PEOPLE's Beauty Awards: See Our Favorite Makeup Products of 2024!

With hundreds of blushes, foundations and more hitting our desks this year, we’ve spent months searching and swapping formulas to find the winners in the makeup category. What we found: Concealers that survived pretty tough conditions (eg: waiting for the NYC MTA subway in a heat wave), eyeliners with seriously impressive pigment, and lipsticks that are so long-wearing that only our award-winning makeup removers can remove them.

BEST PRIMER FOR BRONZING: Well People Bio Bronzing Priming Serum

Buy now for $25

This silky formula, which contains moisturizing aloe vera and nourishing jojoba oil, helps make-up last longer, and can be worn on its own to boost shine.

BEST MATTING PRIMER: Estée Lauder Double Wear Smooth & Blur Primer

Estée Lauder Double Wear Smooth & Blur Primer. Buy now for $45

Oily skin types loved how this lightweight formula diffused the appearance of their pores and kept skin shine-free all day.

THE BEST COMPLEXION ENHANCEMENT: Embryolisse Radiant Complexion Cream

Embryolisse cream for a radiant complexion. $32 on Amazon

With its light shade and hyaluronic acid formula, this breakthrough instantly refreshes a tired complexion.

BEST CONCEALER FOR DREAMS: Caliray Hideaway

Caliray Hideaway. Buy now for $28

“It’s like I’m cleaning dark circles with an eraser!” said one tester of this serum-like, color-correcting formula that comes in eight shades.

BEST CONCEALER: Tarte Creaseless Creamy Concealer

Tarte Creaseless Creamy Concealer. Buy now for $30

This waterproof formula, which stays on the skin for up to 12 hours, covers everything from acne to hyperpigmentation.

BEST SKIN SHADE: Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Enhancer Shade

Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Enhancer Color. Buy now for $49

If you like the “your skin but better” look, this shade is a must have. It blends easily, hydrates and soothes the skin.

BEST SATIN FINISH FOUNDATION: elf Cosmetics Soft Glam

Buy now for $8

Testers loved everything about this sub-$10 winner, from its “perfect coverage” to its “flawless finish.”

BEST BUTTER FOR A MATTE FINISH: MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15

MAC Cosmetics Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15. Buy now for $44

In addition to providing “great coverage,” our testers said this winner lasted “much longer” than other foundations.

BEST BUTTER STICK: Ilia Beauty Skin Rewind Complexion Stick

Ilia Beauty Skin Rewind Complexion Stick. Buy now for $48

Of all the stick powders that hit the shelves, this one impressed testers with its shade range, blendability and airbrushed effect.

BEST SETTING SPRAY: Nars Light Reflecting Makeup Setting Mist

Nars light reflecting mist for fixing make-up. Buy now for $36

“I didn’t know I needed fitting mist — now I’m hooked!” said one tester of this spray that keeps makeup in place while hydrating the skin.

BEST BLUSH IN STICK: Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Color Fuse Longwear Hydrating Glassy Lip Balm + Cheek Blush

Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Color Fuse Longwear moisturizing glass lip balm + blush in a stick. Buy now for $34

True to its name, this unique formula gives the skin the appearance of glass. And each of the seven vibrant shades is more fun to wear than the next.

BEST LIQUID BLUSH: Maybelline New York Sunkisser

Maybelline New York Sunkisser. Buy now for $10

This multipurpose liquid adds a sheer, shimmery veil to the cheeks. “It’s like having a golden hour filter in the tube,” said one tester.

BEST BLUSH IN POWDER: Guerlain Terracotta Blush

Guerlain Terracotta blush. Buy now for $55

After applying this pigmented powder, one tester reported that it “made me look more alive on Zoom than I have in a while.”

BEST CREAM BRONZER: Milani Cosmetics Cheek Kiss Cream Bronzer

Milani Cosmetics Cheek Kiss Cream Bronzer. $13 at Milanicosmetics.com

Some matte bronzers can leave skin looking muddy. But the four flattering shades of this blendable formula warm up your complexion.

BEST BRONZER IN POWDER: Armani beauty Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder

Armani beauty Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder. Buy now for $58

This buttery powder creates such a naturally sun-kissed effect that one tester said she looked like she’d just stepped off the beach.

