26 best makeup buys topping the GLAMOUR Beauty Power List Awards 2022
If there’s one thing we can be certain of, it’s that GLAMOUR readers are pretty makeup obsessed. Whether you’ve been influenced to buy a primer thanks to millions of reviews on TikTok, convinced to try a beauty editor’s must-have mascara, or been sold on an old-favourite setting powder that’s in every makeup artist’s kit – you’ve proved you’re in the know with your winning votes.
With 26 makeup categories and a shortlist that already has the seal of approval from our panel of experts including visionary makeup artist Val Garland and iconic celebrity makeup artist Nikki Wolff, you know the GLAMOUR Beauty Power List Awards 2022 will bring you the best-in-class when it comes to makeup.
Intrigued to see which makeup product made the cut? Scroll down to see our award-winning CC cream, blush, lip oil, brow gel and so much more… all voted for by the true beauty experts – YOU!
So, what are you waiting for? Check out the GLAMOUR Beauty Power List Awards 2022 ahead. Oh, and we sincerely apologise to your bank balance in advance! The next time you’re in need of a new lengthening mascara or trusty translucent powder, just check out these award winners (bookmark for reference), and you’ll never have purchase regret again.
We asked, our panel nominated, you voted and now we’ve awarded. Check out the rest of the GLAMOUR Beauty Power List Award Winners 2022.
Best makeup palette
Urban Decay Naked2 Basics Eyeshadow Palette, £26
This palette is the true definition of ‘If it’s not broke, then don’t fix it’. Beloved by makeup artists, bedroom beauty enthusiasts and beauty editors alike, it features six matte taupe shades that work with practically any eyeshadow look. The buttery texture, multi-purpose hues and sleek compact make it a winner with a whopping 47.4% of the votes.
Shortlist:
Natasha Denona Glam Face Palette, £51
Best full-coverage foundation
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-In-Place Makeup SPF10, £37.50
Staying power for 24 hours, over 60 shades, matte, buildable finish – no we’re not reciting some mythical too-good-to-be-true foundation, but instead the incredible winner of the full-coverage foundation category.
In fact, this Estée Lauder hero product is so good that it's a GLAMOUR Beauty Power List Award winner for the fifth year in a row! Loved by makeup artists as a staple in their kit and beauty enthusiasts as a foundation they can truly count on.
Shortlist:
Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation, £37
Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation, £36
L’Oréal Infallible 24H Fresh Wear Foundation In A Powder, £12.99
Best light-to-buildable-coverage foundation
For those who like a foundation that doesn’t give quite as much coverage, but still needs to be durable and breathable, GLAMOUR readers have awarded Dior Forever Skin Glow as the very best. It gives you a true lit-from-within radiance, with 24-hour wear and a hydrating, comfortable finish. Ideal for those who love the lightweight, dewy look.
Shortlist:
The Ordinary Serum Foundation, £6.40
Best tinted/BB/CC cream
It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC+ Full Coverage Cream, £33
There’s a reason that this CC cream is a firm favourite among beauty lovers – you just can’t beat it. It’s full-coverage, a little goes a long way (which helps out our pockets), it has an SPF50 for that little extra protection and it’s non-irritating.
It’s a product loved by people with a range of skin types and conditions, thanks to a formula packed full of skin-loving ingredients, such as niacinamide, peptides and hyaluronic acid, and its ability to easily improve the appearance of dark spots, redness and imperfections – all whilst still looking natural.
Shortlist:
Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer Oil Free Natural Skin Perfector, £36
Best under-eye concealer
Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Eraser Multi-Use Concealer, £8.99
If you want quick, impressive results with little effort, that’s exactly what the Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Eraser Multi-Use Concealer delivers – and you all agree. This smart crease-resistant, hydrating and long-lasting formula won with a huge 47.7% of votes, proving it deserves every accolade. Oh, and to add to its winning list of traits, it’s also entirely vegan.
Shortlist:
Anastasia Beverly Hills Magic Touch Concealer, £16.20
Best spot concealer
Nars Soft Matte Complete Concealer, £24
You’re running out the door for work, already late for a big meeting and you notice a gigantic hormonal spot making an appearance – you need something super quick and reliable to dab on and go. That’s exactly what this smart, full-cover pot of wonder does. It has a thick, oil-free consistency, which is long-lasting and non-drying to ensure spots stay covered all day long.
