Lauren’s Picks
Lauren Balsamo is the deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for a decade at Cosmopolitan and has contributed to Women’s Health and Seventeen magazines as well. Follow her on Instagram.
“Me with a regular round brush and hair dryer? A disaster. Me with this versatile blowout kit? A freaking hair master. Seriously, I’m typically horrible at doing my own hair, but when I DIY with this thing, my hair looks like I just came from the salon.” —LB
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“I wore this sheer gel cream all summer long and I plan on keeping it in my rotation throughout the fall too. The gel-cream texture is lightweight yet hydrating—I have oily skin, so I wear it alone but drier types can easily layer it with a moisturizer—and the tint is sheer but substantial enough that I only need new a few dabs of concealer.” —LB
“Not only does this balm make my lips super soft and smooth with peptides and plant butters, it also tastes ridiculously good. The warm, sweet flavor is inspired by creme brûlée and is getting me jazzed for vanilla latte season.” —LB
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Beth's Picks
Beth Gillette is the beauty editor at Cosmopolitan, where she covers skincare, makeup, hair, nails, and more across digital and print. She can generally be found in bright eyeshadow furiously typing her latest feature or hemming and hawing about a new product you “have to try.” Prior to Cosmopolitan, she wrote and edited beauty content for four years as an editor at The Everygirl. Follow her on Instagram for makeup selfies and a new hairdo every few months.
“I’ve basically been moving this sunscreen from one bag to another since it launched. Pool bag, beach bag, travel bag—you name it, it’s come everywhere with me. The clear version is truly clear (shockingly, considering it’s a fully mineral formula), so it blends in easily and feels practically weightless. But I also have been wearing the tinted formula too—it provides a teeny bit of coverage to even out my skin tone without the bulky, cakey feel of foundation.” —BG
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“My vibe this fall is bouncy, fluffy hair á la Sabrina Carpenter—but my vibe is not spending more than five minutes on it. Enter: this air-dry mousse, which adds texture and grit to my fine, flat hair without requiring a blow-dry.” —BG
“Everything about this foundation is juuuust right. Not dry, but not greasy either. It feels like a serum but has a medium coverage that pairs well with basically every concealer I’ve tested it with thus far. And it stays put for a whopping 10 hours (I tested it through a day of marathon meetings at the office).”
—BG
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Julee’s Picks
Julee Wilson is beauty editor-at-large at Cosmopolitan. Previously, Julee was beauty director at Cosmo and global beauty director at Essence and has held various editorial positions at Huffington Post and Real Simple. If you’re as obsessed with beauty as she is, make sure to follow her on Instagram for plenty of product recs, natural hair inspo, skincare testing, and Black girl magic shenanigans.
“I was already a diehard fan of Pattern’s original ultra-hydrating leave-in conditioner—and then they went and made a good thing better by adding Palo Santo. Call me woo-woo, but there’s something about the spirit-cleansing scent along with the aloe vera and honey infused formula that make me (and my curls) feel like all is right in the world!” —JW
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“If you’re into woodsy, warm, and spicy scents, then this is for you. But if I had to truly breakdown this addictive juice, I would say it smells like wealth, abundance, and a hot night out with your boo! And I love the travel size because I go nowhere without it.” —JW
“I’ve got this luxe oil-to-gloss lippie in every single color—they’re that good! I’m particularly partial to the fact that while my lips are looking fab with a high-gloss finish, they are also getting a dope skincare treatment thanks to the trifecta of seed oils in the formula.” —JW

Lauren Balsamo is the beauty director at Cosmopolitan where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for more than a decade at Cosmopolitan. Follow her on Instagram.
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