In 2023, ingredient innovations, delivery systems, multifunctional products, and clean beauty products reigned supreme.

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Every year, Beautytap’s Editorial Team and Expert Community have the honor of receiving thousands of products to experience and review. From head to toe, 2023 was the year of multifunctional products, clean beauty, and science-backed, technologically advanced formulations that span the entire beauty industry.

Here are the Top 20 Editor’s Picks for 2023 that excited and impressed us, and should be on your radar. These brands continue to innovate and transform what we use and what we expect from the best of the beauty business.

Lip Color - Iero Beauty Moonkissed Luminous PH Lip Comforter

Give kissers a hearty smooch with ieró Beauty’s Moonkissed Luminous PH Lip Comforter. A velvety feel conditions lips in five sumptuous shades—Love Potion, Lucid Soul, Blushing Orb, Blood Moon, Astral Intuition, Lucid Soul. Made in Italy with shea butter, vitamin E, pomegranate, raspberry, and grape extracts, this super hydrating shimmer “reveals a unique to you flush of color with PH adjusting pigments and prismatic pearls,” says founder and beauty industry darling Nick Gavrelis. The gentle formula can be used for graceful color, as a primer for a bolder hue, and applied as an overnight lip mask to plump, soothe, and minimize lines. Ieró means sacred in ancient Greek and this heavenly lip treatment has pure goddess moxie.

Eyelash Primer – Jason Wu Beauty The Lash Primer

The secret to long-lasting makeup is a properly prepped base, and that includes your lashes. The Jason Wu Beauty Lash Primer contains hydrating panthenol as well as biotin and peptides to strengthen lashes and lessen the likelihood of breakage. It also coats each lash in grippy goodness, so your mascara will stay in place longer. Best of all … the white formula turns clear as it dries, so you won’t have to worry if you miss a lash.

Mascara – Dolce & Gabbana Devotion Mascara Extreme Volume

We test heaps of mascaras and there are plenty that impress us, but this one takes the cake. Glossy, ultra-black, sweat-proof, transfer-proof, and water-resistant, Dolce & Gabbana’s Devotion Mascara Extreme Volume lifts and volumizes lashes up to 205%. Enriched with Italian Calabrian Orange as well as D-Panthenol, D&G’s latest release thickens even the teeniest lashes for voluminous fringe that seriously mesmerizes all day long.

Makeup Brushes – Anisa Beauty

Makeup artists and enthusiasts agree that the right tool transforms the application experience. Anisa Beauty was built on the desire to make tools that satisfy the end user – no matter what their skill level. From their Multi Powder Brush to the Angled Concealer Brush and the cult favorite Pinnacle Foundation Brush, we were impressed by everything from their materials to their construction and their pricing. And the performance? They wouldn’t make the list if they didn’t wow at every turn.

Concealer – Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer

Say it with us … 38 shades! After you regain consciousness from that declaration, bask in the fact that the Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer offers medium coverage and a radiant finish that covers dark circles as well as blemishes. It depuffs and improves circulation thanks to caffeine, plumps courtesy of peptides and hyaluronic acid, and utilizes skin-soothing arnica to temper redness.

Face Color – Makeup by Mario Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil

Hyaluronic acid makes everything better, and Makeup by Mario’s Soft Pop Plumping Blush Veil keeps skin hydrated while giving cheeks a sheer wash of whisper-light color. We love the balm’s weightless texture and flattering pink, peach, rose, and berry shades. It adds a touch of luminosity to skin and is ideal for natural looks and “no makeup” makeup days.

Cleanser – Macrene Actives High Performance Cleanser

We adore dermatologist extraordinaire Dr. Macrene Alexiades and her Macrene Actives skincare collection. The Macrene Actives High Performance Cleanser proves that clean, luxurious, organic skincare can do everything. This all-in-one cleanser clarifies the skin, exfoliates dead cells, balances oil, hydrates like a dream, and minimizes the look of fine lines and wrinkles. It’s also sensitive-skin safe and banishes blemishes in one fell swoop. Pure perfection!

