Fashion

The One Beauty Product You Should Buy This Winter

by Tyler Atwood

One of the greatest joys of transitioning between seasons is embracing a crisp new wardrobe and beauty routine. Scoring that one perfect beauty product that pulls together every ensemble seems to set the season off on a beautiful note. However, the myriad of graphic eyeliner and red lipstick microtrends pale in comparison to one overarching motif: radiant, flawless, I-just-returned-from-my-blissful-honeymoon-in-St.-Barth's skin. A dash of crimson lipstick or perfectly winged eyeliner can enhance this sort of coveted, luminous skin, but finding the ideal eye crayon or lip pencil certainly won't create the glow. The product that can manifest perfect skin is a customized skin serum.

While multitasking skincare products are by no means new to the beauty industry, they have steadily improved since the trend first hit in 2013, yielding a new crop of customized serums for fall 2015 that may render your makeup unnecessary. Most recently, we've seen a rise in products that tend to preexisting skin concerns while preventing signs of aging and damage, all in one petite container. .

The complexion-customized serum is characterized by its panacea-like capabilities; theoretically, consumers could purchase one serum that repairs all of their individual skin concerns without paying for five separate products. In reality, you may still need two products in your skincare regimen, but purchasing a serum tailored to your skin will cut your beauty budget — and your skin-related stress — in half, as long as you select the right formula. Before seeking out your soulmate serum, consider the most pressing skin concerns you hope to treat. Many more targeted, complexion-customized serums boast solutions to a myriad of epidermal issues, but a specific skin obstacle will often take top billing. Furthermore, skim the ingredients list for highly regarded components to target your skin's inadequacies. Finally, make a note of any ingredients to which your skin has historically reacted; a soothing, hydrating serum is worth less than nothing if your now-moisturized skin has broken out in contact dermatitis from your product. Scroll through for the top serums to score this fall based on your skin type, and prepare to cite your complexion as your best autumnal accessory.

1. The Anti-Aging Serum

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II, $62 for 1 Ounce, esteelauder.com

Anti-aging serums aren't solely designated for a particular age bracket anymore. The modern anti-aging formula can be as much a preventative measure as it is a treatment; after all, sunscreen is now lauded as the ultimate must-have anti-aging product before consumers even delve into the world of more complex formulas. Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II follows the trend of products designed to mend multiple aesthetic signs of aging by softening wrinkles, rehydrating scorched skin, and bestowing a glow on formerly lackluster visages.

2. The Acne Serum

DERMAdoctor Ain't Misbehavin' Medicated Acne Control Serum, $48, sephora.com

After decades of assuming those suffering from acne possess no additional skin concerns of note, the beauty industry has finally formulated products that treat acne while ministering to other epidermal hiccups. DERMAdoctor's Ain't Misbehavin' Medicated Acne Control Serum is designed to heal existing flare-ups and hinder their recurrence while simultaneously maintaining the skin's hydration.

3. The Skin Tone Serum

Lancome Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate, $78 for 1 Ounce, lancome-usa.com

Skin tone serums may take longer to produce results that a formula manufactured to hydrate or soothe, but a more even complexion with fewer age spots is well worth the wait. Lancome's much-publicized Advanced Genifique Youth Activating Concentrate may be one of the best custom serums for fall if your skin concerns include a patchy complexion or any outward sign of aging thanks to a cocktail of sulfonic acid, hydrating sodium hyaluronate, and yeast extract.

4. The Hydrating Serum

Aurelia Probiotic Skincare Revitalize & Glow Serum, $84, net-a-porter.com

Although pegged as an anti-aging glow serum, Aurelia Probiotic Skincare's Revitalize & Glow Serum possesses a significant number of ingredients that tend to rough, dry skin. Aloe leaf extract, milk protein, and sunflower seed oil each treat dehydrated skin to produce a plumped and protected complexion. The glow to which the product's label refers happens to be a delightful bonus from properly moisturized skin.

Images: Larisa Birta/Unsplash; Courtesy Brands