What product do you adore that doesn’t seem to get any attention on social media/blogs? Share!
A lot of the Sephora house brand products that I love I don’t see talked about that as much outside of our community here.
Thanks to Ruth for today’s questions! Do you have a question idea? Submit yours here.
We're here to help you make better beauty purchases that you'll enjoy and love! We recommend signing up to take advantage of personalized features like tracking products you own, viewing dupes that you already have, and more!
Here are some useful resources for you:
Curious how two shades compare to each other? Type in the shades below to get instant side-by-side swatches!
Comments that do not adhere to our comment policy may be removed. Discussion and debate are highly encouraged but we expect community members to participate respectfully. Please keep discussion on-topic, and if you have general feedback, a product review request, an off-topic question, or need technical support, please contact us!
Please help us streamline the comments' section and be more efficient: double-check the post above for more basic information like pricing, availability, and so on to make sure your question wasn't answered already. Comments alerting us to typos or small errors in the post are appreciated (!) but will typically be removed after errors are fixed (unless a response is needed).
We appreciate enthusiasm for new releases but ask readers to please hold questions regarding if/when a review will be posted as we can't commit to or guarantee product reviews. We don't want to set expectations and then disappoint readers as even products that are swatched don't always end up being reviewed due to time constraints and changes in priorities! Thank you for understanding!
We try to approve comments within 24 hours (and reply to them within 72 hours) but can sometimes get behind and appreciate your patience! 🙂 If you have general feedback, product review requests, off-topic questions, or need technical support, please contact us directly. Thank you for your patience!
I agree – Sephora house brand is like the Rodney Dangerfield of makeup brands, it gets no respect, but they have some great products. Their latest Matte Gel Eyeliner is the bomb -the brown one lasted 17 hours on my oily lids, in an office with a weak air conditioner. And if you’re looking for a cool grey toned contour, check out Tranquil (the dupe for Chanel Notorious), mine wasn’t powdery at all. I also have an entire drawer full of khaki green shadows from many brands, but still go back to their Mild to Wild Khaki kit because of its quality and portability. Dior, Guerlain, and Chanel gets all the glamour and attention, but Sephora has hidden gems
As soon as Sephora comes to Melbourne Australia – that is the palette I am going to get. So many readers have blogged about how good the Mild to Wild Khaki palette is and I love these colours. Sephora’s eye pencils are pretty good too.
Genevieve, I do hope the Mild to Wild palette makes it to Australia. I’m really worried they are going to discontinue it, as it’s been on sale on the Sephora website for months ($11 instead of $25 reg price). I was so panicked I even bought a backup. Two of the shades are to die for (rich and smooth with complex shimmer), a couple run a little dry, but nothing primer can’t fix. The colors are absolutely gorgeous, it comes with mirror and applicator, and is very light, perfect for travel. If you like shimmery khaki olive greens, the Sephora Jumbo Liner 12 hr Waterproof Crayon in Khaki is gorgeous too!
The Sephora house brand was pretty awful at one time, so I can see why many may still be apprehensive. However, since they revamped it a few years ago, overall it’s a good collection. I absolutely agree with you about Tranquil; not only do I have no issues with it being powdery, mine is sooo dense, I have to really build it up (which on my fair-light skin isn’t a bad thing!).
What you say is true, Christine, neither do I. Surprising considering that the quality is there, I’m crazy for the Contour eyeliner pencils! Sadly, some shades are being DC’d. Also, besides this site, I don’t recall a lot of talk about: Clinique Cheek Pops, Estee Lauder Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipsticks or Visart palettes. And I never hear much about the fantastic skincare line from Hada Labo!
Paula’s Choice skincare! It isn’t necessarily a “sexy” brand, because there’s no flashy packaging, glamorous advertising, or gimmicks. But it is the best line I’ve ever used, in every product category, and the prices aren’t budget-killers.
I agree! Fragrance free, no animal testing, and high quality ingredients; no fillers or sham ingredients. A little pricy but worth it, especially the exfoliants (really the only stuff I buy). It’s so hard to find a good BHA exfoliant for both the face and the body. Plus, PC is easily accessible and ships fast.
I agree! Her revamped BHA face lotion is my HG face/neck/decolletage lotion. I used to have to layer different types of thin lotions to make my face soft, but this stuff does it in one and has the added benefit of BHA.
Elizabeth Arden Smoky Eyes Powder Pencil and L’Oréal Infallible 8HR Le Gloss lipgloss.
