You can buy anything and everything on Amazon nowadays—including quality beauty products. If you haven’t started shopping for beauty on the ultra-fast retailer, join us—it’s nice over here. I have a few tried and true favorites I’ll purchase again and again (thank you, Prime shipping), but I’ve always wondered what experts would buy across every category. If you’ve ever wondered the same, look no further. I’ve asked hair, skin, and makeup experts to share what they would throw in their cart on Amazon. Keep scrolling for their top picks. Some products you can’t even purchase anywhere else.
I am no makeup whiz. Trust me. I can’t do winged liner (despite years of trying), I have no idea how to contour like people on TikTok do, and any attempt at lining my lips is guaranteed to end badly. Truthfully, my lack of artistic ability is probably the reason I like to keep my makeup natural-looking and as quick and easy a possible.
There is, however, one makeup technique I consider myself a master at, and that’s my ability to brighten up my constantly tired eyes. My incessant dark circles, puffy eyes, and persistent under-eye bags mean that I’ve become somewhat of an expert in disguising tired eyes. I have absorbed every tip and trick that I have received throughout my eights years as a beauty journalist from makeup artists and learned how to achieve a look that hides every hint of tired eyes. So without further ado, this is everything you need to know about how to use makeup for tired eyes.
“Cream foundations tend to be a little richer, more nourishing, with a little extra coverage,” says RMS Beauty founder and celebrity makeup artist Rose-Marie Swift. It’s this richness that makes cream formulas especially beneficial for dry skin types. The rich, buttery formulas are often packed with powerful hydrators like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. According to Ellis, they’re also great for problematic or redness-prone skin that requires coverage strong enough to cancel out redness. “Their moisturizing textures help to cushion and even out the complexion in a more natural way,” she adds. If your skin is more on the oily side, however, then cream foundations might not be the best option for you, since you probably don’t need the added moisture. Instead, look for powder or liquid formulas with a matte finish.
Although you might think that due to their thicker textures, cream foundations would look and feel heavy on the skin, with the right tools and technique, you can achieve really natural-looking, weightless results. “The beauty of a cream foundation is you can either use your fingers and press into any areas where it needs coverage or you can use a brush,” says Ellis. “For a lightweight coverage, blend and circulate the foundation into the skin, and for a fuller coverage, press and stipple into the skin.” If you’re keen to try this technique, look specifically for a stippling brush. Designed with two layers of bristles—a shorter, more compact one to press the product in and a longer, looser layer to pick up and deposit the product—these brushes are perfect for achieving an airbrushed finish.
Converted? To help you narrow down your options, we’ve tried and tested 2022’s best-selling, highly rated cream foundations, including drugstore and luxury options. There’s also a variety of finishes and coverages, from matte to dewy, sheer to full, and everything in between.
By now, you’ve probably surmised that we test-drive a lot of beauty products here at Who What Wear HQ. From nail polish and makeup to hair and skincare, we’re eyebrow deep in all things new, exciting, and wish-list-worthy. That said, due to the number of products we come in contact with, we’ve also transformed into the nitpickiest of beauty consumers. Within seconds, we can tell if a new hair oil is too heavy, and we’re quick to ignore a serum that yields disappointing results.
The good news? We’re far more often impressed than unimpressed after trying out a new product, and usually, we simply can’t wait to spread the word to all of our fellow beauty lovers (also known as you!). Therefore, we’ve decided gushing over our latest fave products should become a monthly ritual, and every 30 days or so, you can expect a full report detailing the highlighters, hair wands, and overnight skincare saviors we’ve quickly fallen head over heels for.
For the most part, we’ll be covering buzzworthy launches, as those typically take up most of the action atop our product-filled desks, but we won’t dismiss new-to-us products, either. Sometimes, our best discoveries are found on a friend’s vanity or on someone’s face at the bar (true story). Ahead are the best beauty products we tried in October! Grab your game face and wallet—you’ll be needing both.
