The 2024 REAL SIMPLE Beauty Award Winners Are Here! Find Your New Favorite Products

As the Beauty Director at REAL SIMPLE, I spent the last few months doling out the latest skin, makeup, and hair formulas to my fellow staffers and our superfan readers around the country, ranging from ages 16 to 65. Below are the winners that wowed us with the most glowing reviews.

Best Day Serum: Saint Jane Star Flower Niacinamide Serum

Most serums that actually work come with a drawback—they sting or cause peeling. This gentle option from Saint Jane Beauty doesn’t do either. And it soothes my redness while giving me a well-rested glow, despite my total lack of sleep (toddlers are fun!). Bonus: Micropearls burst on contact, delivering a potent pop of brightening niacinamide.

Best Lipstick: Westman Atelier Lip Suede Matte Lipstick

Testers swooned over a few things about this lipstick from Westman-Atelier: the heft of this tube, the magnetic closure, and the heart-stamped stick, saying it was almost too pretty to use. Until they did…and then they never looked back. “She glides on, leaving lips matte yet moisturized,” Features Director Amy Maclin says. “The mirror in the cap makes for easy application while in an Uber.”

Best Jawline & Neck Treatment: SickScience Shapeshift V Line Jaw Defining Serum

This gel from SickScience is “brilliant,” says reader Cathy Vix, a retired marketing specialist from Goodyear, Arizona. “I don’t have tons of wrinkles, but I’m 65 years old, and my jawline has sagged. I’ve been applying it twice daily, and I’ve noticed fewer wrinkles and less sagging.”

To buy: $58; sicksciencelabs.com.

Best Eye Shadow: Lancome Idole Tint Liquid Eye Blusher

Get yourself a multitasker that can line and shade. This Lancome Idole tube comes with a smart two-sided applicator, and the formula won’t crease or smudge. “This is how to do eye shadow,” Editor in Chief Lauren Iannotti says. “It doesn’t fade one bit during the day!”

Best Cleanser: Burt's Bees Nourishing Cleansing Oil

Reader Jill Johnston, a retired community relations and education coordinator also from Goodyear, Arizona, raves about this Burt's Bees cleansing oil, “I really enjoy using this. It doesn’t leave my oily skin oily—just nourished and soft. It has a slight herbal scent and gently removes my makeup, even around my eyes.”

Best Face Moisturizer: Drunk Elephant Bora Barrier Repair Cream

Testers were delighted by the pump applicator—one press portions out the right amount and keeps things sanitary (no dunking fingers into the tub!). Reader Nikki McIntosh, a writer in Southern California, calls this Drunk Elephant ceramide-loaded cream “a total dream,” adding, “I noticed a significant improvement in my dry skin’s texture. It’s the cream I didn’t know my face needed.”

Best Mascara: WYN Beauty By Serena Williams Big Vision Lengthening & Defining Tubing Mascara

The competition was stiff (hah!), but this Serena Williams mascara formula was a grand slam. (Get it? Because it’s Serena Williams’s line! Tennis!) “With just a couple of swipes, the mascara really elevates my look,” Designer Natalie Guisinger says. “It’s easy to put on and easy to take off. All you need is water.”

Best Foundation: Ilia Beauty Skin Rewind Complexion Stick

Available in 42 shades and packed with skin-smoothing peptides, Illia Beauty's foundation slash-concealer stick had a waiting list of 55,000 people before it even came out, and we know why. “This is excellent,” Lauren says. “It’s the convenience of a stick, with a dewy, blurred finish that doesn’t go anywhere after a long, hard day!”

Best Exfoliator: Paula's Choice 6% Mandelic Acid + 2% Lactic Acid Liquid Exfoliant

Reader Alexandria Gilleo, a celebrity makeup artist in New York City, has nothing but praise for this Paula's Choice Liquid Exfoliant. “It’s super gentle and great for anyone with sensitive skin,” she says. “I just got back from a week in Miami and was worried about sun damage, but this, along with an SPF, kept me clear and bright.”

Best Scalp Treatment: The Rootist BioBrew Fermented Strengthening Serum

Made without added water (which would dilute the amazing ingredients), this Rootist serum is probiotic-rich serum; it contains fermented ginseng and reishi mushrooms to nourish dry scalps and strands. It’s a one-stop shop for shine, strength, and smoothing. Trust me.

Best Body Wash: Olay Cleansing & Renewing Body Wash

Thanks to the foamy lather and hardworking retinol in this Olay body wash, Production Director Filomena Guzzardi was in awe. “I’ve never experienced a body wash so luxurious,” she says. “It rinses clean and leaves my skin significantly softer.”

