Advertisement
Beauty

The absolute best new beauty products for 2018

Chatelaine's 2018 Beauty List, a roundup of the most useful, completely new, you-need-to-try beauty products available for every budget.
The absolute best new beauty products for 2018

2017 Beauty list

Beautylist_feature_image2018

Our favourite groundbreaking products that get results, for every budget.

Photography: Erik Putz. Styling: Caitlin Doherty/ P1M.ca. Manicure: Naomi Misu/P1M.ca/Tips Nail Bar Cake by Bake Shoppe

2018 beauty list feature image

Look like you, but fresher.

best anti aging creams

Advertisement

When gravity gets to you (ugh), this cream will do the heavy lifting. Ten years of research determined that mature skin has “pockets” in the deepest layers that droop, causing sagging and loss of volume. Applied day and night, this formula promises to fight slouching jawlines and restores plumpness to facial contours.

Shiseido Bio-Performance LiftDynamic Cream, $148, Sephora.

LiftDynamic Cream

For those of us not lucky enough to call one of the four “blue” zones home (places where there are more centenarians than anywhere else on the planet: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; and Icaria, Greece), Chanel tapped skincare ingredients native to these areas for maximum skin longevity.

Chanel Blue Serum, $140, Hudson’s Bay.

best anti aging creams

Yes, it’s a splurge. When caviar water is number one on the ingredients list, you’d better expect to pay a premium. You won’t believe the softness and hydration this lotion (designed as a booster to be applied on freshly cleansed skin, just before your serum) achieves. 

La Prairie Skin Caviar Essence-in-Lotion, $330, Holt Renfrew.

best anti aging creams

Advertisement

This serum quenches skin and improves its texture, thanks to rhamnose, a plant sugar derived from silver birch trees, coupled with hyaluronic acid fragments that penetrate deep to activate the genes involved with skin rejuvenation and firming.

Liftactiv Serum 10 Supreme, $59, Vichy.

best anti aging creams

It’s hard to find a good serum at a drugstore price. This product’s silky texture feels amazing on skin; plus, lines are smoothed and texture is refined, thanks to the potent antioxidant formula featuring blackberry-leaf extract.

Absolutely Ageless Intensive Renewal Serum, $30, Aveeno.

best anti aging creams

Any time you read the word restore on a skincare label, it seems too good to be true. But this luxe cream really gets to work at shoring up skin’s moisture barrier (that all-important outermost layer of the skin) so moisture is locked in and skin is healthier overall. The 2:4:2 formulation (2 percent pure ceramides, 4 percent natural cholesterol and 2 percent fatty acids) helps cocoon your complexion.

SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2, $148, BeautySense.

best anti aging creams

Advertisement

The key smoothing ingredient, 10 percent glycolic acid, is your exfoliating BFF. It erases roughness and fine lines, and can help minimize dark spots. This new formula also includes antioxidants like vitamin E and calming hibiscus extract. Remember, glycolic acid can make you more sun-sensitive, so slather skin with SPF 30 or higher any time you head outside.

NeoStrata Glycolic Renewal Antioxidant Smoothing Serum, $49, Well.ca.

best anti aging creams

Dermalogica’s beloved Daily Microfoliant goes next level with a new formula. The baby-fine powder exfoliator is mixed with water into a paste and massaged onto skin to refine texture without friction and mop up environmental pollution with activated charcoal. Rice bran extract and niacinamide ensure skin isn’t irritated.

Daily Superfoliant, $83, Dermalogica.

best anti aging creams

Only pure ingredients, all of the results.

natural beauty products

Advertisement

Cheat your natural lip line with a more plumped look or sculpt what Mother Nature gave you. Either way, you’ll love the smooth application and shade selection (22 colours!) of these all-natural pencils that were three years in the making.

The Lip Pencil, $18, Bite Beauty.

natural beauty products

Mineral eyeshadows are usually limited in colours and notoriously hard to blend. These are pressed, not baked, which avoids heat exposure and preserves the integrity of the raw ingredients like jojoba oil so they’re easier to apply.

Swift Shadows, $27, RMS Beauty.

natural beauty products

Sometimes all-natural moisturizers don’t absorb quickly enough for even makeup application. But this one layers seamlessly, adding dewiness to dry skin.

Tata Harper Illuminating Moisturizer, $106, Sephora.

natural beauty products

Advertisement

Rethink your suds routine with this eco line of shampoos and conditioners. The formulas are biodegradable, the bottles are recyclable (made from former plastic water bottles) and, while they’re sulphate free and gentle on hair, they don’t skimp on a rich, satisfying lather.

