I’m a Beauty Editor. Here Are 6 Products I Purchased With My Own Money This Month
Sadaf Razi is Adore Beauty's Senior Beauty Editor.
She's a former fashion editor (who worked at various glossy mags) and stylist-turned digital beauty and lifestyle writer. She has been in the lifestyle/media industry for over 10 years and her work has also been featured on international covers like Elle France and Vanity Fair Mexico.
Some of her fave Adore Beauty products include Cicaplast B5, CeraVe Cleansing Oil and Lancôme Renergie Triple Serum.
One of the best perks of being a beauty editor is being very kindly gifted products on the regular, so that we can trial, test and review them for the people.
That way, when friends or family ask us for recommendations or when we’re curating a list of or talking about products we genuinely love, we can share honest, first-hand thoughts.
Another major perk? Working at Adore Beauty and being able to place a monthly staff order with a generous discount, one that our friends and family also get to enjoy. Dangerous knowledge, honestly, especially if you have as many cousins as I do.
So, if I’m spending my own money on something every month, it means I truly loved it enough to stock up, or it’s something I’ve had my eye on and genuinely wanted to try.
Now, because of the products I’m very kindly gifted, I rarely need to repurchase that much, so anything that makes it into my cart is either a must-have for me or something my loved ones have specifically requested.
I secretly love this, because knowing what people are loving, using and buying is literally my beauty-editor obsession.
So, without further ado, here’s what I added to my cart this month…
1. Vida Glow Womens Health Sleep
What is Vida Glow Sleep?
- A before-bed capsule designed to relax your mind and enhance sleep quality
- Helps relieve restlessness
- Formulated with Maizinol® - a clinically proven natural sleep aid with melatonin-like effects for increased sleep quality, passionflower (promotes calm and better sleep quality) and vitamin B6 (helps produce melatonin)
- Improves sleep quality by 35% in 4 weeks
Why I added it to cart:
As beauty editors, we get insight into the data on what beauty topics and trends you are interested in or loving. What we noticed last year was a growing interest in wellness and sleep.
Makes sense; there’s a lot going on, friends, and we are feeling it. So we’re pleased to see you collectively prioritising the importance of better wellness and sleep, because when it comes to beauty, it really does start from the inside out.
Speaking of good sleep and wellness habits, last year, I gifted my mum these Vida Glow Sleep capsules, and she loved them so much, I had to write a Beauty IQ article on them (you can read it here).
Long story short? She genuinely noticed an improvement in her sleep quality, and for someone like my mum who is a notoriously bad sleeper, this is kind of life-changing.
If my mum told me eating a rare herbal plant from Egypt would help her get better sleep, I would be on the next flight to Cairo. So knowing all I have to do is add another pack of these sleep capsules and a great melatonin for sleep to the cart and keep her stocked? A complete no-brainer.
2. Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3
What is Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye?
- A retinal-powered eye cream to smooth fine lines and brighten dark circles
- Firms and smooths delicate skin
- Hydrates and plumps eye contour area
- Key ingredients include:
- Retinaldehyde
- Ceramides
- Hyaluronic acid
- Chamomile extract (soothes)
Why I added it to cart:
I was recently out for a walk in Sydney when I ran into someone I knew who happened to be with a friend who’s a dermal clinician.
She instantly noticed my dark under-eye circles and asked, "Have you ever tried using an eye retinol?" I wasn’t offended in the slightest. My dark circles are pretty hard to miss.
I told her I had, but don’t use them much, mostly because my dark circles are genetic and I’ve long accepted that no eye cream is going to magically erase them.
She agreed, but gently suggested that retinol could still help softly brighten the area (not eliminate dark circles completely). Honestly, that was all the convincing I needed to swiftly add one to cart.
Even the promise of a slightly brighter, hydrated and less creasy under-eye sounds golden to me and one of the skincare brands I trust most, especially when it comes to vitamin A, is Medik8.
What is the difference between a face retinol and an eye retinol? They are specifically formulated for the delicate eye area.
Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye review by AB customer Karina:
"Brightened my under eyes and smoothed out the skin, never had an issue with irritation at all. Applies and spreads out nicely, only need to use a small amount so the tube lasts ages."
3. BEAUTY OF JOSEON Revive Eye Serum : Ginseng + Retinal
What is the Beauty of Joseon eye cream?
