Plus, a filter-like foundation and more beauty editor-approved finds.
Tamim is beauty commerce writer at InStyle, with nearly a decade of experience writing about beauty, fashion, wellness, and music. Concealer Blending Brush
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Courtesy of Tamim Alnuweiri / Anastasia Beverly Hills / Glo Skin Beauty / About Face
I tested an exceptionally large number of makeup products in December, which was in part due to the splendor and celebration that accompanied the holiday season, as well as an influx of product launches for the new year. The good news is that 2024 is definitely shaping up to be a year full of innovative, high-performing beauty products. Amidst all the newness I tried older products, too — ones I meant to test earlier in the year and finally got around to.
Out of the 80 makeup products I tested, there were seven standouts, ranging from About-Face’s very new The Performer Foundation to Christian Louboutin’s eye-opening mascara. Below, check out the full list that includes brands like Glo Skin and Pat McGrath, and discover more about my recent obsessions — starting at $19.
I am prone to hyperboles, but I am not exaggerating when I say that I have been waiting for About-Face to launch a complexion product since the brand itself launched in 2021. If you’ve been here before, you know that I am obsessed with the pigment, ease, quality, and lasting power of About-Face’s previous products — and this one continues the brand’s winning streak.
The foundation comes in an expansive 45 shade range and is packaged in a bottle with a doe foot applicator (which is more commonly seen with concealers). I tried three shades, and though they could have all worked, I found my perfect match with LM1 Neutral. In fact, it’s possibly the most accurate shade match I’ve ever found, and I credit the brand’s superb attention to undertones for that.
The formula starts out feeling a little thick upon first application, but becomes buttery smooth and easily blendable as it warms up on your skin. A few brush strokes later my skin went from being dotted with redness, dark spots, and cavernous pores to literally flawless yet still natural-looking. (My nightmare is to have skin so pristine and cakey that I look like I’m in a child beauty pageant.) It’s also formulated with more than 17 skincare ingredients including skin-firming chlorella, calming wintergreen, and plumping blue agave.
Left: Before. Right: Wearing About-Face The Performer Foundation in LM1 Neutral, Christian Louboutin Les Yeux Noirs Lift Ultima Mascara, Anastasia Beverly Hills liquid lipstick in Peachy Nude, Pat Mcgrath blush in Divine Rose, and Rituel de Fille highlighter in Anthelion.
The mention of a matte liquid lipstick might be traumatizing if you partook in the trend in the early 2010s. For a while, applying thick liquid lipstick that made your lips creaseless and look like dry, flat pieces of paper was all the rage. That was the very image that came to mind when I heard about Anastasia Beverly Hills’ new liquid lipstick, but I persevered and tried it out, anyways.
Thank goodness I did, because I love her! The formula has a mousse-like feel that doesn’t dry my lips out like the Sahara desert, but still makes my pout look three dimensional. It comes in six neutral shades and reminds me of my favorite Naomi Campbell beauty looks of the ‘90s. I have been reaching for it nonstop despite the basket of 40-plus lipsticks at my disposal.
There’s not a lot to say about Pat McGrath Labs’ Divine Powder Blush — and that is a good thing. It is simply good at its job. It’s super pigmented (I use a very light-handed sweep of the product), looks evenly diffused on skin, and makes me feel like I have Bella Hadid-esque cheekbones (emphasis on the “esque”). Cream blush formulas have reigned supreme for the last few years, but this Pat McGrath product has swayed me back to the powdered side.
Shop more of my favorite makeup products from December, below.
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