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Makeup Products Actually Worth Buying
35
items My go-to makeup picks for a smooth base, glowy skin, pretty lips, and everything in between. These are the products I’d actually recommend and repurchase.
Sections
6
Base Essentials
Bronzed + Blushed
Glow Getters
Lip Combo Staples
Eyes + Brows
Set It + Forget It
Base Essentials
A lightweight gel illuminator that gives skin a fresh, dewy glow without chunky shimmer. You can wear it alone, mix it into foundation, or tap it over makeup for a more radiant finish.
Saie Glowy Super Gel Lightweight Illuminating Serum
A hydrating gel primer that grips makeup for up to 12 hours without feeling sticky. Great for normal, dry, or combo skin if you want your base to last while still looking dewy.
Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Gripping Primer
Medium coverage that still looks like skin. It feels lightweight, has a natural luminous finish, and the fermented arnica helps with visible redness.
Triclone Skin Tech Medium Coverage Foundation with Fermented Arnica - Haus Labs
Brightens dark circles and smooths the under-eye without looking heavy. It’s hydrating, buildable, and gives a natural finish with minimal creasing.
HD Skin Smooth & Blur Undetectable Under Eye Concealer - MAKE UP FOR EVER
A smoothing, silicone-free primer that helps blur the look of pores and texture before makeup. It has a lightweight feel and works especially well if you want your base to look more even and soft-focus without feeling heavy.
Mini Easy Blur Silicone-Free Smoothing & Pore-Minimizing Primer - HUDA BEAUTY
A medium-to-full coverage foundation with a natural finish that evens out the skin without looking overly matte or cakey. It’s buildable, blends smoothly, and works well when you want more coverage while still keeping the base looking like skin.
Born This Way Undetectable Medium-To-Full Coverage Foundation - Too Faced
A full-coverage concealer with a creamier, more hydrating feel than the original Shape Tape. It’s great for brightening dark circles and covering blemishes while giving the under-eye a smoother, less dry-looking finish.
shape tape™ hydrating full coverage creamy concealer - tarte
A creamy medium-to-full coverage concealer that brightens under the eyes and covers blemishes without feeling too thick. It has a soft-matte finish, blends easily, and works especially well if you want a smoother, more perfected base.
Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Longwear Liquid Concealer - Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Bronzed + Blushed
A creamy bronzer stick that adds natural-looking warmth and blends out fast without going patchy. It’s easy to build, travel-friendly, and works well for quick everyday bronzing or soft definition.
Pocket Bronze Long-Wearing Cream Bronzer - rhode
A creamy blush stick that melts into the skin for a fresh, natural-looking flush. It’s easy to blend, buildable without getting patchy, and compact enough for quick touch-ups on the go.
Pocket Blush Buildable Hydrating Cream Blush - Rhode
A super pigmented liquid blush, so you only need a tiny dot for noticeable color. It blends out easily, lasts well throughout the day, and can be built from a soft flush to a much bolder cheek.
Soft Pinch Liquid Blush - Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
A lightweight liquid blush with a dewy finish that gives cheeks a fresh, natural-looking flush. It blends easily, layers well without getting patchy, and is a great pick if you prefer glowy makeup over a matte cheek.
Dew Blush Liquid Cheek Blush - Saie
A multi-shade blush palette with soft-focus pigments that blend into the skin for a blurred, smooth finish. The mix of blush and luminous tones makes it easy to customize your color and add a little glow without needing a separate highlighter.
Blush Filter Blurring Blushlighters Palette - HUDA BEAUTY
A smooth powder bronzer with a soft-matte finish that adds warmth without looking heavy or chalky. It blends easily, is transfer-resistant, and can also be used to softly contour depending on the shade you choose.
Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer - Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
A creamy bronzer stick that blends out easily and gives the face soft, natural-looking warmth. It’s buildable, easy to control, and great for quick bronzing or adding subtle definition without a harsh contour.
SoftSculpt® Cream Contour & Bronzer Shaping Stick - MAKEUP BY MARIO
Glow Getters
A silky powder highlighter that gives a glass-like glow without looking ashy or flat. It’s buildable, long-wearing, and works best with a light hand since the formula is very pigmented and delicate.
Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter - Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
A super smooth powder highlighter with strong pigment and a high-shine finish. It blends easily, can be built from subtle to intense, and also works really well on the eyes for extra glow.
Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter - Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
A cream-and-powder highlighter duo that lets you layer your glow without it looking chunky. The cream gives a dewy base, while the powder adds more reflection and intensity, so it works for both soft everyday makeup and a stronger glam finish.
