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Beauty Editor’s Picks: Birthday Edition

I’m older, clearer, less accommodating and my beauty shelf reflects it. Here’s what’s earned space this month, and what I’m unapologetically eyeing next.

25 Feb 2026| Kannagi Desai

February, for me, isn’t about reinvention. It’s about selection.

Another year older, yes, but more importantly, another year of removing what doesn’t fit. That includes people, rooms, and products that promise more than they deliver. I am at an age where my taste has stabilised. My standards have sharpened. I no longer experiment for the sake of novelty. I experiment because I’m curious, and I keep what proves itself.

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This month’s edit feels less chaotic than past years. More assured. I know what I like. I know what performs. And I am deeply uninterested in pretending otherwise.

The Editor’s Picks

ATKINSONS Tulipe Noir Eau de Parfum

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Dark florals done properly don’t beg for approval. Tulipe Noir develops slowly, almost smugly. It sits close at first and then unfolds into something layered and intentional.

Clarins Water Lip Stain – 11 Soft Pink Water

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A restrained flush that survives everything. It reads healthy, composed, considered. I’ve reached a point where I prefer lip colour that looks like I drink water and mind my business.

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Armaf Odyssey Black Forest Eau De Parfum

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There is something satisfying about discovering a scent that doesn’t cost what it smells like it should. Warm, slightly intense, and built for colder evenings. It wears confidently. I respect that.

SHISEIDO Daiya Fude Face Duo Double-Ended Makeup Blending Brush

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A good brush is quiet competence. The gel blender side diffuses base seamlessly; the brush end builds without disturbing texture. It makes foundation look like skin that simply had a good week.

Ruby’s Organics Onestick Blurr – Clay Pink

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This is efficiency without compromise. Clay Pink warms the face instantly, works across cheeks and lids, and behaves in daylight — which is the only lighting that counts.

Sulwhasoo Ginseng Rejuvenating Cleansing Foam

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My skin has no patience for over-cleansing. This foam feels plush and controlled. It cleans without aggression. In a climate where pollution and stress are constant, restraint matters.

Yves Saint Laurent Couture Mini Clutch Palette – Medina Glow

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Medina Glow feels edited. No chaotic shades, no filler colours. Just warmth that flatters and shimmer that behaves. It feels like knowing exactly what you’re going for before you start.

YOUNGYANSKINCARE ONE CAPSULE ALL-IN-ONE SKINCARE

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SKINCARE IN CAPSULES! Enough said. Travelling with all your skincare steps that fit in your back pocket has been a dream, and it is now true.

L:A Bruket 102 Hand Cream

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Hands tell the truth. This absorbs quickly, doesn’t fight with fragrance, and keeps dryness from creeping in. Subtle maintenance. Necessary maintenance.

CHANEL HYDRA BEAUTY MICRO SÉRUM

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This is reliability in a bottle. Hydration without weight, glow without grease. It rescues skin when fatigue starts to register.

FENTY SKIN Butta Drop Whipped Oil Body Cream – Vanilla Dream

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Body care is no longer an afterthought for me. Vanilla Dream smells warm without being juvenile and hydrates without leaving you lacquered. I like my skin to feel expensive even when no one is looking.

The Wishlist

This is the part where I indulge curiosity without apology.

NOOE EDC TRIO SET

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Three moods in one box. I like optionality — especially when it’s curated.

Le Labo Another 13 Eau De Parfum

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Minimal, addictive, recognisable to those who know. It lingers without shouting. That appeals to me.

CHANTECAILLE Kabuki Brush (Gunmetal Handle)

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A tool that feels like jewellery. I’m at a stage where I appreciate objects that elevate the ritual, not just complete it.

TUCKED IN Mink Velvet Weighted Blanket

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Sleep is a strategy now. If better rest sharpens focus, I consider that beauty.

Guerlain ROUGE G – L'Écaille Case (Tortoise Shell)

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If I’m carrying lipstick, it may as well feel like an heirloom.

Eadem Le Chouchou Lip Softening Balm – Sakura Shaved Ice

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Softness, packaged well, will always tempt me. And this colour, I have been staring at it since it soft-launched on Reels.

Crown Affair The Smoothing Air Dry Cream

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I’m reducing heat styling. If something can make air-dried hair look deliberate, I’m listening.

Mason Pearson Popular Bristle & Nylon Hairbrush BN1

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An investment piece disguised as grooming. Long-term thinking appeals to me more than impulse now.

Habits I’m Adding Next Month

Because refinement isn’t only topical.

Washing makeup brushes weekly instead of “when I remember.”
A proper wind-down routine before bed — weighted blanket included.
Fewer late-night scrolls. More early sleep.
Regular scalp care. My hair deserves the same discipline as my skin.
Supplement consistency, not supplement chaos.
Getting regular physicals and hormone panels.

This birthday feels grounded. I’m proud of the age I’m turning. I feel clearer. I feel selective. I feel magnetic in a way that has less to do with performance and more to do with comfort in my own taste.

And if my shelf reflects that, so be it.

Also Read:

Beauty Editor’s Picks: Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed Edition