Let’s be real here: I love a lot of the best makeup products. Having access to a robust, ever-evolving closet of trending beauty products means a bountiful flow of options—which I’d say is both a pro and a con. The positive side being, of course, there are dozens of excellent cosmetics to enjoy at a variety of price points, beauty brands, and ingredient levels. The con? Whittling down such an impressive category into a list for you today.
Seriously, spotlighting the best makeup products so far of 2025 is quite the feat—and not just from a beauty editor’s POV. So, to help out a bit, I turned to my fellow beauty editors to pick their brains. Maybe I’m selfishly asking them for their secrets (hoping to steal a beauty tip or two), but at least I’m not gatekeeping their recs! There’s foundations so natural-looking they wear like a second skin, lip products galore, glowy skin tints, weightless concealers, and more. Read on discover Vogue editors all time favorite cosmetics—you may just add them to your own makeup bag.
Vogue’s Favorite Makeup Products
Featured in this article
Best Skin Tint: Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Complexion Touch
- Why We Love It: “For a skin perfecting product that feels like absolutely nothing on your face, it’s impossible to beat Chanel’s Complexion Touch. Every time I use this skin tint, I’m amazed at how much coverage I get despite how thin the formula is—my skin looks flawless, and there’s never any product buildup or pilling. It’s made with 60% water and mixed with hyaluronic acid and botanical extracts—all of which combine for a serum-gel texture. The finish is almost completely undetectable for a truly your-skin-but-better look.” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: Hyaluronic acid, tamarind seed oil, jasmine extract
- Type: Skin tint
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: 24
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Barely-there feel | Subtle fragrance |
| Surprisingly buildable coverage |
Best Lip Liner: Make Up For Ever Lip Liner
- Why We Love It: “Long live Make Up For Ever’s lip liner in 608 Limitless Brown! It’s truly one of those versatile makeup must haves that work on a range of skin tones. I started using it to line my lips (I simply cannot live without a chocolatey liner), but realized you can use it around the face as well—it’s creamier and more buildable than you’d expect. When in a pinch, I use it for contour, eyeliner, and lip color in one go. I do not leave home without it.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: Hydrogenated palm glycerides, synthetic wax, kaolin
- Type: Multi-use color pencil
- Finish: Matte
- Shades: 14
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Tug-free application, and easily blended product | Not water-proof (though there is a waterproof version!) |
| Vibrant pigment | |
| Multi-use color pencil—use it as lip liner, eye shadow, eyeshadow and even on cheeks |
Best Blush Stick: Rhode Pocket Blush
- Why We Love It: “This is a blush stick I always come back to, no matter how many others I try. Silky smooth, fragrance-free, and non-comedogenic, what’s not to love? The formula swipes on without tugging, plus, no matter what shade you pick, the color payoff is buildable. It’s natural enough for a Hailey Bieber-esque clean girl look, but can be still layered for a full beat. Best of all, this applies seamlessly when doing blush touch ups, never disrupting your makeup underneath. Chef’s kiss!” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: Peptides, tamanu oil
- Type: Cream blush stick
- Finish: Dewy
- Shades: 11
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Buildable, hydrating formula | Not the most long-wearing formula for those with oily skin |
| 11 shades that are flattering across skin tones | |
| Beginner friendly application and re-application |
Best Lip Oil: Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil
- Why We Love It: “Simply the greatest lip gloss. I put on a tiny bit of liner around my cupid’s bow then tap tap tap this on top. Lips are instantly juicy and all of the shades are just a pinch of color, so pretty. I have one in every single work bag.” —Margaux Anbouba, senior beauty editor
- Key Ingredients: Vitamin E, avocado oil, apricot oil, peptides
- Type: Tinted lip oil
- Finish: High shine
- Shades: 8
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Modern colors to suit all skin tones and makeup looks | Large doe-foot applicator can make it difficult to deposit color with precision |
| Cushiony texture is comfortable to wear |
Best Pressed Powder: Kosas Cloud Set Setting Powder
