I’m a Beauty Editor Who Tried 51 Makeup Products Last Month, but These Are the 5 I Can’t Stop Using
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Including a redness-relieving foundation I regret overlooking.
InStyle
Testing dozens of makeup products a month — or hundreds a year, to put it in perspective — will make you jaded. In the grand scheme of things, products I once considered good now merely seem okay. In September, I tried 51 makeup products (which may sound astounding, but it’s actually slightly less than usual for me), but only five stood out from my haul. Surprisingly, not a single one was a new launch.
Here are the five products that impressed me so much, I wish I tried them sooner:
Tamim Alnuweiri
Before and after wearing Haus Labs Foundation, Fenty Hella Thicc Mascara, Rare Beauty Cream Blush in Nearly Neutral, Hard Candy Insta Pout Lip Liner in Kiss and Tell, and Byredo eyeshadow in Void.Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Medium Coverage Foundation
Sephora
Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Triclone Skin Tech Medium Coverage Foundation with Fermented Arnica$42
The more hyped or viral something is, the less I want to try it. Haus Labs Foundation has been the talk of the town and blown up on TikTok a handful of times since its launch a year ago, but I have only just gotten around to testing it. And, honestly? I should have put this on my face sooner.
As evidenced by my before and after pictures above, this Haus Labs foundation is really carrying its weight and then some. My skin was suffering from a stress breakout exacerbated by my inability to stop picking at my skin. Thanks to arnica and 20-something other skincare ingredients that heal, calm, and blur, the foundation concealed the redness and hid the unevenness, dullness, and hyperpigmentation while imparting a subtle glow. Available in an inclusive 51 shade range, it’s truly a small miracle in a bottle.
Fenty Hella Thicc Volumizing Mascara
Ulta
$19
My younger sister felt my wrath when she tried to take this mascara from me. “But, you have so many,” she said. But, none of my other tubes match up to Fenty’s Hella Thicc — and she knew it because it was the only one she wanted to take.
It’s hard to really capture the effect of a mascara in photos, but Fenty’s mascara is like a lash lift — it makes my lashes look fanned out, thick, and long.
Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush
Sephora
$20
The Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush gets a lot of love and with good reason. But I think it’s caused us all to overlook the Melting Cream Blush, which might actually be better. It’s very user-friendly — you don’t have to worry about overdoing it with pigment or figuring out how to blend this properly. I took a brush, swirled it around, and dabbed it (rather than swept it across) on my cheeks. It’s a very subtle wash of color that adds dimension to my face but doesn’t overpower the rest of my makeup or make itself the focal point. You can shop it in six shades, including my preferred soft neutral pink and a bold deep berry.
Byredo State of Emotion Eyeshadow Palette
Nordstrom
$75
I really thought that the era of the eyeshadow palette was over, but a couple of products have really humbled me — like this Byredo State of Emotion Palette. First of all, the packaging is divine and while I know that may sound shallow, I really do judge (makeup) books by their cover. It looks like a golden molten oyster shell; it’s so nice that I keep it out on my vanity as a piece of decor.
The State of Emotion palette features four pink and mauve plum shades, with one pop of gold that contrasts nicely. My favorite of the bunch is the one on the far left, Void. It’s a gray-ish purple with gold sparkles that makes it look like I did more than simply smear on one eyeshadow shade. It looks like I actually did something and practiced some artistry, plus it looks a little bit different depending on what type of light you’re in. As we approach the holiday season, I would be remiss to not highlight this as a great gift for the picky, kind of bougie makeup lover in your life.
Hard Candy Insta Pout Lip Liner
Walmart
$4
The last time I thought about Hard Candy… I can’t pinpoint the exact year, but I was in middle school and you could find it at Sephora. Fast forward [redacted] years later and the brand has made its way to my desk and impressed me. I can’t remember how expensive it used to be (once again, middle school), but it’s currently very affordable and available only at Walmart.
This lip liner is just $6, so you can buy four or five shades without feeling too much of a financial burn. First of all, it’s one of those twisty retractable types that is wonderful for a lazy worm like me who simply won’t sharpen a lip or eyeliner pencil once it becomes dull and therefore never use it again. The shades are also very pigmented and slide on like butter. To use, I like to apply a little bit of lip balm, line my lips with the pencil, and that’s it. My go-to shade is Kiss and Tell, a mauve pink, but I also use Boyfriend, a cool brown.
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