The 13 Best New Beauty Launches of October, According to Our Editors
And just like that folks, we’re gearing up to kiss Q3 goodbye and saying hello to October (where does the time go?). Suddenly, our group chats have transitioned from planning summer brunches to chatting about who is hosting Friendsgiving and surveying for opinions for a fall hair color refresh. This month is also ushering in a wave of newness including multifunctional makeup, super hydrating moisturizers (perfect for cooler weather), and a hot new hair tool you’ll definitely be seeing on TikTok. Ahead, find a breakdown of October’s best beauty launches, tested and reviewed by the Well+Good team.
October's Launches We Love
Launch date: Early September
I love Marc Jacobs fragrances (seriously, I’ve used about two bottles of Daisy down to the last drop), so I had high hopes for this new launch, Perfect Elixir, which didn’t disappoint. This isn’t your typical musky, warm fall scent; it’s juicy and refreshing with a mix of purple rhubarb, golden amber, orange blossom, and vanilla bean. It’s sweet (but not in an overwhelming, sugary way), lightweight, layers well with other fragrances, and makes me feel energized and happy when I’m wearing it.
Launch date: September 15
Confession: RescueMD’s DNA Repair Complex is one of my favorite skincare products, possibly…ever. I’ve used it consistently for over a year, and it has drastically improved the look of my dark spots. After having my first baby one and a half years ago, I also used the DNA Repair Complex on my stomach to treat scarring from belly tape (which I no longer have traces of thanks to this). The secret is in lapachol , the brand’s main ingredient found in the lapacho tree’s bark which helps calm redness and inflammation.
Lapachol is also bottled up into the body cream formula, which also contains rice proteins, rosemary extract, and sunflower extract, and it’s made to hydrate the skin while treating uneven texture and pigmentation. Like the face serum I love dearly, the body cream is lightweight, non-greasy, melts into the skin very quickly, and leaves it feeling naturally soft. It’s designed to be used from the neck down, so you can use it all over your body or concentrate on a specific area (like the legs or stomach if you have scarring or discoloration). I, personally, will be concentrating this on the back of my arms, where I have hyperpigmentation from keratosis pilaris.
Yes, the price tag is very steep for a body cream. Still, if you’re committed to treating any specific concerns like scars, texture, or hyperpigmentation, it might be worth saving your coins for a personal splurge (hey, the holiday season is coming, so you have the perfect excuse).
Launch date: September 24
Actress Denise Vasi recently introduced her new beauty brand, Maed, to the world and walked me through four lip products in the lineup. First up is the lip scrub, which I’m obsessed with because it doesn’t leave behind a greasy cast. The exfoliating crystals dissolve while you massage the formula into your lips, and you can simply press them together and go about your day. Next up, Maed has a lip serum designed to condition and temporarily smooth the appearance of lip lines. There’s also a buttery lip balm with a metal-tip applicator that feels like a cooling massage for your lips.
But the real star of the show, in my opinion, is the Signature Lip Pigment, a longwear matte formula that honestly reignited my love for a red lip. It’s a bold, matte pigment that dries down to a feathery finish that doesn’t transfer but also isn’t so budge-proof that you’re stuck with red pigment on your lips for days on end. I wore this recently to a dinner event, and it lasted flawlessly through two cocktails, passed apps, steak, and dessert. When I got home, no lipstick was on my chin, either.
Launch date: September 26
I have a toddler at home who I am constantly hugging and kissing, so it’s really important that I’m using skincare that tackles my main concerns (dryness, brightness, and fine lines) without irritating my baby’s skin. The latest from Honest Company fits the bill: it’s a firming face cream made to plump, hydrate, and improve the look of fine lines over time (of course, you have to use it more consistently for noticeable results). It’s formulated with vegan collagen, elastin, hyaluronic acid, and shea butter, so it’s super hydrating, which is ideal for my combination skin that gets seasonally dry. It has a bouncy, creamy texture that melts into clean skin, and my face always feels noticeably dewy afterward. The formula is sensitive-skin friendly, but I really like that it’s fragrance-free and doesn’t irritate my daughter’s skin when we cuddle.
Launch date: September 27
If you prefer the extra-clean feeling of a foaming cleanser, you’ll love this new launch from Weleda. The brand (most famous for its Skin Food moisturizer) just dropped this aloe-based cleanser that actually foams and leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean but not dry. The formula has a true jelly-like consistency and is powered with glycerin, vitamin C, and witch hazel, which work together to moisturize, brighten, and buff off all signs of makeup and dirt.
A few seconds of massaging this into my skin melted off sunscreen, brow gel, and edge control along my forehead. Plus, it has a calming lemongrass scent that added a calming aromatherapy element to my shower (where I’ll definitely be leaving this bottle for regular use).
Launch date: October 1
I’m definitely one of many who have been intrigued by all the people on TikTok mastering the bouncy, 90s-volume blowout (a lá Sabrina Carpenter). But whether you’re trying to nail a blowout or simply drying your hair to get it up in a bun or braids, this new tool from Shark helps set the foundation for regular at-home hair styling.
It comes with interchangeable attachments, all serving different purposes so that you can customize it to your needs (and get a lot of bang for its $350 price tag):
- 1.25″ Auto-Wrap Curlers: These are perfect for achieving bouncy curls. This attachment automatically gathers your hair to form the perfect bend and waves, removing the guesswork of curling with a flat iron or curling iron.
