Makeup, like fashion, is a transformative tool for self-expression. Gone are the days of being boxed into the opposing camps of minimalist or maximalist. The best products on the market are buildable, blendable, and versatile—meeting us where we are day-to-day (and coming with us day-to-night). 

In a highly saturated market, what differentiates a good formulation from truly a great one is ease of application. Creating a look you feel good about is infinitely simpler (and quite frankly, more fun) when you’re armed with the right products. Ahead, we’ve included a mix of the most innovative launches of late, like the Dior cream blush adored by the entire InStyle beauty team, and tried-and-true staples, like the Nars under-eye concealer one celebrity makeup artist always comes back to. 

Best Volumizing Mascara

Lancôme Lash Idôle Curl Goddess Mascara, $30.00

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I was moved to finally try this best-selling mascara after Zoe Saldaña mentioned to me in an interview that this is her personal favorite. The volume this delivers in a single swoosh is unrivaled. —Jaimie Potters, beauty editor

Best Lengthening Mascara

CoverGirl Eye Enhancer Wrap Tubing Mascara, $13.00

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If you're wary of raccoon eyes, it's time to make the leap to tubing mascara. CoverGirl's is among the best (and most affordable!) out there, delivering 30 hours of wear in a single pass without any smearing. Its tapered skinny brush catches all lashes, allowing for an easy application, and it's formulated with moisturizing castor oil to help condition your lashes. —J.P.

Best False Lashes

Kiss Lash Falscara Studio Mini, $20.00

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Putting on false lashes doesn't have to be hard. I've found that the key is applying clusters instead of strips and attaching them under the lashes rather than on top. That's why I love this set, which includes everything you need to get red-carpet-ready lashes with ease. —Kara Jillian Brown, senior beauty editor

Best Brow Definer

Anastasia Beverly Hills MicroStroke Brow Pen, $28.00

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As a professional makeup artist, I work with many different brow shapes and types. Sometimes I want to keep the brows natural and just add a few hair-like strokes, and other times I go for a more defined, sculpted look. I love that this pen works for both styles, as the micro-fine tip allows for very precise application. —Sophia Sinot, celebrity makeup artist

Best Pencil Eyeliner

Victoria Beckham Satin Kajal Liner, $35.00

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I feel like everyone in the industry has been talking about this eyeliner. And I understand why! These eye pencils are very pigmented, blend easily, and really stay in place. A must-have in everyone's makeup bag. —S.S.

Best Liquid Eyeliner

Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner, $24.00

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The cat eye has become a millennial signifier, and this is the liner that raised us. I've used it for years, and it never fails when you want a crisp line—barely there and hugging the lash line or super thick—that does not budge. —Shannon Bauer, editorial director, commerce

Best Multitasking Pencil

Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil, $26.00

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I absolutely love the versatility of this pencil; I use it all over for precise definition. I like buffing the product on with a small smudge brush to contour the lips and eyes. It’s got great pigment, but the product can be buffed out to any intensity. —Emily Cheng, celebrity makeup artist

Best Eyeshadow Stick

Tower 28 GoGo Cooling Shimmer Eyeshadow, $20.00

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All glitter is not made equal, especially when it comes to eyeshadow. With this shadow stick, you will not feel the small specks scrape on your eyelids. The experience is, in fact, the opposite. These have a cooling sensation usually reserved for eye creams, and glitter so fine that you can't see the space between the particles. It adds a wash of light-catching shimmer that can be spread sheer or layered for a Studio 54 effect. Regardless of which way you go, it's impossible to mess up—apply it with your fingers and without a mirror, and you'll still look like a pro. —Tamim Alnuweiri, senior beauty writer

Best Neutral Eyeshadow Palette

Makeup by Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette: The Neutrals, $56.00

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I use this palette on nearly every client I do makeup for. The shadows are light enough for a no-makeup-makeup look, yet they can hold their weight for heavier glam as well. It is a well-curated palette that includes colors to create a sculpted base on the eyes, no matter the intensity. It blends out well and has strong pigment that builds so easily —E.C.

Best Vivid Eyeshadow Palette

Danessa Myricks Beauty Lightwork VII Freedom Palette, $128.00

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Playing with this palette makes me feel like a makeup-obsessed teen again. There are so many finishes, from multichromes to velvet mattes and shimmering metallics, in some of the most unique, jewel-like shades I’ve seen in a long time. —Ariel Wodarcyk, fashion & beauty writer

Best Primer

Isamaya Microbial Gel, $40.00

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My skin breaks out and gets congested whenever it's exposed to grime or pollution (which is every day in New York City). This primer has a thin, gel-like consistency that layers wonderfully on top of skin care and under makeup. It's like an invisible shield that protects your skin from environmental damage. I usually wear it on a bare face; it's also a dream under makeup, especially if you have oily skin. Skip moisturizer, apply this, and then your complexion product—your skin will still be hydrated and pristine. It's the closest thing you can get to Isamaya actually doing your makeup. —T.A.

Best Color Corrector

MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix 24HR Color Corrector, $18.00

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Launched this year as an expansion of MAC’s Studio Fix range—which has undergone a glow-up with new formulations—this tube of on-the-spot sorcery goes to work correcting and concealing dark spots and redness. It comes in six different shades tailored to various skin needs. The light green shade, “Mint,” is a personal favorite for balancing redness and rosacea. —J.P.