Black Friday is still a few weeks away, but this season’s Sephora sale puts the retailer ahead of the curve. Once again, the Holiday Savings Event 2022 serves up serious beauty deals for those who are getting a jump on the gift list—or merely replenishing their vanity. For this sale, discounts apply nearly sitewide (find the exemptions here). You’ll find limited-edition makeup palettes, investment hair tools, and skin care worth their cult followings, as well as exclusive sets that have only just landed on the shelves.
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The sale is staggered between October 28 and November 7, organized by the Beauty Insider tiers. The first three days are exclusive to Rouge members (those who spend $1,000 per year), who can stock up at a 20% discount. VIB members, who spend an annual $350, can enjoy 15% off beginning November 1. Finally, those in the Insider tier—which has no threshold and is free to join—have a 10% discount that kicks off November 3. The code SAVINGS at checkout is the magic word. Perhaps best of all, everyone enjoys free shipping, regardless of their Beauty Insider status.
The glories of a sitewide sale are obvious, but the reality is that parsing through the huge inventory can feel overwhelming. Consider this curated selection a satisfying place to start.
All products featured on Vanity Fair are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.
I don’t think anyone gets quite as excited as I do for Sephora’s annual Holiday Savings Event. If you’re a beauty fanatic like me, I’m sure you’ve got your eye on a few things already. But if you’re a VIB member at Sephora, this is your gentle reminder that starting today, you can receive 15% off through November 7 with the code SAVINGS.
Not a VIB? No problem. If you’re a Rouge member, you’ll receive 20% off through November 7. First-tier Insiders will receive 10% off starting November 3 through November 7.
As a bonus, all Sephora Collection items are 30% off regardless of tier—a true holiday treat from the retail giant. I know, enough talking, more shopping. If you’re curious about what I’ve got queued up in my cart, keep scrolling.
That said, filler isn’t for everyone, and I know plenty of people who simply aren’t interested or can’t afford the treatment and/or upkeep. (It’s a steep investment, after all!) Luckily for us, the makeup industry has really been kicking it up a notch in the innovation department the past few years and some of the most effective lip plumpers boast drugstore-level price tags. Not everyone is looking for plumper lips, but if you’re someone who is craving an extra injection of volume sans filler, you’ve come to the right place. Below, I’m sharing five of the absolute best lip plumpers that A) can be found at the drugstore or B) boast drugstore-affordable price points. Plus, because I feel so passionately about the subject, I’ve gone ahead and added the products that will further enhance your pout, and I even tacked on a few of my favorite, albeit more splurge-y, lip plumpers at the end of the article. Keep scrolling!
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
Growing up, my mother never wore makeup. I remember a jar of Olay face cream on her dresser nestled next to a bottle of Beautiful perfume. From time to time, she’d paint her toenails red or occasionally put on lipstick for very special events. My mother’s simple beauty regimen is the reason why, to this day, I’ve never embraced wearing makeup. And the truth is, even as an adult I don’t know how to wear makeup. No one ever taught me how.
Kulfi
“Growing up in South Asian culture, I wasn’t allowed to participate and use makeup,” says Priyanka Ganjoo, founder and CEO of Kulfi. “We weren’t supposed to attract attention, and we were actively discouraged from focusing on anything beauty related. My mother never showed me how to use makeup either.”
As an adult, my relationship with makeup has slowly evolved. I’ll use a little bit of blush, a touch of eyeshadow and maybe a dab of lip gloss. But never eyeliner — it requires too much precision for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing.
Enter Kulfi. Its award-winning kajal eyeliner has made me love eyeliner. It’s easy to use, and the intense, long-lasting color doesn’t budge, sparing me of raccoon eyes. Nazar No More (black) is my absolute favorite, although I hope to try some of the bolder colors like Rain Check (blue) and Purply Pataka (berry).
Although the beauty industry was hit hard by the pandemic, marketers like Ganjoo have been resourceful, coming up with innovative ways to sell to customers. Many direct-to-consumer brands like Kulfi found success when consumers had no other choice but to shop online. In 2020, the global beauty industry spend was $483 billion, and by 2025 it’s expected to be $716 billion. And where those sales are coming from is rapidly changing: Online sales will make up 48% of spend by 2023.
