These are the winners of the GHI's Beauty Hall of Fame Awards (original) (raw)
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Since the Good Housekeeping Institute opened its beauty lab in 2015, our experts have put 240 product categories to the test with the help of over 25,000 readers, trialling everything from hair dryers and retinol serums to self-tan and electric toothbrushes.
To celebrate the GHI’s 100th birthday, we’re rolling out the red carpet across the year and hailing the very best of the best in beauty, starting with makeup.
Best makeup products
Makeup is a truly beautiful thing. There are the classics we've loved for years, being discovered all over again by the TikTokers of today. Then there are the shiny new arrivals, dazzling us with their sleek looks and inventive technology.
Here at the GHI, we wanted to see which icons are still worthy of your makeup bag and which innovative new formulations are usurping the classics. So, we put a wide range of market-leading products through their paces in the GHI lab and asked our panel of testers to try them out as part of their everyday routine.
We can now reveal everything you need for the ultimate makeup kit, from the perfect smudge-proof mascaras and sun-kissed bronzers to skin-perfecting bases and concealers that truly cover up a sleepless night.
How we test makeup
We asked 300 panellists to use the products for a minimum of two weeks before giving us detailed feedback. They reported back on durability, ease of use and pigment pay-off. In the lab, we used our specialist machines to assess the colour transfer of lipstick on coffee cups, the smudge-proof claims of eye makeup, and the staying power of base products.
It's the most extensive makeup testing we've ever done – we don’t like to do anything in half measures here at the GHI. We reviewed the market-leading brands and products across 12 core makeup categories – foundation, concealer, highlighter, setting powder, bronzer, blusher, mascara, eye pencils, liquid eyeliner, eyebrow gels and pencils, lipsticks and nail varnishes.
Our winners are the most long-lasting, high-impact makeup essentials money can buy, as verified by our team of experts and readers.
Without further ado *drum roll please* let's introduce our first inductees into the GHI Beauty Hall of Fame...
Best foundations
Best foundation
bareMinerals Barepro Performance Wear Liquid Foundation
Score: 86/100
If you’re looking for a foundation that blends seamlessly into skin, call off the search. This one scored full marks for delivering a natural, dewy finish. It also stays put – our experts awarded it 4/5 for long wear in the lab. Lightweight while still expertly evening skin tone, every single panellist said they would purchase this product.
Best full-coverage foundation
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup Foundation SPF 10
Score: 84/100
Double Wear needs little introduction – it became an instant classic when it debuted in 1997 with Elizabeth Hurley as its face. Our panel liked its "buildable coverage" and said it provided "a great base for makeup", blending effortlessly to a velvety matte finish without being cakey. It also worked well however they applied it, be it with fingers, a sponge or a brush.
For the full list of winning foundations, click here.
Best concealers
Best concealer
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Concealer
Score: 97/100
Run, don’t walk – this is the highest-scoring makeup product we’ve ever tested at the GHI. Testers were wowed by its "amazing" coverage, telling us the formula sat beautifully on skin and was long wearing. As well as being impressed by the creamy, non-cakey texture, they loved the "luxurious" feel of the packaging, too.
Best under-eye concealer
Kosas Concealer
Score: 85/100
If under-eye shadows are your bugbear, this is the product for you. It scored just as highly in the lab as our winner for its long-wear capabilities and corrected dark circles like a dream. Testers said it was lightweight, blendable and didn’t sit in creases. It’s available in 38 shades, so whatever your skin tone, Kosas has you covered.
For the full list of winning concealers, click here.
Best highlighters
Best highlighter
ICONIC London Illuminator Super Concentrated Shimmer Pigment Drops
Score: 89/100
Our top-scoring skin enhancer can be used neat to accentuate high points of the face or mixed into a base product to give subtle luminosity. "It catches the light so beautifully that I looked forward to using it on a night out," one tester told us. A little goes a long way, and it’s buildable without looking unnatural.
Best highlighter for a full-glam glow
Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand
Score: 87/100
Celebrity makeup artist Charlotte Tilbury delivers her signature A-list glow with this highlighter, which adds a lit-from-within luminosity. It provides a glamorous sheen, with testers praising the colour, texture and ‘fab’ packaging, featuring a twist-to-lock applicator which avoids leakage in your makeup bag. Magic.
Best value highlighter
e.l.f. Halo Glow Highlight Beauty Wand
Score: 87/100
Our testers told us this was the perfect buildable highlighter, with a cushion-tip applicator that makes it easy to control how much product you use. "Nice sheen and consistency, really easy to apply," said one panellist. It lasted well – one tester said it gave them a gleam that lasted 14 hours – and at just under £9, it’s a steal.
For the full list of winning highlighters, click here.
