29 Makeup Essentials That Have Changed Our Lives

“Since I'm pretty basic with eyeshadow—all I do is dust whatever remaining bronzer lingers on my brush—my waterline or lashes is where I really like to experiment. Whenever I'm not rocking a blue eyeliner, you can find me in this blue mascara. I saw a fellow editor wearing the YSL Lash Clash mascara in blue and immediately needed to get my hands on it. The color is vibrant and brightens my eyes to give me an effortless, editorial makeup look even if I'm only going to the office.”—Nerisha Penrose, ELLE.com beauty commerce editor

Size: 0.3 oz

“I'm not impressed by most concealers these days, but this one from Haus Labs stopped me in my tracks. The hydrating, good-for-you formula—niacinamide and hyaluronic acid are the stars here—doesn't cling to dry patches and crack, especially after I bake and set my under-eye area.”—Nerisha Penrose

Size: 0.24 oz

“When I really love a product, I won't ever shut up about it. I already wrote about my love for the Ami Cole Skin-Enhancing Foundation Stick in great detail, and I'm still in love with it to this day. After a few hours of wear, my skin looked incredible, almost like I was walking around with the "subtle" Instagram filter (you know the one!).”—Nerisha Penrose

Size: 0.28 oz

“Danessa Myricks’ Yummy Skin Blurring Balm Powder in Universal has been life-changing to my makeup routine. I wear it underneath as a primer, and on days when my skin is oily, it’s perfect for spot correcting so you can still have a dewy look—just in all the right places.” —Danielle James, digital beauty director

Size: 0.63 oz.

“Bobby Brown’s Neutralizer Pencil is now my go-to color corrector. Often, you get creases and cakey concealer because you have too much product under your eyes. This neutralizer pencil uses minimal product to correct imperfections, and any concealer can sit beautifully on top. This is not to be used when you are in a rush. This product will pill if your skincare isn’t perfectly dry and soaked into your skin.” —Danielle James

Size: 0.1 oz.

“I know the One/Size Setting Spray is sold out everywhere—so I recommend you try this O.G. formula. The Kryolan setting spray is popular with Broadway stars, so you can be confident that your full glam will last the entire workday and happy hour drinks that turn into dinner. I swear by this setting spray.” —Danielle James

Size: 2.54 fl. oz.

“Benefit Fan Fest mascara is perfect for my curly eyelashes. The formula is great for layering to create the perfect doll-like lashes. The wand separates your lashes beautifully—no clumping here! No matter what my mascara cocktail is, Fan Fest is always involved.” —Danielle James

Size: 0.3 oz.

“This lip oil is juicy, moisturizing, pigmented, and most importantly (to me), not sticky. The shade Can’t Miss is The Lip Bar founder Melissa Butler's favorite, and it’s easily mine, too. It’s the perfect desaturated mauve—and as the name suggests, it really can’t miss.” —Carol Lee, ELLE.com associate beauty e-commerce writer

Size: 0.34 fl. oz.

“Gucci Westman, the makeup artist behind Westman Atelier, deals with rosacea, so she knows what it’s like to have sensitive skin. It’s no wonder this combination of complexion products leaves my redness-prone skin polished, spotless, and glowing, almost like I’m not wearing makeup at all. I don’t think the foundation stick in particular will ever leave my makeup pouch.” —Carol Lee

“Mascara is hands down one of the most important products in my makeup routine. Since I don’t wear eyeshadow on a daily basis, it’s all on mascara to define my eyes and help me look more awake. As a result, I’ve always loved trying out new mascaras, but after applying the GXVE BY GWEN STEFANI mascara, I no longer feel a persistent itch to find the next best thing. It’s everything I wished for and more: a formula that creates falsie-like length and volume, ultra-black pigment, and a plastic wand with a rounded tip designed for precision. I also find that it rarely smudges on me—a major feat, especially since non-waterproof mascaras wash away easily with just cleanser and water.” —Carol Lee

Size: 0.27 oz.