Anti-Aging Serum – Exponent Beauty Firming Filter CoQ10

If you feel like the active ingredients in your skincare products just aren’t doing the job, then let us introduce you to Exponent Beauty. Exponent’s patented dispensing system and key ingredient dosing on-demand makes it unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. The Exponent Beauty Firming Filter CoQ10 delivers clinically proven CoQ10 in powder form that’s easily mixed with their Quadruple Hyaluronic Acid hydrator for wildly fresh and potent skincare. The result? This silky serum delivers flawless looking skin and tackles the tell-tale signs of aging, including dullness, fine lines, wrinkles, and decreased collagen production. We’re smitten.

Face Moisturizer - Element Eight 02 Peptide

Harnessing the life-giving source of oxygen, Element Eight crafts trailblazing skincare. Developed by an expert team of scientists and doctors, the brand’s OATH (Oxygen Amplified Therapy) infuses skin with liquid oxygen for radiant results that last. Element Eight 02 Peptide tops our chart as an optimal anti-aging, firming, refining dream cream. The lush yet lightweight consistency deeply moisturizes normal to dry skin, energizes cell repair, promotes collagen production, reduces the appearance of wrinkles, improves skin tone, vitalizes healing, and protects against damage. We are head over heels, read our Beautytap Founder Spotlight with Gerard Camme and you will understand why.

Face Mask – Seed to Skin Tuscany The Black Magic Detoxifying Oxygen Therapy Mask

You’ve heard of clean beauty, but what about green molecular science? Seed to Skin Tuscany (based at the mesmerizing Borgo Santo Pietro luxury hideaway in the heart of Tuscany) takes ingredients seriously down to growing their own organic herbs and botanicals on property. They even have their own on-site skincare lab and yes, they conduct clinical trials as well. Thanks to activated charcoal, volcanic clay, the Black Magic Detoxifying Oxygen Therapy mask delivers oxygen to the skin’s cells while cleansing the surface as well as the pores. The end result is skin that looks radiant, even, and smooth and feels soft, moisturized, and remarkably clean.

Exosome-Fueled Skincare – ELEVAI enfinity™ Exosome Regenerative Serum

Even if you’re familiar with stem cells, exosomes may still seem mysterious. You can learn all about them in our article, but the short explanation is that exosomes are secreted by stem cells, and they ensure the other cells in your body are stocked up on protein as well as DNA and RNA. These magical cells work wonders internally and when applied topically, they help skin behave like it did in its youth. ELEVAI’s enfinity™ Exosome Regenerative Serum has serious science and data behind it and enhances your skin’s ability to heal, especially after a procedure like microneedling. The serum also contains four types of vitamin C as well as hyaluronic acid and copper peptides to promote elasticity, reduce hyperpigmentation, fight free radicals, and increase hydration. Need we say more?

Face Sunscreen – Byoma Gel Face Moisturizer SPF 30

Gone are the days of unfettered sun worshipping – we hope. Sunscreen needs to be part of your everyday routine, and Byoma’s Gel Face Moisturizer SPF 30 offers non-sticky, zero white cast, broad spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays. It prevents Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) while utilizing the plumping powers of hyaluronic acid and beta glucan. Plus, Byoma’s Tri-Ceramide Complex works to not only protect your skin barrier, but to strengthen it as well.

At-Home Beauty Tool – Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand

Treatment tools may line retail shelves, but the Solawave 4-in-1 Radiant Renewal Skincare Wand actually delivers on its promise to support skin’s microbiome while helping it to thrive. This three-minute treatment tool delivers red light therapy as well as a gentle facial massage to improve the appearance of puffiness, blemishes, and fine lines. The device also warms the skin to help open the pores, so the Galvanic current can increase your skin’s ability to absorb skincare products more effectively. That’s a lot of payoff for a single tool.

Hair Leave-In – L’Oréal Professionnel Absolut Repair Molecular Leave-In 

Living with chronically damaged hair is a thing of the past with L’Oréal Professionnel’s Absolut Repair Molecular Leave-In Mask. Instead of coating the hair for a short-term fix, this peptide- and amino acid-enriched leave-in mask penetrates the hair cuticle to improve its immediate and long-term strength and elasticity. It also protects strands from hot tools up to 230º C.

