The Top Skin, Hair and Makeup Breakthroughs for January 2026
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Around here our January motto isn’t “new year, new you,” it’s “new year, new skus!”
We’re laser-focused on finding products that help us feel like our best selves, and in our quest for healthy hair and skin, we’ve zeroed in on these top 10 products of the month.
Want hair so clean it feels like you went to the salon? RŌZ has got you covered. Seeking a vitamin C that brightens without irritation? Skinfix has a solution for you. Eager to get in on the lip oil craze with an affordable formula? e.l.f. Cosmetics has 10 hues to choose from.
Check out those and other game changers, below.
e.l.f. Cosmetics Slipstick
E.L.F.
e.l.f. Cosmetics has shelves of viral products, among them, the brand’s Glow Reviver Lip Oil. After amping up the assortment with an award-winning balm, the brand has reimagined the oil in a stick format. Slipstick comes in 10 shades that deliver the same slip and shiny finish as the OG — and thanks to ingredients like jojoba oil, mango seed butter, and squalene, the buildable formula is incredibly nourishing, too.
Buy It! e.l.f. Cosmetics Glow Reviver Slipstick, $10; elfcosmetics.com
Essie Liquid Nail Patch
Essie
Essie’s got nail care on lock, but its latest creation is truly groundbreaking. Armed with that knowledge that broken nails are the top searched nail concern, it’s formulated this liquid that hardens upon contact to adhere edges to make breaks undetectable for up to five days. While the transparent formula can be applied to bare nails, with so many iconic polishes to choose from, why not top it off with polish?
Buy It! Essie Break Fix Liquid Nail Patch, $12; ulta.com
StriVectin Neck & Jawline Mask
NIA-114
Long before Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS put a spotlight on facial sculpting, skincare brands (like 111 Skin and RéVive) were producing skin care-infused masks that lift and tighten skin from chin to chest. Now StriVectin is entering the arena with its form-fitting, hydrogel mask that uses a proprietary peptide blend and caffeine that depuff and tone the neck and jawline in 20 minutes.
Buy It! StriVectin TL Advanced Sculpting Neck & Jawline Mask, $18; nordstrom.com
Joico Finishing Spray
Joico
Months before this product dropped, celebrity hairstylist Renato Campora got his hands on it and used it to set Selena Gomez’s wedding day hairdo. We’re not sure why you’d need another reason to click buy instantly, but if you do, here’s one: this heat-protecting, humidity-resistant spray was put to the test against wind and it’s been proven to keep styles intact in winds up to 25 mph.
Buy It! Joico Hold Hero High Hold + Shine Boosting Hairspray, $22.50; ulta.com
Urban Decay Mascara
Urban Decay
When it comes to mascara, tubing formulas are giving traditional ones a run for their money. And for good reason: they don’t flake, run or require a tremendous amount of patience to remove, thanks to their makeup (polymers wrap around each lash forming tubes that amp up the drama). Urban Decay’s foray comes in five sweat-and-water-resistant shades that nourish lashes with peptides, hyaluronic acid and castor oil.
Buy It! Urban Decay Tube Job Tubing Mascara, $25; ulta.com
Laneige Aqua Facial
Laneige
Have your flight booked to Korea for one of the country’s epic glass skin facials? Us neither. Luckily, Korean brand Laneige has captured the essence of the treatment in this at-home formula. The serum, which you apply twice daily two to three times a week initially, contains a handful of gentle acids (AHAs, BHAs and PHAs) to exfoliate skin, plus hyaluronic acid and polyglutamic acid to flood the skin with hydration and buzzy PDRN (a.k.a salmon sperm cells) and hyaluronic ceramide to repair the skin’s barrier.
Buy It! Laneige Water Bank Aqua Facial, $36; sephora.com
Philosophy Cleansing Balm
Philosophy
Philosophy broke the mold when it launched the Purity One-Step Facial Cleanser in the 1990s. Today, the celeb-approved formula happens to be the no. 1 hydrating facial cleanser in the US. Not bad. Now, for those who love the texture and effects of a balm, the brand has created its own version that removes long-wear makeup, including waterproof mascara, as well as sunscreen without the need for a second cleansing step.
Buy It! Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Meltaway Cleansing Balm, $38; ulta.com
RŌZ Scalp Scrub
ROZ
These days when celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak isn’t creating looks for celebrities around the world or her high profile clients in her salon, she is whipping up new products. She calls her latest, this mineral salt-based scrub/shampoo hybrid, a “double cleanse in a jar.” Use it once a week (one generous scoop will do) in lieu of shampoo to get a salon-level cleanse at home. Follow with conditioner and voilà: you’re ready for your close up.
Buy It! RŌZ Salt Scalp Scrub, $45; sephora.com
Dr. Idriss Cream
Dr. Idriss
N.Y.C.-based board-certified dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss made waves with her first skincare launch in 2022, the Major Fade collection, which treats hyperpigmentation. Now she’s tackling redness with a dynamic duo she calls Left Un-Red, which features her Reducer Serum ($68) and mint green-tinted CalmBack Cream (shown). “Redness shows up differently for everyone and is often linked to a compromised skin barrier,” she shared in a release. “I wanted to create something that makes it easier to manage while feeling good to use every day.”
Buy It! Dr. Idriss Left Un-Red CalmBack Cream, $58; sephora.com
Skinfix Vitamin C Serum
SkinFix
Vitamin C is an MVP skincare ingredient because of the antioxidant’s ability to even and brighten skin. But unfortunately, some forms can be irritating, especially when skin is sensitive or reactive. Enter Skinfix, which has created the first clinical vitamin C serum to be accepted by the National Eczema Association. Not only does the formula boost radiance, it’s infused with peptides that can hold up to 5000 times their weight in water resulting in skin that feels unbelievably bouncy.
Buy It! Skinfix Brighten + Firm 15% Vitamin C Serum, $69; sephora.com
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