As regular makeup users, with all the beauty products that pass through our desk, we’re bound to love some more than others. In this new feature which we’re calling “Editor’s Favorites,” we commend some of the products that we loved initially and continued to love (and use regularly) even after we’ve written about them.
So let’s get this list going, shall we? Here are our Editor’s Picks for Spring/Summer 2019.
OUR ORIGINAL RATING: 4.5 / 5
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CHOICE QUOTE: “Overall, the hype behind this product is real and justified, as this is a great buy that may benefit your makeup routine by a lot.”
While we’re not always the biggest fans of products that rely on the popularity of celebrities to sell, the Fenty Beauty brand by popstar Rihanna has certainly made a name for itself in the world of beauty. Among the brand’s products, the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, released as part of the brand’s very first collection, is also one of the brand’s most popular. This foundation has been praised for its inclusivity with a shade range that blows most other shade ranges out of the water. But besides that, this product just has a solid, long-lasting formula that keeps us coming back for more.
OUR ORIGINAL RATING: 4.3 / 5
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CHOICE QUOTE: “With 14 gorgeous colors and three different finishes, this is a palette that’s just begging to be played with.”
This is a summer-appropriate eyeshadow palette if there ever was one. Setting aside some (very minor formula-related) issues in this eyeshadow palette, it’s impressive all around. With this one set, you get some very cute colors (and finishes), and the best part is they’re all so easy to play around with because of their overall blendability. A great serve from Anastasia Beverly Hills.
OUR ORIGINAL RATING: 82 / 100
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CHOICE QUOTE: “All-in-all, The Benetint Cheek & Lip Stain is just pretty hard to beat. It has everything you could possibly need from this kind of product, with only minor drawbacks, really.”
Now, here’s a product that definitely isn’t new, but has survived the test of time since it was first released. The Benetint from Benefit Cosmetics has been around for more than forty years now, and even with nary a shift in its formula, it’s still one of Benefit’s bestselling products. We keep coming back to this one because of the sheer ease with which this product performs. This product livens barefaced looks with a natural flush that you can’t get with other creamier lip products or with powder blushes.
OUR ORIGINAL RATING: 80 / 100
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CHOICE QUOTE: “The actual formula truly does wonders. Despite being a powder, it still remains some semblance of creaminess that makes it comfortable to wear, and is very easy to blend onto the skin.”
Summer means tan is very, very in. Finding the bronzer for you might be a daunting task, BECCA Cosmetics puts its hat in the ring, and performs with great success. Traditionally, the brand is known for its highlighters, but it takes its “maximum glow” principle to this bronzer formula to make sure it illuminates on top of sculpting and leaving skin with a very believable tan. We love using this one because the way it presents on the skin is just so unique, effortlessly striking a balance between glamour and realism.
OUR ORIGINAL RATING: 70 / 100
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CHOICE QUOTE: “The Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow is a gloriously glamourous contouring palette that evokes Old Hollywood with its stylish, metallic Art Deco-inspired packaging.”
This product did not get the most favorable review from us—it was dragged down by its excessive $68.00 price point. While we think that concern is most definitely justified, we would be remiss to not talk about this product, especially with how regularly we end up using it. This is an absolutely gorgeous product packaged in a metal-finish case detailed to evoke the Art Deco style that embodies a specific glamourous Old Hollywood aesthetic. But as nice as it is to look at, its formula is the true (Film)star here. Containing both sculpting and highlighting powders, each of the shades is crafted for maximum output once applied to the skin. We’ve repeatedly gone back to this palette because it truly makes us look and feel gorgeous. We believe we scored it pretty fairly vis-à-vis its price point, but nonetheless, we continue to enjoy this product greatly.
OUR ORIGINAL RATING: 85 / 100
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CHOICE QUOTE: “Overall, this product works on multiple levels. As an inexpensive dupe for the Glossier Cloud Paint, it’s successful, but even then, it stands on its own as an all-around great blush product.”
The Flower Beauty Blush Bomb Color Drops Cream Blush is one of the first drugstore makeup products we ever reviewed here on the site, and we look back fondly upon that moment of discovery. While it’s widely seen as a dupe for the Glossier Cloud Paint, this is a product that works on its own merits. The packaging might have some very striking visual similarities, but at the end of the day, it just works so well—arguably even better than the Cloud Paint. After prolonged use, we still find ourselves impressed by how efficiently and easily this product works in getting just the right amount of tint onto the cheeks, which is why we just end up going to this cream blush on days we need easy makeup.
OUR ORIGINAL RATING: 4.5 / 5
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CHOICE QUOTE: “This product takes your eyelashes to a whole new level with rich color, full-on volumizing and even some lengthening to boot. For anyone that’s struggling to bring that glam to their eyelashes with their current mascaras, this product might well be worth a look (and purchase).”
Honestly, that this product works so well shouldn’t even come as a surprise. The Pat McGrath Labs brand is the brainchild of legendary makeup artist Pat McGrath, who ensures that every single one of their releases is truly top-notch. The brand’s FetishEYES™ Mascara is about as great as mascaras can get. This product serves up instant dramatic eyelashes without needing several coats of product. Sure, it can feel a little bit heavy, but so do falsies, and this mascara can replace those in a heartbeat in our book. Just a well-formulated and executed product overall.
OUR ORIGINAL RATING: 86 / 100
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CHOICE QUOTE: “Overall, this is just such an exciting product on the market, and we can’t wait for Fenty Beauty to do more with this line of products.”
Call us biased for having another Fenty Beauty product on here, but to us, if it works, it works. And this product doesn’t just work; in the words of Rihanna herself, this lip gloss does all the “work, work, work, work.” The Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer is a delight to use because of how great this makes one’s lips look, visually plumping them without having to resort to irritants or the like. We’re also happy at how long this wears, especially compared to other glosses. Overall, we stick to this product without hesitation because it’s just so effortless in how well it works.