BEST LIQUID BRONZER: Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Bronzing & Shaping Serum

Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt Bronzing & Shaping Serum. Buy now for $36

This versatile fluid delivers a bronzed glow whether applied to bare skin over foundation.

BEST HIGHLIGHTER: Patrick Ta Beauty Major Glow Highlighter Duo

Patrick Ta Beauty Major Glow Highlighter Duo. Buy now for $40

Apply the cream over the powder for glowing cheeks. “Sparkle is the chef’s kiss,” one tester said of the combination.

BEST EYESHADOW PALETTE: SKKN By Kim Classic Mattes Eyeshadow

SKKN By Kim Classic Mattes eye shadow. Buy now for $50

Nobody knows glam like Kim Kardashian, so it’s no surprise that she’s scored with this collection of 12 warm and cool nude shadows.

BEST SHADOW IN POWDER: Dior Diorshow Mono Couleur

Dior Diorshow Mono Couleur. Buy now for $35

If you want to splurge on an eyeshadow you’ll wear non-stop, this is it. It is long lasting and the packaging is so luxurious.

BEST CREAM EYE LINER: Bobbi Brown Cosmetics Long Lasting Stick Eye Liner

Bobbi Brown Cosmetics long-lasting eyeliner in stick. Buy now for $34

“Perfection in one stroke!” said one tester of this “dreamy” coating that goes on “so smoothly.”

BEST LIQUID EYELINER: Make Beauty Liquid Line

Make a Beauty Liquid Line. Buy now for $23

The fine brush helped one tester create a “lovely” winged effect, while another said the formula “delivered on its smudge-proof promise.”

BEST VOLUME MASCARA: Lancôme Hypnôse Drama

Lancôme Hypnôse Drama. Buy now for $33

With this winner, it’s all about the curved brush. The outer bristles define the lashes, while the inner bristles build them up.

BEST MASCARA IN TUBING: Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-Eyes

Charlotte Tilbury Exaggerated Eyes. Buy now for $29

Our testers rated this new tube mascara #1, thanks to how well it curled and plumped without any flaking.

BEST EYEBROW GEL: elf Cosmetics Brow Laminating Gel

elf Cosmetics eyebrow lamination gel. Buy now for $8

It transfers to white but dries completely sheer and helps you get that full and feathery brow look that’s so intimate now.

BEST EYEBROW PENCIL: WYN Beauty Taking Shape Eyebrow Pencil

WYN Beauty Taking Shape eyebrow pencil. Buy now for $19

“Serena Williams has been successful with this product,” said one tester of the tennis star’s brand of angled tip pen.

BEST LIP LINER: A glossier lip line

A glossier lip line. Buy now for $18

One tester noted that the neutral shades of this creamy pencil are so universal that they match flawlessly with all the lipsticks she already owns.

BEST MATTE FINISHING LIPSTICK: Prada Monochrome Hyper Matte

Prada Monochrome Hyper Matte. Buy now for $50

Expectations (and price) were high, but testers said between the “amazing” colors and the “fantastic” transfer-proof formula, it was worth the splurge.

BEST SHINE FINISH LIPSTICK: Tom Ford Slim Lip Color Shine

Tom Ford Slim Color Shine. Buy now for $50

“It was love at first sight,” said one tester of the “silky, smooth and striking” lipstick in this chic elongated tube.

BEST LIQUID LIPSTICK: Revlon ColorStay Limitless Matte

Revlon ColorStay Limitless Matte. Buy now for $14

It claims to stay in place for 24 hours, but one tester joked that it would probably last three days because it “really lasts through everything.”

BEST LIP GLOSS: Jillian Dempsey Lip Gloss

Jillian Dempsey lip gloss. Buy now for $26

Gloss is back in beauty, and this one gives you all the shine you remember, but without the stickiness.

BEST LIP OIL: YSL Beauty Loveshine Stick Lip Oil

YSL Beauty Loveshine lip oil in stick. Buy now for $45

If you want the color of a lipstick but with the smooth feel of an oil, this one is for you. It glides on the lips and adds tons of shine.

BEST TINTED LIP BALM: Pixi +Hydra LipTreat

Pixi + Hydra LipTreat. Buy now for $8

One tester, a self-proclaimed “balm expert,” said she loved the version’s “fun color selection, super-moisturizing formula, and eye-catching packaging.”

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education