Whether you’re after the perfect flick of winged liner, a glossy lip injected with juicy volume, or flawless skin that looks miraculously un-made-up, our 20 makeup winners provide the ultimate antidotes.
Best Primer
Refy
Glow and Sculpt Face Serum Primer With Niacinamide
This glow-inducing primer not only soothes and sculpts the face, but it also delivers long-lasting hydration and redness reduction. The formula plays nicely with all skin types, and it has the added benefit of keeping your makeup locked in and flawless for as long as it’s on your face.
Best Foundation
Armani Beauty
Luminous Silk Natural Glow Foundation
This foundation truly deserves its longtime status as a makeup-artist, facialist, and editor cult classic. It’s one of the few noncomedogenic foundation formulas on the market (bye, clogged pores!), and it strikes the perfect balance of coverage and natural-looking luminosity once it’s applied. With this gold-standard bottle in your arsenal, you’ll never look too matte, too oily, or too cakey again.
Why experts love it: “Probably my longest, most reliable relationship that I have with a product. I use this in my professional kit on my celebrity clients and have for years. Works on all skin types. Your skin but better. [It] can build, but looks natural and breathable. Photographs incredibly. Shade range is amazing. Truthfully perfect for a range of events, from the red carpet to a beach wedding. You can’t go wrong!” — Kelli Anne Sewell, Celebrity Makeup Artist
“Delivers a flawless, silky look without drying the skin. Ideal for normal and oily skin. Skin looks very smooth and beautiful when applied. Deserves an award because it’s the only foundation I’ve ever used where it made my skin look buttery [and] silky smooth.” — Vanessa Marc, Celebrity Aesthetician and Founder of Vanessa Marc Spa
Best Concealer
Victoria Beckham by Augustinus Bader
The Concealer Pen
This epic collab between Victoria Beckham Beauty and Augustinus Bader was a highlight launch of 2025. Not only does it provide flexible, undetectable coverage that somehow—quite magically—does not crease, but it’s also spiked with Bader’s signature TFC8 technology to slow the signs of natural skin aging. The handy pen design makes application a snap and is the cherry on top of a truly remarkable complexion product.
Best Cream Blush
Rhode’s dreamy Pocket Blush is a unanimous favorite among the entire Who What Wear editorial team. Unlike many cream blushes we tested, it delivers beautiful, easy-to-blend pigment that stays put all day long without any fading or migration. The shade range is stunning, and each hue managed to look ultra-flattering on every skin tone we tested.
Why experts love it: “This product is one of the most user-friendly formulas. The perfect blend of pigment, opacity, and a subtle dewy finish. I love that you can apply with fingers or layer on top of even powders with a brush. The shades are beautiful, and I find myself using them every day as well as wanting to pack them when I travel because of the adorable, compact packaging.” — Sewell
Best Liquid Blush
Glow Recipe
Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush
Sorry to every other liquid blush we’ve ever loved. Glow Recipe’s new makeup-skincare hybrid is just *so* much better. It’s boosted with strategically juicy ingredients such as niacinamide, watermelon extract, centella asiatica, and jojoba oil–coated pigments, so you’re getting a natural hit of hydration and brightening power alongside the dewy, angel-flushed cheeks of your dreams.
Best Contour
Tom Ford
Shade and Illuminate Cream Contour Duo
Over the years, many iconic beauty products have been dethroned by newer, fresher, just plain better launches. Not this one. A makeup-artist and celebrity favorite, Tom Ford’s creamy contour-and-highlight palette is the industry’s best-kept secret for supermodel-esque chisel and glow.
Why experts love it: “Such a luxe essential. I use this every day on myself, and I keep all of the shades stocked in my kit for clients. The highlight melts into the skin, and it really delivers that lit-from-within glow without the heavy shimmer. And the bronzer makes for the perfect sun-kissed contour. It’s effortless, creamy, and always blends like a dream.” — Renée Loiz, Celebrity Makeup Artist
Best Lip Oil
Dior
Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil
The name doesn’t lie. For soft and shiny lips, you just can’t beat Dior’s best-selling Dior Addict Lip Glow Oil. The nongreasy finish is a major plus, and regardless of the shade you choose (we dare you to snag just one!), you’ll get that covetable “your lips but better” finale with a subtle wash of sheer color.
Why experts love it: “I always have this in my bag—it’s just that good. The tint, the shine, the hydration… It nails all three. This oil make my lips look super fresh without feeling sticky. It’s easy, pretty, and I keep reaching for it.” — Brittney Boyce, Celebrity Nail Artist
Best Setting Spray
One/Size by Patrick Starrr
On ’til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray
There’s not much this internet-viral, multitasking setting spray can’t do. In addition to tightening up the look of pores and giving makeup a blurred airbrush finish, it also promises a solid 16 hours of waterproof, transfer-proof, and oil-absorbing wear. Summer is the ultimate time to put all of its benefits to the test.
Why experts love it: “This setting mist is my all-time favorite because it goes on, does what it’s supposed to do, keeps everything in place, and doesn’t feel like you have hair spray on your skin. So many setting mists leave behind a texture that makes your face feel crispy. With this one, you’ll never know it’s there. I also love that it’s noncomedogenic and won’t cause clogs or breakouts.” — Candace Marino, Celebrity Aesthetician
“Unmatched longevity. Long-lasting. Keeps makeup locked in through heat, humidity, and sweat. Perfect for all occasions or on the go. A game changer. Award deserving.” — Marc
Best Setting Powder
Guerlain
Meteorites Setting & Finishing Pearls of Powder
Think of this designer setting powder as the most luxurious of beauty investments. Yes, it will look gorgeous atop your vanity, but the completely unique format of this powder makes it a true standout. The one-of-a-kind handmade pearls of finishing powder feature a variety of shades to strategically color-correct and brighten the skin, crafting the most ethereal glow while keeping oil and shine at bay.
Best Eyeliner
Valentino
Colorgraph Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil
Eyeliner just doesn’t get chicer than this dual-ended, waterproof gel number from Valentino. It boasts one of the richest color payoffs we’ve ever experienced from an eyeliner pencil, and the 24 hours of fade- and smudge-proof wear is 100% unmatched.
Best Eye Shadow Palette
Makeup by Mario
Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette: The Original
This pro palette from renowned makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic allowed us to bid an official farewell to the mountains of unused eye shadow singles and palettes collecting dust at the bottom of our makeup drawers. This 12-pan palette features every neutral, matte-finish essential you’ll ever need regardless of how minimal or maximal your beauty aesthetic is.
Why experts love it: “If this isn’t the neutral palette, I don’t know what is. A straight-up staple in my kit. I use it on every skin tone—from deep to fair—and it always works. It’s more than just shadow too. I’ve used it to fill in brows, smoke out liner, [and] even as bronzer in a pinch. The shades are buttery, never patchy, and you can build a soft daytime look or go full glam.” — Loiz
“A makeup-artist staple. Mario speaks on how the pigments he chooses reflect natural tones and hues in nature. You can tell. Each shade is a beautiful balance of color, and I find this palette works on clients of all skin tones. He nailed the shades, and the formula is sheer but buildable and blends like a dream. A true classic for everyone, no matter their skill level!” — Sewell
“I probably own 20 eye shadow palettes. … This is the only one that I actually use.” — Marino
Best Mascara
Thrive Causemetics
Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara
Plenty of mascaras make the “extensions in a bottle” claim, but Thrive’s beloved Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara is the only one we’ve tested over the years that talks the talk and walks the walk. It’s been around for over 10 years, but we have yet to wiggle a more impressive tubing mascara through our lashes.
Why experts love it: “I use this mascara in brown, and it doesn’t budge, run, or stick to my eyelids. I love the way it effortlessly rolls off my lashes when I wash my face at night (no black eyes!), and I truly recommend it to everyone.” — Bridget Brager, Celebrity Hairstylist
Best Brow Product
Maybelline
Eyestudio Superfluff Volumizing Brow Mousse Gel
The brows are key to a beautifully framed face, and our testing staff couldn’t have been more impressed with this elite (and affordable!) formula from Maybelline. It comes in six natural shades that don’t have any funny undertones, and the smart volumizing formula gave us red carpet–caliber fluff.