- Why We Love It: “A good setting powder is a must if you want that filtered, airbrushed finish. As this is my desired finish on most occasions, I’d say I love setting powder more than the average person. Few have impressed me as much as the Kosas Cloud Set. I was initially intrigued by its clean composition, but it’s maintained a lasting spot on my vanity (seriously, I broke the lid off of it, and leave it open, on display at all times) because it diffuses and blurs without weightiness or cakiness, particularly under the eye. Use it on its own as a setting powder or atop a loose powder.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: Mica, silica, jojoba seed oil, glycerin, candelilla wax, tocopherol
- Type: Setting powder
- Finish: Blurred
- Shades: 12
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Imparts a soft, diffused finish | Some find the pressed powder is fragile, and breaks easily when dropped |
| Clean formula | |
| Shade inclusive |
Best Beauty Collab: Augustinus Bader x Sofia Coppola Tinted Lip Balm Trio
- Why We Love It: “When Bader collaborated with Sophia Coppola on a tinted lip balm in three coquette-ish shades, I was immediately intrigued—and knew it would make for a perfect addition to my Sofia Coppola collection; her archive book and a baby T-shirt that reads ‘written and directed by Sofia Coppola’. These feel like a dream, and impart lovely hues of pink—but why pick one? Bader makes a lovely makeup gift set with all three shades.” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: TFC-8 (a proprietary blend of vitamins, lipids, peptides), lip-plumping complex, castor seed oil, shea butter, glycerin, peptides, antioxidants including vitamin E
- Type: Emollient lip balm
- Finish: Subtle sheen
- Shades: 3
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| All the perks of Bader’s classic lip balm, but tinted | Not the most long-wearing color |
| Three universally flattering shades |
Best Foundation Stick: Dior Forever Skin Perfect Stick Foundation
- Why We Love It: “In a year that launched dozens of foundation sticks, I tried them all—and this is the best. I know I look good when my coworker Elise Taylor tells me I look pretty, and those days always correlated with when I used this product as the foundation of my look.” —Margaux Anbouba, senior beauty editor
- Key Ingredients: Barbarian-fig blossom, sunflower seed wax, candelilla wax
- Type: Full coverage foundation stick
- Finish: Satin, natural
- Shades: 24
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Natural finish blends seamlessly with skin | Cream foundation might be too heavy for those with oily skin |
| Hydrating formula |
Best Loose Powder: BareMinerals Original Loose Powder Foundation SPF 15
- Why We Love It: “Bareminerals original foundation has been my choice for years and the one time I wore something else someone noticed my ‘makeup’ that day and thought I was barefaced otherwise so it really reflects the light to look like skin (Hailey Baldwin was an ambassador pre Bieber!).” —Arden Fanning Andrews, beauty editor at large
- Key Ingredients: Bismuth oxychloride, zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, mica
- Shades: 30
- Finish: Natural
- Size: 0.28 oz
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Beginner friendly application | Not enitely non-comedogenic |
| Natural, skin-like finish |
Best Cool-Toned Contour: Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick
- Why We Love It: Westman Atelier’s Face Trace Contour Stick understood the assignment of an ashy base for a naturally sculpted look rather than a sun-kissed bronzer (and I have a round baby face, so I’m definitely looking to sculpt out my cheekbones). As a tip for my fellow round face girlies—apply this to the high points of your cheek and blend up.” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty commerce writer
- Key Ingredients: Jojoba seed oil, raspberry leaf stem cell extract, kaolin clay, vitamin C, vitamin E
- Type: Cream contour stick
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: 3
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Long-wearing, clean formula | Limited shade range |
| Cool undertones mimic natural bone structure |
Best Lightweight Foundation: Glossier Stretch Fluid Foundation
- Why We Love It: “Glossier’s Stretch Fluid Foundation is wildly underrated. In expected Glossier fashion, this achieves a natural luminosity without being overly dewy; due in part to its 89% skincare ingredient composition: squalane, glycerin, wild rose berry, plankton extract, and amino acids to name a few. It’s a true light coverage foundation, buildable to medium if you’d like, that feels undetectable on the skin. My go-to when I want that tinted gel cream sort of wear.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty shopping writer
- Key ingredients: Aqua, squalene, glycerin, wild rose berry extract, plankton extract, rosa canina fruit extract
- Type: Liquid foundation, buildable coverage
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: 32
