Every month, Vogue Scandinavia’s senior beauty editor, Josefin Forsberg tests an unholy amount of newness to find the formulas that actually earn their place on a bathroom shelf. February’s lineup hints at spring, with glass-skin sheet masks, glow-boosting complexion enhancers, high-voltage blush and perfumes that smell fresher than fresh
At a glance: A sheer, softly matte lipstick from Merit designed to deliver a blurred wash of colour that can be built from a barely-there tint to a fuller flush.
My experience: This is the lipstick for anyone who instinctively dabs colour onto their lips rather than swiping it on with a heavy hand, creating that slightly blurred, just-kissed effect the French seem to pull off so effortlessly. The texture lands somewhere between balm and matte pigment, depositing a soft-focus veil that builds easily without tipping into that dry, flat territory matte lipsticks are infamous for. It’s the sort of low-maintenance lip you reach for before heading out the door.
Ideal for: Anyone who prefers softly diffused, effortless lip colour over a sharply defined lipstick look.
At a glance: A musk-forward fragrance from Narciso Rodriguez that amplifies the house’s signature clean, skin-like scent with a brighter, more luminous chypre edge.
My experience: Carolyn Bessette Kennedy fever swept the internet (and our editorial office) in February and naturally, Narciso Rodriguez’s came back into circulation. Rodriguez and Bessette Kennedy shared a creative connection: he designed her now-legendary 1996 wedding dress, and she later inspired his original For Her fragrance. This new, intensified Pure Musc version captures CBK's signature pared-back style in olfactory form. On skin it reads as a superbly fresh musk with a crisp chypre structure that keeps things bright rather than powdery. The effect is what I’d describe as “clean girl in a bottle”: understated, immaculate, and expensive. It lingers close to the skin, leaving a trail that feels more like perfectly laundered cotton than overt perfume.
Ideal for: Anyone who is obsessed with Love Story,
At a glance: A lightweight leave-in cream and heat protectant designed to smooth the hair cuticle, add shine and create a polished base for blow-drying.
My experience: Our collective fixation with glass-like shine has migrated from skin to hair, and few products have delivered that reflective finish on my lengths quite like this one. Iomi may still be relatively new on the Swedish market, but the brand is quickly earning its place on my bathroom shelf. After falling hard for its Volume Spray earlier this year, this blow-dry cream has become my latest regular. Worked through damp lengths before styling, it smooths the cuticle and reins in flyaways without flattening the hair or leaving behind that slippery, over-conditioned feel. The result is hair that looks glossier, softer and far more expensive than the five minutes of effort required.
Ideal for: Anyone chasing that sleek, light-catching blowout without sacrificing movement or volume.
Related: Glass hair is the new glass skin, so get glossing with these 10 shine-enhancing shower products
At a glance: A featherlight hydrating serum designed to soothe stressed skin while delivering an instant cooling surge of moisture.
My experience: Applying this feels a bit like plunging into a cold pool. The texture is ultra-light and refreshing, drenching the skin in hydration while leaving behind a soft, dewy finish. On particularly gloomy February mornings, when my complexion has all the vitality of a neglected houseplant in winter, it brought things back to life within seconds. Despite its watery feel, it leaves skin comfortably quenched rather than tight or tacky, making it an easy first step before moisturiser or makeup. Dew in a bottle is an overused phrase, but here it’s oddly accurate.
Ideal for: Anyone whose winter skin is crying out for lightweight hydration and a quick shot of radiance.
At a glance: A serum-soaked sheet mask designed to deliver a high-shine “glass skin” finish while flooding the complexion with hydrating and plumping ingredients.
My experience: I’ve already raved about this 90-minute miracle mask, and for good reason. The payoff rivals the viral hydrogel collagen masks circulating online, most of which demand a four-hour commitment. This one delivers the same glass-like result in less than half the time. After removing it, the glow borders on uncanny. Skin looks almost porcelain-like, with that smooth, reflective sheen that vent viral after Margie's couture runway. When your February complexion needs resuscitating, the effect is deeply satisfying.
Ideal for: Anyone chasing true glass skin without dedicating half a day to a hydrogel mask.
At a glance: A limited-edition duo from Fenty Beauty pairing two sparkling pink powders designed to work as highlighter, blush or layered cheek colour.
My experience: Fenty Beauty has never been shy about pigment, and this duo delivers exactly the kind of high-impact colour the brand built its reputation on. The finish is unapologetically sparkly, giving cheeks that giddy, first-kiss flush with a side of butterflies. The deeper pink reads beautifully on melanin-rich skin, while the lighter shade adds a bright pop to even the fairest complexions. Personally, I prefer to ignore the either-or approach and sweep both together, layering them into a shimmering gradient across the cheeks.
Ideal for: Anyone craving high-impact, sparkle-laced blush that leans more pop star than barely-there.
At a glance: A high-impact mascara designed to deliver dramatic volume and length, with a densely packed brush that builds bold, fanned-out lashes.
My experience: If your goal is lashes that nearly graze your brows, this formula delivers. I’d usually describe my own lashes as fairly stubby and frustratingly prone to clumping, which makes mascara a category I tend to shop on the high street rather than the luxury counter. This one, however, earns its keep. The oversized brush grips every lash, stretching them outward while creating that full, fanned-out effect typically reserved for falsies.
Ideal for: Anyone chasing exaggerated length and volume that rivals a good set of false lashes.
At a glance: A peptide-powered lip treatment that hydrates and smooths while delivering a soft wash of glossy colour.
My experience: I’m already an avid fan of Ole Henriksen’s Pout Preserve peptide treatment, as is our editor-in-chief Martina Bonnier, who rarely leaves the home without at least two in her handbag. But this latest addition, inspired by macarons, might be the sweetest of the lot. The mauve tint is surprisingly universal, adding just enough pigment and gloss to subtly perfect the lips without looking overtly “done.” Beyond the colour, the peptide-rich formula keeps lips smooth, hydrated and comfortably cushioned throughout the day.
Ideal for: Anyone who wants a treatment-first lip product that adds a polished hint of colour and shine.
At a glance: A pearlescent complexion booster designed to brighten, blur and add a soft-focus glow across the face.
My experience: I’ve previously argued that Caia's Wake Me Up Cream is better than a cup of coffee when my face needs reviving, instantly brightening the under-eye area and softening those stubborn blue tones. This already viral follow-up takes the same pearlescent trick and applies it to the entire complexion. The texture melts seamlessly into the skin, leaving behind a diffused glow that reads fresh rather than glittery (no Twilight quotes required, this is not the skin of a killer). Over the past few weeks I’ve used it in just about every way imaginable: as a primer, mixed into foundation and tapped onto the high points of the face as a highlighter. In each case it delivered that quick, glow-and-go effect.
Ideal for: Anyone who wants a versatile radiance booster that wakes up dull complexions in seconds.
At a glance: A long-wear concealer designed to deliver smoothing, flexible coverage with a softly blurred matte finish.
My experience: This has quickly become my new holy grail concealer. I first properly put it through its paces during Copenhagen Fashion Week, where it stayed in place through snowstorms, backstage interviews and an 18-hour day that started before sunrise and ended well past midnight. The formula has impressive stretch, meaning a tiny amount goes surprisingly far. I prefer using it sparingly, dotting it onto areas that need a little help before blending it out. On most days, that’s all the complexion product I need.
Ideal for: Anyone looking for a hardworking concealer that can replace foundation on busy mornings.