Best setting powders
Best setting powder
Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder
Score: 95/100
Got a breakfast meeting at 9am and a dinner date at 7pm? This powder will see you through. It’s lightweight, doesn’t cling to dry patches and left testers with a luminous yet mattifying glow. This had a full house of impressed testers, even those who’d never used a powder before. The product is also dispensed through a branded ‘H’ – a nice touch.
Best setting powder for staying power
Laura Mercier Setting Powder
Score: 94/100
This felt comfortable on skin and was easy to apply, giving our testers a noticeable soft-focus effect as well as brightening their complexion. Who needs filters? Everyone said they were pleased with the pay-off from this powder – it could be used sparingly and still gave the desired finish – and they loved the "simple and elegant" packaging.
For the full list of winning setting powders, click here.
GH Tip: Brush bronzer along the cheekbones and under the jawbone for subtly sharpened facial features.
Best bronzers
Best bronzer
Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess Bronzer
Score: 93/100
This silky powder bronzer won a lot of new fans in our tests. Panellists praised the luxurious feel and shimmery, perfectly even finish. Available in five shades, the bronzer is housed in a chic tortoiseshell compact with a "lovely large mirror" which makes doing your makeup on the move a breeze.
Best matte bronzer
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
Score: 92/100
Everyone loved the matte shade of this Benefit classic, which gave a very natural effect and made them look as though they’d been on holiday. Testers praised the pigment pay-off, and found the product blended well.
Best long-wearing bronzer
Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Bronzer
Now 15% Off
Score: 92/100
A real multi-tasker – our panel told us they used it as both a bronzer and an eyeshadow, and it stayed put all day. With its richly pigmented yet buildable formula, everyone said this gave a healthy sun-kissed glow. They admired the "gorgeous" packaging and generously-sized pan, too.
For the full list of winning bronzers, click here.
Best blushers
Best liquid blusher
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
Score: 94/100
This blush from Selena Gomez’s beauty brand proved a star performer, giving every single tester a perfectly natural flush of colour which lasted all day. It’s available in matte and dewy finishes across 13 shades, so you can find the ideal glow for you. The stylish design ade it even more of a joy to use.
Best powder blusher
NARS Blush
Score: 90/100
A truly iconic product - particularly the famous Orgasm shade – and one which left every tester flushed with success. Panellists loved the beautifully pigmented powder, saying "a little goes a long way", and appreciated the healthy, long-lasting pop of colour which won multiple compliments.
For the full list of winning blushers, click here.
Best mascaras
Best volumising mascara
Maybelline Colossal Mascara
Now 28% Off
Score: 94/100
Coating lashes without clumping or flaking, this mascara was praised as long lasting and easy to apply. Testers loved the chunky conical packaging, with the hi-vis finish making it easy to find at the bottom of a handbag. It scored 5/5 in the lab for its smudge-proof capabilities, too.
Joint best waterproof mascara
Eyeko Beach Waterproof Mascara
Score: 93/100
Everyone needs a waterproof mascara in their arsenal – for hot summer days, sweaty workouts and watching Marley and Me for the 20th time. This one has real staying power, surviving nights out, swimming, walking in the rain and, yes, "crying over weepy films", according to our testers – with no smudging or flaking.
Joint best waterproof mascara
Benefit Bad Gal Bang! Waterproof Mascara
Score: 93/100
All our testers liked both the lengthening and volumising results, with one saying "the brush seems to work magic." The mascara was praised as easy to use, and lived up to its long-wear promise, scoring 5/5 in our smudge tests in the lab, where we used a cotton pad to wipe from right to left and assess any dislodged product.
For the full list of winning mascaras, click here.
Best eye pencils, pens and liquid liners
Best eye pencil
L'Oreal Infallible Grip 36h Gel Automatic Eyeliner
Score: 93/100
Testers loved the smudger tip, which made it easy to soften a bold liner look, and said the pencil never got blunt, so no sharpening was needed. Everyone was happy with how long their liner lasted, noting the precise application and the creamy, smudge-free finish. At just £5.99, it’s a smart buy.
Best eye pencil for colour
Laura Mercier Caviar Tightline Eyeline Pencil
Now 10% Off
Score: 92/100
Available in seven shades and scoring highest for colour pay-off in our tests, this is the perfect pencil to make your eyes pop. It felt smooth and gentle to apply, was easy to manoeuvre and didn’t budge once on. Everyone said it lasted a long time before it needed sharpening as well.
Joint best liquid eyeliner
Vieve Power Ink Liner
Score: 92/100
Liquid liner novices, fear not: this product makes it easy to nail the perfect flick. Our panel praised the shape of the brush, saying it allowed for "great control" and "clean, smooth" application, and they also enjoyed the colour pay-off and ‘high end, luxurious’ packaging.