“While we had to delay the launch of Kulfi due to the pandemic, it ended up working out for the best,” Ganjoo says. “It gave our team a chance to really grow our community of Kulfi fans in a digital-first environment and made the launch a huge success.”
Image Credit: Kulfi
Here are three of the biggest lessons Ganjoo has learned in building Kulfi.
Understand your why
“Growing up, I wasn’t one of the pretty girls,” Ganjoo says. “I was extremely curious, excelled in school and spent my summers in Delhi eating kulfi, a type of Indian ice cream. I named the company Kulfi as an ode to that little girl, now that I have the power to reclaim beauty for myself and so many others.”
Ganjoo remembers starting her career at Boston Consulting Group and being told by coworkers that she looked tired. She didn’t wear makeup at the time, and she felt pressured to go and purchase concealer to cover her dark circles. “I’ll never forget that visit to the cosmetic counter. They told me my nose was too big; it needed contouring,” she shares. “They told me I needed to groom my eyebrows. They sold me over 20 products I didn’t know how to use, some of which didn’t even match my skin tone. I left feeling even more insecure and didn’t feel like myself.”
With Kulfi, Ganjoo is focused on her why and her purpose for building this brand. She wants women to unlearn the toxic expectations that are set for us when it comes to beauty. “When I was younger, I wasn’t supposed to wear makeup because it might attract men, and I would be attracting the wrong attention,” she says. “Then I entered the workforce, and I was pressured to wear makeup so I didn’t look unprofessional.”
Now, with Kulfi, Ganjoo wants women to wear makeup for themselves. She wants them to play with makeup and have fun with it. She wants it to bring them joy and be a way to express themselves. And finally, for all women to feel fierce and confident using Kulfi.
Challenge the playbook
Though her first foray into makeup wasn’t a positive experience, Ganjoo later ended up in the beauty industry herself, first at Estée Lauder and then at Ipsy. After years of building beauty brands for industry titans, she left Ipsy to build Kulfi. At the time, the marketing playbook was running Facebook and Instagram ads to create awareness, and hiring a celebrity was another quick fix to building a brand.
“From the beginning, I challenged that playbook, and that made people uncomfortable,” Ganjoo says. “I knew I wanted Kulfi to be a community for all the people who looked like me, who had been excluded by beauty brands for far too long.” She drew inspiration from Glossier and Glow Recipe, both of which built strong followings. The products they continue to launch are all community driven.
Originally, Ganjoo wanted to launch with a concealer to match her undertones. But the Kulfi community she was building had other ideas. “Every woman I talked to wished she had a better kajal eyeliner in her makeup kit,” she says. “No one was excited about this product. It was our opportunity to reinvent it.”
Image Credit: Kulfi
Historically, kajal is one of the most popular beauty products in India. It was originally applied as a form of protection, used to shield the eyes from harsh rays of sun and to ward off the evil eye.
“With the launch of the Kulfi eyeliner, we wanted to celebrate South Asian beauty, accentuating beautiful dark eyes and eyebrows and giving women an easily accessible, no-hassle product,” Ganjoo says.
Embrace your role as the visionary founder
For Ganjoo, the road to fundraising hasn’t been easy. Before Kulfi launched, investors told her “the market is too small,” and “South Asian beauty is not aspirational” and “using dark skinned models won’t sell.” She didn’t listen to them. She was determined to build a brand that celebrated and centered South Asians in its narrative.
After a successful pre-seed fundraising round, with a majority of women of color investing, it has changed her perspective on who will continue to be on her cap table. “To the extent I can pay it forward, I want to do that,” she says. “I want as many women of color building Kufli with me as possible.
Ganjoo will never forget what one investor said to her. “You need a visionary co-founder, that was the feedback,” she says. “Despite all of my credentials, I still continue to face bias as a South Asian woman founder. Why do I need a white man as a co-founder sitting next to me to bring me credibility?”
