We've Swatched, Swiped and Stippled—These Are the 18 Best Makeup Products Around
We asked our experts to put everything from blush, bronzer and lip liner to the test, and these came out on top.
Welcome to Who What Wear UK's Next in Beauty Awards 2026. Here, we are crowning and celebrating the very best in beauty, from game-changing industry innovators to the tried-and-tested classics that remain mainstays in our bathroom cabinets and makeup bags. To help us find the worthy winners, we called upon our esteemed panel of industry experts, hard-to-please editors and in-the-know influencers, who put each and every product to the test. We enlisted our judges to document and share their testing for every product they tried, so you can see all the winners in action—as well as those very important before-and-after results. After much testing, swatching and reviewing, the results are in. Join us in celebrating the best makeup products 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's a makeup/skincare hybrid. The very best? By Terry Tea To Tan Golden Glow, a water-based serum that adds instant radiance.
"This product gives a powerful and immediate glow," says Who What Wear UK graphic designer Emily Post. "The result? A long-lasting glow that washes off easily with cleanser. When wearing it, I received multiple comments on how bronzed and glowing my skin looked—what more could you want?"
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Best Concealer
We all know Chanel Beauty creates top-tier products, but this concealer is honestly one of the best launches we've tried all year.
"If, like me, you adore a no-makeup makeup look, then this is the concealer you absolutely must have on your radar," says Who What Wear UK beauty director Shannon Lawlor. "It leaves skin looking healthy and glowing, and delivers just enough lightweight coverage to make you look and feel alive. I never want to be without it."
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Best Base
I know we've spoken a little about base products already, but we have to discuss Sculpted By Aimee's Cream Cushion Foundation. We crowned this our best base product overall, and for good reason.
"A gorgeous product," says fashion and beauty blogger and founder of Byfrow, Victoria Magrath. "It made my skin look really beautiful. It offers gorgeous coverage but with a blurred, glowy finish."
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Best Multi-Use Product
Who doesn't love a multi-use makeup product? It not only makes your makeup routine much quicker, but it also means you don't have to carry a million products in your bag. Our favourite? Byfrow's Pigment Pencil.
"I was initially sceptical about the idea of using a pencil for the lips, eyes and cheeks, but I've been pleasantly surprised," says Who What Wear UK beauty editor Eleanor Vousden. "These pencils are creamy and versatile, allowing you to line the lips, eyes or even add blush, bronzer or freckles depending on the shades. The formulas blend really well, but have impressive staying power, too. I love the idea that you can throw a couple of these in your bag and create a full face of makeup; such a great time- and space-saver."
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Best Skin Tint
No skin tint impressed our judges quite like the Kylie Cosmetics Skin Tint Blurring Elixir Foundation: a lightweight, light-to-medium-coverage, "your skin but better" formula.
"I loved this skin tint. It really impressed me, said Victoria. "It has a gorgeous texture: light, glowy and blurring. Really lovely overall!"
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Best Bronzer
I never thought a bronzer could be so impressive until I discovered Victoria Beckham Beauty's Colour Wash Bronze Water Tint, which imparts a sheer, sun-kissed glow to the skin. It seems our judges were equally blown away.
"Beautifully packaged, a gorgeous product with a beautiful finish. It's really special," says Victoria.
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Best Blush
This year, it seems more is more when it comes to blush, and I'm certainly not complaining. If you're looking for a new one to add to your basket, our judges recommend Wonderskin's Wonder Blading All-Day Blush Stain.
"This product is highly pigmented yet surprisingly blendable," says Who What Wear UK senior shopping editor Marina Avraam. "It melts into the skin before setting to a weightless, radiant stain with genuinely impressive staying power."
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Best Eye Product
We love eyeshadow sticks for their quick and easy application, but it's no secret that they don't always deliver on pigment and staying power. However, Charlotte Tilbury's Exagger-Eyes Easy Eyeshadow Stick ticked all the boxes for our judges.
"This is a nice take on the classic cream eyeshadow stick. The shades are great," says global makeup artist and brand founder Ruby Hammer MBE.
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Best Lash Enhancement
Lash enhancements can be hard to get right, but Eyelure's Fluffy Underlash Pre-Glued Clusters delivered on every single level.
"These certainly take a bit of practice to apply, but once you’ve mastered it, you’re good to go," says Who What Wear UK beauty contributor Perdita Nouril. "Considering they’re worn under your lash line, they’re surprisingly comfortable, but best of all, they look just like your natural lashes."
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Best Eyeliner
When you find an eyeliner you love, you keep hold of it forever. And when Ruby Hammer MBE says she's found an eyeliner she loves, you add it to your basket straight away.
"This is a great eyeliner that does exactly what you expect," Ruby says. "Just a great product. The dry-down is relatively quick, and once it sets, it stays put. I would be happy to have it in both my personal and professional kits."
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Best Mascara
There are so many incredible mascaras out there, but it was Merit's Clean Volume Volumizing Tubing Mascara that really impressed our judges.
"This is a great addition to the Merit brand," says Ruby. "I like the little brush, and I love that [the formula] is tubing. It gave me better results than others [I have] tested."
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Best Palette
If there's one eyeshadow palette we can't get enough of this year, it's Makeup by Mario's Ethereal Eyes Eyeshadow Palette. Filled with 12 wearable shades and a mix of matte, metallic and shimmering finishes, you can create so many showstopping looks.
"A brilliant palette which I would happily recommend to others and have already bought for myself and my kit," says Ruby. "The formulas are fantastic."
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Best Lip Liner
Never underestimate the power of a good lip liner. Especially Sacheu's DoubleDown Lip Definer, a two-in-one liner and balm.
"Why has no one thought of this before?" says entrepreneur and author Sharmadean Reid MBE. "It's so good for someone who wants a less-than-perfect liner look."
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Best Lip-Colour Product
If there's one brand that knows how to make an outstanding lip product, it's Hourglass, and Phantom Blur Balm is no exception.
A hybrid blurring lipstick and nourishing balm, it delivers a silky-smooth, soft-matte finish. "It's a really lovely product that I would happily use," says Ruby.
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Best Brush for Makeup Application
Sometimes, the tools you use are just as important as the products themselves. Our favourite makeup brush? The Domed Buffer Foundation Brush from Caia Cosmetics.
"This brush applies and diffuses your product evenly; it feels soft without loose bristles and picks up the product really well," says Marina. "The shape allows for good blush placement, too."
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Best Finishing Product
When you've spent time creating the perfect makeup look, you want to make sure you're using the best product to set it in place. Our judges couldn't get enough of Dior Beauty's Backstage Airflash Mist.
"I love that this product combines makeup-setting performance and hydration in one very fine, lightweight mist," says Marina.
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Best Brow Product
We couldn't test the best makeup products without talking about brows. Possibly one of the hardest products to get right, our judges were blown away by the Brow Tamer from Shavata Singh.
"This is one of the best brow gels I've tried in a long time," says Eleanor. "The clear gel provides lasting hold that keeps brows in place, but they still feel flexible to the touch without that stiff feeling you get with some brow gels. It's easily layered and doesn't go flaky. I'm really pleased I discovered this product."
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Best Reformulation
It was big news in the beauty industry when Esteé Lauder decided to reformulate its iconic Double Wear foundation. We didn't think it could get any better, but the new formula has proved us wrong.
"A great shade range with full coverage," says Ruby. "It goes on heavily, but can be sheered out. It's great for people who require more depth of coverage."
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