This past weekend, I had the pleasure of attending Sephoria 2023. The event took place both virtually and in person in New York City. Over 50 brands attended, including cult-favorites like Summer Fridays, Glossier, Nars, and more. Each brand set up an experiential booth that featured things like their star products, interactive experiences, and even founder meet and greets (ahem, Patrick Ta himself was there one day).
While I was there, I got to wander the Sephoria hallways and stop by every booth I wanted. As a beauty editor, I often get to try the latest and greatest products in the beauty world, but I don’t always get a chance to see products out in the wild. One of the best parts for me was seeing which products caused a major stir at Sephoria, because that means they’re worth the hype and more. Keep reading for some of the products that people were running to get their hands on at Sephoria (and are available at Sephora)—and believe me when I say, every single one of these is incredible.
Last week, YSL Beauty celebrated the launch of its new men’s fragrance, Myslf, in Paris during Paris Fashion Week. As you might imagine, it was a star-studded event—Austin Butler, Troye Sivan, and more attended. Everyone’s glam was out of this world, but we couldn’t help but focus on Nicola Peltz Beckham’s look.
Peltz Beckham arrived with a look reminiscent of Old Hollywood glamour. She had a smoky cat eye, petal-pink lips, and semi-matte, radiant skin. Luckily, her look is incredibly easy to re-create. Most of the products used on Peltz Beckham were YSL Beauty products—and they’re also cult favorites. Keep reading for every YSL product on Peltz Beckham’s face at PFW.
Have you ever put on a full face of makeup only to realize that, for some reason, your skin still looks a bit off? It could be for any number of reasons—maybe the skin under your eyes is taking on a bluish tinge, maybe your skin looks a bit gray toned, or maybe redness is peeping through. Even if you have the perfect concealer, you might be missing a key ingredient for a flawless finish: a color corrector.
Color correctors have gained quite a bit of traction on TikTok in the past couple of years, with quite a few of them going mega-viral. (We’re looking at you, Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment.) Color correctors have been staples in makeup artists’ kits for years, though. The trick to perfect color correcting is knowing how to pick the right one for you.
After a long summer of wearing minimal makeup, partaking in fall makeup trends is always a welcome activity. There’s something about fall that makes me feel excited about putting on a face of makeup—maybe it’s the fact that there’s less of a chance of sweating it off or maybe it’s because fall always feels like the first day of school.
This fall, makeup is truly taking center stage. After the last few years that prioritized the “clean girl” aesthetic, makeup is finally having a moment again. We’ll be playing with makeup in full force this fall, and the trends couldn’t be more fun to follow. Keep reading for fall’s best makeup trends, straight from seasoned makeup artists who worked backstage at this season’s New York Fashion Week.
Fall is perhaps the most important season for fashion and beauty. It starts with New York Fashion Week, which is then followed closely by London, Milan, and Paris. Just as important as the clothes, the beauty looks give us insight into what trends and products will dominate the coming year. Beyond that, fall is a season of reflection and renewal; it seems that some of the most influential and far-reaching beauty moments happen during these months. It’s only natural as we take stock of our routines, make seasonal swaps, and incubate new aesthetics.
While we like to think we have a pretty good grasp on the next big thing in beauty (you know, being beauty editors and all), it never hurts to go straight to the source. By source, we mean the industry-leading authorities and beauty directors of major platforms like Sephora, Violet Grey, Moda Operandi, and Thirteen Lune. So without further ado, scroll on to see the 10 biggest beauty trends that will dominate this season and beyond.
Hannah Frye is the Assistant Beauty & Health Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.S. in journalism and a minor in women’s, gender, and queer studies from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. Hannah has written across lifestyle sections including skin care, women’s health, mental health, sustainability, social media trends, and more. She previously interned for Almost 30, a top-rated health and wellness podcast. In her current role, Hannah reports on the latest beauty trends and innovations, women’s health research, brain health news, and plenty more.
Bristles and brush shapes might not be the first thing you consider when shopping for a brush, but the types you choose could make or break your makeup application. It depends on what types of makeup formulas you’ll use more often (liquid, powder, etc.) and what kind of look you are going for.