- An anti-ageing eye serum with ginseng and retinal to help improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
- Ideal for those concerned with reduced skin elasticity
- Is cruelty free and fragrance and essential oil free
Why I added it to cart:
Speaking of the best eye products, my cousin asked me to grab her this TikTok-viral Beauty of Joseon eye cream, or eye ‘serum’.
Thanks to this affordable K-Beauty eye cream, users on TikTok have been crediting its formula with a full “under-eye glow-up”, which had my cousin, who is a huge Korean skincare fan and is always across the latest beauty must-haves, in a chokehold.
The inclusion of powerful skin-boosting ingredients such as ginseng root extract (known for its great age management qualities and delivering more supple skin) along with retinal (works faster and more effectively on the skin than retinol), niacinamide and glycerin is pretty impressive for an under-$50 eye cream.
What were the best selling products of 2025 according to you? Find out in the Beauty IQ Expert podcast episode below:
4. AB LAB by Adore Beauty Dewy-C SPF50+ Facial Sun Milk
What is AB LAB Dewy-C Facial Sun Milk?
- A 50+ sunscreen that offers UVA & UVB protection
- Gives an instant boost of glossy luminosity
- Is Australian-made and cruelty-free
- Ideal for normal to dry skin types
Why I added it to cart:
There are a few sunscreens I keep on high rotation for two main reasons: 1) they play beautifully under makeup, delivering that fresh, dewy finish, and 2) they don’t leave a white cast on my skin. (If you want to see my best sunscreens for darker skin, you can peep them all here.)
I’ve just finished my third bottle of La Roche-Posay Anthelios sunscreen, and honestly forgot how much I also rely on the AB LAB formula until now, so I decided to restock.
The bottle lasts surprisingly well, and I love that it comes in a pump format, which helps minimise oxidation.
It boasts skin-loving ingredients like kakadu plum extract, vitamin C and glycerin so it's delivering the ultimate antioxidant protection for my skin.
I also prefer the texture and viscosity of this formula - it absorbs nicely into my skin and doesn't feel sticky afterwards. A pain point for me when it comes to a lot of sunscreens.
Plus, when makeup goes on top of this one, it's GLOW city and makes my foundation look really, really gewd.
5. Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer
What is the Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer?
- A long-wearing concealer that offers medium to full coverage
- Controls oil and shine
Why I added it to cart:
I’ll be forever indebted to full-coverage concealers, and while I’ll always have a soft spot for my OG Clinique one, the Estee Lauder double wear concealer has very recently knocked it off my number-one spot.
I know - BIG call.
As a dewy complexion-loving gal, I’m drawn to creamy, hydrating formulas like the Clinique All Over Concealer + Eraser, but I do notice more creasing than usual. Not the concealer’s fault, though. Creamy formulas and naturally creasy skin like mine just aren’t a great combo.
The Estée Lauder Double Wear full coverage concealer has more of a matte finish, which I was originally hesitant about, but I quickly realised that it actually helps my concealer stay put longer, with noticeably less creasing throughout the day.
I also find this one delivers slightly heavier coverage, so I usually need just one application (maybe one and a half at most). So it's definitely more bang for your buck, whereas I was always flying through my Clinique one because I always had to apply a few layers to achieve that same amount of coverage.
I would say they're both wonderful concealers with two different formulas, so you can rotate depending on what you need. But if you are looking for “the best concealers for dark circles”, I beg you to try this one.
6. Olaplex No. 4 Bond Maintenance Strengthening and Reparative Hair Shampoo
What is the Olaplex No. 4 shampoo?
- A gently cleansing and repairing shampoo for damaged hair
- Has over 200 five-star reviews!
- Features Olaplex’s bond-building chemistry to improve internal strength
- Improves shine and manageability
- How to use Olaplex No. 4? It works together with the Olaplex No.5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner and Olaplex 3 to help restore internal strength and moisture levels
- Is ideal for environmentally damaged, heat-damaged or colour-treated hair
Why I added it to cart:
What is my mum’s guilty beauty pleasure after skincare and fragrance? Trying approximately 109387 shampoos.
She asks me for a new one every month. Before I worked in beauty, her regularly box-dyed hair was dry and brittle. But the haircare I’ve since introduced her to (will have to share her top faves in a future Beauty IQ article) have totally transformed her straw-like strands into soft, glossy locks.
One of the best shampoos for dry hair, Olaplex’s No. 4 salon-performance formula was an instant hit with her strands.
After just a few washes, she noticed a real difference, and out of all the shampoos she’s ever tried, she says this one has made the biggest impact. So she's already asked me to stock her up before she finishes her current bottle.
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