These Are The May Beauty Launches Worthy Of Your $$$ And Your Selfies

Addison Rae knows how to make a moment happen and so does the newest launch from her beauty brand, ITEM. This double-sided mascara technically features two primers — lilac for volume, blue for length — but both ends can also be worn on their own for a pop of color, which is how I plan to wear them this summer.

These little pots of gel pack a punch. Each shade features multi-dimensional, vibrant multi-chrome flakes in two finishes, glitter and metallic. True story: I’ve had friends gasp on more than one occasion when I’ve shown up wearing Infinite Chrome Flakes ($25) as a topper over my eyeshadow. The flakes are suspended in a silky, long-lasting water gel and create a 3D gilt texture when worn on their own. When worn over eyeshadow or other products, they really amp things up, creating shifting colors, depth, and glow.

Infinite Chrome Flakes are definitely statement makers and the newest addition to the family, Pride, a genuinely awe-inspiring rainbow shade, drops on Danessa Myricks Beauty on Monday, May 2, and Sephora on May 17.

I love a bright waterline, but a true white eyeliner can leave the actual whites of my eyes looking slightly cloudy, which is unfortunate because I am not a White Walker and think my eyes look pretty sparkly most of the time.

The Instant Brightening Waterline Pencil ($28) solves my White Walker issue by brightening without creating too much contrast for a wider, natural-looking gaze. Glide it on and you basically look like that “I’m about to cry, my eyes are huge saucers about to spill over” emoji. You know: 🥺.

I will be painting my eyelids with bright colors for the entirety of the summer and no amount of sweat, sun, or jumping into swimming pools is going to stop me. Thankfully, MAC Cosmetics’ new gel liners stay put, regardless of the seasonal adventures you might be undertaking.

The latest color-forward launch from the brand that’s been doing color cosmetics since before some of us (yours truly included) were born is a testament to brilliant minds behind MAC. Launching in 12 colors, these gel pens promise up to 24 hours of wear and 12 hours of “waterwear,” meaning you can spend half of an entire day posing for underwater selfies with a crisp cat-eye.

I’ve only worn these liners for a mere 14-hour day, but the shades — Commitment Issues, a vibrant lilac, and Perpetual Shock!, a cobalt blue — didn’t budge until I washed my face.

If you’re wondering why your lashes look great when you leave the house and start drooping throughout the day, chances are there’s wax in your mascara weighing them down. Wax is also the main culprit when it comes to makeup removal lash loss — having to scrub off the wax causes unnecessary roughness on your delicate lashes. Enter Lancome’s latest, Le Hypnôse 8 ($32), as seen on stars like Gabrielle Union and Winnie Harlow at the 2022 Met Gala.

My lashes are long, but sparse, so this mascara is perfect for me: It creates stunning length, fluffy volume, and, because the formula is basically weightless, it doesn’t create that unfortunate Snuffleupagus effect.

Rihanna is getting in on the sustainable beauty game and I have never been happier. The latest drop from her iconic beauty brand is an old-school wooden eyeliner pencil — soft kohl, high-pigment payoff, and precision application — crafted from a sustainably managed forest. I, for one, am getting my pencil sharper ready.

Y’all know I am not partial to a matte finish, especially during summer, especially during 2022, the year of dewy skin and gauzy highlight. But when MILK drops a new product, I’m going to try it, especially when it blurs the line between skin care and makeup with ingredients like niacinamide and bakuchiol, which help ease redness and smooth texture.

I got to test the product ahead of its launch and can report it leaves a deliciously cooling sensation on your skin after application and doesn’t leave skin looking plastic-y, the way the matte finish products from a few years back do. Instead, you get a smooth canvas for complexion products and a blurred effect that summer’s trend of shine can be built onto.

MILK Makeup’s Pore Eclipse Mattifying Primer ($36) will be available for purchase on May 16, on milkmakeup.com

I’ve already raved about the Colourpop x Star Wars latest drop, which included these nifty little eyeshadow jellies, but I’m seriously in love with the metallic, buildable gleam this jelly delivers.

It comes in two shades, but I’m partial to Protocol, an ivory-gold that creates a sheer duochrome effect for when you want to make a statement that whispers rather than shouts.

This palette was released previously, but sold out so fast that hardly anyone, yours truly included, was able to get their hands on it. Thankfully, a May 6 restock made this Euphoria-worthy collection of glitters available again. These glitters go on creamy, layer beautifully, and deliver textured, gorgeous effects that few other brands on the market have been able to replicate.

The Spacecase Illuminating Mini Pro Palette ($124) is definitely a “save your pennies” budget buster, but when I tell you that this brand is beloved by beauty fiends and MUAs across the length and breadth of the Interwebs, I mean it. As someone who uses Lemonhead LA glitter at least four times a week, I am a fan.

Danessa Myricks has graced us with two new shade expansions this month and the second delivers the dewy, glistening glow that every MUA under the sun is obsessed with creating right now. Myricks’ Dew Wet Balm ($22) offers a buildable gleam and the newest shade, Sweetwater, is a dreamy coral that makes every skin tone out there flush beautifully.

Sometimes, you don’t want to bother with a full beat. For those moments, there’s a new, sustainable, full-face, but easy option from master of glow, Charlotte Tilbury. Each kit features three refillable products (a refill for all three will set you back $25): an eye wand, a lip and cheek wand, and a highlighter wand. All three products are rich, creamy, and create a sculpted, all-over glow.