Welcome to Our Favorite Products, a monthly feature in which ITG's editors discuss our favorite products. They're the best things we've tried all month long, reviewed, photographed, and anthropomorphized before we have the opportunity to get sick of them and move on to something new. This month is about easing into a new season—fall! This is the good stuff.
Susanne Kaufmann Hand Cream
“Tropical” isn’t a word I’d typically associate with the country of Austria. Nevertheless, Susanne Kaufmann’s Hand Cream (which you can sub her Hand Lotion for, if you prefer a lighter product) is “Made in Austria,” yet smells just like a sweet banana. In the very best way. Without even a hint of fake coconut piña-colada. It might be my favorite September product, but catch me using it all autumn, then all winter long. The scent is light, never clashing with perfume or causing headaches. And the texture is pure silk. This one's a true jewel of a hand cream and the best gift you could give a person... My birthday is coming up. —Anna Jube
37 Actives Anti-Aging and Filler Lip Treatment
It's a lip oil! And not like the YSL Tint-in-Oil that defined Summer 2016 for me. It's a lip oil that I've been using instead of chapstick for no other reason than if I use oil for everything else (on my face, on my hair, in my shower...), then I may as well use it for my lips, too. Some things don't need to be more complicated than that. —Emily Ferber
Innisfree Super Volcanic Clay Mousse Mask
Some of my favorite clay masks are the kind that come as a powder. And I hate that. You have to play Bill Nye to get the right consistency, and no matter what, you get dirt all over the sink. Sometimes it's worth it—the hurt is so good—but lately I've been into this guy. It's not as mousse-y as you'd expect, but it's pre-mixed, featherweight, and easy to spread. —Tom Newton.
Philip Kingsley Instant Beach
Since entering the world of layered hair, a combination of salt spray and Brilliantine has been my daily salvation. But literal salt sometimes feels too gritty and drying. Instant Beach landed on my desk with prescience, just as the summer humidity, that culprit of textureless hair days, started to wane. It works like a salt spray, but contains no actual salt. This means it adds texture, volume, and even a bit of wave to my overdue-for-a-cut hair without ever feeling heavy or dirty. Plus it holds all day. I think you'll like it. —AJ
Serge Lutens Mascara
Want to know if your waterproof mascara works? Go jet-skiing in it. After a harrowing, hour and a half-long tour of the Hudson and East Rivers, plus part of New York Harbor, I'm happy to say that the Serge Lutens formula didn't flake, streak, run, or otherwise move from my lashes. When Cassandra Grey says you can only get that stuff off with Serge's version of a makeup wipe, she means it. Other lessons learned: Maybe don't jet ski in New York's rivers and waterways if you value all other aspects of your health. —EF
Philosophy Pumpkin Icing Shower Gel
My body wash always corresponds to a few things: my mood, the time of day, where I am, and the season. Really, I rotate 'em like crazy. The calendar says it should be fall—though it doesn't feel that way in New York—so I'm looking for scents that make me think of picking apples upstate and wearing pullovers. This scent isn't as corny as it sounds—it's sweet and spicy and suds just the right amount. Most importantly, the scent doesn't stick around. I need a pumpkin spice moment but I also need to leave it behind. —TN
September flew by. Remember August? Refresh your memory here.
