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Just 26 Great Beauty Products You’ll Probably Want In Your Makeup Bag
Because there’s nothing more gorgeous than a box full of beauty products showing up at your door.We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you…
Because there’s nothing more gorgeous than a box full of beauty products showing up at your door.
We hope you love the products we recommend! All of them were independently selected by our editors. Just so you know, BuzzFeed may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page if you decide to shop from them. Oh, and FYI — prices are accurate and items in stock as of time of publication.
1.
NYX Butter Gloss, a buildable lipgloss beloved by over 3,500 reviewers that actually won’t leave your lips all sticky like the other glosses you’ve tried over the years.
Promising review: “Skip the expensive mall store — buy this. This is one of those drugstore products that lives up to its reputation. ‘Angel Food Cake’ is a nice, rose mauve color with no yellow undertones. The color stays true and won’t turn orange while you’re wearing it. It’s not sticky like so many inexpensive lip glosses. It will also keep your lips reasonably hydrated. The color won’t be dramatic enough for some, but as an..ahem…mature woman I need to keep it subtle. This gloss is all you need for everyday wear.” —Toomanycats
Get it from Amazon for $3.39+ (available in 24 colors).
Also check out more of the best lipsticks you can get on Amazon!
Here’s what BuzzFeed Shopping writer Jennifer Tonti had to say about this lippie: “I’ve had a love/hate (mostly hate) relationship with liquid lips. They either always dry out my lips, or the applicator is too bulky for me and I end up staining my face, or it’ll come off after one meal! But this is the first liquid lip I actually swear by, and it does none of those annoying things! The applicator itself is revolutionary to me; it has a pointed oval shape with a hole in the middle. At first I didn’t understand how this was going to help with application, but let me tell you, it was a breeze! The hole in the middle holds a bit of product in it, and as you swipe across the lips it paints a full-coverage coat in one go. You really don’t need a lot, either. One thin layer dries down in about a minute. Throughout the day it remains smooth and pigmented. It doesn’t crack or peel either! Plus it comes in the cutest colors for every season!” Check out her full review here (#1).
Get it from Amazon $7.98+ (available in 40 colors).
amazon.com, Amazon
Promising review: “I am totally blown away by this product! I’ve been using Laura Mercier’s Translucent loose setting powder (which is $39) for about six months, and was dissatisfied with the fact that my skin appeared greasy/oily by the end of the work day. By 5 p.m., I have been wearing my makeup for about 10 hours. I also live in a warm climate and have oily skin. By the end of my work day using this powder, my face is still very matte! I am THRILLED! This way outperforms the Laura Mercier powder and is about 13% of the cost. I can’t believe it. I’m never going back.” —AlexisJulian
Get it from Amazon for $5.97+ (available in six shades.
Now ~that’s what I like.~ Okay I’ll stop now.
Promising review: “I absolutely love these eye masks! Such a nice treat after a long day of work. I put them in the fridge as was recommended, and they feel incredible! My fiancé loves them too! He’s an essential worker, so his under-eye area is getting irritated from wearing a mask all day. We’ve both been using them. So far it’s working really well — my skin feels soft and smooth and it seems to be brightening my under-eye area! Will definitely be getting more when this box runs out!” —Paige
Get 15 pairs from Amazon for $17.97.
5.
E.l.f. cream eyeliner, a cruelty-free, vegan, water-resistant liner that should, thankfully, hold up against tears. You might shed a few when you realize how much money you’ve been wasting on fancy eyeliner brands over the years.
Promising review: “I’ve used other cream eyeliners — Mac, Bobbi Brown, etc. — and this one is by far the better product. Where others were dry or smudged-looking, this creamy eyeliner goes on smoothly with a solid, deep pigment. Use one layer for a smoky kohl look, or get the sharpness and depth of a liquid liner with two coats. It even works on the water line without smearing or running. The angled brush makes the perfect cat eye shape if applied flat at the outer corners of the eye. The only thing I would change is to invest in an angled eyeliner brush with a longer handle — the one that comes with the liner is a bit short. We’ll see if it can outlast the sweat and humidity of summer, but so far I only have to apply it once a day. I even made the mistake of rubbing my eye and expected a disaster, but this stuff didn’t budge!” —Eden Spatz-bender
Get it from Amazon for $5.03.
6.
An unbelievably affordable 35-shade eyeshadow palette that Cady Heron would probably have a few things to say about. How many amazing looks can you create with it? The limit does not exist.
