Each season, new cosmetics debut that promise to beautify, lift and highlight our best features.
But often the best products are the tried and true, the ones that continue to be cult classics year after year. We’ve rounded up the all-star beauty products that you need to have in your arsenal.
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream ($21)
Created in 1930, the benefits of this all-purpose balm are endless. This miracle cream heals rough spots and sunburn, adds shine to eyelids and lips, tames cuticles and brows, fights free radicals, and has anti-inflammatory benefits (perfect post waxing). Try the new fragrance-free version.
NARS Orgasm Blush ($30)
The name alone may make you blush naturally. A repeat InStyle and Allure “best blush” winner, this peachy-pink shade delivers the most natural flush and works with every skin tone.
Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat ($41)
Touche Éclat is constantly praised by the pros for lightening dark circles while lifting the area around your eyes. Available in a variety of shades, you can use this highlighting pen along with your concealer. Apply it to the bridge of your nose, along your cheekbones, above your brows, and even above the bow of your lips to make your kisser look fuller.
Cetaphil Cleanser ($11)
No matter how many premium cleansers come along, this one continues to be top rated. The gentle, moisturizing formula cleans skin without irritating or stripping it of its natural protective oils.
MAC Strobe Cream ($32)
Fake eight hours of sleep by mixing a bit of this into your daily moisturizer, or just layer it over your makeup where you want to highlight your features. Iridescent particles in the cream brighten and clarify, making skin look dewy and refreshed.
By Terry Baume de Rose SPF 15 ($60)
The brand’s best-selling product is also a favorite of many, including Hollywood’s elite. Use this luxe balm to hydrate and plump lips, as well as soften your cuticles. Since the formula is concentrated with active ingredients like essential rose wax, emollient floral oils, anti-aging Bioceramides and protective UV filters, a thin layer is all you need.
L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream ($12-28)
L’Occitane sells a tube of this ultra hydrating shea butter hand cream somewhere around the world every three seconds. Thick and creamy, but not greasy, you’ll want to stash one in your handbag and all of the junk drawers in your home.
Bobbi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner ($24)
There are lots of imitations, but this is the original waterproof eyeliner gel. Available in an array of matte and shimmer shades, you can put this eyeliner on in the morning and it will still look strong at the end of the night.
Bag Balm ($10)
This chapped-skin cure-all has been around for more than 100 years, and while it looks unassuming, the ointment heals rough patches and irritated skin overnight. You can even use it to protect your dog’s paws during a harsh Chicago winter. The tin is large, so portion it out into smaller containers and keep one in your handbag.