When it comes to bristles, there are natural, synthetic, and a blend of both. René says duo-fiber brushes (a blend of synthetic and natural hair) are great for buffing and blending in cream or liquid products and leave an airbrushed, seamless look. You can also use them for some powder products. Synthetic brushes are great for skincare applications and liquid or cream foundations and concealers. Natural brushes are mainly used for loose or pressed powder products. And some brushes are dense or loose. “Short, dense brushes are great for contouring or applying full-coverage foundations to skin with texture, whereas loose fluffy brushes are great for light applications of products,” René explains.
As for shapes, René says there’s no wrong way to use them but she gave some ways she personally uses each:
Tapered: Great for blending
Flat/Dense: Full-coverage application or creating shapes on the face (like contouring with cream products)
Fluffy/Round: Great when used for concealers, eye shadows, blushes, highlighters, and blending out harsh lines
Fluffy Angled/Tapered: Great for bronzers and blushes, sometimes highlighters
I’ve always had a love-hate relationship with concealer. It’s necessary when I want to disguise my dark circles or cover redness, but it can smudge, settle into fine lines, and highlight my skin texture. Worst of all, it can dry down to look powdery and sit atop my skin like some sort of mask. When that happens, I feel an instant and visceral frustration that makes me reach for the nearest makeup remover.
As you can imagine, I have a pretty strict set of standards for my concealer. I’ve tested countless formulas, but I only keep a few close at hand. They’re the ones that pass the test. They’re lightweight, they’re easy to blend, they provide ample yet natural-looking coverage, and they never (I repeat: never) do any of the aforementioned things I hate. They also contain active ingredients to benefit the skin and not just cover it. In other words, they’re modern formulas that deserve the title “next-gen.” Ahead, see all eight concealers I—a self-confessed picky beauty editor—love.
Let’s start with the latest launch from Makeup by Mario. This concealer is self-setting, meaning you don’t have to use a setting powder or spray to keep it from creasing or smudging; it does itself. The formula contains caffeine to minimize the appearance of dark circles and puffiness. It also contains fermented marine microorganisms to smooth skin and give it a tightening effect.
When I used this one for the first time, I didn’t notice anything in the way of de-puffing or tightening my skin, but I did notice that it had a dreamy texture that’s creamy but still budge-proof. It easily covered my dark circles and even did a number on the redness that hung out around my nose and cheeks. I didn’t set it with anything, and after a few hours, I was surprised to see that it wasn’t creasing or smudging at all. The medium-coverage formula stayed right where I put it that morning.
My only warning is that it sets fast, so I recommend working in sections. For example, apply it under the eyes, blend it out, then apply it elsewhere. Once you get the hang of it, it provides next-level, natural-looking coverage.
Next up is this concealer, which I’ve been wearing almost every single day since it came across my desk over a month ago. It reminds me a lot of the aforementioned Makeup by Mario product because it’s a long-wearing formula that promises to de-puff the skin. Again, I haven’t noticed anything in regard to that. However, the formula is incredible. It offers natural-looking, medium coverage (although I would argue it’s more on the full-coverage side) and includes niacinamide, fermented arnica, and hyaluronic acid to brighten, hydrate, and reduce redness.
Since so many fuller-coverage concealers are thick, powdery, or unnatural-looking, I’m constantly impressed by how stretchy and flexible this formula is. It’s so good that I trusted it to be my only complexion product while on a weeklong trip to Scotland.
Here, I’m wearing the Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Concealer on the train to Edinburgh.
Tower 28 is known for effortless makeup essentials, and this concealer is no different. First and foremost, it’s meant to be hydrating, so it includes hyaluronic acid, Centella asiatica leaf, and lysine. It’s meant to glide on like a serum and sink into the skin, disguising any imperfections with medium coverage.
Let me just say that it delivers on every single one of these goals. It’s lightweight and hydrating, and it looks incredibly natural on the skin. I don’t know if it’s because the shade matches my skin tone so well or if it’s because the texture is so dreamy, but it basically melts into my skin. It’s the easiest concealer to blend, by far, and it’s a no-makeup-makeup must-have.
