22 of the best makeup buys topping the Glamour Beauty and Wellness Awards 2024
If there's one thing we can be certain of, it’s that GLAMOUR readers are into makeup. Always on the lookout for new and note-worthy products, you’re able to filter out the best formulations from the rest. Whether it’s the blush that blew up on TikTok or the luxe lip oil that is worth the splurge – chances are you’ve tried it (or already own it).
With this impressive level of makeup know-how, we can trust you to select the worthy winners – especially when they’re from an expert-approved shortlist that has received the nod from pro makeup artists, including Lisa Eldridge, Ash K Holm and Harold James.
Spanning no fewer than 22 makeup categories, the GLAMOUR Beauty & Wellness Power List Awards 2024 is here to bring you the products that are so impressive they deserve a standing ovation. From foundation and concealer to brow and lip products, these are the makeup must-haves that came out on top…
Best makeup palette
This coveted palette guarantees a radiant glow with its combination of gold-speckled bronzers, blushers and highlighters. Powered by the brand’s ‘Photoluminescent Technology’, the powders capture and reflect surrounding light back onto the skin for a filter-like finish. Apply individually or swirl your brush through all the shades for a multidimensional glow.
Shortlist:
Make Up For Ever HD Skin All-In-One Face Palette
Makeup By Mario Master Mattes Eyeshadow Palette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Soft Glam Palette
Best full-coverage foundation
For a full-coverage foundation that feels extraordinarily lightweight on skin, look to your GLAMOUR Beauty Power List Awards winner for the seventh year in a row. Easy to build with a velvety matte finish, Estée Lauder’s unbeatable base (available in 60 flattering shades) refuses to go patchy – even after hours of wear.
Shortlist:
Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation
Il Makiage Woke Up Like This Flawless Base Foundation
Yves Saint Laurent All Hours Foundation
Best medium-coverage foundation
The go-to base that makeup artists and Power List voters swear by – Giorgio Armani’s Luminous Silk Foundation is your best bet for buildable coverage and a real-skin finish. The fluid formula is blended with hydrating glycerine, perfectly evening out skin tone and blurring blemishes without any cakiness. The result? Natural, glow-y, seamless coverage.
Shortlist:
Mac Studio Radiance Serum-Powered Foundation
Makeup By Mario SurrealSkin Foundation
Shiseido Revitalessence Skin Glow Foundation
Best skin tint
An excellent option for creating that elusive second-skin finish, Hourglass’ Veil Hydrating Skin Tint will have people wondering, ‘Is she or isn’t she wearing makeup?’ Offering sheer, dewy coverage, the featherweight formula (loaded with mega moisturisers) boosts radiance and reduces redness for a healthier-looking complexion.
Shortlist:
Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint
Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint
Best under-eye concealer
Make light work of dark circles with Nars’ Radiant Creamy Concealer. Regularly used backstage and for red-carpet events, this cult concealer (available in 30 shades) is loved by the experts for its creamy consistency and impressive staying power. A true beauty icon – one tube sells every five seconds.
Shortlist:
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer
Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer
Dior Forever Skin Correct Full Coverage Creamy Concealer
Best spot concealer
In a strong category, this really stood out. A full-coverage concealer that hydrates and mattifies the skin, Nars’ Soft Matte Complete Concealer effortlessly camouflages dark spots and breakouts without creasing or caking (a big win). Dense, creamy and easy to blend, use fingertips to press the product into skin.
Shortlist:
Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish Sublime Perfection Concealer
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer
Benefit Boi-Ing Industrial Strength Concealer
Best highlighter
Gleaming, ethereal skin is a single swipe away with Rare Beauty’s Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter. One of the brand’s bestsellers, this pearlescent powder (available in six versatile shades) lends skin a glass-like sheen and otherworldly finish. Swirl it on straight from the pan or apply it wet for a more intense look.
Shortlist:
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Beauty Light Wand
Elf Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand
Best glow product
For a fresh-from-the-facialist skin sheen, turn your face to Chanel’s Multi-Use Glow Stick. Totally transparent and sparkle-free, this highlighting balm bounces light off the skin for a healthy, glossy glow. Dot onto the high points of your cheeks and the bridge of your nose, and lightly blend in with fingertips.
Shortlist:
Westman Atelier Liquid Super Loaded
Vieve Skin Nova Instant Radiance Primer
Pai Skincare The Impossible Glow Bronzing Drops
Best blush
A viral hit on TikTok, Rare Beauty’s Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is worth the hype. It has won the best blush category two years in a row, and the melt-in, pigment-rich formula (which comes in 13 shades) is difficult to beat. Two dots on each cheek are all you need for a healthy flush of colour that looks natural.
Shortlist:
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush
Best bronzer
Bronzer is no doubt one of the most transformative products in your beauty bag and Benefit’s Hoola is the best in the business. Gently warming up the face, the soft matte powder blends in seamlessly for a healthy-looking colour that mimics sun-kissed skin. A must-try!