Promising review: “For those of you who know makeup and know this is a dupe, this palette is just as good at the Jaclyn Hill (which is $38) if not better. The texture is more pigmented than the Jaclyn Hill but doesn’t blend as well, the colors are a little different but every color matches up with a Jaclyn Hill color, just may be off slightly. The consistency is soft and not too cakey, and the shimmers are brilliant. It’s 10/10 worth it for the price point.” —Rachel
Get it from Amazon for $9.88.
7.
Burt’s Bees Intense Hydration Night Cream, a non-greasy, moisturizing, wrinkle-reducing formula that’ll give new meaning to the phrase “beauty sleep.”
It’s paraben-free!
Promising review: “I bought this item when I ran out of the very expensive night cream I generally use. Boy, have I been wasting money. This cream is magnificent!!! This is the best night cream I have ever used. Every day, I wake up with my skin feeling smooth and looking smooth and supple. There is no dryness, oiliness, or shininess. This cream is pure luxury AND it’s affordable. What more can you ask for? This is the only night cream you will ever need.” —Michel-Ange Chevry
Get it from Amazon for $10.35.
8.
A classic red lipstick from Cheekbone you can feel good wearing also feel good buying — it’s vegan, paraben-free, comes in a compostable and recyclable tube, and gives 10% of profits to help Indigenous youth in Canada.
Cheekbone
Cheekbone is an Indigenous woman-owned brand!
Promising review: “LOVE. This lipstick stayed on so well before, during, and after my lunch date and I was so impressed! While the texture is different from other lipsticks, I still adored it and it looked so good. The color was exactly the red I was looking for and I will definitely be buying it again!” —Aubrey-Anne L.
Sephora
Promising review: “My new fave. I was hesitant to try it due to past experiences with other brands (streaking, fading, etc.). But wow! I love how it applies so smoothly. A little goes a long way. It blends easily, and lasts a long time. I love that it looks like the color comes from within rather just sitting on top of the skin. Blends well with my contour, bronzer, and highlighter.” —AliceTea
Get it from Sephora for $20 (available in nine colors) or Fenty Beauty for $20 (available in 10 colors).
10.
A subscription to FaceTory, which’ll deliver a fun new assortment of K-beauty fabric masks for you to try every month. Your skin (and your wallet, now that you’re not splurging on every mask you see) will thank you.
Amazon
In addition to an assortment of sheet masks, each month’s shipment comes with tips and info about each one, so it’s perfect for beauty and skincare newbies.
Promising review: “These are the best masks I’ve used! I became a big fan of sheet masks while living in Japan. I usually bought cheap ones, though, and they weren’t much more effective than just moisturizer. I also have very sensitive skin and sometimes I’d get a few zits after certain ones. I’ve been busy and stressed lately, so I decided to treat myself to something small. I tried FaceTory. I’ve now used eight masks and loved them all. None have irritated my skin, though a few did start to tingle. There are at least two that I felt made such a difference I would buy them again separately. I also like that there’s a little explanation of what each one is supposed to do. It’s fun to try different masks instead of being locked into basically different scents of the same mask, which is how I feel about sets I’ve bought on Amazon before. My third envelope should be arriving soon and I don’t see myself unsubscribing any time soon. I’ve been using these masks once a week. Combined with the rest of my skincare, my skin has never been better and I didn’t feel dry at all this winter.” —Barbara
Get it from Amazon for $4.96+ for the first month, and each month after that for $8.90+ (available with four or seven masks per shipment).
Promising review: “This is my holy grail foundation! I’ve purchased this foundation so many times already and I thought, why not let everyone know how much you love it? I recommend this foundation to every one of my friends and they have loved it too. Doesn’t matter if your skin is oily or dry — mine is extremely dry and sensitive. You need to make it part of your makeup collection. It gives medium coverage. My skin has been pretty clear lately, so just a few dots on my face will cover everything. Even though I have dry skin, it doesn’t make me look flat or cakey. It looks really natural.” —Cbeautytips
Get it from Amazon for $5.34+ (available in 40 shades).
12.
Milani eyeshadow primer to lock in the gorgeous ~lewk~ you spent so much time on this morning. No way you’re letting it go to waste.
