Photo-Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Retailers
A few months ago, there was a TikTok trend of boyfriends who can’t wait until their girlfriends leave the house so they can use their products, and I thought it was the most hilarious thing. To my surprise, a few weeks later, I got in my boyfriend’s car and reached over to give him a kiss and immediately asked, “Why do your lips smell like watermelon?” His response? “Oh, it’s my Rhode lip-balm product. It’s good.” Rhode Skin barely stays in stock. The audacity!
I’m a beauty writer who has a dedicated shelf with hundreds of products on it, and he sashays his way over to sift through them all whenever he can. Of course, La Mer is one of his favorites, but after learning the cost, he’s also learned that he must keep his hands off of my La Mer moisturizers.
He has come a long way from his Vaseline, Jergens lotion, and Dove soap days. If this sounds way too familiar and you too have a partner who has sticky fingers like mine (or you simply want a beauty gift for your partner, a friend, or a family member), the products below are the ones that I’ve slowly seen being moved off my shelf to his and that double as great Valentine’s Day gifts.
While the rose-gold shimmering finish of Fenty’s Valentine’s Day Butta Drop wasn’t for him, I introduced him to the OG Butta Drop with the same moisturizing formula but sans the glow. Both melt right into your skin, and now he can’t keep the mini-cream out of his sight. It’s another product that stays in the car.
Most Loewe scents are unisex, but this one wasn’t for me, so I let him try it. He’s claimed it as his signature scent ever since. The blend of guava contrasted with musky notes combines for an enticing aroma that can work from day to night.
Everyone’s go-to lip product since it dropped is Rhode Skin’s peptide lip treatment. It nourishes the lips while leaving them plump and soft with its blend of peptides and shea butter. This lip product doesn’t leave his car — unless, of course, I steal it back.
While Rhode stays in the car, Cay Skin stays in his pocket. Winnie Harlow wouldn’t stop raving to me about her lip mask, so I caved in and fell in love with its nourishing sea-moss formula, too. A little goes a long way, and he hasn’t complained about dry lips all winter. It’s safe to say Blistex will never see him again.
Ever since he’s been introduced to body oils, he hasn’t turned back. My Sol de Janeiro’s body oil has almost been completely used by him and when I asked why, he said, “I get the same moisture as I do from some of the other oils, but it smells better than any other one.” He’s onto something. The oil has the brand’s signature warm scent infused in it and it’s not only moisturizing but also firming to the skin.
His other body oil of choice? Tatcha’s Hinoki body oil, a lightweight oil that locks in moisture with a stress-easing essential-oil blend scent.
Another favorite is oSea’s algae body oil, and he isn’t alone with this one. The cult-favorite body oil deeply moisturizes the skin while simultaneously giving it a glow. He claims his skin is softest when using this oil.
When he’s turning to body lotion, he always reaches for Nécessaire’s fast-absorbing, vitamin-packed lotion. Not only is he obsessed with the texture, but it also lasts all day long so he doesn’t have to worry about becoming ashy. My response? “Wow, something other than Vaseline makes sure your skin’s not ashy? What a surprise.”
This cleanser is my absolute favorite. I restock it every two months. It’s one of the few products I always return to. After seeing me pick it up daily, by habit, he started reaching for it too, especially after working out because he feels like “it really cleanses the sweat off of his skin.” As the beauty-expert girlfriend? I can confirm it does. The cream deeply cleanses everything off the surface of the skin while keeping it nourished.
This one kind of made me laugh. While writing this story, I randomly asked him, “Out of all of my products you used, what’s your absolute favorite?” His response? “That Dr. Sturm stuff.” He was referring to her hyaluronic serum, which is a plumping yet extremely hydrating serum that is beloved by celebrities and editors alike. It’s another product that I have to hide now because some things are too good to share, but they’re amazing to gift.
I admittedly have always kept Boy de Chanel products around to use for myself when I want more lightweight formulas. From its foundation to moisturizer, its products for men are just as good as its women’s products. He loves this gel moisturizer because of how smooth it makes his skin feel post-shave.
And when it’s not a shaving day, he likes Humanrace’s moisturizer, formulated with snow mushroom and hyaluronic acid. Pharrell intentionally created this genderless line for everyone to be able to take care of themselves.
Although it is off limits to him, he does love La Mer’s gel cream because of the instant moisture it provides to the skin and the effortless appearance it leaves the complexion with.
Hand creams went out the window when he discovered this African hand and body butter that eliminates dryness with its unique blend of shea butters and oils.
I keep mists around, especially for a post-workout glow. He loves the refreshing and soothing feeling that Laneige’s mist gives.
For pre-workout smoothies, he loves Golde’s immunity-boosting powder. Not only is it packed with antioxidants that go directly into the body, but it also blends well with his protein, and for a gym rat, that’s golden.