In the age of social media, the desire to rock the unique look of an of-the-moment artist, model or actor is stronger than ever. It’s no surprise, then, that the most popular side hustles of celebrities right now are their namesake beauty brands. That’s perhaps especially true of makeup lines, with so many celebs known for, say, a trademark bold lip (hey, Gwen Stefani) or a distinctive dramatic eye (looking at you, Gaga).
“This is the era of the celebrity beauty brand,” says Los Angeles-based makeup artist Shadi Malek. “In my opinion, some have done it extremely thoughtfully and meticulously, while others haven’t.” To get some help sorting out exactly which products are worth our pretty pennies, we went to those who would obviously know: makeup artists, many of whom work with celebrities and their beauty brands every day.
Within the dozens of professional opinions we fielded, two names kept popping up: Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty. “Rihanna has left her mark in the makeup industry with her inclusivity, launching products in shades for every skin tone,” says Malek. “Meanwhile, Rare Beauty’s products are intensely pigmented, have sustainable packaging and convey a positive message.” But those two are far from the only brands with products worth the space in your makeup bag. Here, find the top picks from MUA-beloved celebrity makeup lines.
The MUA who loves it: Las Vegas-based Diane Buzzetta
The reason: “This shade works on any skin tone and stays on from day to night. I finally found the perfect nude lip that lasts. It hasn’t left my side since it launched.”
From $11 at Sephora or from $13 at Rare Beauty
The MUA who loves it: Cynthia Di Meo, Rare Beauty global makeup stylist
The reason: “It really maximizes the lashes you have, and the castor oil makes it comfortable to wear. It’s water-resistant yet good for contact lens wearers. Serious all-day staying power yet easy to remove! That makes it a great everyday mascara.”
The MUA who loves it: Sarah Tanno, Haus Labs global artistry director and Lady Gaga’s makeup artist
The reason: “This gives the appearance of glass-like skin. Fire Opal and Rose Quartz make a subtle glowing blush, but use Moonstone for a high-impact highlight. All the shades are safe to use as eyeshadow, which Gaga and I love doing. Try Bronzite for a beautiful smokey eye. They blend so smoothly you can use them with your fingers.”
$20 at Ulta and Fenty Beauty
The MUA who loves it: Priscilla Ono, Fenty Beauty global makeup artist and Rihanna’s own makeup artist
The reason: “I don’t have to worry about carrying 20 shades of lip gloss in my kit, because this has been designed to suit every skin tone. It adapts to everyone.”
The MUA who loves it: New York City-based Jason Hoffman
The reason: “So many bronzers are too heavy on the red, orange or yellow tones. These do not give the look of just-sunned skin, which is often too reddish. They look like a tan that’s had a few days to settle in. It’s a neutral, luxurious tone that usually takes a week of holiday to achieve.”
$49 at Ulta and Fenty Beauty
The MUA who loves it: Chicago-based Toshi Szpyra
The reason: “It just blends so well, giving the perfect illuminating finish on the chest, shoulders and collarbones for that extra pop.”
The MUA who loves it: New York City-based Jen Cayle Gaum
The reason: “They are so easy to apply, and the soft radiant finish works great on everyone. I’m obsessed with these!”
$21 at Sephora or $23.50 at Rare Beauty
The MUA who loves it: Vivi Mintara, founder of Eye Makeup Lab
The reason: “This blush is highly pigmented, which means that you don’t need to apply much of it to create a wonderful effect, and the colors are amazing. My favorite is Nearly Mauve.”
The MUA who loves it: San Francisco-based Hillary Clark
The reason: “The ingredients are divine. Let’s be real: We ingest our lip products. With ingredients like coconut oil, sunflower seed oil and rice bran extract, you don’t have to worry about it. Rose doubles as sheer cheek color on fair skin tones when going for a natural look. Garnet does the same on deeper skin tones.”
The MUA who loves it: San Francisco-based Hillary Clark
The reason: “Anytime that someone sits in my chair looking a little blech, I pop Awakened on their cheeks, and they immediately look refreshed and youthful. I even use it as a color corrector before concealer.”
$24 at Ulta and Fenty Beauty
The MUA who loves it: San Francisco-based Hillary Clark
The reason: “It brings a sheer veil of color that will stay put on water shoots. I can’t resist doing a modern take on the ombre lip with them. You apply one shade to the center of the mouth and the other to the outer edge and feather between the tones. Zesty Bestie in the center transitioning to Berry Banger creates a fuller-looking lip.”
$14.99 at Honest Beauty and Target
The MUA who loves it: New York City-based Ashunta Sheriff
The reason: “The colors are beautiful. One of my go-to shades for TV and film is Forever. These have amazing staying power yet moisturize lips.”
The MUA who loves it: Atlanta-based Meredith Boyd
The reason: “It leaves my clients with a natural wash of color that is hydrated but not sticky. I use the shades Pucker and Nectar. The cocoa butter makes it really soothing.”
$16 at Ulta and About Face
The MUA who loves it: Rachel Mazza, Moda brush artist
The reason: “It’s my secret weapon, truly budge-proof, which is a must especially in warm weather. I never have to worry about makeup melting off with these paints, and I love the range of colors.”
$20 at Sephora or $22 at Rare Beauty
The MUA who loves it: Los Angeles-based Megan Lombardi
The reason: “They are powdery and soft on the lips, almost like a pastel, and super hydrating for a matte formula. I love how they have just enough color, but don’t steal the show. They are a neutral lover’s dream!”
$40 at Ulta and Fenty Beauty
The MUA who loves it: New York City-based Yeika Oliva
The reason: “It melts on the skin and gives a flawless glow to the face. It’s my go-to with celebrity clients, like Teyana Taylor’s 2022 and 2021 Met Gala looks. It looks amazing in photos and videos.”
The MUA who loves it: Ulta Beauty pro team member Deney Adam
The reason: “The cushiony, blendable color melts seamlessly onto the skin for a buildable sheer or saturated look on the lips or cheeks.”
The MUA who loves it: Sarah Tanno, Haus Labs global artistry director and Lady Gaga’s makeup artist
The reason: “They are extremely versatile and long-wearing. I love using the Black Onyx to replace a liquid liner. It’s extremely black and has better control, which makes attention to detail that much easier. Currently, I love mixing Blush Matte with a touch of Flame Matte to make a beautiful peachy cheek and lip cream.”
$29 at Sephora
The MUA who loves it: Cynthia Di Meo, Rare Beauty global makeup stylist
The reason: “It enhances your natural beauty with sheer-to-medium buildable coverage that blurs the appearance of texture all while protecting your skin, giving you an even and radiant complexion. I wear it almost every day.”
The MUA who loves it: Los Angeles-based Paige Pelfrey
The reason: “They are transfer-proof, which is super important for me. And I’ve honestly never seen any other product compare to this design. Creating hair-like strokes is a breeze, and having a spoolie on the other end is incredibly useful to distribute and blend product.”
