dailynewsnblog
Minimalists and maximalists alike will revel in our handpicked vanity of makeup winners. Whether you’re chasing extended, sky-high lashes; a featherlight foundation with designer flair; or the nude eye shadow palette of all nude eye shadow palettes, these are the formulas that won’t let you down.
Best Primer
Iconic London Underglow Blurring Primer
Iconic London
Underglow Blurring Primer
Makeup primers are incredibly polarizing, but our team of testers agreed this lightly blurring formula from Iconic London is superb. In addition to layering well with skincare and other makeup products (no pilling!), it’s enriched with skin-improving ingredients like vitamin C and artemisia capillaris—a plant extract that to staves off blue HEV light damage.
Why experts love it: “My number one ride-or-die product for life. I have been using this consistently for three years, and I see no end in sight. It is the best primer, and my makeup truly does not hit the same without it. It feels like cashmere on the skin and hydrates it while minimizing the appearance of pores and isn’t heavy or greasy. I have gotten so many of my friends and followers on to it, and they all say the same.” — Lila Childs, Makeup Artist
Best Blush
Prada Beauty Touch Blush
Prada Beauty
Touch Cream-to-Powder Blush
We love everything about this innovative cream-to-powder blush from Prada Beauty. The packaging is adorable in a chic way, and the formula itself keeps the skin hydrated and beautifully flushed for as long as you’re wearing it. The finish delivers that coveted yet hard-to-achieve blurred-matte look, and it’s great on your lips and lids as well.
(Image credit: Alyssa Brascia)
Associate beauty editor Alyssa Brascia wearing Prada Beauty’s Touch Blush
Best Setting Spray
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray
Charlotte Tilbury
Airbrush Flawless Setting Spray
Charlotte Tilbury’s best-selling setting spray is the gold standard in the beauty industry, and we just haven’t been able to find a formula that comes close to its makeup-preserving efficacy. Plus, nothing else makes our skin look flawless post–makeup application. Yes, it lives up to its name.
Why experts love it: “Most setting sprays either do nothing or make your makeup look cakey. This actually extends wear without changing the finish of what’s underneath it. The mist is fine enough not to disrupt your makeup, and it genuinely keeps everything in place through a full day, which matters if you’re photographed, under hot lights, or just living in humidity.” — Sophie Carbonari, Celebrity Aesthetician
“One of my go-to products for long-wear makeup. It helps lock everything in while still maintaining a skin-like finish rather than looking overly matte or dry.” — Renée Loiz, Celebrity Makeup Artist
Best Bronzer
LYS Beauty No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick
LYS Beauty
No Limits Cream Bronzer and Contour Stick
Meet the Goldilocks of all bronzing and contour sticks. This one from LYS Beauty is brilliant because although it offers the sun-kissed warmth of a bronzer, it’s not so warm that you can’t use it to contour as well. (Generally, you want a cooler tone to add shadow and depth when you’re contouring.) Our testers loved the creamy and easy-to-blend finish of this stick and appreciated the skin-loving ingredients, like rose hip oil, green tea extract, and sodium hyaluronate.
Why experts love it: “The formula blends seamlessly into the skin and gives a natural sculpted effect without looking muddy or overly harsh. I also appreciate the thoughtful shade range.” — Loiz
Best Dewy Foundation
Hourglass Illusion Luminous Glow Foundation SPF 30
Hourglass
Illusion Luminous Glow Foundation SPF 30
Whenever our testers wore this Hourglass foundation out and about, at least one person would compliment their skin. “Your skin looks so smooth.” “You’re literally glowing.” “Your skin is perfect.” You get the idea. This foundation has medium coverage with a gorgeously luminous finish that still, somehow, looks 100% natural. It even features strategic ingredients like SPF 30 and the brand’s Advanced Hydra-Smoothing Technology with hyaluronic microspheres to plump fine lines and even out skin texture.
