My favorite makeup products of 2024

the edit of the makeup I loved and used the most in 2024

2024 was quite a year for beauty in what I think may have been the height of makeup hype, launches, and frenzied review - though I am watching with anticipation for what is to come in the next year.

Let’s look back at some of my favorite products of the past year! I’ve included favorites for each makeup category based on favorite products launched in 2024, as well as tried and true favorites from over the years. I didn’t have a 2024 product launch for every single category, but I can certainly tell you that what’s in this very pared down list are my most reached for products from the past year (she says with over 60 products to talk about).

This post contains far too many products for a single email so I suggest reading this in your browser to get the full experience!

I’m also working on a part 2 with skincare, bodycare, and fragrances so stay tuned for all the other fun goodies!

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MAKEUP

Base

Primer -

• Sisley Double Tenseur Instant and Long-Term Lifting Primer - great for instant smoothing and lifting and grips onto makeup to make it last all day. My go-to for special occasions and long days.

• Glow Recipe Strawberry Pore Smooth Blur Drops - this serum formula is my favorite for oil control and blurring, especially in humid weather.

Foundation -

• 2024 release:

  • Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint - a light coverage skin tint with super natural and slightly blurring finish, plus it has great shades for olive undertones. I wear shade T9.

  • Prada Reveal Skin Optimizing Soft Matte Foundation - an exceptional medium coverage finish that makes my skin look filtered with a soft matte finish that still lets in my natural glow. It wears beautifully in the winter or summer. I wear shade MN45.

• Chanel Water Fresh Tint - still my go to super light skin tint whether I’m having a minimal makeup day or mixing it into heavier coverage foundations to give it some more emollience. The water-based formula makes my skin look healthy and radiant without getting greasy. I wear shade Medium.

• Fenty Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint - a skin tint somewhere between light and medium coverage that has a lightly matte finish and is very blurring on my skin. It also has a great wear time even on humid days. I wear shade 7.

• Surratt Dew Drop Foundation (code STEPH15 for 15% off)- everytime I wear this I can’t stop marveling at how good my skin looks. It has a satin finish that wears beautifully through long days and hot weather, and it blends into my skin so well. I wear shade 5 in the winter and shade 8 in the summer.

Corrector -

• Bobbi Brown Stick Corrector in Light Peach - creamy medium coverage that is a lighter option to their cream corrector and much more wearable for me, plus the stick applicator is much easier for application.

• Exa High Fidelity Corrector This one is so effective at correcting my dark circles with just a tiny dot of product. I do find that I need to use a brush or sponge to apply this rather than fingers, but I make an exception for this incredible formula. I use the shade Peach.

Concealer -

• 2024 release: Fenty Beauty We’re Even Concealer - has a light and silky formula with medium coverage that is hydrating. It blends without being too emollient or moving around everywhere and lasts all day without settling into my lines. My shades are 200C as a dual corrector/concealer or 190W on top of a corrector.

• Tower 28 Swipe All Over Concealer in EP - my everyday go-to for easy blendability, a slightly lighter side of medium coverage, and natural finish on my skin.

• Runner up: Westman Atelier - this relative newcomer has a beautiful pigmented and creamy texture that allows for precise application, and it sets fairly quickly without falling into any fine lines. I haven’t used this enough to make it a tried and true holy grail but it definitely has potential! I wear shade L4.

Powder - By Terry Hyaluronic Hydra Powder (code BEAUTYUNHYPED for 15% off)- Still my absolute favorite for a completely undetectable finish with mattifying and blurring properties without being drying or flat.
Runner up - Laura Mercier Ultra Blur Translucent Setting Powder - Nearly as undetectable as the By Terry with a similar soft focus finish, but with just a touch less oil control properties .(p.s. This is 30% off right now in a set that comes with the puff)

Cheeks

Cream/Liquid Bronzer or Contour-

• Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick - my go to for cream contour, and the slight warmth can make it double as a bronzer without having a hint of orange. I use Biscuit in the winter and Truffle in the summer.