Yes, I know EA is seen as a ‘granny’ brand but they really do have some legendary products. Did you know the now well known Charlotte Tilbury helped develop EA’s Smoky Eyes Powder Penci? Lots of famous make up artists have them in their kit also. Mulberry & Black violet really make my hazel eyes look greener, and Espresso is the perfect shade of rich brown.
L’Oréal Infallible 8HR Le Gloss lipgloss comes in several gorgeous shades & finishes from sheer to glimmer to sparkle. They are just as beautiful as the Chanel Glossimers & wear is about 4 hours. Unfortunately they do have a rather weird but mild chemical/vanilla flavor and they are a bit sticky – but they’re less than half the price of a Chanel Glossimer. My daily use shades are Sangria, Posy, & Addictive Peach.
How does that eye pencil last? I was interested, but my face just eats makeup!
When I was in my teens/20s, I loved Elizabeth Arden! My mom wore Red Door, and because she never was into makeup, I benefitted from her GWPs. In fact, there was one eyeshadow palette that came with several on-pan “trios” that were insanely pigmented, and in unconventional combinations, that I could not see any “granny” going for, LOL! The only reason the brand is no longer in my repertoire is because it’s a bit inconvenient to get to a counter, and although my local Macy’s has one, it’s located in the furthest corner, and I get distracted by other brands, and when I do remember, there is either no SA, or the one is working with another customer…
Also, those L’Oréal glosses are fabulous! Sangria is such an amazing shade. It’s bold enough to make a statement, yet soft enough when I need something more “conservative”.
Mac strobe lotion I don’t see anyone use it/talk about it…
Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge! My favourite cream blush formula yet Stila Convertible Color seems to steal much of its thunder. Also, while I’m on Bobbi Brown, the Smokey Eye Mascara is amazing too but I don’t see that around much either.
I recently started playing with these at my counter and fell in love with them. I had to have Chocolate Cherry and Milk Chocolate. They’re so creamy and blend so well
Shu uemura has excellent skincare and makeup products that are rarely talked about. They’re eyeshadows are quite impressive!
Kryolan tv paint sticks…….especially for color correcting n concealer in one
Yeah, the Sephora line is pretty great, my jumbo eyeshadow sticks in Taupe and Gold are some of my favorites!
MAC Matte is a solid, cheap silicone-based primer I never see anyone talking about!
Kat von d lock it foundation. I really don’t understand how people arnt talking about this!! It’s the absolute best foundation I’ve ever came across, I’m on like bottle #10 at this point. Shade light 48 is an absolute prefect mafch for me. Also, miliani bros powder, comes in a trio.. Been using that for years!
The Kat Von D Lock It Foundation actually had a huge following on YouTube, but the popularity had a short lifespan. Some other makeup product came out and stole the KVD spotlight. At the time, so many of the YT makeup gurus I had followed had a video talking about this foundation. And those YT gurus had seen the foundation from other MUA YouTubers and various Instagram posts. I still have to give that foundation a try.
Well, I’ve always loved the MAC Pedro Lourenço Corol Powder Blush and that one was totally ripped apart by beauty bloggers all over the world, including you! 🙂 That said, I did crumble the compact into a loose powder to make it work though. In its compact form it didn’t work for me either. But as a loose powder blush? AWESOME! I still reach for it almost weekly.
Revlon ColorStay Ultimate Liquid Lipcolor: the formulation is excellent, and it really stays on all day. Only problem is, Revlon never adds any new colors to the collection. 🙁
Prestige’s My Biggest Lashes is one of my favorite mascaras. I found out about it via a blog but that site is the only place I’ve ever seen it reviewed.
Prestige, in general, doesn’t get any press, but it’s been one of my favorite all-time brands for about 15 years!
Hmmm…I love a lot of the Japonesque makeup brushes, and I never hear about them. It seems like the newest products get the hype, so it’s all about the brands that are savvy enough to distribute their new launches to the beauty bloggers and vloggers.
Nyx Micro Brow Pencil is the only one I can remember right now.this brow pencil is work so well on me but I don’t think I hear anyone talking about it!
It cosmetics contour palette. I think it would work with every skin tone but is amazing for darker skin. It has a true contour shade for dark skin.
Covergirl Queen Collection Foundation, Bronzer and Pressed Powders
IMAN Second to None Cream Foundation and Pressed Powders
The Covergirl Queen Collection Bronzer in Ebony gets sooooo much love by dark skin YouTuber makeup gurus. That particular popularity has not changed since its discovery. It seems to be the go-to contour powder for dark skin YT MUAs. However, you are absolutely right about the lack of representation regarding the Covergirl Queen Collection foundations and pressed powders, and the IMAN S-2-N cream foundations and pressed powders. I never hear or see anyone talk about them. The CQC pressed powder and IMAN S-2-N products are AMAZING! I use both brands and they never fail me. It’s a pity they don’t get enough love.