Why experts love it: “The OG Hourglass Illusion came out in 2014, and I’ve been hooked on [the brand’s] skin tints and foundations since then. This version is really beautiful on the skin. It gives radiance and coverage while still looking refined and skin-like rather than overly makeup heavy.” — Candace Marino, Founder of The L.A. Facialist
Best Matte Foundation
Hermès Plein Air Luminous Matte Skincare Foundation
Hermès
Plein Air Luminous Matte Skincare Foundation
If you’re someone who prefers a softer matte finish, you’re going to want this luxurious foundation from Hermès on your radar. This formula offers medium coverage and a velvety, cloudlike result. Trust us—you will forget you’re even wearing foundation! It also offers 16-hour hold with heat, humidity, and sweat resistance. Oh, and skin benefits. You’re getting an 82% skincare base with a trio of active ingredients: niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, and white mulberry extract.
Why experts love it: “I wrote about this recently because Hermès built an extensive shade range from launch—not as an afterthought, as core product development. That matters. Beyond the inclusivity piece, which should be standard everywhere, the formula is genuinely [a] skincare hybrid. It supports skin while you’re wearing it rather than suffocating it. The coverage is buildable but sheer enough that you still look like yourself. It doesn’t try to erase your face, just enhance it. That philosophy, working with skin rather than covering it, is what luxury makeup should be.” — Carbonari
Best Setting Powder
Fenty Beauty Invisimatte Instant Setting + Blotting Powder
Fenty Beauty
Invisimatte Instant Setting + Blotting Powder
Whether it’s summer and humid or you’re simply prone to oil, it’s always a good idea to have an elite setting powder stashed in your bag and makeup kit. This is a universal finishing powder that blurs, soaks up excess shine, and preserves the look and feel of your makeup all day or night.
Why experts love it: “Perfect for touch-ups throughout the day without making the skin look cakey. It controls shine while still allowing the skin to look like skin.” — Loiz
“This does what powder should do: sets makeup, controls shine, doesn’t look like powder sitting on top of your face. The shade range actually works for deeper skin tones (which is still shockingly rare), and the texture is fine enough to use throughout the day for touch-ups without building up that cakey layer most powders create by the third application.” — Carbonari
Assistant beauty editor Sabrina Talbert applying Fenty Beauty’s Invisimatte Instant Setting + Blotting Powder
Best Eyeliner
Victoria Beckham Beauty Satin Kajal Liner
Victoria Beckham Beauty
Satin Kajal Liner
Our testers dubbed this satiny eyeliner the It girl of all eyeliners. It doesn’t get more luxurious than this formula in terms of the packaging (so sleek), the shade range (the shimmer finish is especially gorgeous), and the application (buttery smooth).
Why experts love it: “This is a highly pigmented, creamy liner that has become a staple in my makeup bag. Not only are Victoria Beckham’s formulas high-performance, [but] they’re also thoughtful. The Satin Kajal Liner has a very intentional ingredient profile that incorporates vitamin E, panthenol, and antioxidants in the formula. I find that it glides on effortlessly and maintains its richness in color, all while melting into the skin. Currently, I’m loving it in Cocoa.” — Caroline Robinson, MD, Board-Certified Dermatologist and Founder of Tone
Alyssa applying Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Satin Kajal Liner
Best Eye Shadow Palette
Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette: The Original
Makeup by Mario
Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette: The Original
We have yet to meet a beauty editor or celebrity makeup artist who doesn’t own this palette of matte nudes and cite it as one of their most-used products. At this point, it’s an icon and a necessary staple for anyone who wears makeup.
Why experts love it: “This is the palette that every makeup artist has in their kit, including me. Not only are the shades beautiful, but the formula has the perfect amount of pigment. The shadows blend beautifully and are very long-wear. Perfect for beginners and experts alike.” — Childs
“An incredibly versatile artist staple. I use it on all my clients. The tones are balanced beautifully, blend effortlessly, and work across a wide range of skin tones and makeup styles.” — Loiz
“The only eye shadow palette I use! This is a very versatile matte palette with tones that work across so many looks and skin tones. The shadows blend effortlessly and feel thoughtfully formulated for both artists and consumers.” — Marino
“This is an iconic palette by a true artist that everyone should have in their makeup kit. Whether you want light and fresh eyes or something more dramatic, you can create any look with this one palette. The colors and tones are spot-on.” — Bridget Brager, Celebrity Hairstylist
Best Gloss
Saie Glossybounce High-Shine Hydrating Lip Gloss Oil
Saie
Glossybounce High-Shine Hydrating Lip Gloss Oil
Saie’s Glossybounce offers the best of all worlds: the slip and glide of a lip oil, the sheer tint of a lip gloss, and the long-lasting moisture of a lip balm. Not to mention, it comes in two different finishes—shimmer and high shine. Go ahead and pick your poison.
