Every beauty brand is famous for one, or a few products. These are the ones they tout as their “bestsellers”, their “must-trys”, their “cult products”.
Most of the time, they are known for these products for good reason – they’ve been proven to work well for most people, and not just because all the famous YouTubers and bloggers have been waving them in your face non-stop. These stuff, they’re truly good, so the brands don’t have to pay anyone to shout about them; the numerous honest reviews speak for themselves.
Below, a selection of some of our favourite brands across a wide price range, and the one product you simply have to try from each one.
Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate Serum
$130, available at Lancôme counters.
It’s no secret that this is the product that Lancôme touts this at their number one, marketing it as the ultimate youth-preserving serum. The technology that powers it is definitely impressive, based on research on how genes affect skin ageing. What it does is just make skin look better in general, working on factors including texture, elasticity, radiance and clarity, with effects visible in a mere week.
This isn’t a product that belongs in just your mum’s skincare regime, though; one of the most impactful testimonies came from someone in her mid-20s, who has skin good enough to go foundation-free every day, all thanks to regular use of the Advanced Génifique, as she tells us.
YSL Beauté Rouge Pur Couture Vernis À Lèvres
$51, available at YSL Beauté stores and counters. New shades available from July 2017.
Ah, you thought we were going to talk about the Touche Éclat, didn’t you? That one’s a cult item for sure, but we think the Vernis À Lèvres is a whole lot more fun, since it comes in so many different colours. What’s more impressive about it is its formula, a gloss that dries into a very even stain, that no other brand seems to have been able to achieve.
The line is getting a relaunch next month, with 3 new “Amplifier” shades that can be worn as top coats, or alone. Yellow brightens, blue darkens, and magenta adds a purplish hue. The classic Vernis À Lèvres, Pop Water and Vinyl Cream are getting 13 new shades in total as well.
shu uemura Hard Formula
$33, available at shu uemura stores and counters.
This is one of the most superior eyebrow tools we’ve ever tried. Every makeup artist recommends it for good reason – it fills in brows incredibly naturally, and the colour never smudges or fades away. Basically, it’s impossible to get your brows wrong as long as you’re using this.
Maybelline Eyestudio Hypersharp Eyeliners
$21.90 to $23.90, available at Watsons, Guardian, Sasa, Fairprice and leading department stores.
We’ve said it a million times, but it bears repeating: the best liquid liners are found in the drugstores, and never have to cost more than $25. And one of the most established liner options within the drugstore aisles is Maybelline’s Eyestudio Hypersharp range, which has also been a NYLON favourite for some years now. Simply because it does its job: dispense an intense black that doesn’t fade or melt away, via a thin, easy-to-control tip.
The original’s the Hypersharp 0.01mm which has a brush applicator with a 0.01mm point, and the range has since expanded to include a Wing Liner version with a slightly thicker point to nail those eyeliner wings, and a Power Black version that dispenses an ultra-black pigment.
Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief
$75, available at Clinique counters and Sephora.
Gel-type moisturisers are always the better option in a climate like ours, and Clinique does theirs supremely well. It’s that kind of moisturiser that absorbs almost immediately and gives your skin that shiok plumped-up feeling.
The countless rave reviews it has gotten include testimonies of how this even works in harsh winters, impressive given that it is lightweight after all. Also very impressive: it’s suitable for oily, breakout-prone skin.
NARS Blush
$50, available at the NARS store and counters.
Whenever we’re asked for a good blush recommendation, our answer is always NARS. Not just because the universally flattering Orgasm is one of the most famous blushes, ever, but because across all shades, the colour always goes on evenly and naturally.
Look past Orgasm, and you’ll find plenty of fantastic colour options spanning purple, red and orangey hues. For example, Impassioned, a pink orchid should you want to try a cooler-toned option.
ETUDE HOUSE Play 101 Blending Pencil
$16.90, available at ETUDE HOUSE stores.
Meet what is probably ETUDE HOUSE’s most versatile product: the Play 101 Blending Pencil, which can be a eyeshadow, blush, and lip colour. The 25 shades span four different textures, creamy, jewel, velvet and jelly, so we’re all truly spoilt for choice. They’re pigmented, blend well, and last on the skin – and the colours, mostly soft shades like nudes, champagne and rose, really are gorgeous.
Tarte Maracuja Creaseless Concealer
$40, available at Sephora.
A “good concealer” can be a subjective thing, but Tarte’s Maracuja Creaseless Concealer is quite the popular choice because it provides quite significant coverage without being cakey, lasts long, and is good for the skin – “maracuja” is Portuguese for passionfruit, and is rich in essential fatty acids and Vitamin C to firm and brighten the skin.
Dior Addict Lip Glow
$47, available at the Dior Beauty store and counters.
We know of girls with severely dry lips who rely heavily on this. It’s pricey for a lip balm, but hey, it feels damn good on the lips. The colour-changing properties are a nice touch as well; the natural pink hue it leaves behind is the true my-lips-but-better kind of colour.
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