16 Product Recommendations for October, According to SELF Editors

Here at SELF, we love to try new things—whether that’s items we purchase with our own money, new products that brands send us to test out, or hacks we saw on TikTok. Each month, we’ll tell you about the things that we genuinely loved. We aren’t required to write any of these reviews; these are simply things that we thought were great, and that we hope you’ll like too!

Things We Were Gifted

I’m cursed with having dry, flaky lips year-round. I’ve tried several different types of lip balms, but most of them leave my lips feeling sticky or immediately dry up after use. I recently tried Evolve Together’s Provence Hydrating Lip Balm and it’s become my new favorite product. It’s cruelty-free and made with coconut oil, shea butter, and jojoba seed oil, so it leaves my lips feeling super hydrated. I don’t have to reapply very often, and I especially like using it at night before bed because it has a subtle lavender smell. I also like its simple eco-friendly packaging and large tube size. If you’ve been looking for a remedy for chapped lips, I definitely recommend trying this vegan lip balm. —Jenifer Calle, senior commerce editor

I nominated this serum-like sunscreen for our 2022 Beauty Awards because I have such a hard time finding face sunscreens that check all of my boxes: mineral-based, not too greasy or drying, absorbs quickly, doesn’t make me break out, and doesn’t leave a white cast. This one delivers on all of the above, works great as a makeup primer, and generally gives me a little glow. It didn’t win this year (so many great products, only a few spots!), but it won my heart, and I plan to keep buying it when my sample runs out. —Cathryne Keller, associate wellness director

Good news: I found the facial for people who are scared of facials absolutely wrecking their skin. Perhaps the most luxurious of my wedding self-care endeavors, Ever/Body is a cosmetic dermatology med spa in New York City; the brand gifted me an hour-long facial. I was nervous about getting a facial a week before my wedding because the last thing anyone wants is to be blotchy and inflamed while walking down the aisle, but the team at Ever/Body recommended this particular one, which is generally non-irritating and produces immediate results. I am pleased to report that the HydraFacial gave me an instant glow and improved texture. If your skin is feeling dull or rough and you’re in need of a refresh, but don’t want to wake the sleeping bear that is your skin, try this. —Hannah Pasternak, associate special projects director

My TikTok algorithm spams me with tutorials of girls slicking on high-shine lip products to achieve what’s called something like a “brownie glazed lip”—the lip for fall, apparently. I don’t know about all that, but I gave the trend a try with a layer of NYX’s new Smooth Whip Matte Lip Cream in Teddy Fluff, a reddish-brown lip stain that goes on wet and dries into a smooth, velvety, dark lip that lasted me through most of a wedding. I top it with NYX’s Butter Gloss in a warm brown shade, Fudge Me, which brings light to my lips without being too tacky or messy (and it’s only $5). And then, boom: I look ready for a knit dress, leather jacket, and a steaming beverage. —Malia Griggs, commerce editor

In my lifetime, I have only truly loved three mascaras. Tower28’s new Make Waves mascara is one of them. I’ll admit that I have quite long, thick eyelashes, so I’m on the lookout for a mascara that further enhances what the good Lord gave me. The magic is in Tower28’s wand, which has three suspended bands and plenty of flex to catch all of the lashes. The formula curls, volumizes, and thickens without creating clumps or looking unnatural. It has quickly become my everyday mascara for work, going out, and even teaching fitness classes. —Sarah Madaus, commerce writer

I admit, I was skeptical about trying a pizza made with a cauliflower crust. I am a huge fan of bread, so, naturally, the crust is my favorite part of any pizza—but I was pleasantly surprised by this substitute. If you like thin crust, this pizza will be perfect for you. The crust was crunchy (the instructions say to bake the pizza for 12–15 minutes, but 10–11 minutes was all it took in my oven), and the white sauce was extremely creamy and balanced well with the cheese blend and spinach. I honestly forgot that the crust was made of cauliflower; it just tasted like a normal thin-crust pizza. One caveat: This pizza is not the largest, and can feed about two people. Or, you can do like I did and keep it all to yourself. After trying the first bite, you’ll want to. —Manee Magee, editorial assistant

Vivvi & Bloom is a new line of baby bath and body products from Johnson and Johnson that promises to deliver “simple” ingredients that parents can pronounce. And I’ll admit: I found the ingredients lists on these items to be considerably shorter than several of the other “simple” or “natural” products I’ve purchased for my baby in the past. I tried out the Baby Wash and Shampoo Cleansing Gel and the 2-in-1 Face and Body Whip Lotion—both of which I loved for my kiddo. The cleansing gel gets sudsy (so you’ll have your bubble fun!) but it washes away cleanly and leaves no residue. The lotion has a light coconut scent (amazing!) and it’s truly nonsticky and absorbs quickly (which is great, because lotions that take a while to rub in mean they’re basically impossible to apply on a wriggling toddler). In their attempt to be non-irritating, some baby lotions can also essentially just feel like water, but this lotion has some heft thanks to the shea butter, and it genuinely leaves my baby’s skin feeling moisturized. —Amy Eisinger, digital director