Another self-setting concealer, this one is from Kulfi, the South Asian beauty brand that creates fun, user-friendly makeup products. (Check out the brand’s Zari Eyes Cream Eyeshadow ($30). The shades are right out of my personal makeup dreams.) This formula contains amla fruit extract for antioxidants and saffron flower and rose-hip extract for hydration. So, skin benefits? Check.
This brand is fairly new to me, but thus far, I’m impressed, and this concealer has a lot to do with it. It’s sat squarely in my makeup bag since it first touched my skin for three reasons. First, the cool undertone suits my skin perfectly. Second, the flexible formula never cracks or creases. Third, it stays put with zero touch-ups (even when I do a HIIT workout—true story).
To me, this concealer was one of the first “next-gen” concealer formulas ever launched. In fact, to me, it kind of created the category altogether. It’s the first I can think of that combined good-for-skin ingredients with a flexible, medium-coverage formula. The sweet spot.
That’s why, if any of these natural-looking, next-gen concealers deserve the title of being my first love, it’s this one. I’ve been using it for years—certainly longer than any other concealer on this list. It’s lightweight and breathable, and it never settles, smudges, or slips into pores and fine lines. I always have a tube in my makeup bag. Always.
The brand says this is full coverage, and because I’ve been spurned by full-coverage concealers before (they tend to sit atop my skin and look unnatural), I was a bit hesitant to use it. However, when I did tentatively swipe it across my under-eye area and gently pat it in with a concealer brush, I was shocked. The formula is light, flexible, and blendable. The coverage is ample but radiant—if anything, I think it’s more medium coverage, but I like that. It disguised my dark circles, covered an unwelcome zit, and toned down the redness on my cheeks. My skin was so natural-looking and radiant that this instantly became one of my all-time favorite concealers.
I had seen a lot of talk about this concealer on TikTok, and all of the buzzwords I heard hinted that I’d like it—I heard it was hydrating, flexible, medium coverage, and crease-proof and had a natural finish (the concealer sweet spot). I was right. This concealer is all of those things, and I appreciate that the applicator is pointed rather than rounded for more precise application. Just like the Tower 28 concealer, I’m calling this one a no-makeup-makeup must-have.
This isn’t the original Shape Tape Full Coverage Concealer ($31) you once knew. It’s a newer, more radiant version. Formulated with a whole troupe of active ingredients, including licorice root, prickly pear, ginseng, niacinamide, and green tea, this concealer promises to treat the skin at the same time it perfects it with medium coverage.
To be honest, I’ve completely abandoned my old Shape Tape for this one. I love that it benefits my skin; I love that it offers natural-looking medium coverage that doesn’t cover my freckles; I love that adds a luminosity to my complexion. While it does tend to fall into my fine lines every now and then, it’s nothing a quick tap with a beauty sponge can’t fix.
“I wonder how seriously she takes us,” Amanda Seyfried whispers, referring to the big-name celebrity quietly smirking across the room. The woman strikes me as the silent-judging type, but Seyfried is more open-minded. “It’s judgment,” the actor considers, “or it’s just innocent curiosity.” After all, it’s not every day that Lisa Gherardini, better known as the selfie-magnet Mona Lisa, gets a near-private audience with an Oscar nominee—a startling beauty known to turn up on Lancôme billboards and magazine covers. “How big is that, dimension-wise?” Seyfried wonders about Da Vinci’s 16th-century painting, encased in bulletproof glass. A nearby voice ballparks it at 36 by 24 inches, which sounds like the start of a bust-waist-hips measurement. “‘36, 25, 34’—was that from a Nelly song?” Seyfried asks, before supplying her own melodic answer with a line from the rapper’s Y2K anthem: “If you want to go and take a ride with me…” One imagines Lisa the wallflower, having seen and heard it all, softly humming along. A nostalgic hit has its sweetness, but also its flaws. “That was supposed to depict the perfect female form,” says Seyfried, “which is obviously bullshit.”
Two familiar faces share a moment. Makeup artist Genevieve Herr and hairstylist Renato Campora prepped Seyfried for the occasion. The dress is by Prada.
