Elegant cream eyeshadow: E.L.F. Cosmetics No Budge Shadow Stick
These long-wear shadows, with a chubby crayon-like tip, offer fast, foolproof use and come in a range of matte and metallic shades. Most colors are lovely, but some are a little garish.
For people who are not particularly skilled at eyeshadow artistry, cream shadow sticks, such as the fan-favorite Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Waterproof Cream Eyeshadow Stick, are a game changer. But those can be six times the price of the E.L.F. Cosmetics No Budge Shadow Sticks, which offer essentially identical shimmery, blendable, long-wearing enhancement. Sadly the shade range is limited to just 16 (including the matte options), but Thrift Shop, a matte mushroom-taupe, is a go-to for three members of the beauty team.
Versatile shadow combos: Colourpop 9-Pan Palette
These richly pigmented powders blend and layer beautifully. The dozens of palette options are great for experimenting.
What’s nice about the Colourpop 9-Pan Palette isn’t just the quality of the powder — velvety, with a generous color payoff — but the color assortments, which are almost endless. (At the time of publication, 24 different 9-Pan Palettes are available on Colourpop’s website.) Deja Brew offers a dynamic range of both shimmery and matte taupes and browns ideal for pulling off in-depth contours, while Nude Mood gives Tarte’s Dream Always Eyeshadow Palette a run for its money. And the vibrant palettes are great for kids’ dance recitals and Halloween costumes, too — true-to-pan colors, minimal smudging— without breaking the bank.
Excellent everyday liquid liner: Nyx Professional Makeup Epic Ink Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner
With an especially fine, pliant brush tip, this liner is easy to maneuver. The opaque formula lasts all day, making this affordable pen perform well above its price range.
If you desire a precise slash of liner, the tool you’re working with makes a world of difference. We tried 45 for our guide to the best eyeliner, and — thanks to a flexible, tapered tip and rich black liquid with a quick dry-down time — the Nyx Professional Makeup Epic Ink Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner won out on almost every count. Testers appreciated that, unlike other cheap liquid liners, the pen felt weighty in the hand, which helped balance their grip while tracing a perfect wing. The liquid also flows evenly, so you won’t get any unsightly skips, splatters, or drag.
Subtle but volumizing brow gel: CoverGirl Clean Fresh Brow Enhancer Gel
The mini tapered spoolie grips individual hairs and coats them with clear gel for a soft hold and extra fullness (and no flakes).
Brow gels set your strands exactly where you want them, especially if they’re thick, curly, or unruly. Testers loved that CoverGirl Clean Fresh Brow Enhancer Gel is clear and colorless and has conditioning humectants that soften and plump hairs while also laying them flat. Best of all, it doesn’t cause any of the crunchiness or end-of-day flaking that we’ve experienced with lesser (though often more expensive) brow gels. One tester noted that the tiny, nimble brush is particularly helpful for lifting and shaping brow ends and tapered tails.
Shockingly precise brow pencil: Nyx Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil
This slim pencil has a precise tip that’s ideal for filling sparse patches with tiny, hair-like strokes. It comes in a dozen shades, so it’s easier to find a natural-looking match.
For sparse or over-plucked brows, it’s hard to do better than Nyx Professional Makeup Micro Brow Pencil. The twist-up tip is itty-bitty thin, which allows you to precisely define your brow’s shape and density. Admittedly, it took a tester two tries to find her proper shade among the dozen or so to choose from — ash blonde was too yellow, but taupe was just right. Other comparable drugstore brow pencils we’ve tried, like Revlon ColorStay Brow Pencil and Wet n Wild Ultimate Brow Retractable pencil, were good but not great, and they had prohibitively limited shade ranges. Most recently, we recommended the Nyx brow pencil to a friend who was undergoing chemotherapy, and she loves the believable extra fullness.
Best lengthening mascara: Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
With a nimble, bendy brush and a satin-slick formula, this mascara delivers long, perfectly delineated lashes.
Maybelline says its Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara is both volumizing and lengthening — but we found it to be truly exceptional at just the latter. We tested more than two dozen brands for our guide to mascara, and it’s the best drugstore option for creating long, deftly separated lashes in a shiny, believable black. Plus, it doesn’t transfer or crumble. It’s a hit with teens, too — we recently gifted the waterproof version to a high school swimmer, and she promptly sent us a text saying that her entire team had adopted the formula.
