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Best Makeup Brands

12 options

Clientele Rated

Best overall

e.l.f. Cosmetics

8.8

Drugstore prices, vegan formulas, massive TikTok reach

shade range7.0

price10.0

ingredient quality8.0

availability10.0

✓Halo Glow Liquid Filter is $14 — the exact effect that Charlotte Tilbury's Flawless Filter ($49) popularized, available for 72% less

✓Available at Target, Walmart, Ulta, CVS, and Walgreens simultaneously — you can grab products during a grocery run without a dedicated cosmetics trip

✓100% vegan and cruelty-free across every product, at every price point — the only brand in this comparison that achieves both ethical standards below $15

✓Hydrating Camo Concealer ($10) has been independently reviewed as comparable in coverage and formula to NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer ($32) — at less than one-third of the price

✓The #eyeslipsface TikTok campaign generated 4 million user videos — a level of organic reach that reflects genuine consumer enthusiasm, not just paid influencer promotion

✓Power Grip Primer ($10) is a direct competitor to Milk Makeup's Hydro Grip ($38) in terms of tackiness and grip mechanism, at roughly one-quarter of the cost

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Best for shade range

Fenty Beauty

8.0

The brand that forced the industry to expand shade ranges

shade range10.0

price7.0

ingredient quality8.0

availability7.0

✓50 foundation shades cover cool, warm, neutral, and olive undertones — the Pro Filt'r range still has more deep-dark options than most prestige competitors

✓Pro Filt'r Foundation ($38) is full-coverage and transfer-resistant, so it typically replaces the need for a separate $20+ concealer for most skin types

✓Entire brand is certified cruelty-free, meaning no animal testing at any point in the supply chain

✓Sephora's in-store Color IQ shade-matching system can scan your skin and recommend your exact Pro Filt'r shade before you buy

✓Eaze Drop Blurring Skin Tint ($38) launched in 40 shades for people who want lighter, skin-like coverage from the same inclusive range

✓Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer ($22) was designed to look flattering on every skin tone — one of the few truly universal lip products in prestige makeup

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Best for price

Rare Beauty

8.0

Skin-first formulas that photograph well at $20–29

shade range8.0

price9.0

ingredient quality8.0

availability7.0

✓Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($22) is so pigmented that most users use a single dot per cheek — one bottle realistically lasts 6–12 months of daily use

✓Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation is $29 — $9 cheaper than Fenty's Pro Filt'r for a similar shade count (48 shades)

✓Formulas are designed to layer without looking cakey, so you can start sheer and build up without reapplying from scratch

✓1% of all revenue goes to the Rare Impact Fund, which funds mental health services — a concrete, auditable commitment rather than vague 'giving back' language

✓Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer ($29) SPF 20 covers 48 shades, making it one of the most inclusive tinted moisturizers at this price

✓The brand's entire line is cruelty-free with no mainland China sales requiring animal testing compromises