Major Glow Creme & Powder Light Reflecting Translucent Highlighter Duo - PATRICK TA
Lip Combo Staples
A rich overnight lip mask that helps soften dry, flaky lips while you sleep. It leaves a thick layer of moisture on the lips and is especially good when they need extra hydration beyond a regular balm.
Lip Sleeping Mask Nourish & Hydrate
A creamy, highly pigmented lip liner that defines the lips without dragging or skipping. It’s great for shaping, overlining, and creating a clean base under lipstick or gloss.
Lip Contour 2.0 Automatic Matte Lip Pencil - HUDA BEAUTY
A glossy peptide lip balm that softens dry lips while giving them a smooth, plush finish. It’s great on its own or layered over lip liner when you want hydration without giving up shine.
Le Chouchou Softening + Smoothing Peptide Daily Lip Balm - EADEM
A creamy lip liner that glides on without tugging and is easy to blend before it sets. It’s great for defining or slightly overlining the lips, and the nourishing formula makes it comfortable enough for everyday wear.
Lip Liner 101: Creamy & Nourishing Lip Pencil - Saie
A high-shine gloss that makes lips look instantly fuller and smoother without feeling sticky. The shea butter keeps it comfortable, and the XXL wand gives you a glossy finish in one swipe.
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna Gloss Bomb Lip Gloss
Eyes + Brows
A soft neutral palette with mattes, metallics, and sparkly toppers that makes everyday eye looks really easy. The shades blend smoothly and layer well, so you can keep it subtle or build it up for a more glam look.
Ethereal Eyes™ Eyeshadow Palette: The Original - MAKEUP BY MARIO
A dual-ended cream shadow stick that makes quick eye looks really easy. The formula glides on smoothly, blends before it sets, and wears well without needing a full palette, so it’s great for everyday makeup or travel.
Dual-Ended Long-Wear Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow Stick - Bobbi Brown
A really versatile neutral palette with 16 matte, shimmer, metallic, and sparkle shades. The shadows are creamy, pigmented, and easy to blend, with lighter and deeper browns that make it easy to create anything from an everyday soft eye to full glam.
Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eyeshadow Palette - Too Faced
A lightweight brow gel that lifts, tints, and sets brows for up to 12 hours without feeling stiff or crunchy. The tapered brush coats each hair really well, and the formula is waterproof, sweat-resistant, and made to give that brushed-up laminated lo...
Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting and Laminating Eyebrow Gel - Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
A highly pigmented brow pomade that gives you full control over shape and definition. It’s especially good for filling sparse areas, creating sharper brows, and building from natural-looking strokes to a more sculpted finish.
DIPBROW® Waterproof, Smudge Proof Brow Pomade - Anastasia Beverly Hills
A waterproof eyeliner pencil with rich color payoff that glides on smoothly without tugging. It sets quickly, stays put through heat and humidity, and works well for both sharp liner and softer smudged-out looks.
Aqua Resist Color Pencil 24HR Waterproof Eyeliner - MAKE UP FOR EVER
A waterproof liquid liner with a flexible precision tip that makes wings and thin lines easier to control. The pigment goes on bold and dries down quickly, so it’s a good pick if you want sharp liner that lasts without constant touch-ups.
24/7 Inks Easy Ergonomic Liquid Eyeliner Pen - Urban Decay
Set It + Forget It
A finely milled setting powder that blurs pores, smooths texture, and helps control shine without making makeup look heavy. It’s especially good for setting the T-zone and keeping a soft-focus finish throughout the day.
Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder - ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr
A strong-hold setting spray made to keep makeup in place through heat, sweat, and humidity. It gives a matte finish and is especially good for long days, nights out, or anytime you need your makeup to stay put for hours.
On 'Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray - ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr
A lightweight setting spray that helps makeup last longer while keeping the finish fresh instead of overly matte. It’s great for melting powders into the skin and giving your base a smoother, more seamless look.
Charlotte Tilbury Transfer-Proof Setting Spray
A finely milled loose powder that blurs pores, smooths the under-eye, and helps control shine without making the base look heavy. It’s especially good for baking, brightening, and keeping makeup in place for long wear.
Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder - HUDA BEAUTY
A finely milled pressed powder that smooths texture, blurs the look of pores, and takes down shine without making skin look flat. It’s especially good for touch-ups because it adds a soft-focus finish without feeling heavy or cakey.
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish Setting Powder