18 Best Makeup Products of 2026, In line with Our Judges
Welcome to Who What Wear UK’s Next in Beauty Awards 2026. Here, we’re crowning and celebrating the easiest in magnificence, from game-changing business innovators to the tried-and-tested classics that stay mainstays in our toilet cupboards and make-up luggage. To assist us discover the worthy winners, we referred to as upon our esteemed panel of business specialists, hard-to-please editors and in-the-know influencers, who put every product to the check. We enlisted our judges to doc and share their testing for each product they tried, so you may see all of the winners in motion—in addition to these essential before-and-after outcomes. After a lot testing, swatching and reviewing, the outcomes are in. Join us in celebrating the very best make-up merchandise of 2026.
Who What Wear UK Next in Beauty Awards 2026: Best in Makeup
Best Makeup/Skincare Hybrid Product
If there’s one product we love, it is a make-up/skincare hybrid. The perfect? By Terry Tea To Tan Golden Glow, a water-based serum that provides instantaneous radiance.
“This product provides a strong and rapid glow,” says Who What Wear UK graphic designer Emily Post. “The consequence? An extended-lasting glow that washes off simply with cleanser. When carrying it, I obtained a number of feedback on how bronzed and glowing my pores and skin seemed—what extra may you need?”
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Best Concealer
We all know Chanel Beauty creates top-tier merchandise, however this concealer is actually among the finest launches we have tried all 12 months.
“If, like me, you love a no-makeup make-up look, then that is the concealer you completely should have in your radar,” says Who What Wear UK magnificence director Shannon Lawlor. “It leaves pores and skin trying wholesome and glowing, and delivers simply sufficient light-weight protection to make you feel and look alive. I by no means wish to be with out it.”
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Chanel
Les Beiges Serum Concealer
Best Base
I do know we have spoken somewhat about base merchandise already, however we’ve to debate Sculpted By Aimee’s Cream Cushion Foundation. We topped this our greatest base product general, and for good motive.
“A beautiful product,” says style and sweetness blogger and founding father of Byfrow, Victoria Magrath. “It made my pores and skin look actually lovely. It gives attractive protection however with a blurred, glowy end.”
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Sculpted by Aimee
Cream Cushion Foundation
Best Multi-Use Product
Who does not love a multi-use make-up product? It not solely makes your make-up routine a lot faster, however it additionally means you do not have to hold 1,000,000 merchandise in your bag. Our favorite? Byfrow’s Pigment Pencil.
“I used to be initially sceptical in regards to the concept of utilizing a pencil for the lips, eyes and cheeks, however I’ve been pleasantly shocked,” says Who What Wear UK magnificence editor Eleanor Vousden. “These pencils are creamy and versatile, permitting you to line the lips, eyes and even add blush, bronzer or freckles relying on the shades. The formulation mix rather well, however have spectacular endurance, too. I really like the thought that you would be able to throw a few these in your bag and create a full face of make-up; such a fantastic time- and space-saver.”
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Best Skin Tint
No pores and skin tint impressed our judges fairly just like the Kylie Cosmetics Skin Tint Blurring Elixir Foundation: a light-weight, light-to-medium-coverage, “your pores and skin however higher” method.
“I beloved this pores and skin tint. It actually impressed me, mentioned Victoria. “It has a beautiful texture: gentle, glowy and blurring. Really pretty general!”
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Kylie Cosmetics
Skin Tint Blurring Elixir Foundation
Best Bronzer
I by no means thought a bronzer might be so spectacular till I found Victoria Beckham Beauty’s Colour Wash Bronze Water Tint, which imparts a sheer, sun-kissed glow to the pores and skin. It appears our judges have been equally blown away.
“Beautifully packaged, a beautiful product with a stupendous end. It’s actually particular,” says Victoria.
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Victoria Beckham Beauty
Colour Wash Bronze Water Tint
Best Blush
This 12 months, it appears extra is extra in the case of blush, and I’m definitely not complaining. If you are searching for a brand new one so as to add to your basket, our judges suggest Wonderskin’s Wonder Blading All-Day Blush Stain.
“This product is very pigmented but surprisingly blendable,” says Who What Wear UK senior purchasing editor Marina Avraam. “It melts into the pores and skin earlier than setting to a weightless, radiant stain with genuinely spectacular endurance.”
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Wonderskin
Wonder Blading All-Day Blush Stain
Best Eye Product
We love eyeshadow sticks for his or her fast and straightforward software, however it’s no secret that they do not all the time ship on pigment and endurance. However, Charlotte Tilbury‘s Exagger-Eyes Easy Eyeshadow Stick ticked all of the packing containers for our judges.