By Ludovica Arcero/Courtesy of Lancôme.
The matter of idealized beauty—how to define it, and, more important, redefine it—is a recurring theme at the Louvre on a balmy Tuesday evening, where a crowd of hundreds has gathered under I. M. Pei’s glass pyramid to fete the museum’s partnership with Lancôme. Spindly display stands show off the limited-edition eye palette, its embossed shadows inspired by an 1836 bust of the ancient Greek poet Corinne. Nearby, bottles of Advanced Génifique serum (a conservator’s approach to preservation) occupy a set of black pedestals; lipsticks in faux marble cases sit on gold ones. Meanwhile, four of the beauty brand’s ambassadors—Seyfried, along with Zendaya, Chinese model He Cong, and Malian-French musician Aya Nakamura—have taken their own places on the walls, by way of mural-size campaign images that pair each woman with an emblematic artwork. Some of the statues are unmistakable, like The Winged Victory of Samothrace, which Zendaya mirrors with an outstretched arm. Seyfried, whose Catskills farm has been a refuge for the past decade, finds her muse in the Diana of Gabii, a Greek tribute to the goddess of the hunt. The larger-than-life figure—once a jewel in the Borghese collection and later Napoleon’s—has long been a popular lady. So is Seyfried, whose bright pink Prada dress acts like a homing beacon for just about every fan and friend.
On the surface, the co-branded collection might seem like an unusual rendezvous for the two heritage institutions. “It’s not! It’s so refined, it’s so specific, it’s so well-curated,” Seyfried counters, as she slips out of cocktail hour for the private tour. “The thing about museums is you go there to get lost and you go there to get found, to find yourself,” she says—something that beauty, with its tools for transformation, can tap into as well. The actor pauses in a spacious room where Ingres’s 1814 La Grande Odalisque slyly holds court. “I love humans, I love these mythical snapshots—but landscapes,” she sighs in front of Paul Flandrin’s 1838 Montagnes de la Sabine, a lush, unassuming painting with just the hint of manmade intervention, namely the cluster of figures near the bottom and a columned temple hidden in the trees. Beyond an aesthetic experience, these galleries hold the possibility for connection, as Seyfried sees it, a chance to build a cross-generational bridge. (Film does too, which has the actor alluding to the ongoing SAG-AFTRA strike—a consequence of artists “being taken for granted and almost disrespected, in some ways, because of financial things.”)
The Lancôme x Louvre campaign pairs Seyfried with the Diana of Gabii.
By Sølve Sundsbø/Courtesy of Lancôme.
But it’s the classical statuary that we are beelining for. The majestic Winged Victory, occupying a solitary perch on a stair landing, is all flash-frozen power. “You feel the space, you feel the possibility,” Seyfried says of that potential waiting to be set loose. A short walk on, the Venus de Milo gets an intimately scaled gallery to herself. Suddenly a barnyard braying emanates from the actor’s evening bag. “That’s my donkey!” Seyfried chirps, scurrying to her phone. (Technically speaking, it’s not her actual donkey on the recording, but a ringtone stand-in for logistical ease.) She answers the FaceTime call by striking a nonchalant pose with Venus. “Tommy? Oh, no big deal. We’re literally walking around the Louvre right now,” she says to her husband, Thomas Sadoski. A tiny voice belonging to their 3-year-old son pipes in. “I don’t have your toy, Bubba,” Seyfried cajoles, with one last attempt at a grand gesture: “This is art! This is history!” Someone in the group suggests a child-size Venus de Milo as a souvenir. “I’ve already got him an alien and a car,” she says. “Way better than this.”
Seyfried knows what she wants, as evidenced by the life she has built around family (her daughter is 6) and nature. Two new horses have settled in at the farm this week, which brings the menagerie tally—she pauses to count in her head—to “16 big animals, not counting the chickens and the ducks.” It’s mostly an equine mix, including the donkey, pony, and miniature horses, plus goats. It makes sense that a woman of the land feels a kinship with this marble Diana, caught in a self-sufficient moment as she fastens her cloak. In the press notes for the Lancôme x Louvre collection, Seyfried calls her a “wild goddess,” despite an outwardly delicate appearance. “Claiming her own independence: that’s where her beauty comes from.”
