8 Game-Changing Beauty Products We're Currently Obsessing Over

Gems from Benefit Cosmetics, NARS, GlamGlow, and BareMinerals for a crazy good makeup and skincare game in 2019.

1. NARS Climax Mascara opens up your peepers with just one swipe from its full-bodied, ribbed bristles, but stays soft and feathery (never clumpy!), even if you layer it up.

Augusta Falletta

Mascara is my hero product; whether my face is completely done or totally bare, I never feel finished without lashes. In my years-long search for a mascara that gives me mega lashes, curl, length and volume without clumps, NARS Climax is, fittingly because of its name, my peak. Right now I'm on my second tube — a true indication that I love it enough to re-buy — and my first lasted about three months. It's well worth the price.

Maybe it's just me, but with some mascaras, it takes a few days after opening a new tube to feel like things are just right. But with this bad boy, the massive brush is ready to go on the first swipe, and I kid you not, just one brush up on my lashes and my entire face opens up and looks awake. On a regular basis, I just need one layer of Climax, but on special occasions I'll up it to two just so that my eyes are more dramatic in photos. The formula builds really well and somehow doesn't clump or feel gunky with more product. Honestly, this mascara looks so good that I've already decided to wear it on my wedding day — nine months from now.—Augusta Falletta

Get it from Sephora for $24.

2. Bite Beauty Agave Lip Balm is the perfect dose of soothing hydration and restoration for your lips — formulated with agave and rare Madagascan vanilla CO2 extract, your lips stay soft all day and primed for color if you decide to go that route.

Anna McCarter

Because my lips get extremely dry and flaky all winter long, I was previously devoted to medicated Chapstick and would need to continuously reapply it all day. I was on the hunt for a lip balm with natural ingredients that would keep my lips super hydrated in the cold, dry months. This Bite Beauty lip balm is now my forever go-to lip moisturizer! It is better than any lip balm I’ve ever tried. It is so soothing and comfortable to wear and it really feels like it penetrates your dry lips rather than just sitting on top. If you are an all-natural beauty lover, you will love the simple, plant-based formula that is free of parabens, sulfates and phthalates. Plus, the matte black tube is very cute and chic! —Anna McCarter

Get it from Sephora for $18. Bite Beauty also offers an Agave Sugar Scrub and Agave Lip Mask (available in five shades), if you feel like ~completing the lip care routine~.

3. If one of your 2019 resolutions is to master the art of a cat eye, Benefit Roller Liner's gotchu — it deposits a rich, matte black with almost no pressure, glides super easily for precise lines, and stays looking flawless all day long.

Sarah Han, instagram.com

Most liners I receive end up on the free table or are relegated to "keep at my desk for absolute emergencies" status, but I'm happy to report that it was love at first draw with Benefit's new Roller Liner. It meets all of my criteria: super smooth in application (I actually gasped), controllable design, no dragging on my eyelids (which is *the* worst feeling), and unmistakably black pigment you can see from across the room. The rich matte black color rivals that of my drugstore favorite, NYX Epic Ink Liner, but I actually prefer Benefit's thicker felt tip more. It feels a little sturdier when I'm drawing out my lines and wings — and there's a helpful textured grip near the tip too — so I can make sure they're as thin or thick as I want. Roller Liner gives me nothing but straight, even lines with no random bumps or pick-ups — just easy gliding! And it dries in no time at all, even if I go in with my lash curler afterwards.

Roller Line claims to last 24 hours, which I'm not keen on testing (I like my sleep!), but it stays perfect for my average 15-hour time frame of wearing makeup (though I have monolids, so a teensy bit of smudging is almost unavoidable during the last few hours) and no color fading. And because it's *so* easy to use, I've started wearing liner more regularly, which roughly translates to 10x more confidence. I'm pretty much like "oh dang, girl, look at those peepers" whenever I catch myself in the mirror. —Sarah Han

Get it from Sephora for $12+ or Benefit for $12 (mini) and $22 (full size; available in black and brown).

(The Roller product family also includes a new Roller Eye Bright Pencil and the original, highly-adored Roller Lash Curling Mascara.)

4. GlamGlow Supermud Treatment is the truth for getting rid of PMS-induced (or anything-induced) pimples just like that with its powerful charcoal and kaolin clay infused formula — follow up with Starpotion (a charcoal-based lotion), and you'll be good as brand ~glowing~ new!

Ignacia Fulcher

So, while I was going through an intense form of PMS, I glanced in my bathroom mirror and notched a pimple the size of Hawaii (I'm being dramatic, but you can understand my distress). I was determined to rectify my own body's attack against me and applied Glamglow Supermud Treatment. It's formulated with charcoal that'll actually assist in cleansing your pores. I know, truly wild. The mud mask spread evenly and after 15-20 minutes I felt it harden, which, according to the directions, it means the mask did its job. Before I washed it off I noticed I looked like a gargoyle, but it was worth it!

After washing it off, my skin was as smooth as silk and I fell in love with myself (again). Afterwards, I applied Glamglow Starpotion, a charcoal moisturizer used to brighten dull skin. My skin decided to bless me because the next morning when I woke up? That juicy pimple dried out, and I was ready to roll. So if you want a no-nonsense mask to magically (or not-so-magically) make acne disappear, this is the one for you! —Ignacia Fulcher

Get them from Sephora: Supermud for $59+ (available in two sizes) and Starpotion for $54.