Best Contour
M.Ph Underpainting Face Highlight & Contour Palette
M.PH
Underpainting Face Highlight & Contour Palette
If you’ve ever wanted your makeup done like a celebrity, Mary Phillips’s Underpainting Palette is the next best thing. Essentially, the celebrity makeup artist took her method of highlighting, color-correcting, and contouring prior to applying foundation and packaged it. This palette is surprisingly easy to use and features one color corrector, two highlighters, and two contours. Plus, the palette is now available in six different shade ranges to suit every skin tone.
Why experts love it: “I love seeing more products that support complexion artistry in an intuitive way. The textures work beautifully for creating dimension and a naturally sculpted complexion.” — Loiz
“I use this every day and get so many compliments on my skin. I love how inky the application is, making it perfect for under foundation and blush without budging. The tones are perfect for sculpting the face.” — Justine Marjan, Celebrity Hairstylist
Best Tinted Lip Balm
Anfisa Skin Ân-Gloss Ceramide Lip Tint
ANFISA Skin
Ân-Gloss Ceramide Lip Tint
Anfisa’s ceramide-spiked lip tint has quickly become the ultimate beauty accessory for every cool girl we see on the internet and at the office. The shade options and scents are yummy (think Berry Crumble, Spice Cake, and Angel Food), and the tech is next-level. Each tube features CeraBind Technology, a combo of five skin-identical ceramides and two plumping peptides. Translation? It drenches the lips in moisture and seals it in while enhancing fullness.
Why experts love it: “This is one of the products that really nailed the hybrid between makeup and treatment because it has a luxurious, smooth, and pigmented glossy finish while actually keeping your lips hydrated throughout the day.” — Childs
“This feels like the perfect hybrid between skincare and makeup. It gives a healthy, nourished finish while still delivering beautiful color payoff.” — Loiz
“This is the only lip product we carry at The L.A. Facialist for a reason. I love that it feels like a true treatment product while still giving really beautiful color and shine. It’s actual skincare ingredients for the lips. Cholesterol, ceramides, and peptides help keep lips soft, smooth, and healthy looking over time, so it’s doing more than just sitting on the lips looking glossy. It’s incredibly nourishing, comfortable to wear, and gives that polished, effortless look everyone wants.” — Marino
Before and after senior beauty editor Jamie Chevron applied Anfisa Skin’s Ân-Gloss Ceramide Lip Tint
Best Lip Liner
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil Long-Lasting Lip Liner
Make Up For Ever
Artist Color Pencil Long-Lasting Lip Liner
We honestly can’t name a lip liner that’s more adored among makeup artists, celebrities, and beauty editors alike. Nearly every shade is a cult classic in its own right Wherever Walnut! Anywhere Caffeine! Endless Cacao! Plus, the buttery-smooth glide, epic staying power, and boundless versatility make it a nonnegotiable makeup-bag staple in our book.
Why experts love it: “A classic and best seller for a reason. Every time I have a client, I instinctively reach for one of these pencils first because they have the perfect foundational shade for everyone in addition to a creamy but durable formula that doesn’t crack off or dry out throughout the day.” — Childs
“An absolute staple. I have one in every purse. Lip liner is the one product that will instantly make you look polished and put-together when you’re in a hurry! The pigmentation, versatility, and wear time make this a consistently reliable performer.” — Marino
Best Lip Stain
Violette_FR Lip Nectar Hydrating Lip Stain
Violette_FR
Lip Nectar Hydrating Lip Stain
French makeup artist and Violette_FR founder Violette Serrat has created one of the most satisfying lip products on the market. The hydrating Lip Nectar delivers the perfect amount of pigment for a long-lasting stain and has a nice ratio of shine and grip on the lips without any stickiness. We also like the customization factor. Keep it shiny as is, or blot post-application for a matte and blurred stain.