R.A.W. Shampoo and Conditioner in Recover, $25 each, Matrix Biolage.

natural beauty products

This moisturizer has a creamy, rich consistency but doesn’t slip and slide on skin — it absorbs right away.

Crème Fraîche Néroli/Camomille Moisturizer, $61, French Girl.

natural beauty products

The rice grains help to gently buff away dirt and makeup while neroli helps to improve the appearance of pores and skin texture.

Skin So Clean, $23, Saje.

natural beauty products

Advertisement

Formulated with 100 percent natural ingredients, these chubby pencils allow for easy application with a great glossy colour payoff that hydrates all day.

Gloss Lip Crayon, $10, Burt’s Bees.

natural beauty products

The star ingredient (whose developers were recognized with a Nobel Prize) is EGF, a plant-based epidermal growth factor that stimulates skin growth and repair at the cellular level. It’s been double-blind lab tested to show lasting results, which reduce the overall appearance of brown spots, fine lines, redness and wrinkles. We’re sold.

EGF Serum, $220, BioEffect.

natural beauty products

Makeup that keeps on keepin’ on.

best long lasting makeup

Advertisement

This super-creamy concealer doesn’t skimp on coverage or colour options. It comes in 21 different shades and will not budge, so it’s crease-proof all day long.

Kat Von D Lock-It Concealer Crème, $34, Sephora

long lasting makeup

Lips are saturated with rich colour for up to eight hours, and, thanks to the weightless oils in the formula, it never feels tacky or looks dry.

Giorgio Armani Lip Magnet, $46, Sephora.

long lasting makeup

Liquid lipstick can be unforgiving because it can settle into lines on the lips. This clever version has a built-in primer oil so the colour doesn’t slip away as the day goes by.

Smashbox Always On Matte Liquid Lipstick, $28, Sephora

long lasting makeup

Advertisement

This skin-loving full-coverage, mineral-based powder foundation allows you to buff away any signs of discoloration and redness without ever irritating the skin.

BareMinerals BarePro Performance Wear Foundation, $37, Sephora

long lasting makeup

When you have more stubborn skin challenges you’d like to conceal, like broken blood vessels, this budge-proof foundation is your go-to. Warning: A little of this formula goes a long way.

Cover Creme, $39, Dermablend.

best long lasting makeup

Masks and peels that pamper.

face mask

Advertisement

New-to-Canada import Pixi Beauty is famous for fuss-free makeup staples developed by makeup artist Petra Strand. But her skincare creations, like this overnight sleeping mask, are cult favourites too. Lay on a thin film instead of your usual night cream, sleep on it and rinse in the a.m. Skin is hyper-glowy and a fresh canvas for makeup.

Beauty Nourishing Sleep Mask, $30, Pixi.

face mask

Treat your skin to guilt-free gelato with these luxe body creams available in Sugared Petals, Berry Blush and their classic Happy fragrance.

Gelato Creams for Body, $46, Clinique Happy.

face mask

Individual pearls are jam-packed with serum and burst on your skin. There’s a bit of a learning curve to use this product: First, scoop 10 to 12 serum pearls into the muslin pouch, close the drawstring, press the pouch on the face and push to release the serum. Then massage in with fingers, and don’t rinse.

Ultimate Miracle Worker Pearl Mask, $89, Philosophy.

face mask

Advertisement

Shadows, crepey lines and puffiness all but disappear after a treatment with this anti-aging eye mask (the sheet mask seals in the serum, so you get maximum benefits). Applied once per week, it perks up tired eyes, thanks to a supersized dose of hyaluronic acid and rice bran extract, known for their brightening benefits.

Advanced Night Repair Concentrated Recovery Eye Mask, $15, Estée Lauder.

face mask

Slip on these booties full of exfoliating acids for 20 minutes and, over the next week, watch your scaly heels slough away in snakeskin-like sheets with zero effort. The shedding process isn’t pretty, but the results are worth it.

Baby Soft Foot Peel, $20, Boscia.

face mask

Paint like a pro with these tools.

best nail polish

Advertisement

These sheer polishes offer colour and care together in one bottle. There’s no base or topcoat needed, and if used regularly, they help replenish moisture in the nail so there’s less peeling and breaking.

Treat, Love & Colour, $12, Essie.

best nail polish

Nail art, gel nails and acrylics can all take their toll. When your nails need rehab, reach for one of these new treatments.

Gel Break Serum, Gel Break Protector and Gel Break Sheer Color, $18 each, OPI.

best nail polish

These paraben-free wipes take off polish in a flash and come with a no-water needed finishing hand and nail cleanser. Perfect for travelling and for the girl-on-the-go.

Non-Acetone Polish Remover + Finishing Hand Cleanser Cloths, $32, Tenoverten.