I’m not a huge perfume person since strong scents overwhelm me, but I got this one as a press sample earlier in the pandemic and I still find myself reaching for it whenever I need a little spirit boost. It’s from an essential-oil-based fragrance line that includes a scent for every zodiac sign, and the Maiden in me loves the subtle earthiness of the Virgo blend. It’s a little citrusy, a little woody, and you have to get close to smell it, which makes it feel like it’s just for me—a sweet little self-care reminder. —CK

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I almost wrote off claw clips until I became acquainted with these from Crown Affair. I have short hair, so I appreciate that these clips aren’t super long like some others. The teeth are just far apart enough for a loose, relaxed look, and the hidden internal teeth keep my hair locked in place. They don’t create kinks in my hair, and they also don’t pull it out or hurt my scalp when I use them for a prolonged period of time. Seriously, I wear them every day without fail. Clips have always been terrible at staying in my hair and yet I’ve done workouts in these. The tortoise pattern goes with everything, but if Crown Affair creates more colors, I will absolutely buy them. —SM

I swapped my cooling linen sheets for summer with Brooklinen’s brushed flannel sheets (which come in plaids and speckled blue). The idea of flannel sheets usually turns me off (Too hot! Too much static!) but these are surprisingly lightweight and airy, like the inside of an old sweatshirt, and have quickly become my fall favorites for burrowing into on Sunday mornings. —MG

OffCourt promises to deliver products that are designed for an “active lifestyle.” In other words, these products are supposed to be good at washing away sweat and vanquishing body odor. Their exfoliating body soap smells great, with notes of sandalwood and coconut, and has a bit of grit to it, so you get a satisfying scrubbing experience. I personally loved that the soap didn’t smell too floral, and only left behind a subtle scent once I had toweled off. The exfoliation on this is no joke, so I may not use it every day, but after my sweatiest workouts, I think it’ll be my new go-to. —AE

My friend raved about this specific stone bath mat from Dorai Home, so I gave it a try. Despite feeling uncertain about how comfortable a bath mat made of hard rock could possibly be, I’m a fan! This modestly sized mat dries within seconds of my feet touching it post-shower, meaning that I never have to really wash it or deal with a damp fabric mat. It’s nonslip, thanks to a grippy pad that slides beneath it, looks like a piece of spa decor, and there’s something magical about watching my footprints disappear that makes me look forward to using it. —MG

Things We Bought

I never considered myself a spray tan kinda gal, but I knew I’d want a glow when I got married in May. I was worried about turning orange, sweating pigment all over my dress or bed sheets, and just not looking like myself, but I actually looked exactly like myself—sans sunburn or tanning bed-induced dry skin. It’s an underrated beauty treatment that I can’t wait to try again this winter. If you’re in New Jersey, New York, or Connecticut, I highly recommend Glow2Go, a concierge service that, for a slightly higher cost ($85 compared to the standard $50), will come to your home and do the spray tan right there. My technician, Tara, made me feel extremely comfortable despite the fact that I was standing fully naked in broad daylight, and she respected my desire to look as “natural” as possible. Plus, I got to just mosey around the house in sweatpants after (you have to let the tan sink in for eight hours) rather than having to put on real clothes and go back out into the world. —HP

We’ve previously reported on how well Loop’s Quiet earplugs work for sleep, but the brand’s Experience earplugs are an absolute must-have for live events. They’re super small and come with several different silicone tips to ensure a secure fit (to quote Ned Flanders, it feels like I’m wearing nothing at all). As someone who avoids earbuds with silicone ear tips because they tend to have that unpleasant “thumping” internal feedback, I was worried I’d deal with the same problem with the Loops, but for whatever reason, they are thump-free. Even though they feel barely there, they make a huge difference, magically cutting through crowd noise to bring the music into focus. I love that my ears don’t ring as soon as I leave the venue, and the fact that they come with a cute carrying case doesn’t hurt, either. —Sara Coughlin, senior commerce writer

I’ve been looking for a water bottle now that I’m in the office more, and I noticed the Owala has been trending on TikTok. I’m very picky with my water bottle and was searching for a slim option (unlike my bulky Hydro Flask) with a handle for easy carrying during my commute. I also wanted one with both a straw and a sip lid option and the Owala checked off all of these boxes. The ice water stays cold overnight so its triple-layered insulation really works. It doesn’t sweat, all its parts are easy to clean, and it even fits in my car cup holder. —JC

Things We Tried

16. An easy phone hack to try at work.

I recently attended a seminar about utilizing technology effectively in the workplace, where I learned that changing your phone’s color scheme grayscale can be a great way to be on it less. As the host explained during the demonstration, our phones aren’t as fun to be on when they’re in black and white versus color. I’ll be the first to admit that I’ll pick up my phone to check one notification, then find myself on it for hours, looking at art, dog videos, you name it. Now, when I need to focus on a task, I’ll switch my phone to grayscale, which dramatically reduces the time I spend scrolling. To switch your iPhone to grayscale mode, go to Settings > Vision > Display and Text Size. Under ‘Color Filters,’ select ‘Grayscale.’ Simple as that. —MM

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Source: SELF