Our Editors' Favorite Beauty Products of 2025
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From one editor's tried-and-true hair product to another's go-to dark-spot correcting serum, our team tested hundreds of products across multiple categories to narrow them down to their favorites.
In the hair category, Senior Beauty Editor Jamie Schneider loved Crown Affair's Air Dry Mousse. "I have wavy, curly hair that's dense, but also fine, so I need a very specific hair formula that is going to give me enough hold and definition, but won't weigh my curls down or make them feel crunchy," she says.
A standout product in the skincare category was Brownkind's Dark Spot Corrector, according to associate beauty editor Maya Thomas. "I've been absolutely loving the Brownkind dark spot corrector, because I feel like not only did it brighten my skin immediately, but I started seeing the spots lighten over time," says Thomas.
For a breakdown of some of the products our editors can't stop talking about and an excerpt of the full roundtable discussion from The Who What Wear Podcast, scroll below.
[Let's] dive into hair as our first category to discuss, because we tested shampoos and conditioners and gels and creams and serums and basically everything. I'd love to know everyone's standout products and why.
Jamie Schneider: For me, the Crown Affair Air Dry Mousse is my absolute tried and true. I have wavy, curly hair that's dense, but also fine, so I need a very specific hair formula that is going to give me enough hold and definition, but won't weigh my curls down or make them feel crunchy. This mousse checks every single box.
Crown Affair
The Texturizing Air Dry Mousse
Maya Thomas: For me, because do do a lot of protective styling, and when I'm not doing protective styles, I wear my hair straight. I really, really love the PATTERN Beauty Breakage Barrier Hair Mask. It's really, really helped me combat my breakage I get from wearing my hair in protective styles as frequently as I do.
