Archived Post

If you could only wear buy from one brand for a year, what brand would you pick?

Oooh, that is tough!! Probably Urban Decay (lots of releases of generally good quality) or Tom Ford.

— Christine

107 Comments

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!

Comments on this post are closed.
Brandi Avatar

This is a hard one! I feel like I have my days where 80% of my products can be from one brand while primers and foundations are from a few other brands. If I had to choose one brand it’d be Kat Von D’s stuff. I have yet to have any issues with her products! Ive been religiously buying her stuff since I got into makeup 3 years ago and have yet to get let down from any products she has released.

Michele Avatar

I’d have to choose either CoverFX or IT Cos. since their CC creams give me the best match. I guess I’d have to go with IT since they have more color products too!

By the way Christine…don’t know why, but lately for some reason when you post these questions, your answer is not showing for me. I use Chrome. For example, this one and other recent ones like perfume for a year, lip color for a year, blush for a year…I can’t see your answer on any of them.

Anne Avatar

Oooooh that’s tough. Probably MAC though, just due to sheer types of products. That way I’ve got every step covered. Charlotte Tilbury is a close second, just because wearing her products makes me feel so luxurious, though the lip shade range and the overall product range isn’t quite broad enough yet.

Momo Avatar

Although I have my ups and downs with this company, I’d still choose MAC as the brand to wear/buy from all year long. A majority of the makeup I apply are from MAC, anyway.

First runner-up is Iman Cosmetics.

Katherine T. Avatar

Probably MAC because I can find a foundation/powder in my skin color. Plus, they have a HUGE selection of products and colors , including under-rated goodies in their permanent collection. And as much as I complain about the quality of their collections, there are some hits in there, and there will always be new stuff to look at

Nancy T Avatar

This is getting brutal, LoL!!!
Ok, so as I sit here staring *adoringly* at my hand covered in MUFE Artist Shadows….maybe them?
But then I realized how I would need my big MAC attacks! Plus MAC has my foundation, great blushes that I strangely never noticed till lately, great lipsticks,etc. So I probably would just go with MAC.

Mica Avatar

Tom Ford if you mean only makeup.
(Don’t know about their skin cares)

If you mean makeup & skin care, I would choose Dior. (I could choose Guerlain, if they add more colours in their Rouge Gs.)

Grlnxdor Avatar

I would pick Chanel. They seldom release duds and I have loved everything I’ve ever gotten from them. My second choice would have to be Burberry. Again, beautiful products that always perform well.

cydoniac Avatar

Armani, they have my 2 favourite foundations, my favourite mascara, excellent eyeshadows, wonderful lipsticks…everything I have bought from Armani is perfection! I have yet to be disappointed by their products.

Catherine Avatar

I would honestly use Milani products for their bronzer, blush, lipsticks, highlight and foundation. Or Makeup forever because they have foundations, liners, mascara etc and I have always had good experiences with their makeup and my looks come out nice.

Laura_Lou Avatar

Ooh this is hard! I’d probably have to say Bobbi Brown because most of my favourite foundations are from Bobbi and I really like her longwear eyeliners and metallic eyeshadows.
I was gonna say MAC but I hate MAC foundations.

Lacey Avatar

Color-wise, I suppose it would have to be Urban Decay. I have so many palettes and eyeliners, and they have a lot of great lip colors and enough blushes to keep me going. Perversion mascara is my favorite as well.

However, I’d be lost for foundation and concealer. That branch of the Naked line doesn’t cut it for me.

MissJae1908 Avatar

It’s a toss up between MAC and Lancome. MAC is pretty standard and they have everything, but I love Lancome for face products and would keep my base looking flawless!

Nicole Avatar

That’s a really difficult question. It would have to be a brand that makes makeup for face, eyes and lips, so nothing like colourpop, no matter how much I like them. I think either Kevyn Aucoin or Laura Mercier. Probably Kevyn Aucoin. I trust their quality and have loved everything I’ve ever bought from them, so I’d be pretty happy. Of course, I feel the same about Laura Mercier, so…

Andi Avatar

I have to go with MAC! It’s one of the few brands that’s truly a one-stop shopping experience: base products, powders, eyes, lips, tools, nail lacquer, skincare, etc. I know there’s been this whole bandwagon of people hating on MAC, but I think it’s completely unwarranted. There are other brands that do certain products better, but overall MAC has a good quality product for whatever you need.