Here’s what Ganjoo knows for sure. Countless customers have told her that Kufli looks and feels so fresh and so different from what’s in the beauty marketplace. “That’s because Kufli has shifted the perspective to center the people who have been left behind.”
Her advice now to all entrepreneurs listening: “Remember that you are the visionary founder. Don’t let anyone else convince you otherwise.”
Chances are if you have an Instagram account, then celebrity and editorial makeup artist Katie Jane Hughes has popped up in your feed. (She has more than 800,000 followers, so there’s just no way around it.) But trust me—hers is the type of content you want to consume. It’s not your typical “Instagram makeup”—you know, a heavy (heavy) face, bold eyes and brows, and literally no skin texture. Instead, Hughes likes to post photos and videos of herself applying colorful makeup looks that focus on natural skin, with tips sprinkled in for achieving her signature glow. “I like to keep skin fresh with makeup and use dewy products like Iconic London Underglow Blurring Primer ($29) and top it off up with a light base. Keeping the skin fresh lets me play with color,” she says.
TikTok has to be the most influential app on our phones right now. It can sell a product out in seconds, ruin someone’s reputation, or send the lucky few into superstardom. Had their music not gone viral on the app, artists like Megan Thee Stallion and Doja Cat may never have been revealed to us.
This phenomenon isn’t necessarily new; Vine’s video format is partially responsible for the likes of Shawn Mendes becoming popular. Yet, somehow TikTok eclipsed all social media in terms of influence and popularity.
It all comes down to the era of the Hype House. During the pandemic, everyone was at their lowest scrolling through this new TikTok app…ready to purchase whatever Amazon storefront popped on their feed and ready to love any new characters who showed up along the way.
Which is how we got to know influencers like Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, Addison Rae, Josh Richards, Bryce Hall, and Blake Gray. They began with the classic dancing videos, where Charli quickly became the most followed person on the platform. No matter what they posted, the younger crowds were obsessed.
Addison Rae attending the Kenzo Front Row Menswear Spring Summer 2023 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on June 26, 2022 in Paris, France.
Domine Jerome/ABACA/Shutterstock
They began to form “Houses” where content creators would live in Los Angeles together to create content for TikTok and build their brands. Influencers who dominated the app soon were all under one roof, intermingling.
Fans of the new generation of influencers began to ship couples like Noah Beck and Dixie D’Amelio, Charli and Lil Huddy. They rose to a level of superstar influencer status that has them in rooms with some of the most famous people in the world. Addison Rae was Kourtney Kardashian’s best friend for a moment there.
But TikTok and internet celebrity is not enough for these guys…entire brands had to be built. Whether they chose to delve into the music industry or fashion and beauty, it seems like every influencer has a brand now in some way, shape, or form.
Celebrity brands are constantly falling into question for whether or not they are just there to take your money. I mean, there’s no disrespect in getting that bag, but it would be nice to know when I should just save my money.
Although I haven’t been one to closely follow The D’Amelio Show on Hulu, I am easily influenced. My For You Page is mostly product recommendations, trend-casting, and my favorite faces in Hollywood; I have bought into many celebrity brands and failed for no reason other than “TikTok told me to do it.” There are some influencer side hustles worth your cash…and others worth the skip.
When diving into Addison Rae’s Item Beauty brand, I was skeptical. I am aware that influencers know what a consumer wants a little more than a brand at times…but I can still feel wary when I hear TikToker Addison Rae has a makeup line at Sephora.
Overall, the brand is solid. A few glitchy products like the Powder Hour Clean Blurring Powder and Hey Hi Halo Liquid Highlighter are skips. But, everything else is worth your money.
My personal fave is the Lip Quip Clean Moisturizing Lip Gloss in the shade Hey Ya’ll, which is a sheer raspberry pink reminiscent of Addison’s classic look.
Chamberlain Coffee by Emma Chamberlain
One of the only influencers who I genuinely trust with my entire life…Miss Emma Chamberlain. She’s been on YouTube for years now and isn’t really a TikTok influencer like the rest, but her coffee brand is always worth a mention.