They get love on YT but I understand what you mean. I love Iman’s S-2-N cream foundations. They are very natural looking and it matches my skintone perfectly. Covergirl Queen Collection Bronzer is really good too. It’s always sold out when I go to my local Walmart. I need to stock when I go to Brooklyn 🙂
You are so right! That CQC bronzer is ALWAYS gone from my local pharmacy. It’s like a blessing when you actually come in contact with one. Lol
Yes to the Queen collection. I love the foundation and powder (especially when I’m on a budget) . In fact , I need to go pick up another powder
Dior and YSL lipsticks! Some of the shades get reviewed and swatched and blogged about over and over, and then others are totally neglected. Go on, try to Google info about YSL’s new Rouge Volupte in “Red in Sunlight.” … yeah.
On the drugstore front, Physicians Formula in general. Their airbrush bronzer in Light Bronzer is especially fantastic! The color’s great on my fair skin, but it’s the texture that really makes me swoon. SO buttery, yet entirely manageable and blendable.
I also have a hard time finding blog info about Shiseido cosmetics, although I love everything I’ve tried from them (their loose powder… oh, my!). Lots of reviews of skincare and sunscreen, not enough about the makeup side, I think.
Ditto on Shiseido! I have also been looking for in-depth reviews on all of Max Factor and Joe Blasco, and of Scandinavian brands I would love to see others’ opinions on IsaDora and Makeup Store. The latter is too expensive to buy without some learning!
I rarely ever hear or read about Shiseido which is such a shame, I suppose it’s probably because they don’t push LE products nearly as much but they should be recognized as a company with high quality products. I also don’t hear much about the regular lines from Lancome, I’m desperately trying to find a dupe for their Le Crayon Kohl in Black Lapis but only one blogger has ever talked about it 🙁
second re Shiseido–no advertising=no hype; love their cream eyeshadows
Shiseido rarely gets any mentions from bloggers even though it has excellent eye shadows, lipsticks and blush.
I have the Shiseido Snow Shadow eye shadow trio – Navy blue, mid grey and white. It has the BEST navy blue shadow in the makeup world – beautifully pigmented, a dream to apply and blend. Stunning.
Oooh, I need to check that out! Good navy blues are so hard to find
Indie makeup brands. I’d love to see more about Darling Girl, Hello Waffle, and Fyrinnae, to name a few. They are more affordable then drugstore brands, and their quality is much closer to high-end brands. Most of their products come in sample sizes to try out.
I love Fyrinnae’s lip lustres, and their loose blushes are the best I’ve ever tried – I’ve been wearing them over all my high-end and drugstore blushes for months now.
I really love Stila’s single eyeshadows but never really hear them raved about. They are very similar to the BM Ready formula. Super soft, pigmented, and blend effortlessly.
A lot of the products I absolutely adore are permanent products, that are kind of “old news” and aren’t really hyped up or discussed a ton because of that. If I had to chose one, I’d say (and I know I’ve mentioned this lipstick 100 times but I just so much adore it), MAC Relentlessly Red. I feel like it has a better texture than other Retro Mattes that I’ve tried, and the color is so flattering on my coloring.
Yeah we could sing love songs about some things, but feel so alone doing it. For me: Make Up For Ever Compact Shine On in Color 3, or Paula’s Choice mascaras which never smear never flake and make for such great lashes. And while they’re not waterproof, they’re a bit water resistant. Unlike the new Nars Audacious mascara, which when I sneezed and my eyes watered the teensiest bit was all over my lower lids. Or RCMA cream foundation used as a touch up or purse foundation. Easy, not messy, doesn’t cake up over whatever you put it on, and doubles as a concealer.
Maybe because they aren’t brand, spanking new, but Estee Lauder fragrances do not get enough attention. They are some of the finest American perfumes you can buy, and for a fairly reasonable price. Their portfolio includes Private Collection, Tuberose Gardenia, Beautiful, Knowing and my favorites, White Linen and Azuree. All have marvelous sillage and last all day and beyond. They’ve also been able to maintain the integrity of the scents (well, most of them) in the face of ever more stringent IFRA restrictions on the ingredients. I don’t think it’s much a stretch to say that Estee Lauder holds a national treasure in it’s product line and it seems to fly under the radar in the beauty community.
This is so true! My mom’s signature scent is Pleasures and to this day it still remains one of the nicest perfumes I have ever smelled!<3
They ruined the bottles for half of them! A quibble, I suppose, but I don’t want any of those hiddy bottles replacing the older ones in my fragrance wardrode.