Why experts love it: “This was one of my favorite lip launches of the year. It gives your lip a watercolor-like effect and stains them without drying them out. I adore the shades as well, and it’s such a great lip product to have in your arsenal because of how unique it is.” — Childs
Best Concealer
Tower 28 Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer
Tower 28
Swipe All-Over Hydrating Serum Concealer
This concealer has quickly reached cult-favorite status since it launched in 2023. Despite the years that have gone by and the multitude of new concealers that have launched since, it’s still at the front of the pack. It boasts hydrating, medium coverage that’s noncomedogenic (meaning it won’t clog pores) and a trustworthy 18 hours of wear that continues to look fresh. It rarely creases and is great for tackling dark circles, discoloration, and blemishes.
Why experts love it: “I was late to the game, but this concealer is incredible. Truly serum-like in the way that it looks and feels weightless on the skin and blends beautifully.” — Childs
“Performance and safety in one little tube, this is a perfect clean formula that’s amazing for sensitive skin and gives the most natural, gorgeous finish.” — Brager
“Tower 28 consistently does such a good job creating formulas that are gentle, approachable, and friendly for sensitive skin, and this concealer is no exception. I love how skin-like it looks. It doesn’t sit heavily on the face or look overly makeup-y but still gives really beautiful buildable coverage. The texture feels hydrating and flexible, so it works especially well under the eyes or on drier skin without creasing or emphasizing texture.” — Marino
Best Mascara
L’Oréal Extensionist Lengthening & Curling Mascara
L’Oréal
Extensionist Lengthening and Curling Mascara
Our testers have every type of lash—long, short, naturally curly, naturally straight—and each one adored this extension-like formula from L’Oréal. Some lengthening mascaras can be too heavy or extend lashes so long that they start to droop or lose their curl, but this one adeptly lifts and lengthens with zero clumps or flakes. Ten out of 10.
Beauty Director Erin Jahns applying L’Oréal’s Extensionist Lengthening and Curling Mascara
Best Brow Product
Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Gel
Rare Beauty
Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Eyebrow Gel
This is a best-selling brow gel for a reason. It’s offered in clear, which we tested, and a range of brown shades. We loved that this gel gave our brows defined shape and lift without getting gloopy, sticky, or flaky as the day wore on. It’s lightweight, waterproof, and dermatologist and ophthalmologist tested to ensure it’s nonirritating for sensitive skin and eyes.
Why experts love it: “I love how this gives brows that lifted, laminated look without actually needing to go get brow lamination done. It gives great hold and definition while still keeping the brows soft and natural looking, never stiff or flaky. It’s one of those products that instantly makes the face look more polished with very little effort.” — Marino
Before and after Sabrina applied Rare Beauty’s Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Gel
Best Color Corrector
Kosas
Revealer Extra Bright Serum-Powered Color Corrector
Once we tried this color corrector from Kosas, it was hard to remember what life was like without it. It’s an MVP in many celebrity GRWM videos, and the shade range ensures every skin tone has easy camouflage at the ease of a doe foot.
Why experts love it: “These are a staple in my kit, and I have yet to find another color corrector that I like better. It pairs very well with traditional concealers, and you only need a little bit to see results.” — Childs
“I’m a huge Kosas fan—probably 90% of my makeup bag is from them at this point. This corrector is one of those products that instantly makes me look more awake and brightened without feeling heavy, and my skin has genuinely never looked better since switching over to the brand.” — Brittney Boyce, Celebrity Nail Artist and Cofounder of Lost Angels
Jamie after applying Kosas’s Revealer Extra Bright Serum-Powered Color Corrector
Best Lip Plumper
Polite Society B.I.G. Mouth XL Plump Intensive Lip Plumping Concentrate
Polite Society
B.I.G. Mouth XL Plump Intensive Lip Plumping Concentrate
Warning: This stuff works, and in order to work, it’s pretty damn spicy. You can blame the potent blend of blood orange, infinity pepper, and gingerroot. That said, this is the most effective and longest-lasting plumper our testers have ever used, and if you can handle the heat for 15 to 20 minutes, you’ll get results that last for at least 12 hours with a single application.
Erin applying Polite Society’s B.I.G. Mouth XL Plump Intensive Lip Plumping Concentrate