- Wet or Dry Styling Brush: A round brush attachment is used on dry or damp hair to add body and volume. This one is also great to use as a first step before using a flat iron if you’re silk-pressing your hair and want extra movement and volume.
- Frizz Fighter Finishing Tool: This tool has two streams of air that suck in hair to smooth flyaways on straight hairstyles.
- Styling Concentrator: This rotatable nozzle gives you better angle control while you style and dry with a round or paddle brush.
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Launch date: October 1
The Well+Good beauty team is bonded by how much we love Essence Cosmetics (it’s seriously one of our fave drugstore brands; products are high performance and won’t drain your pockets, so win-win). This gloss balm stick is the latest from the makeup brand, and we’re tossing a few in our purses. It’s formulated with shea butter and coconut oil and makes my lips feel soft without any tackiness or stickiness. It comes in six sheer shades that give your lips a natural-looking flush of color, which looks great alone or layered on top of your favorite lip liner. I love the One In a Melon shade, a sheer pink perfect for daily use, and Choco-lot To Handle, a sheer brown that gives my lip an espresso vibe that feels very fitting for fall.
Launch date: October 1
Korres is also adding a new day cream to its lineup. This one has a bouncy, gel-like texture that feels like a burst of water once you rub it into the skin. (I like spraying a little bit of hydrating face mist before I apply this one when I need extra moisture). It has not one but three types of hyaluronic acid and plant-based actives like black pine bud, which is an antioxidant that helps brighten the skin. It’s a great daytime option because it moisturizes my skin, but not in an icky heavy way, so my face doesn’t feel weighed down once I layer on sunscreen.
Launch date: October 2
You’ve probably seen Dr. Muneeb Shah (also known as DermDoctor on TikTok) in one of his many viral videos debunking a skincare trend or hack. Well, he bottled up his expertise in his very own skincare line, Remedy, which will now include the Aging serum, a cocktail of potent ingredients (like 0.1% retinol, glycolic acid, niacinamide, and ferulic acid) to help with exfoliation and cell turnover, so this is ideal if you want to fade dark spots, treat hyperpigmentation, or improve the look of fine lines. Many exfoliating treatments can dry our your skin, but this is reinforced with ceramides to moisturize the skin barrier. Still, we’d recommend starting low and slow with this one to be safe: start with a pump once or twice a week to ensure your skin responds well before increasing use.
Launch date: October 8
My skin gets dull and dry once the weather hits below 70 degrees. Because we haven’t scratched the surface of chilly weather, I’m getting ahead of patchy, dryness with this moisturizer. It’s a creamy formula that isn’t too light but not too heavy, either, making it a great contender for oily and dry skin types. Hyaluronic acid, lipids, and the brand’s patented ingredient, naringenin (designed to help improve the look of fine lines over time), are the stars of this formula, which will help dry skin feel more quenched. I’ve used this both day and night and sometimes layer on a face oil before bed to lock in that juicy, hydrated feeling once the moisturizer is absorbed.
Launch date: Oct 8
Before we get into this one, it’s important to note that you can’t technically “speed up” lash growth—or any hair growth for that matter—with the help of a serum. However, an eyelash serum with the right ingredients can help support the strength of your natural lashes (especially if you frequently enhance them with extensions, strips, clusters, etc.) so that they remain full and healthy.
This one from Sugarlash Pro is formulated with amino acids (alanine, glutamic acid, and lysine), which helps with keratin protein production, so consistent, daily use over time may help your lashes feel stronger and fuller. It’s also formulated with polygonum multiflorum extract, a Chinese herb, that a 2020 study found to support hair growth by extending the anagen (growth) phase and slowing the catagen (transition) phase of the hair life cycle. Antioxidants (like coerulea flower extract) and humectants also work to hydrate your lash hairs. If you wear lash extensions, you don’t have to worry about this breaking down your adhesive since the formula is oil-free.
Launch date: October 15
One of my biggest pain points with cream blushes is that many look too shiny on my combination skin. This new lip and cheek stick from KJH.brand (the namesake brand by professional makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes) is a cream-to-powder formula that has answered my prayers of looking less greasy once I do my makeup. Hughes developed the buildable pigment sticks to give you a velvety wash of color that won’t feel dry (or tug on your skin if you’re applying it directly to your face). It’s formulated with vitamin E and salicornia plant extract, which is commonly used in skincare and cosmetics for its hydrating properties. So, it’ll give you a nice pop of color with a satin finish that won’t feel dry.
It comes in five shades: Soft Tomato (a punchy red), Soft Berry (a pinkish violet), Soft Coral (a muted orange), Soft Raisin (a purple burgundy), and Soft Pink (a juicy bright pink). There are a few ways to use it: apply the stick directly to your cheeks and blend with a blush brush (my preferred method), or use your fingertips to blend. You can also dab the stick directly to your lips or pair it with your favorite liner or lipgloss when you want a pop of color.
Launch date: October 23
Wonderskin is known for its viral peel-off lip stain that goes on an opaque dark-blue shade but peels off to reveal a rosy, flushed lip color (it’s great if you love a stained lip tint that doesn’t move). The brand is adding this new “blurring” setting powder to its makeup lineup, made to sop up extra shine so your skin looks matte. The talc-free powder is completely translucent, so you don’t have to worry about looking chalky or experiencing flashback in photos (I’ve tested this on my medium-deep skin tone, and it’s super transparent). I love that it comes with a handy triangle pressed-powder sponge, which I swipe into the compact and gently press into my greasier areas (under my eyes and around my nose) to instantly mute shine.
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