"As both a beauty editor and someone who’s chronically online, sometimes it feels like the only thing in my brain is a roladex of the most popular beauty products of the moment. Between my exploding vanity drawers and deep-seeded paranoia that my mailmen are keeping track of how many striped Sephora boxes arrived on my doorstep this year, if there’s a product that’s blowing up, I’m already trying it.
Like a sorting hat of beauty greatness, all of the products I try inevitebly end up sorting themselves into three categories. They go straight into the bag of products I keep in my closet to donate (worst), get thrown into the drawers of my vanity (better), or get placed straight onto the organizer I keep on the top of my vanity (best). While the majority of the products I’ve tried this year ended up in the “drawers of my vanity” category, a few lived to enter into 2025 with the honor of being seated front and center on my vanity, confident that they’ll be reached for every single morning.
Of all the products #BeautyTok told you you should “run, not walk” to get this year, these are the ones that are actually worth it.
1. Dior Forever Skin Perfect 24H Foundation Stick
When I say the last thing I needed on my vanity was yet another foundation, I mean it, but this Dior foundation stick gained the status of my favorite complexion product of the 2024. I feared what its natural finish would look like on my dry skin, but it ended up delivering a skin-like effect that I simply can’t get enough of. What really makes it stand out from the crowd is its ease of application. With three swipes and a little blending, my skin looks even and perfected, and stays that way all day.
2. Makeup By Mario SurrealSkin Soft Blur Setting Powder
When Givenchy changed the formula of my beloved Prisme Libre Loose Powder, I thought I’d never see another day of the blurred, perfected complexion that I’d gotten used to. But lo and behold, Makeup by Mario’s Soft Blur Setting Powder delivers such a similar effect, I haven’t mourned my Givenchy for a minute. This powder locks in my makeup and gives me a blurred, natural finish that makes me look airbrushed and completely poreless.
3. Maybelline Lash Sensational Waterproof Mascara
I have to be honest: I tried the classic version of this mascara a couple of years ago and wasn’t all that impressed. But this summer, I added the waterproof version to my cart, and watched it slowly become my holy grail mascara. It keeps my lashes long, full, and curled all day, and has knocked even my $30 mascaras out of my routine. With a price tag under $9, both me and my wallet are rejoicing.
4. Rhode Pocket Blush
As a blush obsessor, I knew I’d have to get my hands on Rhode’s Pocket Blushes the second they launched—but what I didn’t expect was for them to make all my other cream blushes obsolete. In addition to its satin finish that leaves my cheeks looking dewy and youthful, what really makes this product stand out is its longevity. I’ve never met another cream blush with such staying power—when I apply it in the morning, I still have a healthy flush when I wash my makeup off at night. I personally can’t leave the house without a few dabs of ‘Sleepy Girl’ on my cheeks.
5. Lion Pose Unspotted Dark Spot + Hyperpigmentation AHA Serum
One thing I didn’t see coming this year? Having the worst acne of my life at the age of 28. Even as my dermatologist helped me knock out my active spots, I was left with hyperpigmentation that was just as pesky as the zits themselves—until this serum from Lionpose completely obliterated them. A blend of azelaic, glycolic, lactic, and tranexamic acids make this one of the most effective exfoliating products I’ve ever tried—and better yet, it doesn’t leave my skin dry or irritated after using it. This serum has also been incredibly helpful for any texture or clogged pores that pop up. I personally use it in place of my tretinoin once or two nights a week, and credit it for my skin currently looking even and texture-free.
6. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Custom Palette
Given how many beauty products cross my desk, it’s pretty rare that I repurchase the same one over and over again. But every fall, I find myself adding the annual edition of Hourglass’s Ambient Lighting Palette to my cart. Regardless of what makeup products I’m currently using—or even if I find myself in a position where I over-powdered and look a little dry—a dusting of these powders instantly gives my makeup a diffused, healthy glow. These palettes include a bronzer, blushes, finishing powders, and a highlighter, so you truly have everything you need for a full face of makeup right at your fingertips. Given how stunning the packaging is, I also don’t mind that it inevitably ends up living on my vanity year-round.
7. Saie Dew Bronze Sculpting Liquid Bronzer
Saie’s Dew Blush became one of my favorite products of all time in 2023, so when I found out they were releasing a bronzer version, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. To no one’s surprise, this is by far the best liquid bronzer I’ve ever tried. Saie’s extra-large doe foot applicator makes applying it a breeze, and no matter how haphazardly I put it on my face, it blends out to make me look like I just got back from a weekend on the beach. It’s gives a soft finish that’s dewy but not sparkly, and allows me to customize how bronzed I am thanks to its buildable formula.
8. amika Soulfood Nourishing Hair Mask
I could wax poetic about my love for this hair mask for the next hour (actually, I already did here), but I consider it to be the sole reason my hair is currently the healthiest its ever been. Since I incorporated this product into my hair routine, it’s gone from being dry and brittle to full, healthy, and hydrated. I’ve never found a product that makes such a visible difference in my hair, and can honestly say that this has a permanent spot in my routine.
9. Benefit Cosmetics Fluff Up Brow-Texturizing Wax
I have fine, thin hair everywhere on my body—and unfortunately, that includes my eyebrows. Since my individual eyebrow hairs are so thin, any heavy waxes or pomades usually end up weighing them down, but not this brow wax from Benefit. This formula is on the dryer side, so as it adheres to my brows, it doesn’t make them look too wet or slick. Instead, it does as it promises and gives me fluffed-up brows that stay that way until I wash my face at night. I love this product so much that I’ve bought it in both the clear and tinted version so I have one handy for any mood me and my brows are in.
10. Danessa Myricks Beauty Groundwork: Defining Neutrals Palette
To be clear, this product wasn’t exactly viral—but it absolutely should be. This palette is by far one of the most unique products I’ve tried in the past few years. It features 10 neutral shades, and each shade includes both a powder and pomade formula. While I primarily use it on my eyes, it’s also formulated to be used all over the face (kind of like a grown-up version of the full-face palettes we had in the 2010s). I like to start with the pomade formulas, then layer the powders over for extra long-lasting makeup. It’s a stand-alone product that has gotten use from me almost every day of 2024, and I’ve recommended it to just about everyone I know.
Madeline Galassi, Senior Fashion & Beauty Editor
Madeline has been covering fashion at The Everygirl since 2018. She edits all fashion content, writes in-depth trend reports, and curates the direction of the fashion and beauty sections. She’s worked with top brands like Nordstrom, & Other Stories, Sézane, and Everlane.