Best Concealer

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer, $36.00

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A long-time love of mine. I’ve tried many others, and I always come back. Its formulation is lightweight yet buildable. Whether I’m concealing undereyes, blemishes, discoloration, or texture, it’s able to do it all so flawlessly. It has a skin-like finish and blends in really well, which is especially important to me since I often like to skip a full base of foundation, if I can. —S.S.

Best Skin Tint

Milani Conceal + Perfect Blur Out Skin Tint Stick, $17.00

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I’m all about makeup that’s idiot proof, and this Milani Skin Tint stick is so easy you can do it in a cab without a mirror. Yes, I’ve tried it! I love its genuinely extensive shade range—my personal appreciation for the fair options with undertones included—and the amount of coverage it offers. Just enough to look bright, even, awake, and still like myself. —Madeline Hirsch, fashion features director

Best Liquid Foundation

Hauslabs Tech Foundation, $52.00

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Besides the incredible shade range, I love how this foundation makes the skin look like skin. It’s a medium-coverage formula that blends out very smoothly and evenly. The coverage is buildable, so you can keep it natural or add more without it feeling heavy. I also love how radiant the finish is, and that it works well even without setting it with powder. —S.S.

Best Liquid Highlighter

Saie Glowy Super Gel Lightweight Dewy Multipurpose Illuminator, $29.00

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I have extremely high standards when it comes to highlighters, as I don’t wear much makeup and lean heavily on this category to give me a glow. Delivering a bright, dewy look, this is a tried-and-true favorite for creating a pearlescent finish with just one pump. As an added bonus, it’s packed with beneficial skin-care ingredients like vitamin C and nourishing rose canina seed oil. —J.P.

Best Highlighter

Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter, $28.00

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Blame it on the rabid TikTok fandom, Rare Beauty’s powder highlighter continues to sell out four years after its launch. Offering the feel of a liquid highlighter in the form of a powder, it creates a subtle, buildable glow that doesn’t call attention to texture. —J.P.

Best Cream Blush

Dior Backstage Rosy Glow Blush Stick, $44.00

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I tried Dior’s Rosy Glow Blush Stick on my very first day at InStyle and have been raving about it since. Like a moth to a flame (er, a beauty editor in the beauty closet seeing Dior’s iconic packaging), I was lured in by its striking range of rosy, red, and lilac hues. Just a quick swipe of this buildable stick blush creates a natural flush with a second-skin finish. Like Dior’s legendary lipglow products, its pH-activated formula blends to each wearer’s skin for a custom color. If you’re getting ready in a pinch, take note that this can also be worn on the eyes and lips. —J.P.

Best Powder Blush

Patrick Ta Beauty Major Headlines Double-Take Crème & Powder Blush Duo, $40.00

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Though I have nearly 50 cream, liquid, and powder blush formulas in my vanity, this duo is one of the only ones I continuously reach for. Not only does the pigment stay in place for 6+ hours of wear, but the formula gives your skin the most delicious, plump glow. The cherry on top is that there are tons of colors to choose from that complement all skin tones. —Essence Wiley, commerce writer

Best Liquid Blush

Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dewy Flush, $25.00

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Every time I wear this blush, someone asks me what it is. I even had a girl stop me on an escalator once. That's because it provides the most stunning and dewy finish. I'm so in love with the current shades—here's hoping the brand adds more soon! —K.J.B.

Best Cream Bronzer

Westman Atilier Suntone Bronzing Cream, $135.00

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This duo is worth the hype. It turns from malleable cream into a hydrated matte once it melts into your skin, giving you the most flattering bronzy finish. —Amanda Le, fashion & beauty writer

Best Liquid Bronzer

e.l.f. SKIN Bronzing Drops, $13.00

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Anytime I'm craving a radiant, no-makeup makeup look, I reach for these bronzing drops. I love to mix them into my moisturizer to get a lit-from-within glow. —K.J.B.

Best Powder Bronzer

Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder, $59.00

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This bronzer gives my skin the most stunning sun-kissed glow. I like that it's a powder, which I find can offer more targeted bronzing than liquid formulas. It's so easy to buff onto the high points of my face with a big, fluffy brush, or use it on my eyes with a smaller shadow brush. —K.J.B.

Best Complexion Stick

Merit The Minimalist Complexion Stick, $38.00

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A Best Beauty Buys winner for a second year in a row, Merit’s creamy complexion-perfecting stick remains an ol' reliable. Doubling as a concealer and foundation, its lightweight and buildable formula does it all while graciously taking up very little space in your makeup bag. —J.P.

Best Multiasking Palette

Made by Mitchell Curve Case Cream Makeup Palette, $33.00

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If there is one product that deserves to win an award, it should be this one! What I love most is the formula and the shade range. The creamy texture blends seamlessly into the skin and gives a beautiful, glossy finish. It also includes both blush and contour shades, which makes it very practical and versatile to use. The shade range, from the lightest to the deepest tones with different undertones, makes it a product that truly works across all skin tones. —S.S.