Tag: Beauty Favorites

Ditch Your Sticky Gloss for Lip Oil—Here Are 6 To Try

Published on by Lee2 Comments

Our team is dedicated to finding and telling you more about the web’s best products. If you purchase through our links, we may receive a commission. Our editorial team is independent and only endorses products we believe in.

Advertisements

As both a child of the early aughts and a longtime beauty editor, rest assured that I’ve cycled through just about every available lip gloss on the market. I can still smell the vanilla frosting Lip Smackers I wore every day in 7th grade, and high school, my book bag doubled as a Lancôme Juicy Tube graveyard. But I can also still remember the distinct feeling of un-sticking my hair from my lips—enough to put me off lip gloss for quite some time, aside from when my journalistic duty called for it. (It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.)

That all changed a couple of years ago when the matte lip obsession of the 2010s gloriously gave way to a far more timeless, dewy, fresh-faced aesthetic. Suddenly, the gooey lip glosses of decades past had been rebranded as “lip oils:” hydrating and packed with conditioning ingredients, with a flattering, slick, decidedly un-sticky finish. In the past year alone, searches for “lip oil” have spiked over 150%—a trend that has been met with a variety of new lip oils on the market, all promising a cushioned, more moisturized pout. (“Like your lips, but better,” is the going mantra.)

So, how to choose? Naturally, we did it for you—we’re rounding up six of the very best lip oils available, from plumping to tinted to high-shine formulas. Shop them below.

Advertisements

Best Overall Lip Oil

Merit

Shade Slick $24

We have to agree with thousands of reviewers and TikTok users on this one—this bestselling tinted lip oil from Merit simply ticks all of the boxes. Thanks to the flattering, buildable pigment and a lightweight, hydrating sheen, it’s that one little part of my routine that instantly brings my whole look together—whether I’m headed to the grocery store or a night out.

Best Luxury Lip Oil

Dior

Lip Glow Oil $40

Take your pick from eight semi-sheer hues—or collect a few. (We’re certainly not judging.) Fans have loved this luxurious, non-sticky lip oil since it launched in 2020. Bonus points for just looking fancy when you pull it out of your purse for a midday touch-up.

Best Plumping Lip Oil

Kosas

Kosas Wet Lip Oil Gloss $22

This maximum-impact oil is formulated with hyaluronic acid and peptides, two skincare superhero ingredients that visibly plump and hydrate lips. We also love it for its ultra-thick, high-shine finish and eleven-shade range.

Best Lip Oil for Chapped Lips

Fenty

Cherry Treat Conditioning + Strengthening Lip Oil $24

Pout needs a little extra TLC? This cherry-flavored treat from Fenty Skin was designed to repair and restore your lips’ moisture barrier—which will ultimately keep cracked, dry skin at bay. It also features a barely-there, universally flattering cherry tint.

Best Treatment Lip Oil

Clarins

Lip Comfort Hydrating Oil $28

Consider this your friendly reminder that your lips are a key part of your skincare routine—and this formula from Clarins is already an editor favorite for a plush, hydrated pout. The secret is the potent cocktail of Jojoba, Hazelnut, and Sweetbriar Rose which help lock in moisture, reduce fine lines and improve skin elasticity—basically, unlocking your lips’ full potential.

Best High-Shine Lip Tinted Oil


Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez

Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil $20

Lip oil is the perfect solution if you don’t like the sticky feel that comes with gloss but still want a lot of shine.

This lip oil is rather unique in the sense that when you first apply it, it is more of a soft jelly texture, but it does eventually melt into a texture that feels more like a traditional lip oil.

You get so much color from this oil that even when the shine factor wears off, there is still a pretty flush of color left behind—similar to a lip stain. If you have ever tried Rare Beauty’s famous Soft Pinch Liquid Blush you know that they take pigment seriously.

Highlighted Ingredients:
– Jojoba Seed Oil: Moisturizes and creates a protective barrier over lips to lock in hydration.
– Sunflower Seed Oil: Antioxidant-rich; soothes and protects from environmental stressors.

Shop The Edit

Site icon
Ditch Your Sticky Gloss for Lip Oil—Here Are 6 To Try

3 Drugstore Dupes That Prove Why E.l.f. Is The G.O.A.T

Published on by LeeLeave a comment

If you’re a regular on TikTok, you’ll know e.l.f delivers the goods from the beauty GAWDS. Seriously, they know what the people want, and most importantly, they give it to us at a price we cannot resist. Whenever we’re on their site, our cart gets loaded up, and when we check out, our heart skips a beat for all the RIGHT reasons. Bargains after bargains. If you’re looking for some hard receipts because you know, who isn’t? These three elf dupes are all you need to be an e.l.f convert.