5. You only need a little dollop of Luma Beauty Liquid Light Illuminating Face Primer for all-over radiance that lasts all day (thanks to light-diffusing particles and crushed pearl!) and serves as the perfect base for foundation and/or concealer — hello, you dewy-skinned goddess!

AnaMaria Glavan

When it comes to my daily makeup routine, I stick to concealer, mascara, Glossier Boy Brow (of which I am a devout buyer), and what I like to refer to as my secret weapon — the Luma Liquid Light Illuminating Primer. This cruelty-free primer is formulated with a bunch of fancy-sounding ingredients like crushed pearl powder, grapeseed oil, allantoin, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, and soybean oil. In English? Said ingredients work like mad to improve radiance and make your skin look like it’s glowing. Does it do that? HECK YES.

I swipe a pea-sized amount onto my face every morning (I use a moisturizer before, because my skin can be pretty dry), and I immediately have the perfect canvas for concealer. It makes me look like I’m glowing before I’ve even finished my first cup of coffee…which is no small feat. It also gives me an extra boost of moisture and seems to even out my complexion! I should also mention that I have been using this every single day for the last six months and still have half the bottle left. CONCLUSION! This is an absolute essential for that ~no makeup makeup~ routine. Get ready for the dewiest skin of your life. —AnaMaria Glavan

Get it from Luma Beauty for $29.95.

6. BareMinerals BarePro Performance Wear Pressed Powder Foundation gives your face a lightweight, almost-invisible, and smoothing layer of coverage that'll put zits and redness in their place — which is no place at all, because you won't be able to see them!

Michelle No, instagram.com

When I was a kid, I used to hate putting lotion on. It was sticky, felt stifling, and took ages for my skin to absorb the stuff. As an adult, I've mostly gotten over my aversion to lotion, but have yet to embrace it on my face. That's where this powder foundation compact comes in.

My morning routine usually consists of my eye makeup first, then a super light dusting of this. On this particular day, I had some redness on my nose and a tiny zit that was erupting from the right side of my mouth, and BareMinerals did its magic and smoothed everything out. The best part of this stuff is, unlike cakey liquid foundation, it becomes invisible as soon as it's on (I use an Estée Lauder powder foundation brush to apply it), and people can never figure out how my skin is so freaking seamless. The case is also pretty sturdy and won't break even if you drop a few times, which I really can't say about the dozen other compacts/blushes I've dropped and broken over the last few years. —Michelle No

Get it from Sephora or BareMinerals for $31 (available in 30 shades).

7. Asarai Earth Tones Face Mask sinks deep down into your pores to clean them entirely up, exfoliating away rough patches, and leaving sensitive skin soothed, refreshed, and ready to go.

Mallory Mower

When it gets cold out my skin gets as dry and flakey as I am when it comes to making plans with friends. Which is to say, very. I also have pretty sensitive skin, which makes it hard to find the right balance for my body. I want to remove the rough skin on the surface of my face, but I don’t want to irritate it more than it already naturally tends to be. When I found this Asarai face mask, I also found the solution to that conundrum. This goes on thick and gets on everything (not just my face, but my sink/shower too), but it also absolutely gets the job done.

I can’t imagine getting through a winter without it (paired with Asarai’s face lotion). I cover my face and décolleté with this (usually in the bath, where I can easily wash off without staining anything) and let it sit while I read or shave. It feels incredible. I can feel it sink into my pores, dry on my skin, and exfoliate as I wash it off. It is incredibly satisfying to put on, a teeny tiny amount of product goes a long way, and my skin feels incredibly clean when I take it off. After I wash this off my skin feels so much smoother and, as a total bonus, it looks brighter. This is now a go-to for me when I want to treat my skin to something special. —Mallory Mower

Get the face mask from Asarai for $28.95 and the lotion from Urban Outfitters for $49.

8. Luv Scrub is a self-ventilating nylon mesh body exfoliator that's perfect for scrubbing away rough patches and keeping your skin baby soft — plus, it's long enough to get the hard-to-reach areas of your back!

Heather Braga

I've just been introduced to the Luv Scrub and it has been a game changer for my dry skin (thanks, winter). It is essentially a long piece of mesh material that you can hang in your shower in replacement of your loofah. Any time I've tried to keep a shower pouf in my bathroom it gets gross from the lack of ventilation, but that hasn't been the case with the Luv Scrub. It's actually a product that has been used in West Africa for generations — and I can see why! All you have to do is apply soap or shower gel, and then run it over your skin like you would with a wash cloth. It's an incredible way to exfoliate. My skin has honestly never felt so soft! —Heather Braga

Get it from The Luv Scrub for $18 (available in five colors).

New year, cleaner you!

Dargaud Media Paws, Inc.

Check out all of our past beauty review roundups for more recs, and then check out these posts to start 2019 on a fresh-faced note:

37 Beauty And Skincare Products Our Readers Loved In 2018

23 Beauty Products That'll Help You Kiss Your Bad Habits Goodbye

32 Skincare Products Under $20 That'll Literally Leave Your Skin Glowing

25 Beauty Products That Are Absolutely Perfect For Klutzes

Shopping for something specific? Check out BuzzFeed Reviews to find the best things for every budget!

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