Spring has sprung, and we want to look pretty and fresh and like we’ve only just come in from frolicking in the flowers. Easier said than done when you’re a busy parent, but a dream’s a dream, OK? Thankfully, with some workhorse hair, skin, and beauty products that really do as they say, even the busiest of us can feel our best. At Scary Mommy, we’re feeling the squeeze of how expensive everything is right now, just like you. Here are the products that stood above the rest this month, the ones we think are genuinely worth your money and time because they really deliver on their promises.
A Super Affordable Concealer You Don’t Have To Set
My undereyes are very dry and textured, so I typically reach for more hydrating concealers. But then that means I have to set them with powder or my mascara will smudge. I honestly didn’t think I’d like this new concealer from Essence when they sent it to me to try, but I haven’t worn a different concealer since receiving it. It blurs all my lines and darkness, and it sets all on its own without needing a powder, which means there’s actually less creasing and emphasis on my fine lines throughout the day. You can’t beat the performance, especially at that price point. (Side note: I love an affordable concealer like this because I can pick up multiple shades, since some of us tan in the summer and need a couple options on hand.) — Katie McPherson, Associate Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
One Editor’s New Holy Grail Moisturizer
This is my April beauty obsession! It’s built around 5-ALA, a naturally occurring amino acid that supports your skin’s cellular energy production to boost collagen and elastin from the inside out. It’s also packed with hyaluronic acid, squalane, beta-glucan, and organic cucumber extract for all-day hydration that absorbs completely without any greasiness, making it perfect under SPF or makeup. — Katie Garrity, Social & News Editor
These Environmentally Friendly Hair Care Bars
I’m trying to cut down on my plastic use, and so I’ve been experimenting with a few different shampoo and conditioner bars. This one works great and smells great — it lathers up nicely, and the ridges, I feel, help make it work better than some of the others I’ve tried. I especially like that this one is made for thick hair, too. I haven’t finished the bar yet, but it seems like I’ll get quite a few washes out of it. — Sarah Aswell, Deputy Editor, News & Social
A Hair Oil That Smells *Amazing*
I just discovered hair oil, and this Emi Jay one is the reason why I’m totally obsessed. It has just the right amount of shimmer to give your hair some gloss and sparkle, the scent is BEYOND good, and I feel completely put together and pretty when I pop a few drops into my palms and add to my ends. I love doing it after I’ve curled it… I feel like it adds a little more texture and just completes the whole style. On busy mornings, it’s easy to just work it into my bedhead so I feel less like a zombie and more like a human being with nice hair. — Samantha Darby, Senior Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
This Seriously Incredible Serum
If I’m going to splurge on a skincare step, I make it my serum — unlike cleansers or toners, they’re going to stay on my skin the longest and truly penetrate the most layers. I’ve been using the firmwear serum from Bioelements twice daily for an entire month, and I can truly say my skin looks and feels better. It glows and looks plump, the appearance of my fine lines is reduced, and my skin stays feeling hydrated all day long instead of looking dull by the afternoon. If you want to invest in a good workhorse product, I can’t recommend this one enough. — Katie McPherson
A Convenient Spray To Tone Down Brassiness For Blonde Hair
My hair color is naturally a mousy dark blonde color, AND it’s going gray, so I’m a highlights girl — makes me feel lighter and brighter and camouflages my silver. But anyone who lightens their hair knows that blonde hair tends to get a little brassy between appointments. I’ve tried so many purple and blue toning products over the year, but this line is my new saving grace. All of the products are incredible (and the packaging is so chic!), but I really love this spray. It’s quick and convenient, doesn’t leave my hair stiff or sticky, smells great, and tones down my brassiness. — Julie Sprankles, Deputy Editor, Lifestyle & Entertainment
Basically An Esthetician In A Box
As a 45-year-old woman who is just starting to see some hardcore aging go down on my face, I thought it might be time to take things to the next level. This peel kit, which comes with six one-week treatments, was just the level of involvement that I was looking for. It’s easy to use, not harsh, and really does make a visible difference when it comes to smoother lines and better tone. I loved making it part of my little Sunday self-care at-home spa ritual. — Sarah Aswell
The Most Satisfying Exfoliating Product Ever
This one’s for my fellow gross people. You put this stuff all over your skin while you’re dry, then start rubbing. All the old, dry skin cells will start balling up and literally rolling off of you — like, you’re going to want to do this in the shower. It’s so satisfying, my skin feels amazingly smooth and soft afterward, and it’s a great product to use before you self-tan if you want an even application. — Katie McPherson
A Magic Do-It-All Healing Skin Spray
I use this spray so often, and it has genuinely become one of those products I keep everywhere because it does everything. Powered by hypochlorous acid, the same compound your white blood cells naturally produce to heal skin, it tackles over 50 skin concerns, including acne, eczema, redness, sunburns, cuts, and rashes, with zero sting and zero harsh ingredients. — Katie Garrity
A Deeply Hydrating Body Oil For The Softest-Ever Skin
I am a huge believer in body oils for hydration. I use lotions too, but I feel like these are my actual secret weapon when it comes to having super-soft skin! Fur’s recently released Furming Oil is a new favorite for me because it feels so luxe going on and leaves my skin glowy and divine. My husband even commented last week on how incredible my skin was feeling. Plus, the scent is nice and not too strong. — Julie Sprankles
An Entire Skincare Range I’m Obsessed With
Goshi kindly sent me their Super Vitamin skincare range, which includes a cleanser, toner, and moisturizer, and all three are absolute gems. The cleanser is a creamy consistency that foams up; it feels like it offers a deep clean without stripping my dry skin, somehow. The spray toner is just so easy to use, and I can tell a real difference in my skin’s hydration when I use it. The moisturizer is lightweight and perfect for hot summer days, but still hydrating enough that I, queen of the lizard skin club, reaped the benefits (also love that it’s a pump bottle so I don’t have to put my fingers into the product).