Emma’s known for her coffee recs and finally made her own line with Chamberlain Coffee. Making coffee and matcha at home can save you hundreds of dollars on coffee runs a month.
My choice? The Matcha Starter Pack to have everything you need for Starbucks-level matcha.
Morphe 2 by Charli & Dixie D’Amelio
Morphe 2
Morphe is known for their high quality, yet affordable makeup. The D’Amelio sisters teamed up with Morphe to create Morphe 2, multipurpose makeup for a simple yet glamorous look.
The Hint Hint Skin Tint has almost a five-star rating at Ulta and is perfect for the trending minimal coverage makeup look. Almost anything from the Morphe 2 collection is worth your money.
With all of these celebrity brands popping up, it’s no surprise I want to try them all…even if they are mildly disappointing.
In 1996, I discovered a small white spot on my thumb. It itched. I thought it was a scab or something. I didn’t think too much about it. Then, I started noticing other small white spots. They were spreading.
The first dermatologist I went to looked at me and walked right back out of the room. He came back in with a pamphlet and said, “This is what you have: vitiligo.” At that time, there wasn’t a lot of information. The doctor gave me a topical cream for it. I tried it for 6 months. It didn’t seem to me it was helping, so I stopped. I felt deflated.
Thankfully, when I went to another dermatologist, it was a different experience. He shook my hand. He knew immediately I wanted to know about the spots. He explained that I have vitiligo, which is a skin condition. It’s not contagious, which is important for people to know. There’s no cure or way to stop the loss of skin color. He told me that it could spread or maybe some of the pigment would come back. Then he asked me a question I didn’t expect, “How is your self-esteem?”
At that time, I felt good. It was just a couple of small spots. Over the years, as it started to spread and I could see changes, I started to feel more insecure. I have it around my mouth now and all over my body in spots. I stopped wearing shorts. I stopped going to the beach and the pool. I would avoid social settings where people could look at me. It was insecurity and sometimes slight depression and anxiety.
The mental aspect is probably the biggest challenge I’ve dealt with. Vitiligo changed my outlook on myself. I didn’t see myself how others saw me. I struggled socially with friendships and relationships. One of the worst things I’ve found that people can say is that it doesn’t bother them. I understand you may say it doesn’t bother you, but until you walk in my shoes, you don’t understand. You don’t have to look in the mirror watching your body or skin change over time. There’s this fear of the unknown.
I haven’t sought treatment, although it has been offered. The creams I tried at first didn’t seem to help. Light therapy is an option, but it’s time consuming and I didn’t want to risk getting burned. I thought I could do this all on my own. In 2019, I realized I’d been failing. Something a child said helped me start to shift my perspective. I was working at a camp and this little girl told me that I was a butterfly. She identified my spots as a butterfly, as something beautiful.
I decided it was time to open up. I joined the North Carolina Vitiligo Support Community after avoiding it for years. It was the best decision I ever made. For so long, my vitiligo was something that I never talked about. My family and friends didn’t know how I felt about it. I started sharing my journey with other people, and it helped so much.
I’m now one of two leaders for the North Carolina Vitiligo Support Community in Raleigh,. I’m also on the board of directors for VITFriends, which is a national organization that nurtures peer-to-peer relationships in the vitiligo community. I host a podcast called Living Life and Love, where others with vitiligo can share their journey. I found that sharing my own journey with such a large audience released me from a personal prison I’d been living in for too long.
Having this skin condition has opened my eyes in many ways. I’ve come to a place of acceptance. I’ve learned how to live with vitiligo and love myself. Some days are still hard if someone whispers or stares too hard. Kids are often curious and that’s OK. I try to educate people about what vitiligo is.
When it comes down to it, my skin looks different, but I still have interests, hobbies, and talents. I enjoy writing poetry and short stories. I like to paint and draw and be creative. I’m a big fan of science fiction and superheroes. We all have much more in common than we don’t. I’ve gone from being insecure to being secure in myself. I often say that it’s a process for all of us in the vitiligo community. Every journey is different. Everyone has a story to tell.