Promising review: “Let me tell you what primer can do for you. Seriously. The first picture is right after the application of the primer and my eye makeup. The eyeshadow I used was $5 — NOT high quality stuff, but lovely colors. The second photo is eight hours later and the third is over 13 hours from the first photo. I didn’t notice creasing until I took that pic, and it’s not even noticeable until I’m nearly touching my nose to a mirror. I’m going to go to sleep with it on just for fun to see what I wake up with in the morning. Tip for applying: don’t do anything fancy! Just put a dab on your finger and cover your whole eyelid up to the brow. Let it dry for a sec. You shouldn’t be able to see it, and it should feel very light.” —Lorraine Renee
Get it from Amazon for $5.99.
Amazon, amazon.com
It’s got over 4,500 (!!!!) positive reviews!
Promising review: “This literally made my boyfriend’s blackheads disappear! I wasn’t so lucky but his were really bad. It made our faces feel so clean. I’m a mask junkie and have gotten masks from all the top brands, from the drugstore to Lush to Sephora or Ulta. This is one of my new favorites! It’s also so much fun to watch and it feels like a spa treatment.” —Katie Mitchell
Get it from Amazon for $11.99.
It’s water- and sweat-resistant and has over 1,000 five-star reviews!!! Check out BuzzFeed’s full write-up on this eyebrow gel.
Promising review: “This is the BEST BEST BEST eyebrow filler I have ever found. Seriously. I have very sparse eyebrows and have tried endless pencils, liners, powders…and on and on. I bought two colors (a light one and a dark one) so I could blend the two to see if I could get a multidimensional look, and it’s perfect. I have dark hair so I start with the dark and highlight a bit with the light. I love it so much! This is not something you will regret buying! For years, I hated filling my eyebrows and now it’s my favorite part of my makeup routine. Look at my pictures for proof.” —Emily M. Van Pelt
Get it from Amazon for $15 (available in five colors).
15.
Glossier Balm Dotcom, a cruelty-free and antioxidant-rich universal skin salve that you can use on your lips or anywhere else for moisture that actually lasts, so it’ll put every other balm you’ve ever tried to shame. Reapplying? I don’t know her.
Glossier
Promising review: “As a lip balm collector, I would like to go out on a limb and say that this is probably the best balm I have used. It stays forever, doesn’t wipe off with food or drinks or life, and is super nourishing. It’s also really good value for money and lasts forever (mine has been with me for over a year).” —Aayushi S.
Get it from Glossier for $12 (available in eight flavors and tints, including an untinted and unscented version).
Biossance
Promising review: “I have very dry, dull lips. I use a scrub almost daily. This balm has lessened my need to scrub my lips and it has the tiniest bit of shine and tons of moisture. I love it.” —Amanda T.
Get it from Biossance for $18.
It’s cruelty-free and all-natural, and it actually reacts with the chemicals in your skin to change to a color that works perfectly for you.
Promising review: “I love these! I’m an extremely fair-skinned redhead and it’s hard to find cheek and lip colors that work for me, let alone a single product that works for both. They are much bolder on me than the product pics show even on the lightest skin tone, but I’m used to that with most products. In the picture on the left I’m wearing the pink on both my lips and cheeks.” —Nathan
Get it from Amazon for $28 (available in three colors).
Amazon, amazon.com
Promising review: “Guys, this highlighter is up to par with my $30 Becca highlight. The top left shade is a total dupe for ‘Moonstone’. The pigment is very creamy and this is not a subtle highlight. This is for my people who really want to glow. Even the greenish shade is very pretty and wearable. I like wearing the blue shade as eyeshadow for an icy ’90s vibe.” —Miranda
Get it from Amazon for $13.14.
19.
Glossier Futuredew, a cruelty-free and vegan oil and serum all rolled into one. I don’t know, something just told me you’d be interested in looking all glowy for up to 12 hours without going through a 107-step skincare routine.
Glossier
Promising review: “Every aspect of this product is so lovely. I don’t wear makeup to school, but I will put on a pump of Futuredew. it makes me look hydrated and well-rested. I don’t even wear highlighter anymore (that’s money saved!) because Futuredew gives me the perfectly supple, smooth glow that I’ve been trying to achieve with highlighter for years.” —Angela
Get it from Glossier for $24.
20.
A sweet silicone cleansing brush that’s more than just a cute face — just load this little dude with your cleanser for a sudsational deep clean.