Best Night Serum: Nocturnal Skincare Polar Night Renewal Serum

Huzzah! This Nocturnal Skincare serum is loaded with peptides and formulated to rev up your skin’s ability to repair itself while you snooze. It impressed reader Jessica White, a publicist in Los Angeles who has rosacea: “I love how calming it is, even while working on lines, spots, and hydration.”

Best Self-Tanner: St. Tropez Self Tan Supreme Violet Bronzing Mousse

This St. Tropez self-tanner aims to deliver an “ultradark” tan, and Senior Home Editor Hannah Baker, an avid self-tanner with fair skin, says it does just that. “I only needed one coat. I rinsed it off after eight hours, and it gave me a natural glow.”

Best Concealer: Fenty Beauty We're Even Hydrating Longwear Concealer

In 50 shades, this Fenty Beauty concealer provides up to 12 hours of cake-free coverage. “Did it hide my undereye circles and dark spots? It sure did!” Creative Director Phoebe Flynn Rich raves. “I love it for photos.”

Best Eye Cream: ROC Derm Correxion Dual Eye Cream

There are two creams in here—one for the lower eyes and one for the eyelids. Meaning, you get all-around care for crepiness and bags with this ROC eye cream. “I’ve already noticed a difference in my crow’s-feet after just a few weeks,” says reader Elizabeth Siegel, a teacher’s aide in Tustin, California.

Best Hot Tool: GHD Chronos Styler

“I’ve never felt less guilty about heatstyling my hair!” says reader Heather Painter, a school psychologist in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, about this GHD flat iron. “It smooths or waves my hair in one pass, getting me out the door quickly without frying my beloved red locks.”

Best Sunscreen: Lion Pose Ghostbuster 100% Mineral Sunscreen SPF 42

Here’s a glowing review from Photo Director Muzam Agha about this Lion Pose mineral sunscreen: “This is, hands down, the best sunscreen I’ve tried. As someone with a tanner skin tone, I’ve had a hard time finding a formula that keeps me from looking like a ghost. It’s hydrating but not greasy, and it brightens my complexion.”

Best Hair Repair Treatment: SpoiledChild M26 Damage Reverser

Formulated with collagen, argan oil, and keratin, this SpoiledChild Damage Reverser goes on post-shampoo and rinses out after 10 minutes for almost instant results. Reader Samantha McIntosh, a teacher in Lake Forest, California, is a believer. “It made my hair soft and shiny. It smells so good too,” she says.

Best Brow Booster: Benefit Cosmetics Precisely, My Brow Wax

This tinted brow wax from Benefit won the hearts of everyone who tried it. “This is genius,” says reader Alaina Gjertsen, a communications director in Los Angeles. “The flat side of the wand distributes the pigment; the domed side creates definition. I appreciate getting great results from one product, rather than the two I normally use.”

Best Blush: Milk Makeup Cooling Water Jelly Tint Lip + Cheek Stain

Milk Makeup's lip and cheek stain is like an ice pop! But for your cheeks and lips! “The cooling sensation is lovely in the morning, a mood-lifting zing!” Managing Editor Tara Cox says. “I like how it colors my face with a very natural-looking, rosy flush that I can build. It’s a keeper.”

Best Deodorant: Secret Whole Body Deodorant Cream

“Most scented deodorants smell chemical-like and heinous to me, but I found this peach vanilla scent very pleasant,” Amy says of this Secret Whole Body deodorant. “It has a nice, light texture and is all-day effective. I did try it on the underboob area, with surprisingly good results.”

Best Shampoo & Conditioner: Dove Scalp + Hair Therapy Clarifying Shampoo and Strengthening Conditioner

“I’m a new mom and can’t be bothered to wash my hair often,” says reader Megan Cotchen, a literacy specialist in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. “This Dove shampoo and conditioner gets rid of oil, and the conditioner leaves my curls easy to comb through and soft.”

Best Highlighter: KJH.Brand The Hyper Shine High Lite Kit

Created by celebrity makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes, this KJH Brand high lite kit comes with a shimmery cream (in your choice of four shades), a shine serum (to use alone or mix with the cream), and a brush. Testers loved the lit-from-within glow that didn’t settle into fine lines. “I feel like I’ve got this subtle filter on my face. I feel angelic AF,” Muzam jokes.

Best Styling Serum: Mane Ivy Elixir Serum

Designed to be used on dry or damp hair, Mane Ivy's Elixir Serum smooths frizz and protects against heat. “It makes my hair feel silky but not weighed down,” Jessica says. “It doubles as a perfume—I get a nice whiff of it when I move throughout the day.”

To buy: $39; maneivy.com.

Best Body Lotion: Versed Press Restart Advanced Retinol Body Butter

The Goldilocks of lotions, this Versed Body Butter's whipped formula “is rich enough to hydrate my parched skin, yet it melts in quickly enough that I don’t have to wait long after the shower to get dressed,” says Katie Holzman, our in-house PR wizard.