• Runner Up: Ciele Bronze and Protect Bronzing Concentrate - This gives such a natural looking bronze, with a slightly more golden shade and then a deeper neutral shade. It’s a runner up only because it’s so pigmented it takes some care to apply a thin sheer layer so it’s not a slap on and go product.

Powder Bronzer - Victoria Beckham Matte Bronzing Brick - consistently my favorite for a buildable natural finish and its warming, but still neutral tones. I wear shade 02.

Cream/Liquid Blush -

• 2024 release:

  • Rhode Pocket Blush in Sleepy Girl or Toasted Teddy - a natural blurring finish that isn’t too dewy or too matte, easy to blend with a brush or fingers, and it lasts all day on my face.

  • Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue Liquid Blonzer - a light gel-cream liquid formula that feels lightweight and delivers a gorgeous dewy finish.

  • Runner up - Basma Beauty Cream Blush - fantastic formula that is sheer and buildable with a satin finish and is basically undetectable on my skin. If there were more brown neutral shades this would be a favorite! Mauve is my most used shade.

• Ciele Blush and Protect Liquid Blush in June - this liquid formula is so easy to use and blend out with a natural finish while lasting all day. The shade June is the only shade I really use and it’s a perfect brown-berry type of shade that acts as a bronzer.

• Phytosurgence Skin Spark Blush Balms - my most used cream blushes because of how creamy and blendable they are. I rotate through the many shades I have but I reach for Fume, Condensate, Exothermic, and Inferno the most.

Powder Blush -

• 2024 release -

  • Haus Labs Color Fuse Blush - a fantastic pigmented and smooth blush formula that lasts all day on my skin. Plus, the shades are gorgeous! Fire Moon is my favorite, especially in the summer.

  • Nars Powder Blush - this newly reformulated blush is so fine and weightless with a buildable formula, and the large shade range means there’s a shade for a super minimal nude blush lover or a bolder and deeper look.

• Dior Rosy Glow Blush in Mahogany - a super pigmented brown blush that adds a hint of dimension. It layers well over cream blushes and lasts all day even on its own. I love the other shades as well!

• Surratt Artistique Blush in La Rosee du Soir (STEPH15 for 15% off) - one of the silkiest, smoothest power formulas that melts right into the skin, and La Rosee du Soir is the perfect barely there rosy beige.

Cream/Liquid Highlighter -

• Chanel Baume Essentiel Highlighting Stick - great for adding a healthy glow onto your face with minimal shimmer (or none for the transparent shade). Great for faking a full night of sleep by giving your skin a little bit of life.

• Salt New York Radiant Highlighter (UNHYPED10 for 10% off) - my go-to everyday highlighter for a lightly shimmery highlight that is subtle but still gives a bit of dimension to my face. Beige is my favorite shade but I also wear Pearl in the winter.

• Westman Atelier Super Loaded Highlighter in Peau de Peche - a dry cream formula that melts right into my skin, and Peau de Peche triples as a bronzer, blush, and highlighter for me.

Eyes

Cream/liquid eyeshadow -

• Chanel Stylo Ombre Eyeshadow in Contour Clair - a creamy, but not super emollient, stick eyeshadow that blends out easily and lasts all day. Contour Clair is my ideal everyday cool taupe brown shade.

• Make Beauty Eye Shaping Stylos - a slightly creamier and more emollient cream eyeshadow formula that still lasts all day and comes in a great variety of neutrals.

• Phytosurgence Flash Florescence Eyeshadow - stunning longwear cream eyeshadow formulas with shades and tones that are beautiful for olive skin, a huge range of shimmery neutrals and glitters. My favorite shades are Magnetic Maple, Mellow Mycenium, Precious Pollen, and Defiant Dahlia.