The price points are higher than I’d normally spring for, but I’ve used these products at least once a day all month long, and they barely have a dent in them because you need so little to do the job. This is all around a great range and brand, and I will be repurchasing from them in the future. — Katie McPherson
An Incredibly Lightweight Conditioner To Fulfill Your Big Hair Dreams
I have long curly hair that tends to fall flat up top, but I want it to feel bigger and more wild when it’s summertime. When I ran out of my usual conditioner last month, I decided to try this GrandeHAIR one and have not been disappointed. It’s super lightweight and doesn’t weigh my hair down with too many oils, so when I use volumizing styling products now, they have a clean, easy slate to work with. I wish it didn’t take quite so many pumps of this stuff to detangle, but still, I’ve been very happy with the results. — Katie McPherson
A Volumizing Foam To Lift At The Roots
And the volumizing styling product in question is this: the Innersense I Create Lift Volumizing Foam. I am in a loving and committed relationship with their I Create Volume styling lotion to shape and hold my curls, so I figured I’d try another of the brand’s volume line to achieve my big hair goals. This foam feels like nothing in the hair (unlike some volume-enhancing products that work by making your hair sticky, or coating it in fibers that bulk it up). It gives my curls a noticeable lift at the roots, and if I put my hands in my hair and shake it up every so often throughout the day, it reactivates the product and I look freshly lifted again. It’s good stuff I’ve been reaching for every morning. — Katie McPherson
A Redness-Reducing Moisturizer You Can Share With Your Tween
I love this product and so does my teenager! We wrestle it away from each other on the daily, if that lets you know how much we like it. I love that it’s all-natural, I love that it’s pretty tame ingredients that my teen can use, and I love how it makes my skin feel. I especially think it really helps with redness. — Sarah Aswell
A Lip Balm That’s Perfect To Stash In Your Desk
I am obsessed with this lip balm — it’s packed with L-theanine, lemon balm, lavender, and chamomile, so every swipe genuinely takes the edge off on stressful days, not just moisturizes your lips. The micro-dose concept is genius: You apply it 6-10 times throughout the day so the calming ingredients build up steadily rather than all at once. It’s become my little desk-side ritual and honestly one of the most creative wellness products I’ve come across in a long time! — Katie Garrity
A Dynamic Duo Of Serums For Skin That’s All Over The Place Right Now
I guess I’ve reached the very annoying part of perimenopause — aka my second adolescence — where my skin will randomly break out one day but be so dry it feels crepe-y the next. So, I’ve been on the hunt for a simple system that won’t make my skin angry, and this duo seems to be doing the trick. Both serums are incredibly lightweight but give me an instant hit of hydration, and I’ve already noticed a visible improvement in my skin tone (some of my stubborn sun spots have even started to fade). And since these layer so well, it doesn’t feel like I’m overloading my skin. — Julie Sprankles
The Ultimate Mascara, Honestly
I have tried so many mascaras over the years (it’s the one piece of makeup I put on every single day), and I’ve never found one that hits everything I need. But this one? It’s insane how good it is. Not only does it go on easily without any clumps or stray bristles messing things up, it sort of *glides* on — I don’t know how else to explain it. It’s infused with peptides and meant to keep your lashes healthy and gorgeous, and I swear, it really does make my whole face look brighter and fresher when I have this on. Plus, it stays on through workouts, through a whole day of momming and jobbing, and doesn’t irritate my eyes at all like others have. Sometimes all I have is this on and a lip gloss, and I just feel like the ultimate ~clean girl~ aesthetic for spring! — Samantha Darby
A Shampoo Focused On Scalp Health
Some shampoos are all about the vibes, but this shampoo is about heavy lifting and actually getting some work done! I think this is the first shampoo made for scalps where I actually felt a difference after using it for a few days. My head is healthier and happier, and my hair is too. — Sarah Aswell
A Big Investment That Pays Off
Is this an investment? Yes. Is it worth it, in my opinion? Also yes. A hill I will die on is that the single thing that has made the biggest difference in my skin’s appearance over the last few years is red light therapy. I’d been seeing beauty people online I trust recommend this mask, and I see why — it’s a really comfortable fit and doesn’t shine in my eyes like some other masks. I could tell a difference after just one use. I will be using this every single night so that I can pretend I, too, can one day look like Charlize Theron (who recently said red light is the secret to her seemingly ageless skin). — Julie Sprankles
An Elevated Body Wash With A Luxurious Lather & Scent
This body wash has a nice lather and makes my skin feel really soft, but the real standout feature is that it comes in really interesting and original scents. Yes, I do want to smell like wild peonies, saffron, and rose! Another fun scent is white peach and sea breeze! — Sarah Aswell
Another Winning Shampoo & Conditioner Set
Bear with me, because I’m going to b*tch about perimenopause some more! But seriously, one of the random side effects I’ve been dealing with is my hair feeling so weighed down lately. Almost any product I was using was making it greasy within a day or two! Then I found this specific line from Luseta, and I could cry over how much I love it for my everyday shampoo and conditioner. It leaves my hair feeling so clean and soft and full of volume. Like, do I have more hair? Is this just making my hair feel fuller? Whatever’s happening, I’m all about it. — Julie Sprankles
We hope you are feeling beautiful and enjoying the spring weather, whether you do it made up or looking like Adam Sandler (my natural state).