“Before this balm came into my life, it took a lot of effort for me to get the barely there, ‘effortless’ blotted lip effect. I’d have to spend at least a couple of minutes applying thin layers of my lipstick, dabbing them with a tissue, and topping it off with a setting powder. But no more—a few swipes of this balm give me the look without all the work. What blows my mind is that even though it’s blurring and completely matte, the formula glides over chapped lips and moisturizes them all day.” —Carol Lee

Size: .08 oz.

“This is my never-leave-the-house-without-it product; I’m constantly losing track of my glosses because I’m moving them from backpack to purse to tote bag. I wasn’t even a lip-gloss girl until Tower 28. Most formulas I came across were too sticky, too pigmented, or too dehydrating—but the ShineOn Lip Jelly avoids all these pitfalls, plus it layers beautifully over lip liner or matte lipstick. There are days when I wear little more than tinted sunscreen and a swipe of ShineOn, and often, that’s when I look and feel my best.” —Lauren Puckett-Pope, ELLE.com culture writer

Size: 0.13 oz.

“I've never been an orange blush girl until this one from Rare Beauty stole my heart. One dot is all I need to create a soft flush on my cheeks, so that should tell you how pigmented this blush is. Selena Gomez, A+ in my book!!” —Nerisha Penrose

Size: 0.25 oz.

“Small but mighty! I've tried a lot of different concealers in my life and most of them never fully covered up my dark circles. The key, it turns out, was to first apply a peach under-eye corrector, and then, boom! Gone. The Bobbi Brown eye corrector is slightly tacky but, surprisingly layers well with other products. It's been my go-to for years now.” —Leah Romero, ELLE.com senior digital designer

Size: 0.05 oz.

“I lean more dewy than matte, but a light dusting of powder is a must-have for my T-zone. I hate the chalky finish most powders have, but this one is super smooth, barely-there but erases any oily spots while still leaving my skin hydrated.” —Tatjana Freund, fashion and luxury commerce editor

Size: o.33 oz.

"As someone who can never say no to a vacation, Charlotte Tilbury's cream bronzer remains a constant in my rotation for those days when I want to mimic a post-OOO glow. Where many cream bronzers give a muddy finish, one swipe of this is all you need to chisel those cheekbones and add dimension back to your face." —Nerisha Penrose

Size: 0.74 fl. oz.

“I believe a bright, bold red lip is appropriate no matter the occasion: work, home, dinner, parties, gym (yes, the gym!). This Maybelline lipstick in Endless Raisin is my go-to color. It slides on easy and doesn’t smudge.” —Rose Minutaglio, ELLE.com senior editor

Size: 0.12 oz.

“When I first showed up to Sania's Brow Bar, my left eyebrow was noticeably smaller than my right one. Fortunately, founder Sania Vucetaj, aka NYC's resident brow wizard, took pity on me and introduced me to this genius brow pencil. Equipped with an angled applicator and unique formulation, this handy tool not only evened out my brows—it made them look natural. All hail.”—Claire Stern, ELLE.com digital director

Size: 0.0088 oz.

“This is, by far, the best foundation I’ve found for my combination skin. The formula blends effortlessly, goes on smooth but dewy, and stays in place all day, even if I (yikes) rub at my face. You can wear it multiple days in a row without the cream causing breakouts, plus the moisturizing hyaluronic acid in the formula means even dry patches will be happy.” —Lauren Puckett-Pope

Size: 1 oz.

“I challenge you to find a One/Size product you don't like. I'll wait. Trust me, there's a One/Size product out there for everyone, and the pink setting powder is my obsession (and TikTok's). I love a bright under-eye, so I love reaching for this powder to dust over a brightening concealer to seal the deal. The pink tint accentuates my concealer and leaves an airbrushed, soft filter-like finish.”—Nerisha Penrose

Size: 1.2 fl. oz.