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Formulated with 89% skin-care ingredients, the formula hydrates dry skin while covering imperfections | Not ideal for those who wan’t full coverage |
| Cruelty-free and vegan |
Best Volumizing Balm: Hourglass Phantom Volumizing Glossy Lip Balm
- Why We Love It: “Is it a lip gloss? Is it a plumper? Is it a balm? It’s all three! And yes, I do have it in 5 different shades... The glossy finish is hard to beat, with an almost pearlescent look that reads as a perfectly placed highlighter on your pout. While I love a dramatic lip, my favorite part about this product in particular is that as you wear it, it gently fades without smudging lip liner, causing any unflattering creasing, or flaky lip patches. Not to mention, the plumping is less spicy and more minty.” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty commerce writer
- Key Ingredients: Menthyl lactate, mango seed butter, shea butter, avocado oil
- Type: Glossy lip balm
- Finish: High-shine
- Shades: 20
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Hydrating, non-sticky formula | Non-retractible tube—so don’t twist up too much product! |
| High-shine, glossy finish that never feels heavy | |
| Both shimmer and shimmer-free shade options |
Best Finishing Powder: Gurelain Meteorites Setting Finishing Pearls of Powder
- Why We Love It: “My biggest secret right now is Guerlain’s Météorites! They’re these perfect powder pearls that I dust on my face every day (and in every color!)—the pearls are reimagined from the original formula that first launched in the ’80s. It looks like perfect glass skin, people think I’m not wearing makeup!” —Arden Fanning Andrews, beauty editor at large
- Key Ingredients: Mica, silica, magnesium myristate, cellulose
- Type: Finishing powder pearls
- Finish: Pearlescent
- Shades: 4
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Radiant and luminous finish | Some dislike the strong fragrance |
| Light color correction | Not a true setting powder—but rather, the finishing touch. |
| Long-lasting wear |
Best Contour Shade Range: Fenty Beauty Match Stix Contour Skinstick
- Why We Love It: “Fenty Beauty’s Match Stix is the only contour stick that matters—especially for us brown-skinned girls who need deep hues that match our undertones. I like to contour the cheekbones, emphasize the jawline, and warm up the forehead with this bad boy. Whenever I’m without it, I miss it desperately. Now, I keep a full-size at home and a travel size at work for those beauty closet GRWMs.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: Mica, coconut oil, sodium hyaluronate
- Type: Cream-to-powder contour stick
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: 9
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Inclusive shade range, with options from incredibly fair to rich skin tones | Slightly dry texture |
| Cruelty-free formula | |
| Long lasting staying power |
Best Liquid Liner: MAC Cosmetics Brushstroke Liquid Eyeliner
- Why We Love It: “Trust me, brown liquid eyeliner will change your life. It gives the same sexy, cat-eye effect without the harsh intensity of black—plus, if things don’t exactly match, it’s not quite as obvious.” —Margaux Anbouba, senior beauty editor
- Key Ingredients: Acrylates Copolymer, tocopherol
- Type: Liquid eyeliner
- Finish: Subtle sheen
- Shades: 2
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Smudge-proof, transfer resistant, sweat-resistant, and humidity-proof | Limited shade range (Just black and brown) |
| Boasts up to 24 hours of wear |
Best Freckle Pen: Freck The Original Freckle Pen
- Why We Love It: “Freck’s viral freckle pen is one of my favorite products to put my individuality back into my beauty routine. Once I’m done with my full glam, I use the freckle pen to re-emphasize the many beauty marks on my face. There’s something about defining my beauty marks that brings life into my overall makeup look, making everything pop just a bit more.”—Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty commerce writer
- Key Ingredients:
- Type: Freckle pen
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: 2
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Natural looking finish to create realistic faux freckles | Not water-resistant |
| Clean and vegan formula |
Best Acne-Safe Concealer: Saie Slip Tint Radiant Concealer
- Why We Love It: “Thanks to my super acne-prone skin, any comedogenic product can induce an unwanted blemish on my hard-fought clear complexion. Saie is a brand that absolutely never does me wrong. While I love a plethora of their products, this concealer is one I will never consider swapping out of my routine. Lightweight with buildable coverage, its clean formula features zero pore-clogging ingredients. Not to mention, it never creases into fine lines.” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty commerce writer
