There’s approximately a billion makeup products out there, and makeup companies only keep coming out with more. It’s hard to sift through all the influencer and website reviews to find what actually works in everyday life, and not what just looks good in a thirty second clip under studio lighting. That’s where this Ultimate Makeup Ranking comes in.
This is a running list of every makeup product I’ve tried, and whether or not I liked it. Unless I truly hated it, everything here has been tested until I used the whole container (or, well, it expired, let’s be real). Most of these links are going to be affiliate links because servers don’t pay for themselves, but that does not change my opinion on the products themselves.
For reference, I am in my mid-thirties and have dry, textured skin from years of acne breakouts, and I still get the occasional nasty breakout. My skin has a neutral undertone, and can be anywhere from Fair to Light depending on the makeup brand and time of year. I prefer makeup that’s on the more natural looking side, but will pull off a bold eye or lip look for special occasions.
This post contains affiliate links, which means I may make a commission if you purchase from these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.
Makeup Tier List
Absolutely would repurchase, the best I’ve encountered.
Would repurchase, but feel like a better product exists.
Worked fine, but wouldn’t repurchase.
No strong benefits or detractors, or had both.
Did not work for me, but might work for someone else.
Awful, don’t bother wasting your money.
Excellent Makeup Products
Maybelline Superstay Vinyl Ink Liquid Lipstick
I own this in multiple shades, and have actually managed to finish a color (#20 Coy) and repurchased it. Most of my makeup gets thrown out because it’s old, so the fact that I used up a lipstick completely is quite remarkable.
I think the color payoff is great, it doesn’t dry out my lips like a lot of liquid lipsticks tend to, and it has a pretty decent staying power. (FWIW it took actual scrubbing to all the red pigment from Wicked off my arm for that swatch photo). My favorite!
Tower 28 Make Waves Mascara
This has become the mascara that I compare other mascaras to. It just makes my eyes look good with very little effort. It doesn’t flake on me or run and is not too hard to get off. I just love it. It’s a little higher price point than other mascaras, but if you buy the travel size you’ll throw it out by the time it’s expires in three months (yes, you should be using mascara for only three months).
I keep trying other mascaras to see if I’m somehow mistaken and got sucked into the hype on this, but I just keep coming back. Holy Grail mascara.
Good Makeup Products
Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
Mascara is one of those products where there’s a lot of middle-tier products that are perfectly fine but don’t stand out. This is just above that level, I think it’s my favorite drugstore mascara that I’ve tried to date, so if I’m looking to buy a cheaper mascara, I’d go for this one.
Personally I found it to be more lengthening vs volumizing, but I liked the way my lashes looked and it didn’t flake, which is really all I want.
Decent Makeup Products
TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Cushion Foundation
![[*Mini Size*] TIRTIR Mask Fit Red Cushion Foundation](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/41G8fCQSNzL._SL500_.jpg)
This foundation went mega viral at some point which prompted me to try it out. What’s nice is that it’s offered in a mini size, so you don’t have commit to the full size product at first – I love when brands offer this, especially in a foundation.
I thought it was fine, it seemed to have good days and bad days. The color match on 17N was pretty good for my Fair/Light neutral undertone skin. I did not like that it had a scent, I am really against scented foundations. If you’ve never tried a cushion foundation, it’s worth trying out for the novelty, but I personally am not going to repurchase.
Clinique High Impact Mascara
This is mascara. It made my lashes black. This is a really high price for a mascara that doesn’t stick out of the crowd at all.
Check Back for Makeup Ranking Updates!
This page is a living document, so I’m going to keep posting what does and doesn’t work for me. If you’re interested in getting the inside scoop on new makeup reviews first, follow me on Instagram, or sign up for the mailing list. And if you want more reviews right now, check out my Ultimate Skincare Ranking, for the same thing, but skincare.
Ashley Reviews
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