How we test style and beauty products at Insider Reviews
Whether it's stylish sneakers to wear with any outfit or a review on the latest hairdryers, Insider Reviews team offers recommendations you can trust. Our Style and Beauty team - experienced style and beauty experts who have spent years covering the industry - tests and research hundreds of products, including men's and women's denim, shoes, workwear, swimwear, intimates, and more, as well as skincare products, hair tools, and makeup. While style may be subjective, our reviewers look for tangible elements like craftsmanship, wearability, and sustainability.
What types of style products we cover
Sneakers: From white sneakers for men to sneakers for women and all-around stylish sneakers, our reviewers stay on top of the latest trends. Our recommendations include a variety of popular and up-and-coming brands, from stalwarts like Adidas and Nike to newcomers like Allbirds.
Basics: Whether it's underwear for men and women, t-shirts for men and women, leggings, or lingerie, we love basics, especially those from brands like Everlane, Thirdlove, Spanx, and Dagne Dover.
Jewelry and watches: Our coverage range from affordable fine jewelry and jewelry on a budget to high-end pieces like luxury watches. We consult experts about the best watches for both men and women, as well as tips for buying Rolexes online and storing your watches.
Workwear: Brands like ADAY and M.M. LaFleur top our recommendations for workwear, whether it's washable silk or stylish loafers.
Bags: From bags to bring to the office to crossbody bags for the weekend, our team knows its way around a good carry-all. We judge backpacks and other bags by how well and how much they can carry, as well as style because you don't have to sacrifice utility for fashion.
What types of beauty products we cover
Subscription services: Beauty boxes are a great way to test out a lot of products. Our recommendations include Alltrue and Birchbox, as well as services like Function of Beauty and Prose, which customize products for you.
Skincare: We consult dermatologists about everything from retinol cream to facial sunscreen and eye creams. We test both luxury and drugstore products and put each category through its paces.
Haircare: We utilize a large group of testers and experts to provide recommendations across hair types. Whether you need a hairdryer, a conditioner, or a leave-in treatment, we recommend brands like Prose, Dyson, Pantene, Carol's Daugher, and more.
Makeup: Not only do we regularly test mascara, eyeliner, foundation, and more, we do our best to provide the top picks for whatever your mood. We swatch for pigment, and test for things like how long a product lasts, whether it flakes, and whether it lives up to claims of water resistance and longwear.
How we test style and beauty products
We test both style and beauty products by wearing them for weeks and months. For clothing items, we make sure to wash them a few times to make sure they hold up. We also use products the way people actually use them: we throw leggings in the dryer, apply multiple coats of mascara, and stuff our bags full of everything we need to hold to ensure it truly can carry it all. And when we can't recommend a product objectively, like the best tube of red lipstick, we pull recommendations from experts and stylish pros to give us their suggestions.
Meet our expert style and beauty team
Our style and beauty team has nearly 30 years of combined experience testing and reviewing products. Each editor and reporter is an expert in their beat and offers reviews and recommendations that are backed by actual testing and research. Meet the style and beauty team below:
| Our writers | Bios |
| 85316243 | Maria is the senior style & beauty editor for Insider Reviews. She leads the style and beauty team, as well as an army of freelancers, and helps produce guides and reviews on everything from hot tools to sustainable sneakers. Maria has been in the style and beauty industry for a decade, and her writing has appeared in publications such as Elle Magazine, Bustle, InStyle, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, Refinery29, and Playboy. She also served as a beauty editor at Refinery29, where she produced beauty editorials featuring makeup artists and hairstylists such as Pat McGrath, Dick Page, Orlando Pita, Sir John, Mario Dedivanovic, and more. |
| 85316244 | Ashley is the style and beauty editor for Insider's Reviews team, where she spends her days monitoring the latest product launches, consulting experts on ingredients lists, and helping readers to identify which moisturizers and cashmere sweaters are worth investing in. Before joining Insider, she spent five years reviewing products as the style and beauty editor for Hearst's BestProducts.com, and before that, she was a copywriter for Neiman Marcus where she specialized in fine jewelry and accessories. Her work has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, Town&Country, and more. Prior to joining the editorial world, she was the owner and buyer of an independent-clothing boutique. |
| 85316245 | Amir is a senior reporter for Insider Reviews. As a collector of sneakers and fashion, Amir is passionate about all things related to style. He's covered everything including the industry's shift to producing more sustainable clothing, the most comfortable loungewear, all of the best places to shop for affordable business casual attire, and more. He's used his expertise in footwear and the footwear industry to review all kinds of shoes from sportswear giants, well-known casual brands, and startups. Amir's coverage also includes eyewear, watches, and grooming products like electric razors and men's skincare. His writing has appeared in Complex Sneakers and Sole Collector, where he contributed to daily sneaker news and release dates, feature-length articles, and interviews with artists, designers, and athletes. |
Read more about our teams
If you want to learn more about how each team tests products and meet the rest of our editors and writers on the following vertical-specific pages, check out these pages: