By Erin Jahns
last updated
in Buying Guides
As beauty editors, it's no secret that it's our job to know (and try) pretty much every single makeup brand on the market, whether it's a popular label someone as out-of-touch as my dad would recognize or a lesser-known brand slowly but surely climbing the ranks of fame. We don't discriminate, and we've even taken it upon ourselves to test out some of the most popular makeup brands likeCharlotte Tilbury andMarc Jacobs to see if their most iconic products stand up to the hype.
That got us thinking, with so many makeup brands on the market, which popular names are actually the best? And beyond that, which popular makeup brands are so good that innocent bystanders (like our co-workers, friends, family, significant others, or even total strangers) take note by offering compliments? My beauty PICCourtney Higgs and I put our heads together to compile the ultimate list of 20 popular makeup brands that never fail to rack in the compliments. Be it frenzied DMs asking us what products we're wearing or IRL questions at a fancy event or work meeting, we're sharing the exact brand names and formulas that help us feel our best—even without the aforementioned compliments they instigate. Keep scrolling!
Charlotte Tilbury
Charlotte Tilbury
Airbrush Flawless Longwear Foundation
Courtney: This foundation offers great coverage and a blurring effect that makes your skin look completely flawless. I love that it offers such a comprehensive shade range, so beauties of every skin tone can experience the magic.
Erin: This foundation is my secret weapon for faking the look of perfect skin. Whenever I wear it, people freak out and say how great my makeup looks. I have yet to find a more foolproof option, and it's even more magical if you apply it over Charlotte Tilbury's cult-loved Magic Cream($100).
Charlotte Tilbury
Beauty Highlighter Wand
Erin: Honestly, I was really happy with my highlight routine before I tried this handy wand one morning. Well, it turned my world upside down. It'sso pretty. I put a little bit on the back of my hand, dip a slightly damp Beautyblender in, and then dab it onto the high points of my face where I want to highlight, gradually blending and buffing it in. It melts seamlessly into foundation, and I get so many questions and DMs about what highlighter or makeup I'm wearing whenever I have it on.
Charlotte Tilbury
Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in The Vintage Vamp
"It's not often that I can dive into an eye shadow palette and emerge feeling like my makeup is on point," Courtney says. "I don't know what it is about these shadows, but they're so soft and blendable that I now have newfound eye shadow application confidence."
Kaja
Kaja
Beauty Bento Bouncy Shimmer Eyeshadow Trio
Erin: I'm not one for dramatic eye shadow and typically, I prefer liquid or cream formulas instead of powder. Alas, these three-in-one layered pots areso convenient, pretty, and easy to blend and experiment with. (I don't even use a brush.) I love a shimmery lid, and these offer the most striking payoff. People always ask what eye shadow I'm wearing.
Kaja
Air Heart Lightweight Natural Finish Lipstick
Erin: I've been really into a natural, pillowy lip. I love how featherlight, blendable, and hydrating this formula is, and the colors offer a wide range of neutral tones that basically just allow you to enhance your natural lip tone. Big fan.
Koh Gen Do
Koh Gen Do
Maifanshi Makeup Color Base
Erin: There are only a few primers I love in this world, and this makeup-artist staple is one of them. The formula comes in a variety of colors all geared toward color-correcting. My favorite is the yellow, which helps counteract and diffuse dark spots and discoloration while simultaneously boosting my complexion with skincare-caliber ingredients.
Koh Gen Do
Aqua Foundation
Erin: This is one of the few foundations I've found which is completely buildable. No matter how much product or how many layers I add, it never fails to provide a glowy, second-skin-like finish. Makeup artists rely on this formula on set and on red carpets thanks to how long and well it wears while basically looking invisible.
Kosas
Kosas
10-Second Liquid Eyeshadow
Erin: Not only do I received compliments whenever I wear this slightly shimmery liquid eye shadow, but whenever I compliment someoneelse in the office on their eye makeup, they pretty much always have this one on. Highly recommend, especially if you typically find eye shadow intimidating.
Kosas
Color & Light: Crème Cream Blush & Highlighter Duo
Erin: Even though I have a serious obsession with Kosas's lipsticks and lip oils, I have to say thatits creamy blush and highlight palettes are like an instant pick-me-up for my perpetually tired face. They melt into your skin really well and honestly look more flattering and natural as the day wears on. My go-to hues are Tropic Equinox and 8th Muse—compliment insurance with 100% satisfaction guaranteed.
Ilia Beauty
Ilia Beauty
Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 Foundation
Erin: Courtney and I were both completely stupified the first time we tried this new serum-foundation-SPF hybrid from Ilia. Historically, neither of us like tinted moisturizers or tinted serums, and we had seriously low expectations. Well, color us surprised when we both applied the formula one morning and gaped at our reflections. Basically, it sinks and blends right into your complexion with zero detectability while offering a dewy (not greasy!) finishand camouflaging any imperfections. It's witchcraft!
Ilia Beauty
Liquid Light Serum Highlighter
Erin: My 73-year-old mom and I both adore this beautiful liquid highlighter from Ilia. It's nontoxic, not too shimmery, super-blendable, and provides the most stunning dose of radiance. It's a must-own.
Armani Beauty
Armani Beauty
Luminous Silk Foundation
Courtney:If you're still questioning the validity of all the accolades this foundation gets, stop it! It's that good. Just try it already.
Armani Beauty
Neo Nude Fusion Powder
Courtney:This beautiful highlighter is soft and luminous without being too glittery. It provides a subtle yet buildable glow.
Kevyn Aucoin
Kevyn Aucoin
Glass Glow Face & Body Gloss
Courtney:This liquid highlighter gel is everything. Glowy, glassy skin is just a pump away. The matching Glass Glow Lip Gloss ($26) is another one of my favorites. Together, they're a winning combo, and the compliments roll in hard and fast whenever I apply.
Kevyn Aucoin
Sensual Skin Enhancer
Erin: I first discovered this product when a makeup artist applied it on me during a press trip. It's super thick and creamy but buffs and blends out like a dream. You can use it as a foundation or a concealer, and I love that the tiniest bit goes a super-long way. That, and it completely hides any pigmentation, spots, or shadows. It's always in my makeup bag. When people say how good my skin looks, Iwish I didn't have to blame it on this winning formula! Such a great discovery.
Chantecaille
Chantecaille
Future Skin Foundation
Courtney:This gel foundation is super bouncy and offers amazing coverage. I love it for those times when I want a littlemore dewycoverage without feeling like I'm wearing 10 pounds of makeup.
Chantecaille
Lip Veil Lipstick
Courtney:This lipstick is so lightweight you practically forget it's there after applying. I love how one layer gives a beautiful, natural-looking flush.
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Anastasia Beverly Hills
Luminous Foundation
Courtney:I was ready to hate on this foundation, but it's so good. It has a super-thin consistency, but the color payoff is truly incredible. (Erin's a fan too!)
Anastaisia Beverly Hills
Loose Setting Powder
Courtney:This pigmented setting powder isn't super pigmented but offers just enough coverage to smooth out the complexion. I like to dust it on while my moisturizer is still damp so it melts a little bit and creates a skin-like veil.
Nars
Nars
Blush
Erin: It's no secret that Nars makes the most iconic blush formula in history. And the hype is real! Of course, I love Orgasm, but some of my other must-have shades are Sex Appeal, Deep Throat, Outlaw, Desire, and Seduction.
Nars
Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Courtney:This tinted moisturizer applies and wears like a lightweight foundation and has SPF protection to boot.
Nars
Radiant Creamy Concealer
Courtney:This concealer is life-changing. Applying it alone to brighten my under-eye gives me enough luminosity that I often won't wear any other makeup on my face.
MAC Cosmetics
MAC Cosmetics
Mineralize Skinfinish Natural
Courtney: Erin and I both agree this light finishing powder is light and glowy. It sets foundation without leaving you looking cakey or overdone. It's an oldie but a goodie.
MAC Cosmetics
Matte Eyeshadow in Red Brick
Courtney:MAC eye shadows are so much fun. This particular shade may look out-there, but I like to use it on my eyes and, get this, as a blush. On brown skin, it's everything. Trust me.
Sisley-Paris
Sisley-Paris
Phyto-Lip Twist Tinted Lip Balm
Erin: Sisley-Paris is well-known for its dreamy French skincare, butitalso makes amazing makeup. Itis expensive, but if your budget has the bandwidth, these hydrating lip twists deliver the prettiest punch of juicy color.
Sisley-Paris
Les Phyto-Ombrés Eyeshadow
Erin: I'm also a huge fan ofits new eye shadows. Theyhave a unique formula that's half powder, half cream and delivers lots of pigment with the perfect ratio of eye-catching glimmer. No matter what shade I'm wearing, people always have to ask!
Hourglass
Hourlgass
Ambient Lighting Blush Collection
Erin: Okay, Ilove my collection of blushes from Nars, but I have to say Imight love Hourglass's radiant blushes more. When I'm in a rush, they're the perfect antidote to give my complexion a boost of colorand glow, which I really appreciate. It's also practically impossible to apply too much because of how diffused and pretty they are. Diffused Heat and Radiant Magenta have remained in my arsenal for years.
Hourglass
Ambient Lighting Bronzer
Erin: Similar to the blushes from this collection, these bronzers are so stunning and give you the right amount of bronze and glow—never OTT or unnatural, which I truly appreciate. This bronzer is one of my best-kept secrets for being as photogenic as possible. (It almost provides a blurring, filter-like effect.)
ItCosmetics
It Cosmetics
Full Coverage Physical SPF 50 CC Cream With Plush Brush
Erin: When I have zero time and want my face to look as flawless as possible, I reach for this famous CC cream from It Cosmetics. It's so famous that when people ask what products I'm wearing, they nod as if they knew the answer was already coming. Itcan get a little shiny, so I recommend opting for the matte version if you have an oilier skin temperament.
It Cosmetics
Bye Bye Foundation
Erin: I'm also a huge fan of this full-coverage moisturizer. It instantly blurs away anything you're looking to hide, blends like a dream, houses so many skincare-grade ingredients, and boosts your complexion with essential moisture. It's very similar to the CC Cream, to be honest, but has a little lighter coverage and even lighter consistency. (So yes, your face basically feels naked in the best way possible.)
Huda Beauty
Huda Beauty
#FauxFilter Full Coverage Matte Foundation
Erin: This foundation isn't for the faint of heart. A little goes a long way, and it'svery full-coverage. That said, it makes your skin look like an Instagram filter IRL. It's my favorite for when I don't have time to tinker with concealer and lots of buffing, camouflaging, and blending.
Huda Beauty
The Overachiever High Coverage Concealer
Erin: Same goes for this game-changing concealer! It's one of theleast-creasy formulas I've tried, hasgreat full coverage, but is super creamy and easy to spread and blend, unlike other full-coverage concealers I've tried, which can get sticky or gross. It's the best antidote for super-dark circles or hard-to-cover pimples or scarring.
Laura Mercier
Laura Mercier
Flawless Fusion Ultra-Longwear Foundation
Erin: I have a rotation of about five or so foundations I really truly love and recommend to my friends, family, and the DMs I receive! I love, love, love this foundation form Laura Mercier. The coverage is fantastic and super buildable, the shades are on point, and it has the perfect matte, but not TOO matte, finish. It also doesn't budge. They're not kidding with the "ultra-longwear" in the name. (Although, it doesn't look cakey or heavy.)The coordinating concealer is another top recommendation I shout about to anyone who will listen.
Laura Mercier
Face Illuminator Powder
Erin: Words can't describe how stunning this highlighter is. Seriously, I could be wearing nothing else,and I'm pretty sure it would make me look glamorous. It's long-wearing, easy to layer, and can go all over without looking like too much. (Although, I love it best on my Cupid's bow, cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, and my eyelids like an eye shadow.)
Pat McGrath Labs
Pat McGrath Labs
Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Primer
Erin: I don't remember what life was like BPML(before Pat McGrath Labs). Leave it to one of the most iconic makeup artists in history to create the primer (and foundation—see below) that creates the illusion of poreless, velvety smooth skin. (It's her signature aesthetic, after all.) This has hyaluronic acid and cosmetic filler powder, which work in tandem to smooth, plump, and create the ultimate lit-from-within canvas for your foundation.
Pat McGrath Labs
Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation
Erin: Once I was wearing this foundation at a really fancy event, and a complete stranger (a very well-known fashion influencer, in fact) practically yelled across the table at me to ask what I was wearing on my face to make my skin look so dang perfect. McGrath's formula is unlike any other foundation I've tried. It gets better and looks prettier the longer you wear it (it's as if it adjusts to your skin), and it's also infused with luxurious ingredients like the brand's Vita-Serum Complex to moisturize while combating wrinkles and Diamond Core Powder Technology to enhance your skin’s texture, smooth, blur, and diffuse the look of other potential skin concerns like fine lines, enlarged pores, or even blemishes.
Stila
Stila
Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner
Courtney:Liquid eyeliner enthusiasts know what's up. This OG eyeliner is the absolute truth. That said, if you're into thinner, sharper lines, thenthis one (which has a finer tip) is the liner for you.
Stila
Heaven's Hue Highlighter
Erin: I'll keep it simple: This is one of my favorite makeup products of all time. The mix of pigment and shimmer is such a pick-me-up. Plus, despite the shimmer, the natural flush it gives is really so believable and has that coveted post-gym-glow vibe (sans gym). Incandescence is my favorite universally flattering shade.
Stila
Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow
Erin: I'm a glitter fiend, and this is my all-time favorite formula. Makeup artists also love it, and I appreciate that it has zero fallout, is super easy and mess-free to apply (thanks to that doe foot), and can also be layered depending on how subtle or dramatic you want your look to be. I used Diamond Dust and Wanderlust the most.
Too Faced
Too Faced
Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer
Erin: A really satisfying bronzer is hard to come by, which is why this one from Too Faced has remained in my top three since college. I come back to it again and again. It blends superbly, and it never looks muddy, orange, or shimmery. It's the perfect matte bronzer.
Too Faced
Born This Way Foundation
Erin: Another favorite I've loved since college. I appreciate the full-coverage yet super-weightless feel. It's one of those iconic formulas I stray from and then when I inevitably return, I wonder why I was ever unfaithful. Plus, the shade range is one of the best.
Tarte
Tarte
Tarteist Double Take Eyeliner
Erin: I'm going to be 100% honest here. I used to be a die-hard Stila-liner devotee, but this double-sided liner from Tarte converted me. I use the black and brown religiously and love that I can effortlessly add some depth and oomph to the base of my lashes with the pencil liner and then add the perfect flick or liquid liner moment with the other side of the same tool. It doesn't budge, and it lasts a surprisingly longer than other liners I've tried.
Tarte
SEA Quench Hydrating Primer
Erin: Okay, so I might have saved the best for last. This lesser-known hydrating primer from Tarte is the common denominator whenever I receive a compliment on my makeup or skin. It keeps me hydrated but never shiny or oily, and it also makes whatever makeup I apply on top of it look pretty much flawless. Who knew something as simple as primer could have such a marketable influence?
Up next:9 Tinted Moisturizer Dupes With Better Reviews Than Their Expensive Counterparts
Erin Jahns
Beauty Director
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.
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