The absolute best new beauty products for 2018

Advertisement

Brush on this overnight treatment when you are in between manis and let powerhouse healers like green tea and acai berry repair damage and chlorophyll rich Spirulina stimulates nail growth. 

Nails Inc Overnight Detox Nail Mask, $19, Sephora.

The absolute best new beauty products for 2018

When you’re in a hurry, these products get the job done.

time saving beauty products

Halt shine in a hurry with this reusable blotter. The foam texture of the sponge absorbs oil without disrupting makeup.

Blotterazzi Pro, $28, Beautyblender.

time saving beauty products

Advertisement

In the time it takes to pour your coffee (30 seconds), this genius hair straightener heats up to 400F. The large ceramic surface area flanked by heat-resistant silicone bristles means you get straight, ultra-shiny hair in half the time.

Ionic Hair Straightening Brush, $90, Infiniti by Conair.

time saving beauty products

Eliminate the guesswork of shading in your brows with this one-size-fits-all colour. The gel-like pencil lets you easily build your brow with one end and seal it with clear wax from the other.

No Bare Brows Universal 4-in-1 Brow Fix, $24, Know Cosmetics.

time saving beauty products

The convenient stick format of this SPF 50 sunscreen easily glides on face or body, leaves no greasy residue and makes reapplication a cinch so you can block rays any time, anywhere.

Ultra Sheer Face & Body Stick Sunscreen SPF 50+, $14, Neutrogena.

time saving beauty products

Advertisement

A drop of this light-reflecting liquid gold in your foundation or moisturizer is the most flattering thing you can do for your skin to make it look years younger.

Wonderglow, $55, Charlotte Tilbury.

time saving beauty products

Massage this body moisturizer on after you shower, before you towel off. Don’t rinse, and you’ll have happy skin from head to toe. The moisturizer is specially engineered to cling to wet skin. 

Moisturizer for Wet Skin with Coconut Oil, $11, Jergens.

time saving beauty products

Soothe even the most ultra-sensitive skin in a flash. This blend of 10 calming ingredients, including arnica, bee pollen extract and vitamin E, heeds the SOS call of any flare-ups.

10balm, $20, Indeed Labs.

time saving beauty products

Advertisement

These bristles stand up to your hair dryer’s highest heat setting and move smoothly through tangled wet hair (no more pulling and tugging). The vented design allows for free airflow so you get a speedier dry time.

Blow Styling Hairbrush Half Paddle, $34, Tangle Teezer.

time saving beauty products

Create a concotion specific to your skin’s needs.

beauty_bespoke

Skin experts assess your skin health in-store and troubleshoot your main concerns (wrinkles, lack of firmness and more) to create your signature formula. Then they custom-blend.

Apothecary Preparations, $110, Kiehl’s.

personalized beauty products

Advertisement

Fill out the online quiz to determine your skin type and you’ll get three custom serums to remedy your skin (treating every concern from extreme dryness to lack of firmness) delivered to your front door.

My Daily Dose Custom-Blended Serum Set, $112, Skin Inc.

personalized beauty products

Even the moisturizer you swear by can sometimes use a little boost. Add in a couple of these drops to amp up hydration, control oily skin or add radiance.

Custom Infusion Drops, from $62, Cover FX.

Beauty list bespoke cover fx custom infusion drops

These innovative entrepreneurs are disrupting the beauty game. 

Canadian beauty products

Advertisement

Toronto-based teenage sisters Ally and Taylor Frankel didn’t like labouring over makeup routines, so they created a whole line of multi-purpose makeup pencils for women on the go. The pencils work as concealer, lipstick, blush, eyeliner and waterproof eyeshadow, and the colour won’t budge. Fun fact: Beauty is in their blood — mom Jenny Frankel was one of the creators of CoverFX.

Intense Matte Lip + Cheek, $28, Nudestix.

Canadian beauty products

After a stint as a makeup artist, Brittny Skylar Robins saw the importance of great skin to her clients — be it before a wedding, interview or high school reunion. She set out to design a facial system that takes the guesswork out of skincare. Each gel-mask targets a skin concern and is designed to be used in a specific order —hence the “5 Day” name.

5 Day System, $45, Flawless by Friday

Canadian beauty products

Long-haired girls, rejoice. Toronto-based Jessica Watson created a polyester sleeve that slips over your ponytail to create a watertight seal in the shower so you can wash just your roots. It cuts down on split ends and drying time. Genius!

Waterproof Hair Sleeve, $26, PonyDry.