Advertisements

e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter, $14 DUPE: Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, $49

The internet went WILD over e.l.f’s most recent complexion glow booster, with people touting it as an exact dupe of the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, AKA, the e.l.f. Halo Glow Liquid Filter. Famed for its glow-getting finish, the e.l.f formula blends the same, looks the same, and wears just as beautifully as the OG product, but for $35 less. The liquid makeup-skincare hybrid makes your skin look so luminous while blurring imperfections and adding a surge of moisture. Formulated with squalane and hyaluronic acid, it plumps and softens the skin. Wear it alone, under or over makeup, and expect the “OMG, your skin’s so radiant” compliments to flood in.

@slicedotca

this is not a drill, go grab this RIGHT now 🤩 #elfhaloglowliquidfilter #hollywoodflawlessfilter #dupes #makeupreview

♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim
@yasminsartistry

@elfyeah you did amazing sweetie❤️ #elfhaloglowliquidfilter #charlottetilburydupe #flawlessfilterdupe #elfhaloglow

♬ Aesthetic – Tollan Kim

e.l.f. Monochromatic Multi Stick, $5 Dupe: ILIA Multi-Stick Cream Blush + Highlighter + Lip Tint, $34

Blush is our new bae. Even if we’re running to grab our oat milk latte, you can bet we’ve swiped our cheeks with our fave blush stick, which means we’re always on the lookout for affordable formulas. The versatile stick can be applied to your eyes, lips, and cheeks, and will deliver the most gorgeous sheer wash of color that glides on and blends oh so effortlessly. It’s also non-greasy and super lightweight. Thanks to the low price point, we have at least three stashed in our gym bag, car, and desk. #LOVE

Advertisements

e.l.f. Cosmetics Brow Lift, $6 Dupe: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze, $23

Makeup lovers and fluffy brow QUEENS unite for their love of the cult fave Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze. It allows you to achieve laminated brows in seconds without the appointment, which explains why it’s constantly sold out.

Advertisements

Well, let’s just say e.l.f. also understood the assignment and released their version of the brow laying formula. Meet the e.l.f. Cosmetics Brow Lift, an extreme, long-lasting gel that tames, sculpts, and sets even the most unruly brow hairs. Just like the Brow Freeze, it has a clear natural finish that looks ahhhmazing on everyone. Plus, the formula is infused with glycerin and aloe to nourish your brow hairs.

Is Rare Beauty Worth the Hype? Our Editors Weigh-In on Their Favorite Products

Published on by Lee2 Comments

A badass founder with a powerful mission is enough to make us fans of a brand, but when the products perform, have a broad shade range, are vegan and cruelty-free, and are affordable, you’ll be hard-pressed to get us to stop talking about them. Since its launch, Selena Gomez’s makeup brand, Rare Beauty, has had its fair share of waitlisted products, and for a good reason—everyone (including all of TikTok and our editors) is obsessed with them.

Advertisements

We try a lot of products around here, so when the Founder Crystal Lee, calls a product “God-tier,” you know we mean business. From the bronzing stick that melts into the skin, our Founder is sharing her favorite Rare Beauty products so you know which ones you need to get your hands on ASAP:

Advertisements

Our favorites from Rare Beauty

Soft Pinch Liquid Blush

If you scroll on TikTok for a mere five minutes, there’s a pretty high chance you’ll come across this blush more than once. And while I hate to be preaching to the choir, this stuff is popular for a reason. When I say that a little bit of this formula goes a long way, I mean it. It takes one singular dot of this blush on each cheek to warm up my entire face, it blends so seamlessly and will last a long time. For me, that makes it worth every penny.

Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Sticks

I have dabbled with bronzing and contour sticks in the past but, earlier this summer, I wanted to find one that blended easily and warmed up my face. A lot of sticks I’ve used in the past were tough to blend (eating up way too much time of my morning routine) and, at times, would leave me feeling like I just smeared dirt on my face. I picked up this Rare Beauty bronzing stick and let me tell you—this stuff puts in work. It’s super creamy without feeling too liquid-like and melts into my skin like butter. When it comes to warming up my face fast, this formula gets the job done and is one of my favorite parts of my makeup routine.