Shop Rare Beauty

All best makeup brands · 12 options

Fenty Beauty

The brand that forced the industry to expand shade ranges

shade range10.0

price7.0

ingredient quality8.0

availability7.0

8.0Open →

Rare Beauty

Skin-first formulas that photograph well at $20–29

shade range8.0

price9.0

ingredient quality8.0

availability7.0

8.0Open →

Charlotte Tilbury

UK prestige brand built around one iconic glow product

shade range4.0

price5.0

ingredient quality3.0

availability8.0

5.0Open →

Glossier

Minimalist skin-tint brand for the no-makeup makeup look

shade range5.0

price8.0

ingredient quality7.0

availability6.0

6.5Open →

ILIA Beauty

Clean ingredients with SPF built in — for skin-conscious buyers

shade range7.0

price5.0

ingredient quality10.0

availability7.0

7.3Open →

Kylie Cosmetics

Accessible prestige pricing across Ulta, Target, and Amazon

shade range6.0

price8.0

ingredient quality6.0

availability10.0

7.5Open →

MAC Cosmetics

Pro artist staple with 99 shades and deep-tone expertise

shade range10.0

price7.0

ingredient quality3.0

availability10.0

7.5Open →

NARS

Cult blush and bronzer formulas with an artistry heritage

shade range6.0

price5.0

ingredient quality3.0

availability7.0

5.3Open →

Milk Makeup

Stick-format clean makeup with a Gen-Z urban identity

shade range6.0

price6.0

ingredient quality9.0

availability6.0

6.8Open →

e.l.f. Cosmetics

Drugstore prices, vegan formulas, massive TikTok reach

shade range7.0

price10.0

ingredient quality8.0

availability10.0

8.8Open →

Urban Decay

Long-wear cult formulas with an edgy aesthetic

shade range8.0

price7.0

ingredient quality8.0

availability8.0

7.8Open →

Huda Beauty

Full-coverage foundation built for a globally diverse customer

shade range8.0

price7.0

ingredient quality7.0

availability7.0

7.3Open →

Leaderboard · Overall score

#	Name	Best for	Score
1	e.l.f. Cosmetics	People who want to build a full makeup kit for under $100 total, don't want to pay prestige prices, and are comfortable buying at Target or Walmart without in-store professional advice.	8.8
2	Fenty Beauty	People with deeper or hard-to-match undertones who've historically been ignored by mainstream shade ranges and want a proven foundation formula at $38.	8.0
3	Rare Beauty	People who want lightweight, buildable coverage that doesn't feel like a mask and are happy shopping at Sephora — especially if blush is their priority product.	8.0
4	Urban Decay	People who prioritize makeup that doesn't budge through a full day or night out and want a foundation with 50 shades that is explicitly wear-tested for oily skin.	7.8
5	Kylie Cosmetics	People who want prestige-adjacent packaging and branding at $20–35 and need the flexibility of buying in-store at Target or ordering from Amazon with Prime shipping.	7.5
6	MAC Cosmetics	People with deep or dark skin tones who have historically struggled to find foundation shades with accurate undertones, and want access to professional-grade products in 500+ store locations.	7.5
7	ILIA Beauty	People with sensitive or reactive skin who want a tinted SPF product with EWG-verified ingredients and are willing to pay $48 for it.	7.3
8	Huda Beauty	People who want full-coverage, long-wear foundation with strong representation for Middle Eastern, South Asian, and deeper Mediterranean skin tones — particularly warm and olive undertones underserved by Western brands.	7.3
9	Milk Makeup	People who want a clean, vegan product line built around easy application in stick or tube formats — especially if Hydro Grip Primer is already on their radar.	6.8
10	Glossier	People with relatively even skin who want to enhance rather than cover their complexion and prefer buying from a brand with a strong community identity and aesthetic.	6.5
11	NARS	People who are loyal to the Orgasm blush or bronzer franchise and want a prestige formula from a brand with a strong color payoff reputation — and aren't buying based on cruelty-free status.	5.3
12	Charlotte Tilbury	People with fair-to-medium skin tones who prioritize a luminous, filtered finish and are willing to pay $46–52 for a foundation — and aren't bothered by the brand's cruelty-free status.	5.0

What moved

↑

e.l.f. Cosmetics — Price & Value for Money

9.5→10.0

today

↑

Fenty Beauty — Shade Range & Color Accuracy

9.5→10.0

12 days ago

↑

Rare Beauty — Price & Value for Money

8.5→9.0

25 days ago

Most recent change

e.l.f. Cosmetics — Price & Value for Money

9.5→10.0

Halo Glow Liquid Filter is $14 and Flawless Finish Foundation is $10 — 3–4x cheaper than comparable prestige products, with vegan formulas; named the fastest-growing cosmetics brand in the US in 2023.

How we score best makeup brands

Shade Range & Color Accuracy

How many shades are offered, how well they cover the full spectrum from very fair to very deep, and whether undertones (cool, warm, neutral, olive) are genuinely represented — not just added as token extras.

Price & Value for Money

What you actually pay per product, how much product you get, and whether the formula quality justifies the price compared to other brands at the same tier.

Ingredient Quality & Skin Compatibility

What's actually in the formula — whether it's cruelty-free, vegan, free from common irritants, or uses verified clean standards — and whether it's likely to work for sensitive or acne-prone skin.

Availability & Where to Buy

Whether you can pick it up at a store near you (Target, Ulta, Sephora, department store) or are forced to order online and wait, and how easy returns or shade-matching help are to access.

Other categories