- Key Ingredients: Niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, glycerin
- Type: Medium coverage liquid concealer
- Finish: Natural
- Shades: 25
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Skincare-focused ingredients | Some find that this dries down more soft matte than they expected |
| Non-comedogenic, long-wearing formula |
Best Drugstore Lipstick: Maybelline SuperStay Vinyl Ink Lipcolor
- Why We Love It: “The only compliments I ever get on my beauty look are when I’m wearing Maybelline New York’s Vinyl Ink. It’s the best of both worlds. It stays on all day, just like those OG lip kits (no dry, cakey coverage here), and super glossy and shine.” —Margaux Anbouba, senior beauty editor
- Key Ingredients: Dimethicone, aloe barbadensis leaf extract, tocopherol
- Type: Long-wearing liquid lipstick
- Finish: Shine
- Shades: 20
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Transfer-proof color | Some aren’t fond of the strong scent |
| Highly pigmented shades | |
| Affordable price point |
Best Brow Pommade: Merit Brow 1980
- Why We Love It: “I used to be brow gel’s biggest hater until I tried this one from Merit, which takes my usual qualms—too gooey, unpredictable, clumpy formulas, too rich or deep pigment—and rectifies them in one tiny tube. Designed to deliver fluffy brows with light hold, it eliminates the guesswork out of caring for your arches. Sweep and sculpt without worry that your brows are speaking louder than you.” —Kiana Murden, senior beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: Panthenol, kaolin clay, carnauba wax
- Type: Pommade
- Finish: Finish
- Shades: 4
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Crunch-free soft hold to keep brow hairs in place | Won’t hold work as well on stubborn brow hairs—so no faux-lamination look here |
| Subtle, natural-looking tint for the illusion of fuller eyebrows |
Best Liquid Blush: Saie Dew Blush
- Why We Love It: “I have so many shades of Saie’s liquid blush that my makeup bag is overflowing with them. From spicy burnt orange shades to baby pinks and neutral muaves—there’s truly a shade for everyone. Plus, the formula is also completely acne-safe. So, naturally, I blend it all over the high points of my cheeks and the bridge of my nose.” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty commerce writer
- Key Ingredients: Glycerin, elderberry fruit extract, licorice extract, white mulberry root extract, comfrey leaf extract, evening primrose root extract
- Type: Liquid blush
- Finish: Dewy
- Shades: 12
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Natural, dewy finish | Some report the longevity performs better when set with a powder |
| Packed with hydrating ingredients | |
| Highly pigmented |
Best K-Beauty Concealer: Tirtir Glide&Hide Blurring Concealer
- Why We Love It: “I was initially really drawn to the fact that the TIRTIR concealer is basically two formulas in one. The top end is a silky balm that I’d liken to a foundation stick, designed to blur pores and skin texture. The second end is more traditional concealer liquid—for veiling blemishes and dark circles. The finish of neither side is like the brand’s coveted Cushion Foundation—rather than soft matte, it leans into more natural, featherlight, buildable coverage that really looks like skin. And because my shade match is impeccable, I love it for no-makeup makeup days.”—Kiana Murden, senior beauty shopping writer
- Key Ingredients: Dimethicone, glycerin, propanediol, hyaluronic acid
- Type: Dual-ended cream and liquid conceler
- Finish: Blurred
- Shades: 20
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Dual-ended concealer offers two texture options in one product | Some say the formula dries down quickly—so you have to blend fast |
| Lightweight feel and long-lasting wear | |
| Blurred finish and buildable coverage conceals dark circles with ease |
Best Mascara: Kulfi Beauty Badi Lash
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- Why We Love It: “If a volumizing mascara and a tubing mascara had a love child, it would be Kulfi’s TikTok viral Badi lash. Firstly, formula somehow manages to keep my incredibly stubborn lashes lifted (no small feat, since my eyelashes grow straight down). The short and spiky wand bristles coach each individual lash, somehow combing through them to prevent clumping. Unlike many tubing mascara formulas that can lean spidery, the payoff here is impressively natural—a bit darker while being more lifted and defined. Of course, there’s no smudging thanks to the formula’s tubing mascara.” —Conçetta Ciarlo, beauty commerce writer
- Key Ingredients: Carnauba wax, glycerin, rice bran wax, panthenol
- Type: Mascara
- Finish: N/A
- Shades: 1
| Love It | Leave It |
|---|---|
| Lengthening and volumizing | Some report mild flaking |
| Nourishing and smudge-free formula |
