I Study Brands for a Living—24 Beauty Finds I'm Snagging Next Payday
Shop in Shop is a monthly column dedicated to rounding up the latest arrivals, seasonal trends, and styles from our favorite brands and retailers.
From the outside looking in, being a fashion or beauty editor seems like the opposite of a job. It looks like a lifestyle where you get to attend cool events, interview celebrities, analyze the runways from the front row, and test newly launched products. But what you don't see are the virtual meetings with brand founders, product development chats over coffee, and the long email chains regarding messaging. So when I say "I shop for a living," what I actually mean is "I study brands for a living." This kind of market research often results in a large stack of boxes in my package room and stories for your reading (and shopping) pleasure.
As we transition into a new season, I have four brands on heavy rotation, covering everything from bodycare and skincare to makeup and fragrance. If you're someone who changes your routines with the seasons, here are some feel-good, treat-yourself beauty finds that will make spring feel a bit more luxurious. Explore body oils, snail mucin serums, cream-to-powder blush, and musky fragrances below.
My fellow editors introduced me to Cyklar at the end of 2025, and it has become one of those brands that feels integral to my bodycare routine. When guests stay at my place, I always leave the body wash and oil in the bathroom for them, and everyone always goes on and on about how incredible they feel and smell. My shower routine isn't complete without Vanilla Verve, but I'm excited to experiment with the Naked Neroli deodorant gel and the Milky Essence that our senior beauty editor Jamie Schneider swears by.
My love for Prada knows no bounds, so of course, I'm partial to Prada Beauty's lineup of luxe products. Sabrina Carpenter sold out the internet-famous blue lip balm in her "Please Please Please" music video back in 2024, and it's been a staple ever since. The brand continues to launch more exciting items like its new cream-to-powder blush, blurring concealer, and Pradascope mascara (do you see that wand?).
Believe it or not, I'm new to the fragrance game, and Dossier has been such a nice intro to my journey of discovering a signature scent. It's comforting to know that you don't have to spend hundreds of dollars to experiment with new notes and scent profiles. Lately, I've been loving the scent Airy Linens as a nice transition into spring. It's like taking fresh laundry out of the dryer! I'll be dousing myself in all of the ones below until further notice.
Until I can achieve my dream of visiting South Korea and raiding all of the K-beauty markets myself, I'll be indulging in the Korean skincare that I can access in the U.S. The competition is stiff, but Beauty of Joseon is at the top of my roster at the moment. Not only is it affordable, but it's effective. I recently got a facial using a lineup of these products, and my glow was unreal. After only a few weeks of use, I can already see a difference in my skin's hydration and overall radiance.
