Makeup has never been more abundant, or less clear. Skin tints, blurring balms, four kinds of lip liner—amid an increasing bevy of products to choose between, choice paralysis begs the question of what a makeup routine actually requires. It comes up more than you’d think—from friends who are reimagining their wedding weekend glam, colleagues rebuilding their collection after a decade of using the same seven products, to anyone who’s felt anxiety building when entering their local Sephora for a restock. Fortunately, the answer is simpler than it looks: about a dozen categories cover a complete regimen, and on most days, half of those will do.
Vogue’s Favorite Makeup Essentials
Consider this your makeup 101—whether you’re shopping for products for the very first time or taking a fresh look at a collection that no longer works for you. For every makeup essential, we’ve broken down what the category actually does, how to choose the version that suits you, and our recommendations for the formulas worth starting with. Read on, and build accordingly.
If you buy a single complexion product, concealer is the one. It brightens under-eyes, calms redness, covers blemishes, and on a good skin day, can do the work of foundation entirely. For under-eyes, we suggest looking for one with skincare built in, like Haus Labs’s fermented arnica-infused version. If you want coverage that reads as invisible, try MAKE Beauty’s buildable, skin-mimicking formula—one of our favorite serum concealers. Whichever direction you go, check your shade in natural light for the skin tone closest match.
Vogue’s Kiana Murden uses the Kosas Revealer Concealer.