Last Updated on May 20, 2026 by omgbart
Last month is a blur. I spent nearly four weeks back in the US, returned to Madrid a week ago, and the city has gone full summer in my absence. I am still unpacking, literally and figuratively, and the product haul I brought back is stacked on every surface. The good news is that the launches cheering me up right now are genuinely impressive. My skin agrees.
Speaking of things I did not expect to love: let's start with a fragrance.
Abel Miami Split
Initially, Abel Miami Split gave me pause. Green banana. White oud. Labdanum. On paper, that reads as a dare. It took the publicist's convincing DM to get the bottle on my desk, and I am so glad she prevailed. The opening is startling. The banana note is green, bright, almost tangible, the kind of fruit note that makes your mouth water. Within minutes the composition shifts entirely. The juicy top evaporates and what remains is smoky, earthy, faintly churchy. That drydown is where the labdanum and white oud take over and it is genuinely beautiful.
Abel and perfumer Isaac Sinclair spent three years on this one, and that time shows. The banana note is upcycled from the wastewater of banana processing in Ecuador, pithy and tart rather than artificially sweet. The white oud is sourced from Vietnam, lighter and more modern than the genre typically delivers. Longevity lands around six hours on skin, and the scent carries beautifully on fabric well beyond that.
$220 (50ml) at thedetoxmarket.com
Blue Lagoon BL+ Cleansing Balm
Blue Lagoon built its reputation on masks. The Silica Mud Mask is practically synonymous with the geothermal spa experience at this point. The new Cleansing Balm makes complete sense as the next step because great masking always starts with a proper cleanse. Consider this the opening act. The balm is unscented, off-white, dense but not waxy. It applies smoothly to dry skin, dissolves sunscreen, excess oil, and makeup within seconds, then emulsifies cleanly with water and rinses without leaving a film. The whole thing has a spa-in-a-jar quality that makes a daily cleanse feel like actual skin prep.
At the heart of the formula is the brand's patented BL+ Complex, a combination of Blue Lagoon Microalgae and Silica. Both bioactives hold separate patents and have published clinical research behind their ability to stimulate collagen synthesis and strengthen the skin barrier. A phospholipid delivery system helps these actives penetrate deeper than you would expect from a cleanser you rinse off in sixty seconds. The rest of the formula is just as thoughtful. The oil base melts the balm on contact. Candelilla Wax, vegan and plant-derived, holds the texture together until water hits. Skin is left conditioned rather than stripped. For anyone already in the Blue Lagoon ecosystem, this is the obvious first step.
$80 (80ml) at us.skinscience.bluelagoon.com
Le Prunier Plum Spritz Dual-Phase Barrier Mist
Le Prunier has expanded slowly and deliberately since the Plum Beauty Oil put the brand on the map, and every addition has stayed anchored to the family farm's organic plum harvest. The Plum Spritz is the brand's first mist and it does not disappoint. One thing worth flagging: this is a bi-phase formula that needs to be shaken before use. The bottle is solid black so you cannot see the two distinct layers and it is easy to forget. Make it a habit. The nozzle delivers one of the finest mists I have come across in this category. An ultra-fine dispersion that settles on skin without any droplet heaviness.
Performance-wise, the Spritz is a hydration tool first. Use it as your first liquid step after cleansing or reach for it as a midday refresher. Either way it imparts a soft, natural-looking glow on contact. The formula combines Le Prunier's signature Plum Beauty Oil with upcycled Plum Beauty Juice for barrier support and visible redness reduction. A quadruple Hyaluronic Acid complex works across multiple molecular weights to deliver hydration at different skin depths. Natural Moisturizing Factors reinforce the barrier further. P.S. love the scent which unlike in the face oil, is marzipan with a slightly sharper angle.
$48 (60ml) at leprunier.com where you save 15% with code BART15
Omorovicza Acid Milk
This one has been on my radar since it launched and it did not disappoint. Acid Milk is a milky leave-on liquid exfoliant, two to three times a week, nights only. The texture alone sets it apart. It has a viscous, elegant slip that feels hydrating on contact with zero tackiness. The brand suggests applying with a cotton pad, which works. I prefer to splash a small amount into my palms and press directly into cleansed skin. The texture handles both approaches equally well.
The formula is built around a four-acid blend of glycolic, lactic, salicylic, and azelaic acids, fused into a base of Hungarian thermal spring water via the brand's patented Healing Concentrate delivery system. That combination drives actives deeper than a standard aqueous base would allow. Ceramide NP and Oat Kernel Oil reinforce the barrier while the acids work, and a marine diatom extract adds anti-inflammatory support to keep the process comfortable. The result is real exfoliation without next-morning tightness or redness. Follow with a nourishing moisturizer and ease in gradually, even if you are an experienced acid user.
$110 (100ml) at omorovicza.com, spacenk.com or dermstore.com (try my code OMGBART for an additional discount)
African Botanics Intensive Recovery Cream
They did not rush this one, and it shows. African Botanics Intensive Recovery Cream is a purpose-built night treatment. Hardcore PM performance is the brief and the formula delivers on it without compromise. I have been using it for a few weeks and it has earned a permanent spot in my evening routine. The texture is rich and dense but applies with surprising ease. It glides over any serum without pilling and absorbs seamlessly. Personally, I find a separate moisturizer on top to be unnecessary. My skin wakes up feeling genuinely nourished.
The formula runs deeper than the texture suggests. Real retinol, not a botanical stand-in, drives the cell turnover and collagen stimulation. A three-ceramide complex mirrors the skin's natural lipid profile, working alongside Tetrapeptide-21 and Hexapeptide P6 to support barrier integrity and firmness simultaneously. Goji berry stem cell extract and Polyglutamic Acid, a humectant that outperforms hyaluronic acid in moisture retention, round out a formula that is genuinely hard to argue with. Ease in slowly regardless of your existing retinol tolerance. Two or three nights a week before moving to nightly use. The faint floral signature, rose and jasmine, makes the ritual feel elevated rather than clinical. The glass bottle with pump looks as good at the sink as it performs on the skin.
$249 (50ml) at credobeauty.com
Ursa Major Sunny Start Eye Serum
The skin immediately around the eyes has no pores. That single fact should inform every eye product decision you make, starting with how much product you actually apply. Half a pump addresses both eyes. Do not overload the area. Sunny Start gets this right from the ground up. It is a lightweight eye serum with one clear job: make the eye area look more alert and awake. The texture sits between a serum and a light lotion, has enough grip to stay where you place it, and feels barely there once absorbed. No flaking, no odd tightening, no residue.
Cedar peptides and sandalwood support firmness and a more lifted contour over time. Ash tree bark targets puffiness, particularly useful in the morning when fluid retention tends to show most. Vitamin C addresses radiance in the under-eye zone. Wild Gentian and cedar bark work on the appearance of dark circles with consistent use. Morning is the primary moment for this product, though AM and PM use is fine. Apply with whatever finger is comfortable. The ring finger convention has no meaningful impact on results. Follow with sunscreen during the day.
$52 (15ml) at ursamajorvt.com, beauty-heroes.com, credobeauty.com, thedetoxmarket.com
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