Kind Words Lip Liner

My lips are extremely sensitive, with most lip products I use causing reactions (plump lips are in, swollen ones? Not so much). The Rare Beauty Kind Words lipliner is truly a godsend. It glides on so smoothly and leaves my lips feeling nourished rather than dry. I use a shade close to my natural lip color for everyday wear and I couldn’t recommend it more.

Positive Light Luminizer Highlight

The second Rare Beauty launched I knew I’d need to get my hands on this highlighter, and it has not disappointed me. It gives a beautiful glow without being in your face about it. On days I want to wear a little less makeup, I mix a drop of this with my blush and blend the two. It’s a holy grail kind of combo.

Advertisements

Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush

Everyone always talks about Rare Beauty’s liquid blushes (which for the record, I love) but nobody ever talks about how incredible their cream blushes are. If you’re someone who loves a natural flush, you’re going to adore these. They blend out to give the prettiest, flushed cheek, and unlike the liquid blushes, they’re hard to overdo. I have two different shades that I love for day-to-day wear.

Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer

As a tinted moisturizer fanatic, this is one of my favorites of all time. Unlike many tinted moisturizers, this one gives me a bit of coverage and leaves me with a blurred, poreless, healthy-looking complexion. I love this for daily wear, but it’s also significant enough that I wear it to the office all the time, too.

Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara

This mascara has some mixed reviews on Sephora, but it still has a 4-star rating. Its eye-hugging brush is meant to lift, lengthen, curl, and volumize the lashes, and reviewers say that it does—as long as you wipe excess product off of the brush first to prevent clumping.

Advertisements

Stay Vulnerable Liquid Eyeshadow

Liquid eyeshadows are a God-send because they make applying eyeshadow seamless and quick. This one in particular is a weightless, liquid-to-powder formula that remains creaseless and because of that, reviewers are loving it.

Always An Optimist 4-in-1 Prime & Set Mist

This 4-in-1 primer hydrates, primes, sets, and refreshes skin with ingredients like niacinamide to improve the appearance of skin and lotus, gardenia, and white waterlily to soothe and nourish. While oily-skin gals say it makes them look like a “grease ball,” dry-skin gals are loving the glow.

Primp Tip: This is for black and brown people aka POC, don’t apply too much because too much product will leave your face sparkly ghostly unless that’s your thing.

Advertisements

Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation

Serum-like, weightless, and buildable foundations always sound too good to be true, and reviewers are torn on this one. Some say that it is the “best skin-like foundation on the market” and others are claiming that it is “patchy and cakey with REALLY bad separation.” This is one you’re going to have to test out for yourself to see if this foundation is for you.

Always an Optimist Soft Radiance Setting Powder

This talc-free, loose-setting powder visibly smooths, blurs, and controls shine on all skin types. Five shade options deliver a natural, comfortable finish. One reviewer says “it leaves your skin blurred and smooth, without mattifying,” so you can still get your glow on without looking greasy.

Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer

This lightweight, hydrating concealer offers medium-to-full coverage in 49 shades. With 1,500+ reviews on Sephora and a 4-star rating, this has been tested by the masses and the resounding verdict is that it’s a must-have.

Pore Diffusing Primer

This gel primer claims to blur the look of pores and fine lines, boost and extend makeup wear, and help fight shine. As confirmed in the reviews, it is suitable for all skin types and worth a try if you are on the hunt for a new primer.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE RARE BEAUTY ESSENTIAL?

9 Iconic ‘Clueless’ Beauty Moments To Reminisce Over — AND Maybe Copy, Too

Published on by Lee2 Comments

The ’90s are famous for churning out hit teen movies one after another. If you weren’t lusting over Heath Ledger in 10 Things I Hate About You, you were probably taking fashion notes from one of the era’s biggest blockbusters: Clueless. You surely know (and might have even recreated) the matching plaid skirt-suit sets main character’s Cher and Dionne wore and even Cher’s red slip-dress, but now, in honor of the movie’s 25th anniversary, it’s time to appreciate the most iconic beauty moments from Clueless, as well.

Advertisements

Yes, you read that right: The 1995 film is celebrating its 25th birthday this year. Though it wasn’t anticipated to reach what is now its classic status, the teen movie that follows Beverly Hills’ best friends as they play matchmaker (which is loosely based on Jane Austen’s novel Emma) grossed more than $56.6 million at the box office. And along with producing iconic lines like “as if” and introducing the world to the dreamy Paul Rudd, the movie is a certified style look book — from clothing to the signature ’90s beauty.