Amazon
Promising review: “This is a great cleansing and exfoliating tool. I bought this because my Clarisonic broke. I used this two or three times a week and found it to be a cute and effective tool. I rarely wear makeup, but when I do, it’s often heavy. This tool (in combination with my cleanser) got it off every time. My makeup is also dark, but it never stained. It’s really good at clearing up the blackheads on my nose. After reading some of the reviews when I initially purchased it, I became curious and decided to test how sanitary/safe it is. After five months, I removed the sponge and turned the silicone inside out. Besides two tiny pieces of dead skin, it was fine. There wasn’t an odor or mold. However, similar to a Clarisonic brush head, for sanitary purposes, this should be replaced every three months or so. I look forward to getting this product again.” —Amazon Customer
Get it from Amazon for $6.50.
21.
Moonjuice Milk Cleanse, a vitamin E and essential oil wash to gently remove your makeup at the end of the day and also be gentle on the environment — the packaging is made of sustainable sugarcane and is recyclabe.
Moonjuice
Promising review: “Such a great product. Gentle and soothing but it also takes off my mascara! Leaves my face feeling fresh and perfect, not too dry, not too oily, great for combination skin. It’s nice to have found a natural, effective cleanser.” —Meredith B.
Get it from Moonjuice for $32.
22.
A long-lasting cosmic glitter eyeliner from Queer-owned brand Fluide that’s cruelty-free, vegan, paraben-free, and truly out of this world.
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amazon.com, Emma McAnaw/BuzzFeed
Check out one BuzzFeeder’s full mascara review (#6).
Promising review: “For the price, I am very pleased. The curved brush makes application easy. You can apply multiple coats to add more drama to your look. I’ve experienced no clumping with this and I usually do a couple coats, which really makes my eyelashes look long and glorious! It stays on all day, though I may retouch if I have an event later in the day just as a precautionary measure. ” —CH
Get it from Amazon for $6.97 (available in five colors).
24.
Milani baked bronzer, a cruelty-free powder that may be a bronzer, but is certainly worthy of a gold medal in glamour.
Promising review: “I have a light/medium skin tone and this bronzer is the perfect color. I use it to contour my cheekbones, nose, and jawline. Using the brush that’s included makes it go on very smoothly. I’m amazed by how well it works for the price. Don’t hesitate to buy it. Even after eight hours, there’s no evidence of separating on this 62-year-old face.” —Grandma56
Get it from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in three shades).
25.
Supergoop! SPF 30 City Sunscreen Serum, a sunscreen, moisturizer, and antioxidant-filled serum all rolled into one. It’s cruelty-free, paraben-free, odor-free, and seriously hassle-free, too. 🙌
Sephora
I use this stuff daily and adore it! I love that it’s not perfumey, and it’s really light and easy. I’m very low-key when it comes to beauty and skincare, but what matters most to me is that I get some SPF on my face, plus some moisture so my skin doesn’t feel all dry after blow-drying my hair in the morning. Slathering this on accomplishes both of those things and makes me feel like I have a fancy skin routine with just a couple pumps of a bottle.
Promising review: “I might be the most minimalist Sephora shopper ever. In the morning I like to wash my face, then use one product. I’m looking for as many benefits in one bottle as possible, and this product delivers a lot in one package. I used the same lotion for years, but now that I’m headed toward the big 4-0, my skin has changed a ton. I’ve always had combination skin, but the dryness has increased and the oil and blackheads have decreased. This lotion isn’t greasy. In about a month, I’ve seen an improvement in my overall skin tone and fine lines. I will buy again!” —skingvta
Get it from Sephora for $42.
26.
Winky Lux’s Matte Lip Velour, aka a possibly perfect, super-pigmented matte lipstick guaranteed to result in compliments and old-school-Barbie-commercial-like queries of “Where’d ya get that??”
Winky Lux, Katy Herman/BuzzFeed
I’ve gotten tons of positive comments on this lippie and it’s my absolute fave for several reasons. It’s soft, smooth, and not very drying, and it’s cruelty-, paraben-, and sulfate-free! The rounded shape of the bullet is MIRACULOUS. I’m talking the kind of lipstick that even clumsy old me can put on perfectly without looking in the mirror. It’s the perfect size bullet for my lips, too, and it wears down to form to the curve of your lips, whereas smaller bullets just stay kinda flat. And people, it stays the heck on. I’m not saying it can totally survive multiple meals, but it never claims to. But for a regular lipstick to still look fab after I have a snack and drink out of my water bottle a ton? That’s a big win for me. I’ve even gotten my mom into it! Check out my full review here (#9).
Get the purple shade above from Winky Lux for $15 and find more colors here. Some shades are also available at Target!
You realizing how many great beauty products you can buy online:
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The reviews for this post have been edited for length and/or clarity.
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