Joint best liquid eyeliner
KVD Beauty Tattoo Liquid Liner
Score: 92/100
It’s a brand best-seller, and our testers could see why. The tattoo-inspired pigment is delivered via a needle-precise brush tip, making it a cinch to apply. The waterproof ink dried down faster than any other liquid eyeliner we tested, and testers said it didn’t go patchy or rub off during the day.
For the full list of winning eye pencils, pens and liquid liners, click here.
Best eyebrow products
Joint best brow gel
Refy Brow Sculpt
Score: 89/100
Scoring top marks for design, this product tames brows with a triple-pronged approach: an applicator spoolie plus a fine comb and thick fluffy brush tucked away in the lid. It was likened to salon lamination, with testers delighted by the way the gel tidied up overgrown brows and held hairs in place all day.
Joint best brow gel
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze
Now 52% Off
Score: 89/100
If you’re seeking the tamed and sculpted effect of brow lamination, this extreme hold styling wax is the one for you. Panellists praised the definition achieved and the product’s staying power, noting that it didn’t leave any residue. The clear formula works particularly well for those with already dark brows.
Best eyebrow pencil
Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil
Score 92/100
Our testers found this pencil super creamy, and appreciated the combination of a fine-tipped applicator for precise strokes, plus a spoolie brush for a softened, realistic effect. It’s available in 12 shades, catering to blonde, brown, red and even grey brows. Everyone said it was easy to achieve their desired look with this product.
For the full list of winning eyebrow products, click here.
Best lipsticks
Best lipstick
Revlon ColorStay Suede Ink Lipstick
Now 40% Off
Score: 90/100
A lipstick made to last. Available in 18 shades, it features a built-in primer which promises a smudge-resistant result for hours – and our panellists agreed. Everyone said the intense colour was long-wearing, and it also scored highly on our transfer tests in the lab. Although it calls itself matte, the lipstick has a hydrating sheen, which meant everyone found it comfortable to wear.
Best matte lipstick
NARS Powermatte Lipstick
Score: 88/100
NARS is renowned for its pigment pay off, and this bold matte lippy didn’t disappoint. Everyone said it did a great job at defining their lips and had a quality feel, with one telling us "I loved the fact it didn't transfer at all – even when I had a drink shortly after applying it" and another agreeing it had "incredible lasting power." A serious night out staple, it seems.
For the full list of winning lipsticks, click here.
Best nail varnishes
Best nail polish
OPI Classic Nail Polish, Long-Lasting Luxury Nail Varnish
Score: 89/100
Just one coat of this polish gave great coverage without any streaks. Almost everyone said the pigment was perfect and it was noticeably chip resistant. It also scored 5/5 for speedy application in the lab, taking less than one minute 40 seconds to dry – around the time it takes to boil the kettle.
Best long-wear nail polish
Barry M Cosmetics Gelly Hi Shine Gel Nail Paint
Now 11% Off
Score: 88/100
Our panel said this was easy to apply, thanks to the thick brush, and the formula was "very pigmented". It dried quickly "without any need for a topcoat" and lasted well without chipping. If you’re into a glossy, gel-like finish, this is a smart pick. Costing just £3.99, it’s significantly cheaper than a trip to the salon.
For a full list of the winning nail varnishes, click here.
Florence is our Senior Beauty Writer, specialising in expert-tested beauty and grooming reviews — from toothbrushes to the latest skincare launches. She’s committed to sharing recommendations for products that truly work and make people feel confident and healthy. Prior to this she was at Tropic Skincare, where she worked closely with biochemists in the lab, delving into the functions of each fresh, natural ingredient and conveying its efficacy to her audience in easy-to-digest terms.
With over five years’ experience in beauty and health journalism, Florence has written for ELLE, Women’s Fitness, Sister Magazine, National Geographic Traveller and many more, with a strong sustainability angle thread through much of her work.
When she isn’t packing for a trip away, working out, eating out or reading up on retinol serums, you’ll probably find her experimenting with her film camera and building her portfolio of portraits. Florence’s photography can be found at florencereeves-white.com, her Instagram is @florencereeveswhite and her twitter is @floreadsnwrites
Denny is our Beauty and Grooming Tester and has an in-depth knowledge and background in beauty and PR. She has spoken on panels with Cosmetics Executive Women (CEW) and has worked with many beauty brands as a commercial model. Since joining in October 2022, she has worked on numerous testing categories including over 18 different brands for vitamin C serums, scalp scrubs, shampoos for dry hair and many more. She has over 20k followers on TikTok where she shares beauty and fashion tips otherwise better known as Denny Daily.