Do you ever try one product from a brand and immediately realize that you’ll 100% be coming back for more? Well, this happens to me quite often. I tried the Makeup by Mario SurrealSkin Liquid Foundation ($42) back in February and was certain that I’d become a fan of all the brand’s products. Just look at me now, eight months later, testing and loving the SurrealSkin concealer. Its biggest appeal is its self-setting formula, which eliminates the need for powder, but I’m more drawn to the fact that it’s crease-proof. Creasing is my number-one enemy, so I’m quick to charge my credit card when I find concealers that actively combat it. The caffeine-infused ingredients in this concealer are the cherry on top, encouraging de-puffing, tightening, and smoothing. Doing all of the above while also lasting all day sounds like a tough feat, so six beauty editors and I test-drove this new concealer to see if it lives up to the challenge. Keep scrolling to see our before-and-after photos, application tips, and honest opinions.
Maybe I’ve gotten pickier now that I’m a beauty editor, but it’s for a good reason. I used to be way less conscious about the skincare and makeup I was using on my face. Little did I know I was using pore-clogging products and questionable ingredients galore! Now that I’m a bit more educated, I’m a lot choosier about what I try, and it’s rare that I go berserk for a new brand or its launches. Polite Society, however, is the exception.
From the creative minds of Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson (formerly of Too Faced), Polite Society is a new-to-the-block color brand with some seriously A+ formulas. The brand launched on Ulta on August 27 with four clean (and impressive!) products—a foundation, blush-and-highlight palette, mascara, and lip-plumping gloss. I recently attended a launch event for the brand and went home with a goody bag. Well, let’s just say everything was so good that it warranted a full review. For all my thoughts on the brand, keep scrolling.
On its face, beauty may seem like one of the least sustainable industries. For a long time, that’s been true thanks to factors such as excessive packaging, plastic production, and unsustainable resources like palm oil. In recent years, the move toward sustainable beauty products has gained momentum. Guided by their cultural heritage, sustainability hasn’t been a choice for many Latin American beauty founders. It’s a nonnegotiable.
Climate change is arguably at its most critical point in Latin America. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the Amazon rainforest absorbs more greenhouse gases than any other tropical forest, but it’s been ceaselessly whittled down. In the past 50 years, it’s lost almost 300,000 square miles. For context, that’s a bigger amount of land than the entire country of France. The Amazon isn’t the only Latin American forest that’s been ravaged by deforestation. Other forests, like the Gran Chaco, have lost critical amounts of foliage. Soil erosion and water scarcity have led to food and resource shortages, reports Earth.org. Latin American countries are also facing unhealthy amounts of air pollution, according to a study published in World Health Statistics Quarterly.
Needless to say, sustainability efforts are more important than ever in Latin America and the rest of the world. That stretches to every part of life, whether it’s through recycling, conserving resources, or even choosing the products we buy and consume carefully. In the beauty realm, this means buying products from brands committed to sustainability as an ideology, not just a marketing tactic.
The founders of Tata Harper, Ere Perez, and Ceremonia have managed to not only prioritize climate goals but also find ways to tap into their Latin American roots, which are incredibly important to all three founders. Tata Harper, Ere Perez, and Ceremonia’s Babba Rivera choose to highlight sustainably sourced ingredients from their ancestors’ countries in their product formulations. “We pour a hearty dose of Mexican flair into everything we do,” says Perez, founder of her eponymous makeup brand, who grew up in Mexico. Keep reading to hear from all three founders on what makes their brands sustainable and why sustainability matters to them from a cultural standpoint.
Even though I gave up my lash-extension habit years ago, I sometimes miss the extra-long, extra-fluttery results I’d get. And while I can’t create the exact magic at home, there are some impressive, extension-esque options that can really hold their own. Mascara, of course, is one of our all-time-favorite ways to enhance our lashes, but if you’re looking for a little extra oomph, false eyelashes can be an excellent way to go, too. That said, only the very best eyelashes truly mimic professional lash extensions, so it’s important to be choosy while shopping. Luckily, many of the best brands offer tons of styles and lengths, so you can find a vibe that meshes with your beauty aesthetic.