Of course, the stars of the movie, Cher Horowitz (played by Alicia Silverstone) and Dionne Davenport (played by Stacey Dash), have the most iconic beauty moments with things like monochrome pink makeup and ribbon braids, respectively. Yet, supporting characters like Amber Marines (played by Elisa Donovan) also have some drool-worthy looks — like amazing pigtails.

Take a trip down memory lane and keep reading for nine of the best beauty moments from Clueless (and maybe garner some inspiration, too).

Most Iconic Beauty Moment From Clueless: Cher’s Brown Lipstick

When Cher is in the beginning stages of luring in her first love interest Christian Stovitz, she gives some pointers on how to get men’s affection, one being “Anything you can do to draw attention to your mouth is good.” And in this scene, her brown lipstick is working, if not to make Stovitz fall for her then to have a seriously flawless ’90s beauty moment.

Most Iconic Beauty Moment From Clueless: Dionne’s Flower Hat

It could be argued that Cher’s best friend, Dionne, has the most covetable — and funky — style from the movie. Case in point: The tall white, black-brimmed, black-bowed, pink-flower-adorned hat she wears in her first scene appearance. It’s large and in charge, and says Dionne is not here to play with her style. And though she wears many a hat throughout the movie, this one is quite the showstopper.

Most Iconic Beauty Moment From Clueless: Chunky Headbands

Blair Waldorf who? More than 10 years before Gossip Girl even crossed people’s radars, and consequently, character Blair Waldorf’s signature hair accessories, the girls of Clueless were wearing chunky headbands. While Dionne has a sporty feel in crisp white color, Cher’s could be plucked out of today’s runways with its velvet material.

Most Iconic Beauty Moment From Clueless: Amber’s Pigtails

Amber Mariens’ character may be on the snobbier side, but she has incredible beauty moments — one of which being this pigtail situation. The double ponytails are placed high on the crown of her head with cascading curls falling to her chest; they’re cute and playful without being too infantile. And it would be remiss to not mention her bangs, which find themselves closer to baby-bang length throughout the rest of the movie (clearly ahead of her time).

Most Iconic Beauty Moment From Clueless: Cher’s Monochrome Pink Makeup

Unlike other movies such as Moulin Rouge, makeup is not the beauty hero of Clueless. However, it had a serious moment when Cher donned an entirely monochrome pink face (and outfit and earrings and hair clip) when trying to win over Stovitz. Though her punchy pink lip, flushed cheeks, and a few swipes of the hue for eyeshadow didn’t get her the boy, it was still an iconic look (and one that continues to trend in 2020).

Most Iconic Beauty Moment From Clueless: The Girls’ Wedding Looks

There’s no better way to culminate a movie than with incredible hair. Tai Fraiser’s (played by Brittany Murphy) is simple, not straying from her normal curls seen in the movie, whereas Cher and Dionne go full ’90s for the wedding scene. Cher’s blonde tresses are ribbon curled with the front clipped up while Dionne has hot pink and baby pink puffs scattered throughout her strands.

Most Iconic Beauty Moment From Clueless: Everyone’s Barrettes

In recent years barrettes have made a serious comeback, but they were once a tried-and-true hair accessory of the ’90s. This scene, in particular, had about six barrettes make an appearance in under 20 seconds. Most notable are Dionne’s kitschy, pink sunflower versions followed by the two blue ones situated on either side of Tai’s head (and even most of the background characters are wearing some type of barrette in this clip).

Most Iconic Beauty Moment From Clueless: Cher’s Voluminous Hair

Let’s be honest: The star of Clueless was Cher’s hair. It was always perfectly coiffed with a decent, but the not overwhelming, amount of volume — aka ideal. The blonde locks were frequently left down and straight in the movie with small blips of updos and accessories; however, as little as Cher’s hair seemed to take on new iterations, hairstylist for the movie Nina Paskowitz told Mashable Cher’s hair was different for every outfit change — sometimes as small as shifting the part.

Most Iconic Beauty Moment From Clueless: Dionne’s Ribbon Braids

Once again, Dionne takes the crown for the best hair accessories. This time around she intertwined pink and green ribbon into her braids that also happened to perfectly match her top. It was simple but added just the right amount of flair to make a Dionne look complete. And with hair scarves on the rise in 2020, maybe ribbon will get a Dionne-approved resurgence too.

Advertisements