Scalp Treatment - Revivv Hair Rejuvenation Serum (for him and her) + Stimulating Scalp Massager

Revivv Topical Hair Rejuvenation Serum is a champion for hair growth sans harmful side effects. Formulated with plant extracts and science-backed technology, this natural, drug-free solution nurtures a thicker, fuller mane. “We help people on a lifelong journey to the best hair they could ever have,” says Dr. Sanjay Bantra. And we are thankful. A light and non-oily formula targets the root causes of hair loss and rejuvenates thinning strands. Give follicles attention—the ultra-exhilarating Stimulating Scalp Massager can be used on wet or dry hair for extra self-care. Pro tip: Bethenny Frankel is a fan and keeps Revivv’s scalp massager in her shower for a luscious lather.

Hair Mask - Olaplex No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask 

In need of trustworthy hair repair? Olaplex is a perennial favorite and No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask wins haircare gold. This intensely rich formula restores dull and frizzy tresses in just 10 minutes; apply to damp hair, mid-length to ends (a user-friendly air pump delivers just the right amount) and fully rinse for silky smooth results. Tried and true, the Bond Building technology is patented to add shine, boost body, and smooth flyways with weightless hydration—lovable locks are strengthened and renewed. Celebrity stylists rave about this scientifically savvy brand and so do we.

Clean Fragrance - Maison Louis Marie

Maison Louis Marie has maximum aromatic appeal with admirably minimalist presentation. This clean, botanical brand is made without any harmful ingredients and “in harmony with the environment,” says founder Marie du Petit Thouars. "I believe in making every effort to preserve the unique terroir of each fragrance element as it is derived from nature.” Unisex fragrance No. 4 Bois de Balincourt is an earthy and woody rhapsody with sandalwood, nutmeg, cinnamon, vetiver, amber—spicy, romantic, and mystical. No. 13 Nouvelle Vague is exotic bliss; fresh notes of lemon, coconut, Tuscan fig, and santal whisk us away to sunny Mediterranean days. With lovely, lasting perfumes and an environmentally conscious commitment to sustainability, Maison Louis Marie is revered in every way.

Luxury Fragrance - Parfums de Marly

Sensuous, elegant, and captivating, Parfums de Marly has dazzled our world. Fabulously French, this chic brand pairs 18th century glamour with modern inspirations. “Perfume represents the power and magic of the invisible,” says Parfums de Marly President of the Americas, Yvan Jaqueline. A divine collection of feminine, masculine, and unisex fragrances is exceptionally unique. Oriana is an addictive gourmand. Classic Delina is passionate with top notes of rhubarb, lychee, bergamot; heart notes of Turkish rose, peony, vanilla; and base notes of cashmere, musk, vetiver. Pegasus has enchanting allure with cypress, lavender, jasmine, sandalwood, and lingers like magic. Athalia’s bouquet is luxuriant—iris, incense, amber, and orange blossom delight in opulent sophistication.

Face Exfoliator - Embryolisse Exfoliating Milk Powder

Beauty extraordinaire and celebrity makeup artist favorite Embryollise continues to impress. This time-honored heritage brand founded in 1950 has a “je ne sais quoi” we adore. Launched in 2023, Embryolisse Exfoliating Milk Powder enlivens an effortlessly natural French style. A trio of coconut extracts blends into ambrosial joy: the shell is refined to gently exfoliate; the pulp balances tone with a delicate aroma; and the milk (transformed into fine grain) oh so seriously softens skin. Mix powder with warm water, lather, rinse, and voilà…say bonjour to a revitalized visage. Plus, the water-free packaging is ideal for a bon voyage.

Beauty Mirror - Ilios Beauty Ring Mirror

Mirror, mirror on the wall…you are the fairest one of all. Say hello to the face you cherish with Ilios Beauty Ring Mirror. Created by lighting luminaries and enhanced by celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic, this miraculous mirror is a game changer. 10x brighter than any other brand, it magnifies for true color at 1x and 5x (also available in 10x) and is conveniently reversible. Five settings for brightness levels and three-color modes make professional makeup application and stage worthy looks an at-home reality. Once you’ve tried it, you won’t want to live without it. Kim Kardashian says: “Literally the best makeup mirror I have ever seen.” And for content creators, this must-have mirror is your video’s best friend with a built-in mount for smartphones or webcams.

Congratulations to this year’s award winners! Thank you for raising the bar and delivering on your promises.

Contributors: Tracy Teel and Danica Farley.