We know there’s a surplus of options on the market to choose from, so we lent a helping hand by spilling the beans on our favorite false eyelashes. Keep scrolling for the best options money can buy.
Ever since Hailey Bieber’s Rhode Skin launched in the UK earlier this year, we’ve been in the throws of “glazed donut skin” mania. After all, we’re finally able to recreate her trademark dewy, glass skin using the exact best-selling products as the beauty mogul herself.
Rhode, which refers to Hailey’s middle name (as well as that of her mother), was already an acclaimed beauty brand in the US, having landed there just last year with its promise of ethereal, glowing skin and glossy lips for all.
Read GLAMOUR UK‘s exclusive interview with Hailey on her move into makeup, here.
Infused with the same shea butter and peptide formula, the Lip Tints boast a sheer-but-buildable formula in pink, berry, coffee and rose-taupe hues and launch today, 28 September 2023, at 5pm.
And in line with the star’s democratic approach to beauty, the new Lip Tints – along with all Rhode products – boast pleasingly affordable prices, with everything costing under £30.
Rhode Skin Peptide Glazing Fluid (£29): Hailey’s signature step to that glazed skin finish. This hydrating serum-gel hybrid, plumps and hydrates, while immediately imparting a luminous finish.
Rhode Skin Barrier Restore Cream (£29): A fragrance-free moisturiser, which additionally features antioxidants and essential fatty acids courtesy of shea butter, which Hailey describes as “the rich recovery layer” for nourished, smoother skin in the long-term.
All Rhode products are vegan, gluten free, cruelty free and, crucially, flood all skin types with hydration – yep, even sensitive skin.
Intrigued? The GLAMOUR UK beauty team has trialled the entire range to date so you can feel confident that the products are genuinely worth purchasing. Ahead, our verdicts on Rhode skincare and makeup …
Rhode Makeup
Rhode Skin Peptide Lip Tint in Espresso
Hailey’s cool latte makeup with its ‘90s supermodel vibes has become a blueprint for my beauty look this season. So when she told me in our interview that she was had “really been leaning into the Espresso shade a lot”, I knew this was going to become my go-to shade, too. Taking my cues from Hailey, I sometimes just apply the Lip Tint in an effortless slick or I’ll outline my lips with a similar shade of lip liner first if I want a more polished, desk-to-bar look. – Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR’s Acting Associate Beauty Director
Rhode Skin Peptide Lip Tint in Toast
The perfect shade for all nude lip lovers, but what I personally love is that it doesn’t land in beige territory. Rather than wash some skin tones out this is a universally-flattering rose taupe hue. Not only that, but unlike a lot of nude lipsticks that can look and feel chalky as the day goes on, you have the reassurance that the Lip Tints are a hybrid skincare-makeup product, powered by serious hydration. – Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR’s Acting Associate Beauty Director
Rhode Skin Peptide Lip Tint in Raspberry Jelly
Fiona wearing Raspberry Jelly
This is another one of my personal favourites and definitely the most pigmented of the bunch. I love pairing a berry blusher with lips in a similar hue, both in summer to create a sun-flushed look and in winter to mimic a just-back-from-a windswept-walk glow. – Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR’s Acting Associate Beauty Director
Rhode Peptide Lip Tint in Ribbon
The beauty of the Lip Tints is that you can build up the desired colour. As the name implies, Ribbon is a your-lips-but-better shade – think a pretty yet pared-back pinky peach hue on those white T-shirt and jeans kind of days. I also like dabbing a little of this shade onto my cheekbones for a glass-skin effect. – Fiona Embleton, GLAMOUR’s Acting Associate Beauty Director
Rhode Skincare
Rhode Skin landed in the UK on 17 May 2023. At the time, in a joint post with Rhode’s official Instagram account, Hailey Bieber wrote, “WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF RHODE.”
If you’re not feeling entirely confident in your decision-making methods when it pertains to eye shadow palettes, you may find some expert advice to your benefit. We reached out to celebrity makeup artist Rachel Goodwin, who has been the creative mind behind makeup looks for everyone from Emma Stone and Lana Condor to Rose Byrne and Selma Blair.