“This is a pleasant tackle the basic cream eyeshadow stick. The shades are nice,” says international make-up artist and model founder Ruby Hammer MBE.
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Charlotte Tilbury
Exagger-Eyes Easy Eyeshadow Stick
Best Lash Enhancement
Lash enhancements may be arduous to get proper, however Eyelure’s Fluffy Underlash Pre-Glued Clusters delivered on each single stage.
“These definitely take a little bit of apply to use, however when you’ve mastered it, you’re good to go,” says Who What Wear UK magnificence contributor Perdita Nouril. “Considering they’re worn underneath your lash line, they’re surprisingly comfy, however better of all, they give the impression of being similar to your pure lashes.”
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Eylure
Pre-Glued Underlash Clusters Fluffy
Best Eyeliner
When you discover an eyeliner you’re keen on, you retain maintain of it endlessly. And when Ruby Hammer MBE says she’s discovered an eyeliner she loves, you add it to your basket right away.
“This is a good eyeliner that does precisely what you count on,” Ruby says. “Just a fantastic product. The dry-down is comparatively fast, and as soon as it units, it stays put. I’d be comfortable to have it in each my private {and professional} kits.”
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Inglot
AMC Eyeliner Gel – 77
Best Mascara
There are so many unimaginable mascaras on the market, however it was Merit’s Clean Volume Volumizing Tubing Mascara that basically impressed our judges.
“This is a good addition to the Merit model,” says Ruby. “I just like the little brush, and I really like that [the formula] is tubing. It gave me higher outcomes than others [I have] examined.”
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MERIT Beauty
Clean Volume Volumizing Tubing Mascara
Best Palette
If there’s one eyeshadow palette we won’t get sufficient of this 12 months, it is Makeup by Mario’s Ethereal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette. Filled with 12 wearable shades and a mixture of matte, metallic and shimmering finishes, you may create so many showstopping seems.
“A superb palette which I’d fortunately suggest to others and have already purchased for myself and my package,” says Ruby. “The formulation are unbelievable.”
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Makeup by Mario
Ethereal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette
Best Lip Liner
Never underestimate the ability of a great lip liner. Especially Sacheu’s DoubleDown Lip Definer, a two-in-one liner and balm.
“Why has nobody considered this earlier than?” says founder and creator Sharmadean Reid MBE. “It’s so good for somebody who needs a less-than-perfect liner look.”
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Sacheu
DoubleDown Lip Definer
Best Lip-Colour Product
If there’s one model that is aware of the right way to make an excellent lip product, it is Hourglass, and Phantom Blur Balm isn’t any exception.
A hybrid blurring lipstick and nourishing balm, it delivers a silky-smooth, soft-matte end. “It’s a very pretty product that I’d fortunately use,” says Ruby.
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Hourglass
Phantom Blur Balm
Best Brush for Makeup Application
Sometimes, the instruments you utilize are simply as vital because the merchandise themselves. Our favorite make-up brush? The Domed Buffer Foundation Brush from Caia Cosmetics.
“This brush applies and diffuses your product evenly; it feels gentle with out free bristles and picks up the product rather well,” says Marina. “The form permits for good blush placement, too.”
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CAIA Cosmetics
Domed Buffer Foundation Brush F13
Best Finishing Product
When you’ve got hung out creating the right make-up look, you wish to be sure to’re utilizing the very best product to set it in place. Our judges could not get sufficient of Dior Beauty’s Backstage Airflash Mist.
“I really like that this product combines makeup-setting efficiency and hydration in a single very positive, light-weight mist,” says Marina.
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Dior Beauty
Backstage Airflash Mist
Best Brow Product
We could not check the very best make-up merchandise with out speaking about brows. Possibly one of many hardest merchandise to get proper, our judges have been blown away by the Brow Tamer from Shavata Singh.
“This is likely one of the greatest forehead gels I’ve tried in a very long time,” says Eleanor. “The clear gel supplies lasting maintain that retains brows in place, however they nonetheless really feel versatile to the contact with out that stiff feeling you get with some forehead gels. It’s simply layered and does not go flaky. I’m actually happy I found this product.”
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Best Reformulation
It was massive information within the magnificence business when Esteé Lauder determined to reformulate its iconic Double Wear basis. We did not assume it may get any higher, however the brand new method has proved us incorrect.
“An amazing shade vary with full protection,” says Ruby. “It goes on closely, however may be sheered out. It’s nice for individuals who require extra depth of protection.”
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Estée Lauder
Double Wear Stay-in-Place Foundation