Canadian beauty products

Advertisement

After pregnancy, Calgary-based Lauren Bilon had significant hair and eyelash loss. A prescription product helped with regrowth, but she endured stinging around her eyes. That set her on a path to create a 100 percent natural lash and brow enhancer. This lash serum works to extend the anagen (growth) phase of the lash cycle and shorten the telogen (resting/falling-out) phase so lashes appear thicker in weeks.

Lash & Brow Enhancing Serum, $95, Plume Science.

Canadian beauty products

A whole range of skincare serums for $20 or less? The Ordinary skincare line features serums made with just a handful of ingredients in each. It’s this pared-down approach that allows the company to keep prices wallet-friendly.

From $5/each, The Ordinary.

Canadian beauty products

In Greek mythology, Hebe personified eternal youth and vitality. This Quebec-based beauty brand aims for ageless complexions with preservative-free, made-to-order skincare . Its signature serum contains only three ingredients: water, hyaluronic acid and vitamin C to hydrate, brighten and firm.

Anti-Aging Serum, $129, Hebederma.

Canadian beauty products

Advertisement

best mascara 2017

It’s the perfect blend of function: a flexible, high-tech brush that grabs evey last lash and formulation an all-natural blend of pure mineral pigments and cellulose that tints, lengthens and builds volume. P.S. It comes in brown, blue and purple too!

W3ll People Bio Extreme Expressionist Mascara, $30, The Detox Market.

W3ll People Bio Extreme Expressionist Mascara, $29, The Detox Market.

Some days you want long, defined lashes, and on others you want density and volume — this mascara lets you have both with a twist of the wand that expands or minimizes the brush.

Expandable Mascara, $11, Annabelle.

best mascara 2017

Advertisement

When you don’t have a steady hand to create a perfect cat-eye line, try this. The shape of the brush helps to deliver glossy, full and flared lashes.

Voluminous Féline Mascara, $12, L’Oréal Paris

best mascara 2017

This mascara boasts three “zones” on the wand, including a domed tip so you can grip and elongate every lash for exaggerated, giant fringe.

CoverGirl So Lashy! blastPRO Mascara, $10, Walmart.

best mascara 2017

The plastic comb (instead of bristles) is key because it grabs every last lash, creating mega definition — with zero clumps.

The Falsies Push Up Angel Mascara, $13, Maybelline.

best mascara 2017

Advertisement

This all-natural (vegan) mascara has a glossy finish and buildable coverage. One coat lengthens, two coats bring volume and drama and three coats will get your lashes ready for the red carpet.

Stellar Absolute Mascara, $26, Sephora.

Stellar Absolute Mascara

Adding volume, taming frizz —  there’s a fix for every hair type.

best hair products

It may sound crazy but it’s true — this “frozen” flat iron could give you your best hair yet. Instead of blasting hair with heat, you press the cold iron plates through wet hair (yes, wet hair!), and the sub-zero temperature of the plates transforms the keratin fibre of your hair. Instead of zapping moisture like heat would, the icy plates seal hydration in. It’s a splurge, and it doesn’t improve texture overnight, but slowly and surely hair becomes less frizzy, smoother and far easier to manage.

Hair Conditioning System, $400, Inverse.

The Inverse Hair Conditioning System

Advertisement

This “DD” or damage defence leave-in treatment helps to create a lightweight veil on hair, shielding it from city grime that can cause hair to swell. It contains lotus flower, elastin proteins and wheat to smooth hair and make it manageable.

City Shield DD Crème, $19, Nexxus.

beauty list hair remedies nexxus city sheild dd creme

Greasy roots and dry ends? This ingenious new system uses a pre-shampoo scalp treatment to absorb excess oil, then a shampoo and conditioner that are designed to keep roots fresh and lengths smooth.

Extraordinary Clay Pre-Shampoo Treatment Mask, $9, L’Oréal Paris.

best hair products

When MIT engineers design a volumizing spray, you can expect it to take your hair to new heights. It doesn’t disappoint — hair gets big, and stays that way.

Full Dry Volume Blast, $38, Living Proof.

beauty list hair remedies living proof full dry volume blast

Advertisement

For anyone who finds that her waves fall flat almost immediately, these hot rollers are the answer. They come with smart crease-free clips, heat up evenly in three minutes and give long-lasting volume and shine.

Volumizing Hot Rollers Luxe, $149, T3

beauty list hair products t3 volumizing hot rollers

More:
‘The ultimate time saver’: Hands on with 9 genius, quick-fix beauty products
8 awesome makeup dupes to mimic pricey cosmetics on the cheap
No more bad hair days: Easy tips for your healthiest hair ever

GET CHATELAINE IN YOUR INBOX!

Subscribe to our newsletters for our very best stories, recipes, style and shopping tips, horoscopes and special offers.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement