The 11 Beauty Products That Changed Our Lives in 2014

"I just came back from a magical trip to the Serengeti. I had the luxury of experiencing the spa at the Four Seasons there, and all the treatments involve this magic potion. Made of 100 percent natural essential oils, this serum soothes stressed skin, moisturizes, and leaves skin glowing. I've never shelled out this much for a beauty product before, but after experiencing the results, I was sold." —Leah Chernikoff, editor

$68; africology-usa.com

"It’s so minor, but discovering Aquaphor as a lip balm was absolutely life changing for me. I had such trouble with chapped lips before and tried everything—lip glosses, Vaseline, whatever I could to soften them. A beauty editor suggested Aquaphor to me and I gave it a go. It was just crazy effective: I’d put it on and my lips would still be soft hours later. Now I swear by it." —Alyssa Bailey, editorial assistant

$5; drugstore.com

"For a big chunk of 2014, I was rocking colored eyebrows. This was achieved with the help of some trusty gel eyeliner pencils that I got from Napoleon Perdis back in June. I’ve since evolved into being an Angel, so I no longer participate in crazy beauty trends like colored eyebrows (for now). But for the warmer months of 2014, it was hugely important to me and definitely made me stand out. This product changed my year." —Danielle Prescod, fashion editor

$25; napoleonperdis.com

"This year, in a search to fix my skin once and for all, I went to dream facial spa Aida Bijac and met one of their skin gurus, Sophia. She introduced me to Biologique Recherche’s Lotion P50 V, which is supposed to exfoliate and balance your skin. It feels sort of like a toner, smells like a hospital, and works like magic. Legitimate magic." —Ruthie Friedlander, deputy editor

"Biologique Recherche Lotion P50 Original '1970' changed my skin this year. Not only has it visibly reduced the number of pesky blackheads on my nose, but it is also responsible for evening out any redness on my cheeks. Plus, one daily swipe of this stuff on a round cotton pad has all but eliminated my need for tinted moisturizer. I am a total lifer." —Justine Harman, features editor

biologique-recherche.com

"I am not the kind of person who tends to 'discover' new beauty products, because I am boring. But I've recently revisited an old friend in a new package, and it's actually making my life better. The quality of Pur Argan oil is awesome, and unlike the more rustic bottles I've been using, it comes in a sleek, modern pump bottle so I can stop spilling it all over my bathroom sink. Best investment of 2014." —Kate Winick, social media editor

$65; purargan.com

"I never used brow gel at all before, because I thought it was an unnecessary step not worth the time it would add to my mostly minimal makeup routine. But while I’ll continue to skip the lip liner and primer, I’ve realized brow gel really does make a difference—a big one. And since it’s not the sort of thing I have to be super careful and precious with while applying (sup, liquid eyeliner), it really doesn’t take that much time at all. So I’ve been missing out for … nothing?" —Natalie Matthews, Web editor

$22; sephora.com

"When I met Elizabeth DeCoursey, founder of Antidote Brooklyn, she had such beautiful skin that it was an instant sell to try her apothecary-style products. (Also, each of her concoctions is named after old rock songs.) The Cleansing Grains face wash is made of flowers, clay, oats, and coconut milk—which looks a bit like a floral mulch—and promises to reduce breakouts and redness in a mild, daily exfoliant. I have never been more infatuated with a face wash. It leaves my skin incredibly soft and noticeably brighter, and all my blemishes seem to instantly shrink after each use. It might sound a little woo-woo to wash your face with flowers, but it's hands-down the best cleanser I have ever used." —Rebecca Moss, producer

$25; antidotebrooklyn.com

"This stuff has transformed my hair/beauty/life routine. I have super-straight, super-fine hair, which means I’m always waging a war between flat-greasy and dry-poofy when it comes to my head. But this dry shampoo is magic: Not only is the stuff darker, which saves me from the granny-gray mane effect some more baby-powder-hued formulas have, but it also gives my hair the perfect, not-too-product-y texture. With a few sprays of this, I can sport second-day washed hair without it looking limp and sad (it’s also great for a last-minute jujj)—which means I don’t have to stick to my former daily hair-frying blow dry routine." —Sally Holmes, senior news editor

$13; dermstore.com

"There are SO many things I discovered this year that are now staples in my beauty routine—this face cleanser, this perfume—but the real game changer was this toner by Ling New York. One of my biggest beauty lessons this year was learning what a difference finding the right products and taking extra care makes when it comes to my complexion. I’ve never really had problem skin, but once I saw how much brighter, even, and moisturized my face was after a Ling facialist instructed me to use the toner on the regular, I was inspired to make more of an effort. This toner, man. It’s the best." —Victoria Hoff, editorial assistant

$38; lingskincare.com