7 New Beauty Hacks I'm Implementing Right Now

The Lust Index, beauty edition!

Partnership consideration for today’s letter is provided by Summer Fridays and Sakara. If you would like to work with The Love List, please email lauren@aire-ny.com.

The beauty industry moves fast. There’s always another formula, another technology, another reinvention of what you already own. I’m not interested in collecting every launch, but I do believe in keeping an eye on what could shift the conversation. The challenge is separating what’s noise from what’s actually worth my time.

I always test new products before I write about them, so if something makes this list, it’s because it has proven itself to me in terms of performance and consistency over time. These seven launches have earned their permanent spot in my life. And remember, if any of the ingredients or terms I use are unfamiliar to you, our beauty glossaries are available for your reference.

1. Summer Fridays Gentle Reset Daily Exfoliating Pads: Exfoliating pads have become a crowded category, but Summer Fridays managed to make theirs essential to me. The formula is substantial enough to produce results, yet refined enough to avoid irritation. It pairs a curated AHA + PHA blend—comprising glycolic, lactic, mandelic acids, and gluconolactone—with soothing agents like aloe water, Bai Wei, and heart leaf extract, all buffered by glycerin to ensure optimal moisture retention. In short, it keeps skin clear without stripping. The execution is brilliant: each pad is individually wrapped to preserve potency and consistency across uses, and the dual-texture design (one smooth side, one slightly textured) gives you control over how assertive the application feels. In my testing, these pads have helped reduce visible skin texture, brighten uneven tone, and leave the skin more receptive to serums—without the sting or irritation I often experience with similar products. If you’re looking for a daily exfoliating product that delivers a serious glow without compromising your skin's barrier, these pads are a great choice.

2. Sakara Serene State Gummies: Serene State is Sakara’s targeted approach to stress and mood support. The key ingredient is Zembrin (Sceletium tortuosum extract), which has been studied for its ability to reduce stress reactivity in the brain and improve overall emotional balance. It’s paired with L-theanine, which promotes calm focus, and phosphatidylserine, a lipid that supports healthy cognitive function and resilience. When I take it, the effect isn’t dramatic; it’s more like the edges of my stress get softened. I notice that I don’t spiral as quickly when something goes wrong (a key for us anxious types), and my focus holds longer without the jittery undercurrent I usually feel. It feels like my baseline gets recalibrated toward calm, which is exactly what I want from a supplement like this. It straddles the liminal space between my anxiety and the need for a Xanax or a beta-blocker.

3. Angela Caglia Cell Forté Eye Creme: An eye cream that leans into biotech? Yep. At the core is stem cell technology—essentially proteins and nutrients that signal your skin to repair and renew—paired with peptides to support firmness, niacinamide to brighten, and hyaluronic acid plus Tremella mushroom extract to lock in hydration. The formula is designed to strengthen your skin barrier, rather than stressing it, so you get smoothing, evening, and glow-boosting results without the sting. In practice, it sinks in fast, layers well, and over time helps soften dark spots and uneven texture.

4. Crown Affair Overnight Repair Serum: This stuff is designed to rebuild hair while you sleep. It blends Tsubaki oil for lightweight hydration, rosemary leaf extract for shine and resilience, panthenol to seal in moisture, and arginine to support strength from the inside out. The claims are ambitious—less breakage, softer texture, and more shine after a single use—but they align with my experience. By morning, the ends of my hair felt smoother and looked healthier, with no greasy residue left behind. If your hair is dry or over-processed from coloring/Keratin/heat styling, I’d grab it and run. An excellent way for you long-haired gals to hold onto inches!

5. Sarah Creal Eyes Up Creamy Kajal Longwear Liner: Sarah Creal engineered this liner with a specific eye toward how aging skin, especially after the age of 40, behaves: thinner lids, increased movement, and more interference from skincare. Using its cream-gel matrix, the formula glides smoothly without tugging and flexes with skin movement rather than resisting it. Its performance claims are backed by clinicals: 24-hour wear, waterproof, smudge-proof, and transfer-proof. Yep, didn’t budge or smudge on me. The formula also includes ceramides to lock in hydration and support the delicate skin around the eyes, as well as allantoin to soothe and calm the skin. In real life, it sets fast—so you need to work with the included blending brush right away—but once it does, it resists migration, fading, or transfer, even on hooded lids or over eye cream. And frankly, this is a great product for anyone who wants an eyeliner that’s easy to apply without smearing, regardless of age.

6. Victoria Beckham Beauty Foundation Drops with TCF8: The Substack girlies are feral for this one. It redefines the idea of what a base product can do. Rather than just masking your skin, this is skincare-meets-makeup: it’s built around TFC8®, Augustinus Bader’s proprietary complex of vitamins, peptides, and lipids intended to nourish skin cells and support renewal over time. Beyond that, the formula includes soothing ingredients such as echinacea extract (for contour and plumpness), olive leaf extract (for barrier support), jojoba oil (to hydrate and balance), and humectants like glycerin and pentylene glycol, which help maintain moisture. The finish is luminous and light to medium; it claims 12-hour wear and a natural-feel result that moves with your skin rather than masking it. In my testing, the drops initially feel weightless. You need very little (just a few drips) on a damp beauty sponge for it to settle beautifully into the skin. A bottle should last you ages.

7. Fara Homidi Soft Glass Lip Plumping Oil: a hybrid balm-in-oil that delivers shine without the stickiness. It’s built around a peptide (Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1) to boost lip volume visibly, ceramide NP to reinforce moisture and barrier support, and a lipid-suspended hyaluronic acid that sinks in for lasting hydration. The brand’s clinical claims are bold: a 20% increase in lip volume within the first hour, 32% better overall hydration, and a visible reduction in fine lines over a 56-day study period. In my experience, it glides on like a gloss but wears like a cushiony treatment—comfortable, luminous, and yes, amplifying—without the gimmicky cinnamon oil sting of its competitors.