Amritha Avatar

Pretty sure I’d have to go with Urban Decay. Gives me options for work nudes in the Pulp Fiction palette, fun colors in the Vices, and great liners. I usually skip a heavy foundation, so their BB cream (not my fav, but ok) could probably do it.

IRockFaces Avatar

It would have to be Kat Von D. I have three of her most recent palettes and I love every single shadow. Her foundation does match me but I have to sheer out her coverage or I look like I’m wearing a mask. I could probably get away with using a few of her shadows as a blush and highlight too since they are so pigmented. I can’t wait to see her next wave of blushes and bronzers. She even has brow products now.

Matilda the Lawyer Avatar

Definitely MAC, for the reasons others have given and because I’d be sure to have enough empties to get some free lipsticks under the Back-to-MAC program. Plus, their Full Coverage foundation is a Holy Grail for me.

Tangie Wimberly Avatar

Mac, it’s a easy go to brand for me. I know the color range like the back of my hand. And I’m a neutral girl so I don’t need to many eyeshadow a or blushes. I wear the same colors everyday anyway. Give me Face and body , pro long wear concealer and a msf natural and my base is done. LOL..!

Elizabeth Avatar

Overall, I would say Guerlain – because that is the only foundation that I wear – as well as blush. Their lipstick and LeCils mascara is great! Love their eyeshadows too. However, I cannot do without Dior’s “Diorshow” eyebrow styler. There is no better concealer than Cle de Peau.

Lisa Avatar

You didn’t specify if this included makeup & skin care so I am going to pretend it does. This makes the answer sooooo easy: Le Metier de Beaute. Awesome skincare and makeup!

Miriam Avatar

Urban Decay, for sure. Most products in my daily rotation are their’s so, it wouldn’t be a hard transition! It also helps that they are a mid-range brand, and my sister is allergic to them so she can’t steal my things haha. UD Naked Skin is my HG foundation, and I’m loving the brow products they recently came out with. I feel like UD has recently become a very ’rounded’ brand (meaning they have a product for nearly every category available) and there aren’t very many duds in their line.

Lulle Avatar

Wow, that’s a hard one. I’d need a brand with a wide enough range, good base products as well as good mascara, interesting seasonal color collections… I’d pick Lancôme because I love this brand and there’s still a lot for me to explore in their range. If I didn’t need to worry about base products and mascara (and I don’t, I have enough backup for a year), I’d probably go with ColourPop, because they have a lot of colors to choose from and you can’t beat the value.

Rachel R. Avatar

These questions keep getting meaner!

I’d actually go with e.l.f. I have enough lipsticks, eyeshadows, blushes, etc. from brands like UD, Tarte, Too Faced, etc. to last me many years, so I’d just need my basics replenished. E.l.f. has foundations, concealers, etc. that match me and don’t oxidize on me. I’m not allergic to any of their products. E.l.f. is cheap and most of their stuff is good quality, and they’ve been releasing new products like crazy, so I won’t be terribly bored. I can easily get e.l.f. online or at the Target down the street. Their mascaras aren’t my favorites, but I should have enough unopened ones from Tarte in my stash. If not, at least I’m not allergic to e.l.f. mascaras, and I can make them work OK.

Debbie Avatar

Mac and Urban Decay combined haha. I would use UD Naked foundation, Mac concealer, Mac studio fix powder, UD or Mac eyeshadows, blushes, and lipsticks, and UD 24/7 liners. Those are my main go to’s anyhow…I just jazz things up with eyeshadow, blush, and lipstick.

Stacy Avatar

With the budget I currently have to work with, I’d have to go with NYX. They have enough products in every category that work well enough for me, even if they aren’t all complete home runs, that I could keep myself looking pretty and feeling happy with ease.

If the budget were no object, then I’d say… oy, that’s tough! Probably Smashbox. Not the most exciting choice, but they’re the most familiar to me. I’m well versed with the brand, enough to know what does and doesn’t work for me.

Brittany Avatar

That’s definitely tough! If I could afford from any, I’d say MAC, because they have products I use all the time and their lipstick color range is great.

To be more realistic for my personal budget, though, I’d have to choose Nyx because they have all kinds of products needed to do a full face, also a great lipstick color range, and they’re much more affordable.