After all, when it comes to covering breakouts and spots, all you want is something you can count on and that’s exactly what this is. And if that wasn’t enough, it works brilliantly to disguise dark circles, imperfections and block out areas of the face for creative and SFX makeup.
Shortlist:
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer Duo, £28
Best highlighter
Dior Backstage Glow Face Palette, £36
This multitasker is the glow-giver of dreams. It comes in three palette shades: 001 (a mix of iridescent pearl, pink and bronzes), 002 (a mix of peach, bronze and gold hues), and 003 (a mix of dazzling yellow and warm golds). Honestly, they’re almost too pretty to use, but once you dust any of the shades on your cheekbones, you’ll be transported to a dreamy tropical destination.
We challenge you to find a prettier glow face palette… We’ll wait.
Shortlist:
Fenty Beauty Liquid Killawatt Fluid Freestyle Highlighter, £24
Best blush
Benefit Wanderful World Powder Blush, £27.50
Forget heavy powder blush, this silky version gives a natural flush of colour with a soft-focus matte finish after just one dusting. There are 11 shades to perfectly complement your skin tone. Each powder is non-comedogenic so works for all skin types and is humidity, sweat and smudge-resistant, so you can count on it to look perfect all day long.
Shortlist:
Best bronzer
Guerlain Terracotta The Bronzing Powder, £40
Winning for another year in a row is the bronzer that never fails to impress us. Forget looking orange, streaky or muddy, this glides onto the skin effortlessly to give a perfectly bronzed complexion – with six shades to choose from. Plus, the power compact smells incredible!
Shortlist:
Huda Beauty Tantour Contour & Bronzer, £28
Best contour
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Contour Wand, £29
Winning with a whopping 59.4% of votes is the contour wand we’ve all come to know and love (read: become utterly obsessed with). It’s super easy to apply thanks to its sponge applicator, blends out seamlessly and is buildable so works for all occasions. This smart wand sculpts cheekbones whilst adding a gorgeous glow.
Shortlist:
Armani Neo Nude Melting Colour Balm, £32
Best primer
Elf Poreless Putty Primer, £8.90
When it comes to Elf, there’s one thing we often find ourselves saying: “TikTok made us do it” – and guess what? When the products are this good, we never regret it. This product is practically magic in a pot. It gives the appearance of disappearing pores, delivers a velvety base for makeup to glide effortlessly on top of and it helps makeup stay put all day. Oh, and a tub will last you forever.
Shortlist:
NYX The Marshmellow Primer, £15
Best setting powder
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, £34
There are certain products that you’ll find in every makeup artist’s kit and this is one of them. The oldest trick in the makeup book to help skin look airbrushed and make it last all day is a dusting of translucent powder to set everything in place. Laura Mercier’s is a winner for so many skin types thanks to its finely milled formula, which gives up to 16-hour wear, without skin ever looking cakey. It comes in three shades: original, honey and medium deep.
Shortlist:
Revolution Baking Powder, £5.99
Givenchy Prisme Libre Matte-Finish & Enhanced Radiance Loose Powder, £45
Best brush range
Real Techniques Everyday Essentials Set, £20.99
Makeup brushes come and go, but there’s one constant that never fails us: Real Techniques. Winning by a huge 69.3% of votes is the Everyday Essentials. This set comes with the 400 Blush Brush, 300 Deluxe Crease Brush, Miracle Complexion Sponge, 402 Setting Brush, and 200 Expert Face Brush so that you can buff, stipple, dab and blend to perfection.
Shortlist:
MyKitCo My Essential Brush Set, £75
Best eyelash curlers
Tweezerman Rose Gold Classic Lash Curler, £18
When it comes to eyelash curlers, you really want a brand you can trust. This pair has thick rounded pads to keep lashes feeling comfy and free from irritation, a curved edge to catch each and every lash, and easy-to-hold handles – all in a gorgeous rose-gold design.
Shortlist:
Best lip care
Weleda Skin Food Lip Balm, £6.95
Dry, chapped lips, meet your new BFF. Just like the Skin Food original moisturiser does to our dehydrated skin, this balm will cure even the driest of lips. It contains a blend of lanolin, botanical extracts and natural oils to nourish and soothe the lips whilst giving a glass-like sheen. This gives immediate relief without feeling heavy or sticky.
Shortlist:
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask, £19
Best bold lip colour
Move over matte finish, we only want to use moisture-mattes these days. Yep, you heard that right, a moisture-matte – everything you love about a matte-finish lipstick without any drying whatsoever. It’s incredibly comfortable, doesn’t feel heavy and gives long-lasting colour. Each of the 22 shades is highly pigmented and gives a blurred powder-like finish.
