10 Of The Best New Beauty Launches Of 2026 (So Far)
From a transforming cleanser to the next generation of dry shampoo, every new product that wowed our beauty editor this year.
February, May and September are usually the biggest months for new beauty product launches, but this year there have been more frequent top-tier launches and global rollouts.
As a beauty editor, one of the joys of my job is trying out these new-to-market products before they land on shelves. I’ve spent the past six months test-driving the best 2026 has to offer and I’m impressed.
Below, discover 10 new fragrance, makeup, skincare, hair care and body care products I’ve tried (and loved) so far this year.
While this list is not exhaustive – I could’ve added 20 more things – consider this your glimpse into the future of beauty (hint: it’s bright).
The Fragrance
YSL Libre Berry Crush 50ml eau de parfum, $253
YSL Libre has been a mainstay in my fragrance wardrobe since it launched back in 2019, a scent I’ve worn on rotation from the office to school pick-up or date night. So when news broke that a new raspberry-spiked iteration was on the horizon, I was curious.
Berry Crush builds on the YSL Libre legacy by following a similar olfactory profile – with notes of orange blossom and lavender – but this time adds a delicate sweetness with juicy raspberry and creamy coconut accord.
I expected it to be slightly cloying, as some red berries often are, but Berry Crush is far more subtle. On first spritz it feels vividly fruity, but dries down to something more sensual and delicate – true to the Libre spirit with white florals that feel wholly soft and feminine.
The Foundation
Armani Luminous Silk Foundation, $137
Beloved by makeup artists since its inception in 2000, Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation is an enhanced, reformulated take on its cult favourite.
Renowned for its lightweight, skin-like finish, the revamped version – released to mark the brand’s quarter-centennial – includes a new formula, packaging and shade range.
While the initial response from makeup artists was panic, fans of Luminous Silk were pleasantly surprised by its expanded shade range (it’s now available in 44 shades) plus the addition of skincare ingredients like niacinamide and glycerin.
At the launch event, I was shade-matched with 5.3 (perfect for when I have a layer of fake tan on).
It melts into skin just as seamlessly as before – I decant a little on the back of my hand and then buff it into skin with a foundation brush. As someone who suffers with periods of congestion or hormonal breakouts, skin-clearing niacinamide is a welcome addition to the formula.
The Eyeshadow Quad
Tom Ford Runway Eye Color Quad in 31 Sous De Sable, $180
It’s one of the more expensive products on this list, but if you have the means to splash out on an eyeshadow palette, this is the one for you. The Runway Eye Colour Quad by Tom Ford – launched back in February – is four powder and creme formulas designed to dress eyes in bold, runway-ready hues.
Each shade delivers strong colour payoff and can be worn as a wash of colour or built up, depending on preference.
For me, the four taupe hues in the Sous De Sable quad complement my green eyes perfectly. I generally reach for the lightest and mid shade for daily wear, but sometimes amp it up with the richer hue or a subtle touch of shimmer.
The Mascara
Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Body Mascara, $30
If you loved the original Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara, just wait until you try this one. The latest chapter in the Lash Sensation story is the Body Mascara, which delivers as much volume as the name suggests.
It promises the same level of staying power as the OG, but this time with buildable volume for up to 24 hours of continuous wear.
What’s different is the new Body Curve Brush – a dual-sculpt design that both volumises and lifts, coating lashes evenly in the glossy formula. It’s easily layered on to lashes, too, and I found even after the second coat mine weren’t clumping or flaking. That’s largely thanks to the addition of kaolin clay, which adds grip to help the formula adhere to lashes, not bulk.
Even after the season finale of Euphoria (IYKYK) my mascara stayed put – standing up to its claims of being smudge-, flake- and transfer-resistant.
The Lip Balm
My love affair with lip balm is on par with my hand cream addiction – so much so that I’ve stashed lip balms in most of the places my hand creams live.
I’ve got a handful of trusted go-tos and regularly stock up on these during my too-frequent trips to Chemist Warehouse. But recently I was given a tube of Arke’s The Lip Treatment by founder Renee Hohaia and I’m a convert.
Not only does it feel beautiful to apply, but the formula is brimming with mānuka honey, beeswax, kawakawa extract and hyaluronic acid to smooth and soothe lips even in the coldest climes. It lends a lightweight gloss over lips that feels deeply hydrating, not sticky.
The addition of peppermint adds a super-subtle plumping sensation and lends a sensorial freshness that I’m yet to find in any other lip product.