Janet Avatar

Definitely Chanel but could also do Dior. Love their foundation, concealers, powders and mascara. Love chanel blushes, highlighter and eye shadows and Dior has been hit and miss on the shadows but love Dior lip products. Tough one! I mix up my makeup daily to keep it interesting for me and use a ton of different brands so I don’t just use my favorites lol so that was a hard one!

Erica Avatar

MUFE for a great range of products that have always performed consistently great on me. Foundation, brow gel, lipsticks, blush, primer, you name it. The final straw was the release of the newly formulated eye shadows. I compare all my new e/s purchases with my Artist Shadows. Do you see the pan size for these shadows? The pigmentation, durability? Chanel who? Guerlain what? Chile please.

Claire L Avatar

I’d have to go for MUFE as I don’t react to their foundation and they’ve enough products for me to try out for a whole year! 2nd choice would be Urban Decay for their eyeshadow but unfortunately I react to their skin products (setting spray, Naked concealer) so couldn’t use just UD for a whole year. 3rd would be the Balm or Too Faced altho I haven’t tried their foundations to see if I react to them.

Angie Avatar

tough one. most likely mufe or nars since those two comprise most of my HGs and most used products. dunno what i’m gonna do about mascara though (usually max factor or armani or chanel) and i strictly uses burberry sheer concealer since discovering them

Genevieve Avatar

If money was not an issue – Guerlain
Eye shadows – Urban Decay
Lipsticks – Maybelline Colour Sensational Range or Milani
Skincare (money not an issue) Elizabeth Arden’s Prevage range
Skincare (money is an issue) Natio or QVC range from Ego Australia – both cruelty free brands

Lisa Avatar

I saw this question early this morning but had to think about it very hard before answering! I guess I’d still stick to my initial answer, which would be Mac. There’s always lots of formulations to choose from and it would be so easy to find the perfect foundation shade. But Tom Ford! I haven’t used any of his products, but who wouldn’t love their makeup collection in such luxe packaging? Ok so that was maybe 2 answers instead if one.

Jane Avatar

… Shoot. I’d be torn between Too Faced and Make Up For Ever. Too Faced has my eyeshadows and some primers, but Make Up For Ever has my foundation, and no one else comes close to the shade and durability of that.

Zoe Avatar

I am gonna say Clinique, Tarte, or Sephora, and a lot of that is based on their foundations. It’s interesting to see how much sway that particular product has.

Bibi Avatar

Cle de Peau.
Their foundations, concealer, mascara, cream liner, blush, & primer are divine. I don’t wear much eyeshadow & I can make do with their not very long lasting but gorgeous lip luminzers.

Alecto Avatar

Interesting question. If I were to assume that at some point I’d need the basics (foundation, powder, etc.) then I’d have to say Too Faced, as I will never give up their Born This Way foundation (unless they change the formula), and they have a lot of good standard and not-so-standard choices in eyes, lips, and face.

Urban Decay would be a close second. I love their powder, could probably find a foundation that works for me, and could find anything I needed in their eyes, cheeks and lips range. Not a fan of the price point, but it really is one-stop shopping.

Kristi Avatar

Tough question! I think I would choose Bobbi Brown though. I love pretty much everything she does. Everything is timeless, plus she has every product I would need.

Elizabeth Avatar

Ugh, probably Hourglass, UD or Benefit. I don’t know that I’d be okay without my Immaculate foundation (PERFECT COLOR MATCH) or Hello Flawless powder. And I don’t use eyeshadow often these days but Naked 3 is the best palette for my coloring that I’ve ever seen- I’m so pink-toned that they read as completely neutral on me. But probably Hourglass. I haven’t heard of a dud from them except their recent eyeshadow palettes and that’s not a big deal to me. Foundation, concealer, powder, lip color: those are what I really need and I’m happy with all those items in their product range. I haven’t tried their eye makeup but I’m sure I could make do. 😉

Sarah Avatar

MAC. I use their Studio Tech foundation as my tried and true already. They make the BEST lipsticks, IMO. Love their shadows and liners. You can’t go wrong with MAC.

Bean Avatar

Too Faced! Without a doubt. They make my favorite mascara, have some of my most beloved palettes, and though it is my first foundation, I’ve been really loving the Born This Way foundation. I feel like it would be easy to cultivate any kind of look with their products.

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!