Over the past six years, our writers and editors have spent countless hours interviewing dermatologists and makeup artists, decoding ingredient lists, and testing products on our own faces and hair to find the absolute best products for every step of your routine. And here, in the Strategist Beauty 100, we’ve pored over our archive to curate our perfect top-shelf items, to take care of every inch of your body.
In putting this list together, we imagined the ideal medicine cabinet, something for every step of your beauty routine — from your scalp to your toes and everything in between. We started with the obvious best essentials — keeping in mind different skin and hair types — like cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreens, shampoos, and conditioners. Then we added longtime favorites (such as the everywhere ointment multiple celebrities told us they can’t live without and the snail-mucin essence we’ve been recommending since 2017), drugstore dupes (like Rio Viera-Newton’s under-$10 Dior lip-oil alternative), and investment purchases that deserve space in your beauty cabinet (like a red-light mask that fixed one writer’s skin and lockjaw). We’ve even found solutions that work for some of your hardest-to-fix problems, like a Danish serum that actually thickens thinning hair and a cleanser that shrinks cystic acne.
To make it easier for you to browse, we’ve organized this collection into shelves: skin care, cosmetics, body, hair care, and tools. Whether you’re just figuring out what lotion doesn’t break you out, or you’re well versed in the art of the ten-step routine, we’re confident you’ll find solutions that will help you look and feel your best.
If you like this collection and want even more of our beauty coverage, sign up for the Strategist Beauty Brief, our new weekly newsletter, here.
Skin Care
Cosmetics
Body
Hair
Tools
The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.