that sunkissed look with an extra dose of skincare. Hyaluronic acid and sea kelp hydrate and brighten over time for a long-game glow.

An organic, vegan dry shampoo made of only six ingredients and designed by editorial hairstylist Helen Reavey to detoxify and nourish the scalp with every use, one of the recipe’s all-stars is fulvic acid. The “super-nutrient” delivers minerals directly into the follicle to restore the microbiome.

Two long-lasting wicks, and your choice of two best-selling fragrances designed to bring the feeling of a holiday escape home. Save the amber glass after they burn out (just pour boiling water inside and voila!) for an amber vanity vessel.

At this point, everyone has seen Bethany Frankel lose it on Tiktok over this pressed, solid serum, and the Maya Chia offices ultimately cry with joy. Ultra-portable thanks to its no-leak solid formula, expect a scent that’s something like an orange ice cream pop.

Smooth, handheld orbs of solid moisturizer, these waterless Body Stone recipes mean hydration with no fillers, no preservatives — all skin nutrition: “It’s like a power green juice for your body,” says founder Kate McLeod.

Designed by Austin’s holistic-meets-Harvard-trained skincare queen Dr. Kristina Collins MD FAAD, who tells FP that her vulva oil blend delivers “modern preventative health strategies by promoting a healthy microbiome with pre and probiotics. Botanicals and emollients combine to promote healthy hormone levels of the skin and beautify this sacred space.”

A sleeping retinol oil for night use, Mara’s formula mixes brown seaweed and fermented green tea with gentle retinol that encourages cell turnover while boosting the hydration barrier for clearer, bouncier skin.

Packaged in a slick metal recyclable lipstick tube, the colors are sheer and balmy — like Azalea, a pink wash that looks like a sweet teen dream, and Desire, a transparent rouge. Each lip tint hydrates with a mix of oils like castor, avocado, and coconut.

Expect a full day (12 hours at least, before you wash your face) of smudge and flake-free inky black fringe, plus the promise that this peptide-rich formula has the potential to actually help lashes re-densify rather than deplete.

This “sensory supplement” unisex fragrance bottles the experience of bathing in nature. It’s a smoky vegan and cruelty-free scent that replicates phytoncides, aka molecular compounds produced in forests that are believed to have positive health benefits including stress and anxiety reduction.

The nostalgic fragrance, the retro font, the whole Vacation spirit is captured in a tube that will delight anyone in a five-foot radius. If you’re cool with chemical SPF, go with Classic; if you’re more of a physical SPF person, go with Mineral. Either way, you can’t go wrong with this vegan, paraben-free sunscreen.

Zero-crash caffeine with the kind of pour-stir-sip convenience that comes in handy on a deadline, ahead of a competition, or just on a Tuesday where one more conversation requires an energy boost. Powdered green tea, guarana, ashwagandha, and vitamin B help with focus and mental clarity without the jitters.

An oil-infused sheer, vegan lip gloss with the subtlest hint of light-reflecting shine, this has no stickiness and the gentlest sherbet scent to keep you coming back.

Tood’s Bioglitter “is crafted from non-toxic plant cellulose (hence the name),” says FP contributor Aemilia Madden, who test-drove every color of the biodegradable glitter and says that subtle Brother/Sister “will simply add a slight ‘I want to party’ sheen to a jeans and tee going-out look. But, if you layer on products, the result is a full-on glam look that you can pull together in just a few minutes.”

Described as a “creative slingshot for your brain,” this mix of pop art graphics (like a full page reminding you that GUT FEELINGS ARE GUARDIAN ANGELS) and prompts by productivity expert Kara Cutruzzula take the mindfulness journals you were gifted and never cracked last year to new, meaningful heights that you’ll actually want to keep, read, and use.

Norden’s chicly packaged Incense Kit has all of the trimmings you need to start a new practice or continue with a fresh set of natural essential oil fragrances. A ceramic incense holder can hold one stick from any of the three boxes of scents, like Ojai (frankincense, cypress, patchouli, and Palo Santo), Idyllwild (cedarwood, sage, vetiver, and citrus) or Øresund (balsam fir, grapefruit, and musk) to light up and set new intentions.