• Sisley Ombre Eclat Liquid Eyeshadow - these are a longwearing liquid eyeshadow with just the right amount of soft shimmer for a light wash of color that have an elegant finish but never looks like too much.

Eyeshadow Topper - usually I’ll use a glitter shade from whichever palette listed below, but for a specific glitter topper, these are my favorites:

• 2024 release: Patrick Ta Major Dimension Eye Illusion Eyeshadow Duo - the concentrated fine glitter without any fallout when I apply with my fingers is the real strength of this glitter, along with a range of shades that have more concentrated base pigment versus sheerer base pigment.

• Colourpop Super Shock Shadow in Ritz (code BEAUTYUNHYPED for $5 off $25)- still my most reached for glitter topper that goes with everything because of its neutral beige-tan shade and slight silver shimmer.

Small Eyeshadow palette (under 6 shades) -

• Dior Diorshow Eyeshadow Palette in Soft Cashmere and Poncho - each quint has the perfect mix of matte, shimmer, and glitter shades in various depths for a complete eye look. I wear Soft Cashmere in fall/winter and Poncho in Spring Summer.

• Natasha Denona My Mini Dream Eyeshadow Palette - a compact little palette containing taupe neutral shades with all the shades I need for an everyday look, plus a couple shimmers.

• Surratt Beyond Beige (code STEPH15 for 15% off) - a staple quad that is my go-to when I don’t know what I want to wear. Super soft and silky eyeshadow with an elegant, lightly shimmering finish, and the perfect selection of neutrals for an everyday look.

Large form eyeshadow palette -

• 2024 release: Sigma Beauty Cool Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette - an absolutely stunning palette with a mix of cool and warmer neutral matte and shimmer/glitter shades. My go to palette for nights out because the glitters can be built up for a more intense look.

• Natasha Denona I Need a Nude - this is just my ideal everyday nude palette that has a mix of true neutral and slightly warm, but not too warm-tone shades, plus a variety of different types of shimmer and glitter finishes.

Eyeliner -

• Lune and Aster Eyeliner in Copper - rich creamy, almost gel-like formula that glides on and blends out until it sets for an all day finish without any smudging or fading. Copper is my favorite shade and it’s actually a deep neutral brown with slight shimmer.

• Sephora Collection 12 Hour Contour Eyeliner in Stone - another creamy formula that sets down into a budge-proof finish and I find that Stone, a very deep brown-gray shade, gives my eyes the perfect amount of definition without being too intense.

Mascara -

• Heroine Make Volume and Curl Mascara - my holy grail for an all day curl and waterproof finish that will last through a torrential rainstorm.

• Surratt Noir Lash Tint (STEPH15 for 15% off) - holds my curl all day with a natural formula that really looks like a coat of lash tint while still providing some length and volume without every getting clumpy.

Lips

Settle in for this section because there’s a lot to love with lip products!

Lipliner -

• 2024 release: Lisa Eldridge Sculpt and Shade Lip Definer - a creamy pencil lip liner formula that deposits color in a buildable soft focus finish that subtly defines my lips, plus there’s a large selection of cool, neutral, and warm toned neutral shades in different depths.

• Victoria Beckham Lip Definer - my favorite lip liner with a soft glide formula that’s not too creamy and a variety of shades to define my lips.

• Runner Ups:

  • Fara Homidi Lip Pencil - I love the soft smudgy formula with the suede finish that is comfortable to wear for hours, thought I find the formula not quite as long-wearing as Lisa Eldridge or Victoria Beckham.

  • Glossier Lip Line - a creamy long-lasting formula makes this a reliable pencil to use everyday, though there are fewer shades that I’m really drawn to other than Flush.

Lip balm/lip treatment -

• 2024 release:

  • Eadem Le Chou Chou Lip Balm (code BEAUTYUNHYPED15 for 15% off) - a thick and cushiony lip formula that isn’t too heavy or sticky at all, with some light AHAs to help exfoliate your lips. Heavy enough to use as a night treatment but also very comfortable during the day. Comes in beautiful tinted shades as well as clear.