By Nada M. Elbuluk, MD, as told to Susan Bernstein
One of the most challenging aspects of generalized vitiligo is how much it will progress. This is different for each person. People who are newly diagnosed often ask: “How much will it spread or how stable will it be?” Some people may have stable disease for years. But others may have vitiligo that spreads at any point in their lifetime. If you’re on treatment, this can help your condition stay stable. If not, you can develop new patches.
[Choosing to camouflage vitiligo] is a very personal decision. Each person with vitiligo handles this differently. Some people want to conceal it. Other people are more comfortable with the way their skin looks and they don’t want to wear makeup. First, we will have a conversation about camouflage. I want to know how you feel emotionally about your skin’s appearance. I may also ask, “Do you want to begin treatment, or have your treatments not responded?” There are makeup products for vitiligo that you can acquire over the counter. Some people also use self-tanners that help to camouflage the areas of skin.
I also direct people to different support resources that are available, such as the Global Vitiligo Foundation. They have a section on their website about support resources for patients with vitiligo, as well as support groups across the nation. It may help you manage your feelings to meet with other people who also have vitiligo. Talking with others in a support group can be a very supportive, positive experience. There are online support groups for vitiligo, too. I try to suggest credible sources of information online.
Emotional Impact of Skin Color Changes
Research has conclusively shown that you can have a profound psychosocial and emotional impact from vitiligo. For one, you no longer feel that you have control over how you look — how your skin appears. Vitiligo changes your skin’s color, and you may develop white patches anywhere on your body, including your face. There is also a great deal of variability in vitiligo and how extensive it is on your body. People also feel uncertain about their vitiligo’s progress: Will I have a flare? Will these patches get bigger?
Vitiligo can affect people of all skin colors. I have patients of all colors. We see it in both
adults and children. It can first appear earlier in life, but it can develop when you’re an adult. For children, it can be difficult to understand what is happening to them, and it can also be difficult for other children they are around to understand it.
Therapy and support groups for people living with vitiligo can be very helpful. It depends on the degree to which you are affected, but seeing a psychologist or psychiatrist can be helpful, too. We encourage any individual who is feeling any negative emotions to seek medical care.
Famous Role Models Decrease Stigma
Winnie Harlow was one of the first people with vitiligo to be public about it in a proud way. She is beautiful and a successful model, and she often models without using makeup to cover her vitiligo. This has helped decrease the stigma of vitiligo. There has been a positive wave in recent years about self-acceptance in general. People are starting to accept beauty in all forms which is so important. CoverGirl also recently selected their first spokesmodel with vitiligo. Mattel released a Barbie doll with vitiligo. You are seeing retail stores and marketing campaigns using models with vitiligo.
Self-acceptance of your vitiligo doesn’t take away the need to have treatment options for those who want them. But everyone should know that they are beautiful and have self-worth. It’s important to educate our society about vitiligo. People may ask you if it is contagious — it is not. My patients also ask if it is hereditary. While there is a genetic and hereditary component to vitiligo, the chances of it occurring in the next generation is low. There is less than a 10% chance that you will pass it down to your children.
Protect Your Skin From Sun Exposure
If you are not treating it and just choose to live with your vitiligo as is, then you may not need to see your dermatologist regularly. If you are on treatment, or if you have vitiligo that is spreading quickly, then usually, you should see a board-certified dermatologist every couple of months just to monitor your condition and any changes.
My message to anyone who questions if they have vitiligo or if they’ve been diagnosed with vitiligo is to see a board-certified dermatologist, particularly one who specializes in vitiligo treatment. Again, it is completely up to each person if they want to seek treatment for it or not. Your dermatologist can guide you and talk you through all of your options.
If you have vitiligo, you should wear a sunscreen of 30 SPF or higher, just as we would recommend to anyone. We used to worry that people with vitiligo were at increased risk of skin cancer. However, with more research, we have found that this is not the case, and in fact, you’re at lower risk of melanoma. Still, we recommend sunscreen as a general precaution, and if you’re out in the sun all day, reapply it every 2 hours.