I have to agree about Sephora’s own house brand. They just keep getting better and better and their prices are hard to beat. Lise Watier is another one – so many excellent products but because it/she’s Canadian, very few people avail themselves of the wonderfulness. Her foundation primer and jumbo shadow pencils and several other products are just among the best you can get at any price, from any brand.
it happens with max factor products maybe because they dont sell in the us anymore but they have such nice products too! yet i haven’t seen youtubers or bloggers using or raving their products also clinique, we all rave their skincare line but they have nice blushes concealers and powders too! (thank you for reviewing the cheek pops it i love them) … also it’s well know but dior’s hydra life bb cream i love that thing! and i didn’t purchase it because of recommendation. it was because when i bought a diorshow mascara, the spokeswoman gave me a sample and it was love ever since.
Yes to Clinique! I would never have noticed the Cheek Pops were it not for Christine’s reviews of them. Which also means that what is now a go-to natural looking blush for me, Cola Pop, I probably wouldn’t have gotten because I wouldn’t have known of it.
I think Fashion Fair doesn’t get enough attention on social media. It’s probably because it’s considered as “old people’s makeup”, which is not true. Sometimes when I mention Fashion Fair, some individuals hark back to when their mom or grandmother used to use this brand. Fashion Fair has come a long way, and they make really good quality products. Although the company may have initially marketed to women of tan to deep skin tones, many women of different ethnicities can wear their cosmetics.
I agree! Fashion Fair is a brand that gets overlooked. Back when I was 10th grade, a vocational beauty school advisor came to my HS to talk with a group of 6 of us girls at the school who had shown an interest in that field, 4 of us were black, 1 white, and myself a Latina. Afterwards, she gave each one of us a kit of Fashion Fair cosmetics, my 2 friends and I loved our gift! There was a gorgeous rich berry lipstick inside, a similar shade of blush (perfection!), mascara and skincare products. Haven’t checked them out recently, but I will once again!
That sounds fantastic! I wish something like that had happened in my high school years. I had only learned about Fashion Fair a couple years ago from YouTube MUA, Destiny Godley. I’ve bought mostly foundation from them (which is amazing btw!). I recently purchased some of their stunning highlight powders, that many women could pull off; especially “Air”. I haven’t tried their lipsticks yet. I want to, though.
I LOVE the Evian mineral Water Face Spray! It changed my life tbh
shien cosmetics has one of the best matte lipstick formulas i’ve tried but there are barely any reviews! it’s a shame because the shades are beautiful and they last all day without drying. i have their gold viper lipstick and i dare say that it’s a better-performing dupe for kvd’s gothica.
i love that the brand was made by a chinese woman too – it’s kind of cool to see makeup targeted towards asian people!
Wet n Wild nail polishes are my favorite!
Bobbi Brown blushes, CoverGirl lip crayons come to mind. Both amazing (and really cheap for the CoverGirl lip pencils) but they’re almost never mentioned on the blogosphere. theBalm in general too, although the brand seems to be developing their social media presence these days.
Agree with above commenters that Shiseido and Clinique don’t get much internet love. The Non Blonde turned me onto Shiseido, but she’s the only one I can think of who really has blogged it.
Laura Mercier is definitely not getting the attention it should !
There are several great drug store brands that I rarely see mentioned: City Color Cosmetics, Profusion, Hard Candy, JCat. Freedom Makeup London: It was heavily mentioned that Makeup Revolution was coming out with a pro line, but once it was operational, it seemed to be forgotten. I’ve only seen one reviewer talk about the products. They are as cheap and good as Makeup Revolution, so I think it deserves the attention. Also a lot of indie brands and brands that cater to alternative/unconventional colors. Just to name a few: Everyday Minerals, Notoriously Morbid (love), Manic Panic (I rarely see them mentioned, and if I do it’s mainly for Dreamtone Foundation), Medusa (haven’t tried; would love to see reviews), Espionage Cosmetics (they have a B&M store now that I’m hoping to visit when I got to Washington next month).
Manic Panic is starting to get some press. I recently found out they have a B&M store (kind of) near me, so I need to check it out. I’ve been apprehensive about ordering some things online, since I heard some of the lip shades are different from what I used to have. Unfortunately, Melrose (a formerly alternative shopping district in L.A.) started to get really mainstream, and many of the stores that carried MP shut down, but now they have their own store there.
Amy, that’s so good to hear. When you get a chance to check out the B&M store, you’ll have to share with us.
