The 2019 ITG Top 25 Beauty Awards

Of all the great mysteries in life—Bigfoot, Area 51, Simone Biles’ relationship to gravity—bronzer didn’t have to be one of them. It just needed more shades, people! Leave it to Rihanna to pave the way with not one, not two, but eight different shades to finally take the guesswork out of proper application. The pigment is relatively dense so a little goes a long way, and it lasts long enough to carry into the night. The look is a natural warmth, which is the miracle result you’d expect when you finally have access to a face-flattering shade.

How many Monthly Favorites appearances does a product need to get an automatic spot on the Top 25? This concealer answers: two. In April, its creamy, flexible formula completely won us over, fully replacing an out-of-whack classic—we won’t name names. And it was still on our minds (and in our routines) come October. The stick format is what makes it superior: you’ll get clean, targeted application on zits or undereyes, and full-coverage that won’t dry up. It’s really the only concealer you need. With 17 shades from lightest to darkest, you get a concealer! You get a concealer! You get a concealer!*
*From your local Sephora.

A world without consequence is pure horror, but a bottle blonde job without damage is just Olaplex. It’s not conditioner, it’s not shampoo: it’s DiGiorno a treatment, and it quite literally rebuilds the hair bonds that go through the ringer after a chemical process. So, less breakage after bleaching, perms with less frizz, and curls with more definition than ever. Thank the salon version for some of the most iconic hair moments of the 2010s (like when Kim Kardashian went from black to platinum blonde in one sitting) and No. 3 for being the biggest game-changer in at-home haircare since some cavemen stuck some sticks together and called it a brush, probably.

This one’s for the girls with the curls. OK boys, too—anyone can partake. If you think of cleansing conditioners or co-washes as oil cleansers for hair, it’s not hard to wrap your head around their mechanism of action. The oils lift the dirt, and since there aren’t any surfactants in play, the wash doesn’t dry out hair like a shampoo would. But not all cleansing conditioners are created alike—a lot are too heavy, fostering an environment for scalp buildup and flakes that look like dandruff (they are not). However Goldilocks, Unwash gets the delicate balancing act right—not too much, not too little, just right.

Hair trends come and go, but the allure of lived-in waves springs eternal. It’s the kind of style that looks effortless—implying “done” hair taken for a romp, or at the very least the luck of the air dry—but actually hinges on product. Ten years after its launch, Oribe’s texture spray is still the easiest way to get the look. A spray and a scrunch give squeaky clean hair just the right amount of grit, hold, and volume to imply far better texture than you’ve got. It’s a staple in the Top Shelf for a reason.

Ahh, the smell of Manhattan: an intoxicating cocktail of garbage, marijuana (it’s sort of legal!), and an undeniable whiff of Santal 33. From the nose of Frank Voelkl to a crowded elevator near you, its universal charm is no accident: complicated and perfectly calibrated notes of cardamom, sandalwood, cedar, and violet smell warm and sexy on just about anyone. The fact that it works just as well close to skin as it does diffused through a room is the reason its launched a million dupes in its shot to fame, but nothing beats the original. We’re calling it the fragrance of the decade, but it’s also a lasting classic.

It doesn’t matter how many body lotions you have in your bathroom—if you don’t use them, they won’t work. But if slathering your body in cold goop morning and night isn’t your thing, Kate McLeod’s body stones present an intriguing alternative. Instead of getting all over your hands, you hold it in yours to massage away dry, rough skin. And then, when you’ve worked it all the way down to a wee little nub, toss it in the bathtub (a pro-tip from Kate herself) for a moment of true luxuriation. Body care isn’t a chore anymore.

Is there anything that sounds more luxe than a serum you use on your entire body? Ren’s take is more like a serum, lotion, and exfoliator all in one, because smooth legs aren’t just about hydration. You still get ultra-nourishing shea butter and particularly of-the-moment probiotics, but lactic acid, the product’s third ingredient (read: high concentrations), is really the star of the show. Exfoliation that doesn’t make you work for it—no scrubbing or washing it off—is really quite utilitarian, if you think about it. Pragmatic, even!

No, these aren’t prehistoric hominid tools. These are makeup brushes! Show some respect for excellence. Nothing grabs and deposits pigment as evenly as these guys, no matter the formula—powder, liquid, or cream. The magic is in the stout, densely packed bristles that end in a tapered tip for utmost softness. The shadow that once required three swipes for adequate coverage now only needs one. Foundation stretches further, highlighter goes on with record ease. Are they expensive? Absolutely. They’re also the last makeup brushes you’ll ever buy.