I graduated from university with a degree in international economics, but have retained nothing from the four years of math and statistics classes, save for an interest in data and studies. I therefore look forward to the end of a year because there are always roundups on best-performing brands and products, as well as plenty of trend forecasting into what's coming next. 

Online shopping aggregator Cosmetify shared its 2022 Index, a look at how beauty brands have grown and performed during the last year. There were some obvious names on the list (like Fenty Beauty and Olaplex), but it surprised me to see that the number one spot was occupied by Millie Bobby Brown’s beauty brand Florence by Mills. 

It’s not that I have anything disparaging to say about the brand, but it’s more that in comparison to buzzier names, this seems like a sleepier hit; maybe it crept up the ranks while I wasn’t paying attention and now I’m shocked I didn’t notice sooner. Florence by Mills has dozens of products with thousands of five-star ratings. Many of the brand’s hero products are perpetually out of stock, like the Glow Yeah Hydrating Lip Oil — it has thousands of five-star ratings and will be out of stock for at least a few more months, according to the brand.

Florence by Mills is a clean skincare, makeup, and haircare brand that’s available on the brand’s website as well as Ulta. It’s incredibly affordable with the most expensive products being the $36 eye masks, and the most inexpensive, an $8 Wide-Tooth Shower Comb. More information on the seemingly most-popular (and in-stock) products is below but a word to the wise, just go for the Florence by Mills lip products. Most are sold out and have thousands of five-star reviews, so snap up what’s available while you can. 

Oh Whale! Tinted Lip Balm

Florence

Shop now: $14; florencebymills.com

Every Florence by Mills lip product is a hot ticket item. Each has hundreds, if not thousands, of five-star reviews and most are out of stock. Thankfully, the Oh Whale! Lip Balm is almost completely in stock, except for the clear, colorless option. Pick from five shades of subtle pinks and purples — each is packed with hydration and nourishment thanks to jojoba seed oil, shea butter, and avocado oil. 

It has over 500 reviews and a 4.9 average star rating. One five-star commenter who has three Oh Whale! Lip Balms wrote, “It’s just such a nice feeling and leaves my lips hydrated.” Another reviewer said the formula is “not too heavy and [has] a decent amount of color. It also works surprisingly well as a cream blush.”

Dreamy Dew Oil-Free Moisturizer

Florence

Shop now: $12; florencebymills.com 

If you have oily skin, one of the best things you can do for it is use an oil-free moisturizer like Dreamy Dew. The light and gel-like formula uses vitamin B and lotus extracts to prevent further oiliness and soothe skin. It’s also created with willow bark, which packs a punch of benefits, including light exfoliation and reduced appearance of pores and wrinkles. 

Dreamy Dew has a 4.8 average star rating from over 1,300 reviews. Shoppers praise it for “controlling oily skin,” “making skin feel smooth,” imparting a “glow,” and leaving skin “feeling refreshed.” 

One thing to note if you’re fragrance-averse: Reviewers say Dreamy Dew has a slight cucumber scent that is not for everybody. 

Look Alive Eye Balm

Florence

Shop now: $13 (Originally $16); florencebymills.com

My rule of thumb is that any depuffing eye product should have a metal applicator; the cool touch on your skin is like a booster shot to any good formula. This Florence by Mills Eye Balm thankfully has a metal tip applicator that compliments ingredients like cell-renewing and de-puffing peptides, detoxifying and brightening malachite, and hyperpigmentation and wrinkle-reducing vitamin B. 

Look Alive averages 4.8-star reviews from over 1,500 shoppers. A 47-year-old reviewer with “swelling and puffy eyes” from a combination of fatigue and allergies says this gets rid of puffiness and makes them look more awake by the time they’re out the door for work. Other reviews praise its affordability and the way it “brightens up” under eyes quickly. 

See You Never Concealer

Florence

Shop now: $10 (Originally 16); florencebymills.com

See You Never is a concealer with some skincare benefits, too. Like the Look Alive Balm, this has a metal applicator, but is also formulated with brightening and tightening caffeine and the skin barrier boosting hydration of vitamin E. 

One of the hundreds of five-star reviewers say they traded in a concealer three times the price for See You Never. “It’s lightweight, blends well, and goes on very smooth,” the reviewer wrote. Other shoppers note it’s “great coverage,” the way “it brightens [the] under eye area,” and the moisturizing formula.

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