The Cleanser
Emma Lewisham Supernatural Crème Cleanser, $84
Emma Lewisham turned the cleanser category on its head with the new Supernatural Crème Cleanser. Harnessing wash-on technology, it performs like a treatment rather than something to be simply washed down the drain.
It still cleanses impurities and makeup of course, but simultaneously promotes healthier, more hydrated skin.
This happens with rinse-resistant hydrating ingredients like saccharide isomerate and a modified form of hyaluronic acid that supports moisture levels in the skin both immediately after cleansing, and over time.
Three key actives, including a targeted prebiotic, purify the skin’s surface and support a balanced skin microbiome, while a protective veil containing patchouli calms visible redness and leaves skin feeling soothed and comfortable.
This newbie has become a mainstay in my beauty routine for good reason – it’s gentle enough to cleanse my skin upon waking, but hard-working enough to wash away my makeup at the end of the day.
The Face Mask
RAESO Lunar Veil Chrono-Active Sleep Mask, $159
Harsh winter weather calls for ultra-hydrating skincare, better still, the kind you can apply at bedtime to work its magic overnight. The latest launch from local skincare maker RAESO is an overnight sleeping mask that’s designed to work in sync with the body’s circadian rhythm to hydrate, renew and repair skin while you sleep.
The secret lies in the formula’s ability to hydrate skin instantly and over time, with key ingredients stepping in during three distinct phases - receptivity, renewal and recovery - to align with the skin’s biological processes.
Cosmeceutical ingredients like time-release mandelic acid, DNA repair enzymes and niacinamide riboside are paired with New Zealand botanicals like mamaku black fern and mānuka honey.
It’s been my go-to this winter – a time when my skin is prone to seasonal dryness and dehydration. I’ve been slathering on the baby blue cream before bed, and can confirm that my skin feels soft and plump come morning.
The Hair Styling Product
Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Style Refresh Mist, $63
Anyone who’s been seeking an alternative to dry shampoo should consider this hair-refreshing mist from Living Proof. According to the brand, the restyling mist “brings back day-1 look and feel” to hair, helping to neutralise odours and offer thermal protection during the heat styling process.
Key ingredients include a proprietary style refresh complex (loaded with amino acids, polypeptides and hydrating actives) to revive and reset hair, natural enzymes to banish odours, biomimetic lipopeptide to form a protective layer on hair, plus babassu oil ester for slip and shine.
I’ve incorporated this into my haircare routine on day-two hair, but will often spritz a little over my roots on freshly washed hair too, after blow drying but before heat styling.
The Hand Cream
Aesop Solais Replenishing Hand Serum, $69
At 35, I’m acutely aware of how hands are one of the first areas to show the visible signs of ageing, and as such I’ve been slathering hand cream, sunscreen and serum on the backs of them for years. My obsession with hand cream runs so deep I have tubes of the stuff on my nightstand, kitchen bench, and in my handbag and glovebox.
Most of the creams I reach for focus on hydration, but this one from Aesop impressed me with its claims of reducing the appearance of dark spots, leaving skin bright and even-toned.
Aesop’s lightweight formulation sees dandelion root, niacinamide and LHA combine to fend off hyperpigmentation while leaving hands and cuticles feeling nourished and supple.
It spreads easily and absorbs quickly (I cannot stand hand creams that feel sticky or tacky post-application) and as with all Aesop products, it has a citrussy, herbaceous quality that makes it a pleasure to use.
The Body Lotion
Pure Fiji Vitamin C Body Lotion Citrus & Mokosoi, $55
No trip to Fiji is complete without a visit to the Pure Fiji counter, and during my most recent trip I made sure to stock up. Guava and Coconut are my current favourite infusions, but I was recently introduced to Citrus & Mokosoi – the infusion linked to the brand’s new Vitamin C bodycare line.
The scent is much more subtle than other citrussy scents in the range (Coconut and Lime, for example) no doubt thanks to the mokosoi (ylang ylang) which lends a delicate floral aroma.
As far as the formulation goes, its lightweight and leaves skin feeling instantly hydrated, while its blend of key ingredients helps support moisture balance and restore radiance to skin.
Key ingredients include cold-pressed coconut, dilo, sikeci and macadamia oils to soften and nourish; hyaluronic acid to fortify the skin barrier; sunlit citrus and kakadu plum for a dose of skin-brightening vitamin C, while mokosoi calms and balances.
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