Why experts love it: “Precise application with micro-brush, making it easy to fill in sparse areas and shape brows. This design is beneficial for those seeking a natural, feathery brow effect without the risk of overapplication. Maybelline’s Superfluff Brow Mousse exemplifies excellence, affordability, and quality, [making] it a deserving candidate for a beauty award.” — Marc
Best Tinted Lip Balm
Prada Beauty
Hydrating Lip Balm
Prada really knew what it was doing when the brand developed this nourishing, pH-reactive lip balm. It’s become a celebrity go-to (it’s one of Sabrina Carpenter’s favorite beauty accessories), and the barrier-boosting, long-wearing formula is one of the best at keeping our lips soft, supple, and perfectly chap-free.
Best Gloss
Hourglass
Phantom Volumizing Lip Glossy Balm
Who What Wear beauty editors are so besotted with this do-it-all gloss from Hourglass that we’ve turned collecting each and every shade into our very own extreme sport. Just one swipe delivers a gorgeous dose of pigment, shine, and volume, tempting us to abandon every other lip gloss within our makeup collections.
Best Bronzer
Saie
Dew Bronze Soft-Focus Sculpting Liquid Bronzer
This featherlight liquid bronzer is the gateway to a natural, sun-kissed glow that—dare we say it—is even prettier (and less damaging!) than one you could score outdoors. The effortless blend of Saie’s dewy formula is truly next-level, and we love that the finish isn’t too matte or too shimmery. Instead, it’s a Goldilocks result that offers the perfect amount of radiance.
Why experts love it: “I love this bronzer for its lightweight, buildable formula. It creates a flawless, natural sun-kissed glow, and it never looks muddy or streaky. It blends in flawlessly, which makes it my go-to for an effortless healthy glow or even when I want to create a more defined, contoured look.” — Marino
Best Liquid Eye Shadow
R.E.M. Beauty
Starlet Liquid Eyeshadow
This glistening liquid eye shadow by R.E.M. Beauty actually convinced us to like liquid eye shadow. How, you ask? It lacks every common gripe we have with most formulas on the market, such as creasing, a dry and flaky texture, and awkward application. The vitamin-infused formula is easy to layer, so you can effortlessly customize just how eye-catchingly shimmery you want your final look to be.
Best Lip Liner
MAKE UP FOR EVER
Artist Color Pencil Longwear Lip Liner
We honestly can’t name a lip liner that’s more adored among makeup artists, celebrities, and beauty editors alike. Nearly every shade is a cult classic in its own right (Wherever Walnut! Anywhere Caffeine! Endless Cacao!), and the buttery-smooth glide, epic staying power, and boundless versatility make it a nonnegotiable makeup-bag staple in our book.
Why experts love it: “These are worth all of the hype and then some. I have every shade but really gravitate toward the lip tones—from peachy pinks to deep chocolates. They glide on super smooth (even on dry lips), and you can use them as a liner or to fill in the whole lip for a full color look. There are over 40 shades, so there’s something for quite literally everyone. My fave is Wherever Walnut, a perfect warm nude I always reach for.” — Loiz
“Another classic. I love a pencil that can multifunction as a lip enhancer, eyeliner, brow product, and even face contour. The lip shades are gorgeous and easy to use, and the eye shades are easy to blend and long-lasting. Another makeup-artist staple.” — Sewell
“I have these pencils in literally every purse that I own. The shades Wherever Walnut and Anywhere Caffeine are two staples!” — Marino
Best Lip Plumper
LAWLESS
Forget the Filler Lip Plumper Line Smoothing Gloss
Clean and luxe ingredients like Maxi-Lip (which is scientifically and clinically shown to visibly increase lip volume by 40%), shea butter, and rosehip oil make this beloved gloss from Lawless so much more than just a gloss. While we’re obsessed with the high-shine finish and yummy shade range, we can’t get over how plump and line-free our lips look after a quick application.
Why experts love it: “This is one of those products you become instantly addicted to. I can’t say enough good things about how beautiful the texture is, and although this is a makeup product and helps plump and add tint to the lips, I have to note how nourishing this formula feels as well. I absolutely love it—Lawless hit a home run with this product!” — Marino
Best Lip Stain
Wonderskin
Wonder Blading Lip Stain Masque
You’ve likely seen this viral lip stain all over TikTok, and it really does live up to the hype. For stay-all-day color that requires zero effort, touch-ups, or maintenance, apply your shade of choice in the morning, and thank us later.