All I ever see in the local beauty stores is the hair dye. I didn’t even know MP made makeup until a few months ago, when someone here recommended the Dreamtone in Virgin for mixing with a too dark foundation I had. I went to buy it and was surprised to see how much makeup they had on their website. Since then, I’ve seen a couple of their eyeshadows in YouTube tutorials, and I just saw a review for their coffin lipglosses. Other than that, I haven’t seen much. I’m planning to order a few things and see how I like them.
Hi Christine! I’d have to say Renee Rouleau skincare! I know you’ve reviewed it on here but other than that I don’t know of anyone who uses her products and I think their heaven sent since they got rid of my cystic acne and dry skin!
I’ve only seen one mention of Rouge Bunny Rouge, and then there’s Illiamasqua, MustaeV, and a few others whose names are slipping my mind b/c I don’t see them mentioned much. Granted, they’re not mainstream products like MAC or Revlon (et al) and some aren’t US brands that you can find outside their website or import stores or sites. MUFE gets occasional mention and the products I’ve used I’ve found very high quality, too. So much makeup, so little time. . . .
I agree that Sephora brand has some great but neglected products. I like their eyeliner pencils, lip products, blushes and brushes especially. I also love Laura products but seldom see them reviewed.
Make Up Atelier Paris
Best waterproof foundation!
Invisible (!) HD Foundation and Concealer
Mally Beauty and Borghese – both have been consistently great for the products that I’ve tried, but they aren’t sold at Sephora….
Christine – I would love to see you do a “Best Of” review of your favorites from the Sephora house brand! 🙂
Nobody really talks about the Anastasia Beverly hills cream shadows that double as liners even though they are stunning, creamy, and long wearing. Their not even super expensive either at $18 each but I never hear a word about them. So weird.
Shiseido’s eye shadows
Physician’s Formula products
Speaking of the Sephora house brand I was going to say their cream lip stains! The consistency makes them so easy to apply, they’re not very drying, and they’re very long wearing! Not completely transfer proof but I can drink out of anything without a straw and it stays perfect. They still wear off a bit when you eat but they reapply very well. The only negative thing I have to say is that they discontinued the best colors!! I luckily got my hands on 04 endless purple through r/makeupexchange on reddit but I’m still on the hunt for 07 dark berry and 10 everlasting burgundy. Also 13 marvelous mauve is supposed to be a dupe for Stila’s patina!
I really like the Sephora house brand as well. They have a ton of stuff at a more affordable prices and they tend to be quite good.
Dolce and Gabbana’s Perfect Matte foundation. It’s been out for over a year and there are a total of 2-3 reviews online but it is so incredible. What’s funny is that it’s sold out on Sephora but still no reviews by bloggers/YTers. It’s so incredibly smooth, full coverage and lasts on my oily skin all day. I don’t need to powder with it. I’ve tried others but nothing is comparable. The only one that comes close is MUFE’s Mat Velvet.
Also, I really think MAC needs to put a hold on the mediocre, repetitive limited edition collections and advertise stuff that’s permanent, make it famous again. I have a contour powder by them and it’s amazing. If they have more stuff like that in their permanent line, they need to make all that shine. Nobody really talks about their products anymore since other brands have the hype.
This is my third comment, haha. Another product that I LOVE is Lorac’s Spotlight highlighter. It is so beautiful, the perfect champagne gold, but no one ever seems to talk about it. Everyone just keeps on obsessing over Becca. It gives a great glow, not OTT sheen.
The Urban Decay Heavy Metal eyeliners! They are amazing, I have all of them
Paulas Choice skincare line and Makeup Geek! Paula has the BEST anti aging products on the market, her Resist line for anti aging is spectacular. I wouldn’t dream of using anything else on my skin. Super fast shipping – and now available at Nordstrom! And Makeup Geek for eye shadow! Terrific eyeshadows at an unbeatable price, Marlena, the owner, is very down to earth.
Estee Lauder DW concealer – the one which comes in a tube. Its my HG concealer – covers dark circles, sets easily, doesn’t get cakey. I don’t see anyone talking about it. Also, I love Estee Lauder DW eye pencils. For me, they perform way better than the UD 24/7. But they just don’t get as much hype as the UD ones do.
NYX High Voltage Lipstick; all the other formulas get hyped, but these get no mention. I have several in different formulas, but these are my favorite both in terms of wear & shade selection.
L’Oréal single eyeshadows; not the Infallible’s, but the “regular” line, in the rectangular pans. Yes, the quads are hit & miss, but the singles have been consistent, with the exception of Raven (matte black, but it is decent, I just prefer more intense blacks).
I love the Dior full coverage foundation brush, but I never see it mentioned in blogs, because everyone’s focused on Sigma and Real Techniques.
Jane Iredale.