  • Phytosurgence Calm Conditions Lip Balm - a stick lip balm formula that provides a grippy cushiony layer that still feels thin with clear shades and beautiful muted pinks and browns.

• Rhode Lip Treatment - an easy everyday lip treatment formula to keep my lips hydrated with clear and sheer tints. Not quite heavy enough to heal cracked or bleeding lips quickly in the winter, but it’s my favorite for everyday maintenance.

• Runner up: Tower 28 LipSofties - a thin lip treatment that can quickly work wonders on my cracked and chapped lips but with the tinted shade it’s better to apply the formula in a lighter layer to keep the color from migrating. However, the scents and shades are lovely and inspired by Asian desserts!

Lipgloss -

• Chanel Rouge Coco Gloss - a well balanced gloss formula that’s not too thick, not too thin, and not too gloopy, and provides a sheer even layer of color that settles well into my lips rather than staying on top. Rose Naif and Noce Moscata are my favorite shades.

• Romand Glasting Color Gloss - a great gloss <$10 that comes in muted shades and a lightweight nourishing formula with some substance (aka not slippy or greasy), but not thick or heavy.

• Tom Ford Gloss Luxe Lip Gloss - my favorite lip gloss formula for years for a juicy formula that feels lightweight, almost like a gel cream, and has a glassy effect, and hydrates and lasts for hours.

Sheer Lipstick - 2024 release: Violette FR Bisou Jelly - the slightly shiny jelly balm formula became a fast favorite for its effortless sheer pigment and light moisture and shiny without being too shiny.

Lipstick

• 2024 release: YSL Beauty Loveshine Lip Oil Stick - this lip oil in a stick is so lightweight and comfortable but without the slippiness and greasiness that makes these types of formulas move around too much.

• Chanel Rouge Allure - an exceptional creamy satin lip formula that smooths lip lines with a thin layer of pigment, feels lightweight and hydrating, stays put without migrating, and lasts for hours. My favorite shade is Inattendu.

• Merit Signature Lip - a comfortable balmy satin lip formula with super flattering shades. One of my all time favorite lip formulas for its easy wear and balmy feel that just blends effortlessly into my lips.

• YSL Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick - a thick and nourishing formula that is really like lip gloss in a stick. It lasts for several hours on my lips, and basically every shade in this line is something I reach for.

• Runner up: Chanel Rouge Coco Flash - a super lightweight and sheer-light coverage formula makes this an easy everyday lip formula to wear that is slightly shiny and hydrating. It’s a runner up because even though it comes in a wide range of shades, it’s very red and pink heavy whereas I gravitate towards brown neutrals. However, the shade Moment was one of my most worn lipsticks in 2024.

Matte Lipstick

• 2024 release

  • Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Nuit Blanche - a super smooth and blurring satin-matte lip formula that still feels creamy rather than silicone-y or powdery, and this also lasts for several hours without touchups or feeling drying.

  • Merit Signature Lips Matte - a lightweight and buildable matte lip formula that is also super smooth with a soft matte finish, but still with that signature balmy feel that Merit lipsticks have.

Lip Stain: Victoria Beckham Bitten Lip Tint - this gel stain is still the most comfortable lip stain for me, and paired with the slightly sheer shades, it’s impossible to mess this up.

Liquid Lipstick:

• Dior Rouge Dior Forever Liquid Lacquer - the longest lasting glossy liquid lipstick I’ve used, with a magical ability to last through an entire night with food and still stay on while feeling comfortable.

• Chanel Ultra Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue - another longwear lipstick that can wear all day with a 2 step formula - a lip color, plus a gloss that locks in the formula with moisture. The gloss wears down after a couple hours but the color stays for hours afterward.

I’m also dying to know what your favorite products of the last year were - and I’m even more scared to know if I somehow missed something. Spill everything! What did you reach for the most? What were new launches that were highlights of the year?