For Goodwin, choosing which eye shadow palettes to work with isn’t a complicated process, as it’s all based on the overall look she would like to achieve. “I choose based on the look I am trying to create. If I am doing editorial, I break out the color palettes. Day looks or press days with clients, I typically stick with neutrals and soft browns,” she continues. Eye shadow palettes come in all shapes and sizes, each one possessing a unique formula that can either make or break your makeup look. The key is to hone in on your specific needs and desired finished look.
“I normally separate my eye shadow palettes by color. Neutrals in one and bright colors in another,” explains Goodwin. “I prefer to have mixed textures in each palette, meaning a blend of shimmers, mattes, and satins, organized by hue.” It could also be incredibly helpful to pay attention to the longevity of the eye shadow shades, potential product fallout (what happens when shadow migrates from the lid to the under-eye area), and the ability to build and blend pigments. Skin types also come into play, especially if you happen to have oily skin that can limit the wear time of certain formulas.
As a beauty editor, I know that my makeup is only as good as the length of time it lasts. I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve been sabotaged by fleeting foundations, brief blushes, and short-lived lipsticks. It’s like my makeup is perfect one minute and gone the next.
Over time, I’ve learned how to separate the bad products from the good ones and prevent a makeup vanishing act. I’ve also learned how important it is to prep my complexion with hydrating skincare products and makeup-gripping primers, and how to set everything with an effective setting spray.
The latter sounds simple, but no two setting sprays are the same. With so many options out there, it can be tough to find one that works well for your skin type and preferred makeup aesthetic. Do you have oily skin but want a matte finish? Or is it vice versa? What if you have combo skin and you only want to control shine in one area of your face? What if you hate the feeling of heavy, tacky sprays and you’re looking for a lightweight mist?
To get into the nitty-gritty of setting sprays, we took it upon ourselves to research, test, and record some of the best formulas on the market. First, we spent hours researching different products and assembling them into a color-coded spreadsheet. Then, we chose the 10 best-reviewed ones for our editors to personally test. From there, we were able to name the best setting sprays out of them all. Yep, the very best! Ahead, learn more about our review process, meet our consulting expert, and see which setting sprays passed our test.
Okay, I’ll admit it’s way too early to be thinking about Christmas…or is it? It’s almost October already, which is crazy to even think about. Before you know it, you’ll be making your gift lists and budgeting for the ones you love.
To mitigate some of that burden, it doesn’t hurt to get your shopping done early. Which is why brands start releasing their gift sets now so you can plan accordingly. But if you’re not in the mood to start shopping for others just yet, it’s a great excuse for you to sample best-selling products from makeup and beauty brands.
I’ve found some of my favorite go-to products by purchasing these sets for myself…it’s also the perfect time to stock up on your go-to’s because most brands release value sizes of their bestsellers as well. Essentially, it’s an opportunity to replenish your makeup bag and skincare cabinet at a discount.
We all deserve a little treat here and there, which is why I plan on getting more for less. However, not every set is the same. You can get scammed by these seemingly good deals. Some brands (and I won’t name names this time) include sample sizes or minis that actually aren’t worth your money at all.
If you want the best Sephora holiday sets approved by yours truly, here’s what’s on my gift list this 2023:
Don’t be nervous about four mini products…the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush lasts literal years and it comes with two in the shades Wisdom and Virtue. Add the two Positive Light Liquid Luminizers in Magnetize and Transcend and you’ll never run out of blush or highlighter.
With a full-sized Olaplex shampoo and conditioner, and a mini No. 3 Hair Perfector mask, this set saves you over $20. Good for dry, damaged locks, your hair will thank you.
Everyone needs a good set of brushes, and at over $100 discount, this set is perfect. Complete with a foundation, powder, blush, highlight, concealer, shadow brushes and a vegan leather pouch, you won’t want to miss this deal.