Shortlist:
Lancôme L’Absolu Rouge Cream Lipstick, £28.50
Uoma Beauty Badass Icon Matte Lipstick, £21.50
Maybelline Superstay Vinyl Ink Longwear Liquid Lipcolor, £11.99
Best glossy lip product
The clue is in the name, once you try this, you’ll be addicted (along with the rest of the entire collection). Infused with cherry oil, this lip glow is ultra-nourishing and leaves lips feeling hydrated but not sticky. It comes in seven shades – pink, coral, berry, raspberry, rosewood, cherry and clear – to suit all skin tones and occasions, and it works perfectly on its own or over the top of your favourite lipstick.
Shortlist:
Too Faced Lip Injection Maximum Plump, £24
Best lip liner
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil, £16.50
This colour pencil is the ultimate all-in-one product. It can be used to fill, line and shade your eyes, lips, and brows. We particularly love it for lips as it can be layered for the ultimate statement lip or worn alone for an understated look. The formula is ultra-creamy and the shades are highly pigmented making it a super versatile product.
Shortlist:
Best brow pencil/pen
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz, £23
This does exactly what it promises – makes you a total brow wiz. The fine nib makes it easy to swipe on hair-like strokes, filling in your brows without ever going OTT accidentally. The dual-ended product also comes with a handy brow brush so you can brush through your detailing. It comes in 12 shades, so you never have to settle for the wrong hue.
Shortlist:
Maybelline Tattoo Brow Micro Pen, £9.99
Best brow gel
Benefit 24-Hr Brow Setter, £23.50
Love that laminated-brow look that doesn’t budge all day? This is the ultimate brow-setting gel and clocked 46% of the vote. It’s flake-free, completely clear (no white residue here) and flexible enough to not leave brows feeling like they’ve been glued to your face.
Shortlist:
Best mascara
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara, £19.98
This mascara isn’t called sensational for nothing! Delivering incredible length and just enough volume without being clumpy, there’s a reason this mascara is in almost every beauty lover’s makeup bag and is scooping this award for the second time! Its tower brush means each and every lash is coated and its inclusion of bamboo extract in the formula means lashes are sky high and not weighed down throughout the day.
Shortlist:
Best waterproof mascara
Lancôme Lash Idôle Waterproof, £24
If you like drama when it comes to your lashes, then this is just the ticket. The curved wand made up of 125 different sized bristles and 360 micro bristles, allows you to easily coat each lash minus the clumps, for full, fanned out lashes with 24 hour, water and smudge resistant staying power.
Shortlist:
Too Faced Better Than Sex Waterproof Mascara, £25
Best pencil eyeliner
Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil, £18
Easy-to-use, long-wearing (seriously, we mean long-wearing, you’re going to need a good cleanser to remove this at the end of the night) and the most incredible shade range is what you’ll find with these pencils. They’re effortless to apply and are easy to smudge and buff before drying down to a budge-proof finish. With a whopping 42 shades, which is your favourite?
Shortlist:
Tom Ford Emotionproof Liner, £35
Best liquid eyeliner
L’Oréal Paris Flash Cat Eye By Superliner, £8.99
Getting the perfect cat’s eye is difficult enough, so you want a product you can rely on to truly make the task as easy as possible. This liner glides on, is super pigmented and lasts all day long.
Shortlist:
Collection Fast Stroke Long Wear Liner, £3.99
Best eyeshadow
There’s a reason Mac’s eyeshadows always come out on top – the iconic formulas never fail to impress. They’re highly pigmented and are a dream to blend out, making light work of shadow application. With over 90 shades to choose from, whether you’re doing an understated smoky eye or going all out for a creative look, you’re guaranteed to find your perfect hue.
Shortlist:
Shiseido Pop PowderGel Eye Shadow, £23
Best false lashes
Eylure ProMagnetic Eyeliner & Lash System, £20
Let’s be real: false eyelashes aren’t always the easiest to apply so when innovations come out that make this step even a tiny bit easier, we’re on board. These lashes adhere to your skin without any glue needed, thanks to a smart magnet eyeliner. Simply apply the eyeliner along your lash line as you would regular liner and then attach your false lashes. Perfect if you’re sensitive to lash glue!
Shortlist:
Abby Roberts X Tatti Lashes Evolution, £9