Shortlist:
Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer
Fenty Beauty Sun Stalk’r Instant Warmth Bronzer
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream
Best contour
Create chiselled cheekbones in seconds with Charlotte Tilbury’s iconic Hollywood Contour Wand. The buildable, blendable formula can easily be applied using the cushion applicator, which dispenses just the right amount of product. Our advice? Apply dots (not stripes) before blending it in with a brush for a natural sculpted look.
Shortlist:
Makeup By Mario SoftSculpt Shaping Stick
Victoria Beckham Contour Stylus
Nudestix Tinted Blur Sculpt Stick
Best primer
Standing up to those twice and even thrice its price point, this best-in-class primer from vegan and cruelty-free brand Elf is a total steal at just £10. Blended with hyaluronic acid, the lightweight formula hydrates and refreshes skin while the grippy gel texture keeps your base in place.
Shortlist:
Laura Mercier Pure Canvas Primer Blurring
Benefit The Porefessional Face Primer
Best setting product
This must-try setting mist from Charlotte Tilbury deserves a spot in every makeup kit. Full of skin-soothing ingredients (such as aloe vera and Japanese green tea), the five-star formula hydrates and calms skin while locking your makeup in place for up to 16 hours. Impressive, no?
Shortlist:
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder
Givenchy Prisme Libre 4-Color Loose Powder
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder
Best makeup brush
Makeup artists swear by their tools – so if you want an expert finish, you need to have a capsule collection of brilliant brushes at your disposal. Enter: Real Techniques’ Everyday Essentials Makeup Brush Set. With four fluffy brushes and one flexible foam sponge, this kit has all your base and eyeshadow needs covered.
Shortlist:
It Cosmetics Heavenly Luxe Complexion Perfection Brush
Mykitco My Essential Brush Set
Best lip colour
For a pout that packs a punch, look to Mac’s newly upgraded Matte Lipstick. Smoother than the original, this new formula delivers a stamped-on matte look without drying lips out (thanks to the inclusion of shea butter and coconut oil). Take your pick of 40 pigment-rich shades.
Shortlist:
Yves Saint Laurent YSL Loveshine Candy Glaze Lip Gloss Stick
Merit Signature Lip Lightweight Lipstick
Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer
Best lip oil
In a sea of new lip launches, Dior Addict’s Lip Glow Oil continues to come out on top. With the moisturising benefits of a balm and the high-shine finish of a gloss, this do-it-all formula protects lips from dryness while providing a hint of glossy colour. Wear alone or layer on top of your favourite lipstick.
Shortlist:
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil
Best lip liner
Lip liner is a makeup-bag essential, and this one from Mac gets your vote. Creating the appearance of a fuller, more defined pout, the super smooth pencil glides on effortlessly without snagging (or budging). Available in 28 shades, we love Spice and Boldly Bare for a soft neutral lip look.
Shortlist:
Make Up For Ever Artist Color Pencil
Best brow product
The best brow sculptor in the business? Your vote was overwhelmingly for Benefit’s Precisely, My Brow Pencil. Featuring an ultra-fine nib and creamy texture, this pencil can create believably fine, hair-like strokes for a natural finish. Oh, and because it’s waterproof, your handiwork will last for 12 hours straight. Sold!
Shortlist:
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze Gel
Best mascara
True to its name, Maybelline’s Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara delivers a lotta length with its revolutionary brush that catches every hair, pulling them upwards for a fanned-out flutter. A GLAMOUR Beauty Power List Awards winner for the fourth year in a row, it really is sensational.
Shortlist:
Lisa Eldridge Kitten Lash Mascara
L’Oréal Paris Volume Million Lashes Panorama Mascara
Lancôme Hypnôse Mascara Volume
Best eyeliner
This Satin Kajal Liner is unlike any other we’ve tried. Incredibly creamy and easy to blend, the super smooth pencil – which comes in an array of sophisticated shades – can be used to create multiple looks. Try drawing it on like a liquid liner or blending it out with the in-built smudger.
Shortlist:
Huda Beauty Creamy Kohl Longwear Eye Pencil
Pat McGrath Labs Perma Precision Liquid Eyeliner
Rimmel London Scandaleyes Exaggerate Liquid Eyeliner
Best eyeshadow
The perfect palette does exist, and it comes courtesy of celebrity makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic. Combining warm and cool neutral shades, all 12 shadows are a dream to apply with their smooth, velvety texture. Use them singularly or mix a few together to create Mario’s signature matte smoky eye.
Shortlist:
Patrick Ta Major Dimension III Matte Eyeshadow Palette
Morphe X Meredith Duxbury Artistry Palette
Best false lashes
These feathery falsies from Ardell are the next best thing to lash extensions and are ideal for adding natural-looking length and volume. Easy to apply (with the help of lash glue), we love how this set has a thin, flexible band and staggered hair lengths that blend seamlessly into your own lashes.
Shortlist:
