21 Beauty Brands The BuzzFeed Shopping Team Basically Can't Live Without

Brands we love and the products we're obsessed with.

1. Kristin Ess revamps hair with luxury formulas at an affordable price point. It'll be your new fave if you're searching for some products to soothe split ends.

Britt Ross / BuzzFeed

Writer Brittany loves The One Purple Shampoo,

"Where do I even begin when it comes to singing the praises of this miracle in a bottle? For starters, I've been using purple shampoos ever since I started highlighting my hair in my early 20s, but my first time using this one was about a year ago. I bought it on a whim, since I was already using Kristin Ess' lightweight leave-in conditioner, and figured I'd see if this baby could keep my newly lightened locks from turning bronze — something that so many other purple shampoos I'd tried in the past had *not* done successfully. Well, I'm happy to report that a year later, my blonde is still the same shade I paid for, and I only have to apply this stuff 1–2 times per week for it to maintain its light golden hue. I actually don't think I can live as a blonde without it. To keep things from getting too light (or even leaning into lavender territory!), I don't overdo it, and sometimes even combine it with some of my everyday shampoo to ensure nothing gets out of hand. In fact, you might even want to do this if you're used to a super lathery shampoo experience, because the purple shampoo doesn't get very sudsy. That said, its job is to tone, not deep clean, so pairing with a 'soapier' shampoo is an all-around great way to go. Now if only it could do something to cover up my overgrown roots..." —Brittany Ross

Get the purple shampoo from Amazon for $12 (also available as a set of two) and shop more Kristin Ess products here.

2. IT Cosmetics targets skin concerns like redness, acne, and discoloration with their vast range of makeup and skincare products. Their CC+ Cream is a fan favorite that offers full coverage, a hydrating serum, and SPF 50.

Sephora

BF writer Daniel is in love with their Confidence in Your Beauty Sleep Night Cream,

"If my apartment was on fire and I could only grab a few item, this might be one of them. I've been telling literally anybody who will listen about this magical night cream — it's that good. It has just enough salicylic and lactic acid to exfoliate, but is soft and hydrating enough that it never irritates my ridiculously sensitive skin. Plus, it has a bouncy texture that feels super luxurious and the lavender scent is perfect for right before bed. If you've been wanting to experiment with chemical exfoliants but are nervous they'll be too harsh for your skin — this is the perfect way to start." —Daniel Boan

Get it from Sephora for $54 and shop more from IT Cosmetics here.

3. Masktini makes self-care and pamper sessions luxe and easy. Olga Parno, the founder, created sensitive skin-safe masks that work without irritating. There are four formulas to choose from: a Tahitian detox mask, a gold brightening mask, an overnight renewal mask, and a moisture spritz.

Rylee Johnston / BuzzFeed

Masktini is a woman-owned small beauty brand whose mission is to create beauty products for people particularly with extreme skin sensitivies. 

One BuzzFeed writer loves the Night Ranger mask,

"I have sensitive skin, so I'm typically careful about what I apply to my skin. When I looked more into the brand and its founder, I discovered she also struggled with similar skincare concerns, and, as a result, tailors her products to be gentle yet really effective. I prefer beauty products I can put on and forget about, and this mask checks that box and more! I have sensitive skin and find that most masks can leave my face red or dried out, but this one has a really light and hydrating formula that I can put on before bed and wake up with soft breakout-free skin. I truly can't live without it." —Rylee Johnston

Get the Overnight Renewal Mask from Masktini for $65 and shop the rest of the Masktini brand here. 

4. Glossier is home to some of our team's most coveted products. With their simple yet effective formulas (and superbly aesthetic packaging) they'll always have our hearts.

Allison Jiang / BuzzFeed

BuzzFeed writer Allison loves soooo many products from Glossier,

"Trendy makeup products come and go, but my Glossier products are, and always have been, my tried and true staples for years and years. I own the Generation G lipsticks in Crush and Zip, the Haloscope highlighter in Moonstone, and the Cloud Paint blush in Puff, and since I bought them four years ago (yes, four years — no one yell at me), they’re still the products I turn to the most. They’re user-friendly, cost-efficient, and do the job so damn well — I feel like I buy newer products that just don’t live up to the standard and I end up back at my Glossier. The thing that makes them great is that you only need the tiniest bit to bring out the best in your features, and it barely looks like you’re wearing makeup at all — which is always my end goal.

My favorite by far is my Haloscope. It is the PERFECT glow — the kind that makes you look like you ran a light mile, not the kind where it looks like there’s a disco ball on your face. No messy powders or weird applicators— you just swipe it on your cheekbones and you’re out the door. I am in love with it and when it finally runs out I might shed real tears." —Allison Jiang

Get Haloscope from Glossier for $22 and shop more from Glossier here.

5. L'Oreal offers a wide variety of beauty products and has been a staple in many people's makeup and skincare routines for years. If you've been on the market for a new mascara, give their range a whirl.

Allison Faccenda / BuzzFeed

I'm a massive fan of their lash primer,

"Over the years I've noticed my lashes falling out and they're not as voluminous and long as they once were (*cries*). The L'Oreal Voluminous Mascara Primer has changed all of that. I use it in tandem with the Benefit Roller Lash mascara for a dynamic duo that hasn't failed me yet. The primer base adds a noticeable amount of fibers to thicken my thin lashes, which gives me a full lash look. If they ever stop making this product I will be incredibly sad. Until then, I will continue collecting bottles of this magical primer." —Ali Faccenda

Get the primer from Amazon for $6.74 and shop the rest of the L'Oreal brand here.

6. Orly changes the mani/pedi game with their expansive line of pigmented nail polishes you'll def want to own in every color.

Katy Herman / BuzzFeed, Orly

Writer Katy claims Orly's polishes make doing at home manis a breeze,

"There is far, far too much to love about Orly, aka the nail holy grail. World, you can keep your OPI, Essie, Sally Hansen, and Olive & June — yes, I said it. Orly has somehow managed to create the vegan, cruelty-free, affordable nail products I have always dreamt of, that solved pretty much all of my mani/pedi woes and have made me excited about regularly doing my nails at home. First of all, their bottles are perfectly designed — not only are they aesthetically pleasing, but the handles have a perfect rubberized grip that makes painting easy. The rubber top also means that I have never — not ONCE — had an issue with an open bottle crusting shut and getting hopelessly stuck like I have with so many other polish brands.

The colors are oh so richly pigmented, and actually live up to the shade represented by the bottle with two coats, instead of being kind of dull and underwhelming once applied (again, I'm looking at you, other nail brands). My personal fave shades are Synthetic Symphony (the electric purple of my dreams), Plastic Jungle (a gorgeous green that doesn't make you look like you have a nail fungus, even on toes), and Downpour Whatever (a super cheerful light blue).

I never thought I'd consider myself good at doing my nails or be able to go on and on like this about a nail brand — Orly has changed all that." —Katy Herman

Get the Impressions Bundle from Orly for $57 and shop the rest of Orly's site here.

7. Blistex has been a hydrating super brand for many years, and their moisturizing lip balms are no exception.

Buzzfeed / Christine Forbes

One writer is in love with the brand's Lip Medex,

"I take this from room to room with me because it's that good. My lips used to be super dry and crackly but now they're giving Chaka Khan's Jive Talkin' album cover. The price point is so accessible; I'll probably use this for the rest of my life. I like that it has a little kick of menthol because I feel like it's actually healing my lips. A tiny bit goes a long way, see how much is on my finger?" —Christine Forbes

Get a pack of six from Amazon for $10.04 and shop even more from Blistex here.

8. Bread Beauty Supply softens and hydrates 3a-4c hair, leaving you with a lusciously moisturized mane. You'll wonder how you lived without it in your wash day routine until now.

Kayla Boyd / BuzzFeed

Bread Beauty Supply is an Australia-based, woman-owned business that was founded by Maeva Heim in 2020. This product works best for hair types 3a–4c.

BuzzFeed editor Kayla is v impressed with their deep conditioning hair mask,

"I recently started using Bread products and I really love how lightweight and easy they are to use. Since I have mixed textured hair that's been frequently dyed, it tends to get very dry. After using this deep conditioner my hair felt so much better and softer. In addition to that, the smell is A-MA-ZING. Definitely one of my new favorite wash day products." —Kayla Boyd

Get the hair mask from Bread Beauty Supply for $28 and shop the rest of the brand here.

9. Supergoop makes using SPF effortless with their lightweight formulas that are nongreasy, and amazing under makeup.

Natalie Brown / BuzzFeed

One editor can't live without their Unseen Sunscreen,

"I've been using this sunscreen at least once daily since my mom gifted it to me Christmas 2020, and have every intention to keep using it for years. A dime-size amount covers my entire face, because it's translucent it leaves absolutely no white cast, and 10 minutes after putting it on, my face just feels like I applied a little bit of a nice moisturizer or makeup primer, not anything that's grease-central, like sunscreen usually is. After several years of stubbornly trying (and failing) to find a decent, oily skin-friendly, non-greasy drugstore option, I've caved to this pricier kind because literally none of the six or seven other options I tried even compared to this.  

Every time I've worn makeup since I got it, I've been impressed by the way my matte foundation glides over it, looks with it, and lasts with it. You can see the texture and color in the photo above; it really does go on completely clear. And it's water- and sweat-resistant for 40 minutes! It's also oxybenzone-free, which is a common sun-protection ingredient that may not be reef-safe, and a single 1.7-oz bottle lasts me a little over six months. (Here's more info on sunscreen ingredients.)" —Natalie Brown

Get the Unseen Sunscreen from Amazon for $17+ (available in three sizes) and shop more from Supergoop here.

10. Fenty Beauty ups the ante for many beauty brands with the extensive shade range of their foundation and concealer. This brand, founded by superstar Rihanna, also offers amazingly pigmented lip products!

Sephora

One writer can't get enough of their lip scrub,

"I love the idea of lip scrubs, but they're usually so messy I never find myself actually reaching for them. Leave it to Rihanna to solve all my problems — this scrub stick is perfect. It's scrubby enough to lift away any dead skin, but moisturizing enough to soften and smooth. Other scrub sticks I've tried have been either way too rough to the point of being uncomfortable, or so soft that they snap in half, but this one stays intact and is so simple to use that I actually reach for it regularly." —Daniel Boan

Get the lip scrub from Sephora for $16 and shop more from Fenty Beauty here.

11. Essence makes great beauty achievable with their inexpensive price point (don't let that fool you), their products work superrrr well. Just try their fan-favorite mascara.

Emma Lord / BuzzFeed

BF editor Emma loves the brand's Princess Lash Mascara,

"Hello, that is my face above, because I bought into the hype of over 110,000 5-star reviews and now I will never look back!! Putting it on is like giving my eyelashes butterfly wings. It doesn't get clumpy, it stays put ALL the live long day (I spent all of last year's ridiculously hot pandemic summer wearing it, so I can speak to that), and you can apply it on very lightly if you don't want it to look so dramatic, or continue applying for longer lashes each time." —Emma Lord

Get it from Amazon for $4.99 and shop more from Essence here.

12. Gisou helps take your haircare routine from basic to ~luxury~. Their superbly scented products allow you to truly pamper your tresses from root to tip — plus their cute packaging is of course an added bonus.

@gisou / Via instagram.com, Ali Faccenda / BuzzFeed

Gisou is a woman-owned small haircare brand where honey bees are at the core of the brand's success. Gisou's owner Negin Mirsalehi, says beekeeping has been in her family for six generations.

I'm a massive fan of just about everything from the brand,

"Gisou is one of my favorite haircare brands and I've had the pleasure of using (and loving) several of their products. I love the honey infused hair perfume for that 'back of the neck spritz,' the honey infused hair oil (it's amazingggggg post styling to add some shine back to your hair), and the honey infused hair mask (a godsend for anyone with superrrr thick hair).

Both the hair oil and hair mask are great for my bleached hair and are part of my every day haircare routine. I put the smallest amount of oil in my hair post curling to bond my dead ends and reduce frizz.

It also helps that all of their products smell so good (I have thoroughly debated eating them — I haven't though don't worry). If they ever stop making any of these products I will be v upset." —Ali Faccenda

Get the Heroes Hair Set from Sephora for $58 (includes: mini hair oil, mini hair mask, and mini hair perfume) and shop more from Gisou here.

13. Good Dye Young lets you experiment with new hair colors without the commitment. They create products for anyone and everyone that are vegan, cruelty-free, and work on a range of hair colors and textures. And! It was co-founded by Paramore's Hayley Williams, so you know it MUST be worth trying.

Good Dye Young, Danielle Healy / BuzzFeed

BuzzFeed writer Danielle loves their color hair serum,

"I love colored hair, but I hate bleaching my hair AND have commitment issues— enter this 'I'm Bored' serum. It truly could not be easier to apply, and worked as promised on my medium-brown hair. It lasted about two washes, but I only wash my hair every three to four days, so I had a solid week of purple-tinted hair. I was able to color pretty much my whole head with about half the bottle (I still have the other half for when I next feel bored). But the bottle is teeny tiny, so if you have a lot more hair than me (easy to do), I recommend using this product more as a way to add in streaks or temporarily dye your tips!" —Danielle Healy

Get the eggplant shade from Good Dye Young for $12 and shop more from the brand here.

14. Kitsch offers a lovely range of hair accessories and products from hair towels, wraps, pillowcases, and more. Their hair scrunchies and satin pillowcases are some fan favorites.

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Kitsch is a woman-owned accessory brand — with a focus in self care, beauty, and haircare accessories. 

BuzzFeed editors Elizabeth and Kayla love their hair towels,

"I own the polka dot print and the tropical leafy print. I swore by the Turbie Twist for awhile (which is closer to an actual towel) but this microfiber fabric is far gentler on hair. Plus it feels lighter on my head/neck, which is great news for someone like me taking lunchtime showers while working from home and putting off blow drying my hair for as long as possible. It has elastic along the edges that helps it wrap around my head comfortably, and a stretchy loop at the front that I can twist back and put on a large button at the back of my head. Suffice it to say, it's super user-friendly. I can easily throw it in the wash with the rest of my towels and hang it up on a bathroom door hook to let it dry between uses. I wish I bought three of these years ago." —Elizabeth Lilly

"I've used hair towel for years, but this one is by far the best. Since I have thick, curly hair I try to avoid adding heat to it as much as possible. This allows my hair to dry naturally MUCH faster and it prevents it from dripping all over me while I'm trying to do my skincare routine or get ready. The elastic around the trim helps it stay sturdily in place, without being irritating at all. And obviously it's super cute, which is always a bonus." —Kayla Boyd 

Get the microfiber towel from Amazon for $23 and shop more from Kitsch here.

15. Peter Thomas Roth clarifies skin with a range of products that are ideal for acne-prone skin. They are also the makers of some incredibly soothing skincare finds like eye masks and a skin-plumping moisturizer.

Sephora

BuzzFeed editor Chelsea say their eye gel patches moisturize like no other,

"I am a bigggggg fan of eye patches and I think these might be my favorite ever. Now — it's important to know that I'm not a skincare snob. Name brands/prices don't mean anything to me, but results do. So if I can find a $10 product that performs as well as a $50, incredible! That said, I have to emphasize that these really are worth the $$$. They stay put (I *detest* eye patches that slide around the whole time you're wearing them) and seriouslyyyyy moisturize. They help not only with hydration, but puffiness and dark circles, too." —Chelsea Stuart

Get 30 pairs/60 hydra gel eye patches from Sephora for $55 and shop more from Peter Thomas Roth here.

16. The Lip Bar boasts bold beauty products that are maximum impact with minimal effort required. Just look at their liquid lipsticks...need we say more!?

The Lip Bar

The Lip Bar is a Black, woman-owned company based in Detroit that makes vegan and cruelty-free makeup products and is working to make the industry more inclusive. While they're known for their lip products, they also carry face and eye makeup!

Editor Kayla says their matte liquid lipsticks have an amazing formula,

"I use The Lip Bar's matte liquid lipsticks often and the formula is truly incredible. It hardly budges at all throughout the day, the pigment is bomb, AND it doesn't dry out my lips at all — which is really difficult to find in a matte lipstick." —Kayla Boyd

Get the matte liquid lipstick from The Lip Bar for $13 (available in 17 colors) or Target for $12.99 (available in 10 colors), and shop more from the brand here. 

17. Revlon changes the blowout game for the better with their volumizer brush amongst their other very popular product categories like makeup and nail polish! Say "toodles!" to extravagant salon prices this hot brush will supply a salon-worthy look for less.

amazon.com, amazon.com

Writer Jasmin swears by the blowout brush,

"Folks, one of my favorite quarantine purchases has been this godsend from Revlon. I've never been much of a blow-dryer myself — I never had the patience, energy, or the technique for that matter. Then in swoops this 2-in-1 tool to give my hair the glam of Jackie O in just about 20 minutes. I have short, very thick, wavy locks and I've never enjoyed seeing a transformation quite like I'm able to achieve with this styler. Giving myself a quick, ~salon-worthy~ blowout for Monday morning meetings has been my new way to feel a little less disheveled for the day." —Jasmin Sandal

Get the one-step volumizer brush from Amazon for $34.88 and shop more from Revlon here.

And if you've tried this hairdryer and it hasn't worked for you, the paddle brush version is said to be great by reviewers with 4c hair.

18. Ouai cleanses and conditions hair with their line of shower and bath products that are guaranteed to upgrade your bathroom. Their thick hair treatment mask and hair oil are just some of the many products sure to get even the most color-treated of tresses back on track.

Heather Braga / BuzzFeed

BuzzFeed editor Heather LOVES their body and scalp scrub,

"I'm a longtime fan of Jen Atkin and her brand Ouai (their wave spray is one of my holy grail hair products), so it's no surprise upon receiving this I wanted to test it out right away. I'm a little hesitant to put a scrub in my hair so I'll get back to you on that, but as a body scrub this St Bart's-inspired product is a 10/10. The description says it has notes of dragon fruit, tuberose and orange blossom in it, but IMO it just spells like an expensive tropical vacation — which sounds amazing right about now. Unfortunately the closest I'm going to get to that is this delicious-smelling product. The texture is nice (not too rough) and lathered up really well while still doing a great job at exfoliating the dry skin off of my legs. It's also made with coconut oil that left my skin feeling extra smooth and nourished. Essentially, it's turned my post-workout shower into a spa-like retreat and I couldn't be happier." —Heather Braga

Get the scrub from Sephora for $38 and shop more from Ouai here.

19. Clinique creates top-notch skincare (and beauty of course), that is paraben-, phthalate-, and fragrance-free so you can confidently create the ideal skincare routine that will suit your specific skin type.

Negesti Kaudo / BuzzFeed, @clinique / Via instagram.com

One BuzzFeed staffer loves the personalized skincare routine,

"IDK when I started using Clinique…I think I was in Ulta and needed a cleanser for my (combination oily) skin. Before, I had been using Obagi’s skincare routine, but obvi my budget and I couldn’t keep that going for long. Clinique isn’t cheap, but I did my research and the 3-step routine is simple and perfect: cleanse, tone, moisturize. I’d also tried toners by Lancome and The Ordinary, but Clinique’s Clarifying Lotion 3 is literally my favorite skincare product and it works perfectly for me. I’m not acne prone anymore like I was in high school, but my skin is very oily and it’s an issue. This twice-a-day routine has helped me lessen the oil in my skin and shrink my pores — and also it feels really great!” —Negesti Kaudo

Get the Clarifying Lotion 3 from Clinique for $18+ and shop more from Clinique here. 

20. Olaplex restores hair's hydration with their easy-to-follow numbered products. When used individually or as a full set, you'll have one helluva haircare regimen. Their No. 4 shampoo and No. 5 conditioner set is a great place to start!

Ali Faccenda / BuzzFeed

I'm a big big fan of their conditioner,

"I have tried to embrace my naturally wavy hair for some time now by allowing my hair to air dry, however, until I started using Olaplex — particularly the No. 5 bonding conditioner, my hair would air dry and look incredibly greasy, or quite the opposite...quite crunchy. I use their purple shampoo around once a week or once every other week, to keep my blonde color ashy, but use the conditioner daily even with my other branded shampoo products. It works well with everything I use on the daily so I will certainly be repurchasing this over and over again after I run out. I can't live without this conditioner now..." —Ali Faccenda

Get the shampoo and conditioner set from Amazon for $56 and shop more from Olaplex here and on Sephora.

21. Milk Makeup offer vegan and cruelty-free makeup products that are ~simple~. Great working products without too many bells and whistles. Some fan favorites are the lip + cheek tints and their cooling under-eye stick.

Kayla Boyd/BuzzFeed

One editor loves their lip balm as a base under lipstick,

"I love this lip balm because it's ~super~ moisturizing. The 'Green Dragon' shade goes on completely clear so it also makes a great base to wear under lipstick. It's ultra comfy to wear, nonsticky, and doesn't flake. Plus, the lid is magnetic and the overall packaging is really nice quality." —Kayla Boyd

Get it from Sephora for $16 and shop more from Milk Makeup here. 

And with all that being said, now it's time to revamp your beauty product lineup.

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Reviews have been edited for length and/or clarity.