Although there are a variety of eyeliners out there, most people stick to pencil or liquid. Celebrity makeup artist J Guerra shares his thoughts on the two. “Pencil eyeliners are versatile, simple to use, and more forgiving than liquid eyeliners,” he says. “Cleaning up any mistakes is much less drama. Pencils are also less of a commitment, as they tend to have a less permanent wear time. This makes them a great option for changing looks throughout the day, on a photo shoot, or going from a day to night look in real life.”
There are other benefits to pencil eyeliner, Guerra says. “The soft, malleable, kohl texture [of a pencil liner] is excellent for creating a more blended, smudged, or worn-in eyeliner effect,” he says. “Just be sure to choose one that is long-wearing or waterproof so that it sets and lasts all day after smudging it into place. Pencil liners are also better options for sensitive eyes or contact lens wearers. The formulas of liquid liners may irritate sensitive eyes.The liquid texture can slip into or past the waterline during application and end up on contact lenses. Be careful to read pencil liner descriptions, as not all are approved for waterline use! Some formulas may irritate the eyes, particularly if the pencils include sparkles or shimmer. Some dyes may also be harmful to the waterline. Use the sharpened point of the pencil for precise and defined lines, or try using the side for a thicker line and smudgy finish.”
Guerra also has a few other notes on liquid liners. “Liquid eyeliner is long-lasting, delivers more definition, and creates a bolder, sharper line,” he says. It’s best suited for creating precise and defined lines, making it an excellent choice for sleek or more modernized dramatic eye looks. They offer greater control and accuracy, making it easier to create sharp lines, intricate designs, and precise detailing. Liquid eyeliners are often highly pigmented formulas that provide a more intense color payoff [compared] to the softness of pencils. The color payoff of these hues and bolder, more vibrant lines serve as a statement all on their own.”
“Liquid eyeliner is better suited for oily eyelids since the wearability is stronger and won’t break down as easily as pencils,” Guerra says. “It’s also more suitable for hooded eye shapes since most liquid liners are transfer-resistant after they dry down and set. Remember to allow liquid eyeliner sufficient time to dry before blinking or opening your eyes fully (definitely don’t sneeze!) to prevent transfer or smudging. Liquid liners do require a bit more practice and patience than pencils! Most liquid liners are not meant to be used in the waterline, so if that’s part of the look, be sure to opt for a pencil liner in that area instead.”
Last week, Prada’s SS24 Ready-to-Wear show in Milan caused a major stir in the fashion world. From Prada slime to a star-studded front row to a standing ovation for the line itself, the show is basically all anyone in fashion can talk about.
In the beauty realm, Prada also didn’t disappoint. Though the beauty look was understated, it was uniquely suited to each model’s complexion. Not only that, but every beauty look was created using Prada’s new beauty line. Prada Beauty Global Creative Makeup Artist Lynsey Alexander went for matte skin and lips, and wanted to focus on the eyes. We’ve been saying matte lips are about to make a huge comeback, and Prada just helped us prove it.
Keep reading for every Prada makeup product used on the Milan runway. Though Prada Beauty has technically yet to launch in the United States, but many of the products are already available on the website—and trust us when we say, they are worth the splurge.
I used to be strictly on the powder blush train for the longest time. It wasn’t because I hated cream blushes; mostly, I stuck with the powder versions because I found them easier to apply. All you need was a good brush for a couple of swipes and you’re all set. To me, cream blushes meant more blending, which left a lot more room for human error. And as someone who is pretty low-maintenance when it comes to makeup, I was hesitant.
But all of that changed in the past year as I started covering beauty. I had to try things that were outside of my comfort zone in order to write about these new and new-to-me products. All for the sake of good journalism, right? So I was introduced to a couple of cream blushes and now I reach for them a lot more than my powder blush. They just give that dewy, glowy look that pretty everyone is aspiring to these days.
And as for the application difficulty level, I would say I definitely thought it would be harder than it really is. Just a light touch really goes a long way and you can build up the color if you want. When I’m on the hunt for a cream blush, I keep an eye open for products offering major color payoff and longevity. As with all makeup products, finding one formulated with skincare benefits can make a difference in my finished makeup look and the overall health of my skin.
So now that I’m totally obsessed with cream blushes I asked some of my colleagues to share their favorite recs. Here’s what they said.
