Last year, I published my favorites post before Black Friday, in case people were curious about them and wanted to do some shopping, so I figured we’d do that again this year. For the 2024 Favorites, I selected only products that I reviewed in that year. However, I felt that it would be more accurate this year to simply pick my favorites (and a couple of honorable mentions), regardless of whether I reviewed them in 2025. I’ll also link to some of the end-of-year wrap-ups and favorite posts I’ve done in past years. For reference, I am 40+ and have dry, eczema-prone skin. I have an olive undertone, and my best foundation shade matches are NARS Tahoe (Natural Radiant Longwear Formula) and 4W4 Hazel in the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation. Alright, let’s get into it. 🙂

Recap of Every Post From 2025

1. Top 10 Posts of 2024 (And What I Think Of The Products Now)
2. Chanel Ombre Essentielle Multi-Use Longwearing Eyeshadow (248 Latte Frappe, 252 Peche Glacee)
3. All-Time Favorite Makeup Updates and a Lipstick Round-up
4. Colourpop Pressed Powder Blush (Just Cruisin’ and New To U)
5. Patrick Ta Creme and Powder Blush Duo – Oh She’s Different, She’s Baked (Swatches)
6. Tom Ford Eye Color Quad Olive Smoke
7. Natasha Denona Bloom Eyeshadow Palette Swatches
8. Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer 5W (2025 Reformulation)
9. Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer (P7, YP11, NY12 Swatches)
10. Pat McGrath Mothership XII Petalmorphosis Eyeshadow Palette (Review and Swatches)
11. MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush (Unsweetened and Nitelite Swatches)
12. Setting Powders That Work for My Dry Skin (2025 Update)
13. Make Up For Ever (MUFE) Artist Blush and Highlighter (B260 Limitless Berry, H110 Anywhere Glimmer)
14. Makeup Lately (ft Tom Ford Bronze Isle, Revlon Super Lustrous Glass Shine Balm, Maybelline Lifter Glaze Lip Balm, and more)
15. Clinique True Highlight Weightless Illuminator and All About Shadow Quad (swatches and review)
16. Forgotten Best Sellers: MAC Cosmetics (Vol. 2)
17. Eyeshadow Index Page Now Live!
18. NARS Total Seduction Eyeshadow Sticks (Strip Down and Sparked)
19. Morphe Makeup Brushes Reimagined (Review and Comparisons)
20. NARS Light Reflecting Luminizing Powder (Ophelia)
21. Lancome Hypnose 5 Eyeshadow Palettes (19 Ardent Drama, 17 Bronze Absolu)
22. Best Skin Tints/Tinted Moisturizers for My Dry Skin (Tower 28 SunnyDays, Smashbox Halo Tinted Moisturizer, Urban Decay Hydromaniac, and More!)
23. Best Hydrating Concealers for My Dry Skin
24. Colourpop New Moon Eyeshadow Palette (Swatches and Review)
25. Morphe Solo Artist Priming Cream Eyeshadow Mixtape (review, swatches, and comparisons)
26. Shop with Me (MAC Cosmetics at Ulta – Swatches of MAC Glow Play Blush Cushiony Blush, MACximal Silky Matte Lipstick, Studio Radiance Luminous Lift Concealer, and MACximal Sleek Satin Lipstick)
27. Tarte #trippinwithtarte Eyeshadow Palette (swatches and review)
28. Is Anyone Else Still Loving Cream Lipsticks? (Charlotte Tilbury, Maybelline, Estee Lauder, and Pat McGrath)
29. On Wednesdays We Window Shop (July 9, 2025: MAC Lipglazer Liner, bareMinerals Pressed Powder Foundation, Estee Lauder Eyeshadow Quads, Guerlain Emerald Feather Quad, and Hourglass Curator Palettes)
30. Revlon Glimmer Liquid Shadows (Starstruck, Spaced Out, In Your Orbit)
31. Koyudo Kakishibuzome Series KK-2 Cheek Brush Review
32. Wet n Wild My Lucky Charm and Call Me Sunshine Eyeshadow Palettes (Swatches and Review)
33. Shop My Stash: Chanel Ombre Essentielle Eyeshadows (248 Latte Frappe, 240 Brun Fauve, 252 Peche Glacee, and 224 Ble D’or Antique Swatches)
34. Hourglass Curator Eyeshadow Palette Swatches (Futurist, Expressionist, and Realist)
35. Morphe Cloudlight Soft Glow Veil Powder Review (with comparisons)
36. Chanel Les 4 Ombres Boutons (239 Boutons Baroque Review and Swatches)
37. Makeup By Mario Softsculpt Blurring Bronzer (Swatches and Review)
38. Updates (ft Chanel 239 Boutons Baroque)
39. Wet n Wild Fantasy Makers 2025 Eyeshadow Palettes (Poisoned Forest Swatches and Queen of Brights)
40. Makeup Fails (Givenchy Le Rouge Interdit Satin Lipstick and Ilia Eye Stylus Shadow Sticks)
41. Sigma Eyeshadow Palettes Are $65 Now 😱 (Sigma Cool Neutrals Palette Swatches)
42. Charlotte Tilbury Unreal Healthy Glow Blush Stick (Cherry Glow Swatch)
43. Allure Best Of Beauty Winners 2025
44. Smashbox Always On Mood Board Eyeshadow Palettes (Swatches of Bougie Vibes, Cozy Vibes, Earthy Vibes, and Fiery Vibes)
45. Tarte Tartelette Toasted Eyeshadow Palette (Swatches)
46. Sleeper Hits, Vol 4: Tom Ford Eye Color Quads Honeymoon, Golden Hour, and Peach Dawn (Swatches and review)
47. One Size Boucle Silk Airbrushed Talc-Free Finishing Powder (Medium Dark Review & Swatch)
48. CoverGirl Clean Fresh Clean Color Eyeshadow Swatches (252 Spiced Copper and 262 Golden Toffee)
49. Sales, Promo Codes, and Beauty GWP Specials!
50. Chikuhodo Brush Review (GL-3 Cheek, GL-4 Cheek Highlight, GL-7 Liquid)
51. Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeshadows (Half Baked, Fazed, Overdraft, Dumb Luck, Ember, and Psych)
52. Eyeshadow Primer Round-Up (Pat McGrath Labs, MAC Cosmetics, Urban Decay, Milani, and elf Reviews)

This blog uses affiliate links (marked with **).  I may earn a small commission when you purchase through links on my site.  Learn more here.

Favorite Makeup of 2025

**Estee Lauder Pure Color Creme Lipstick (488 Level Up), $42

I like the formula of the Estee Lauder Pure Color Creme Lipsticks just fine, but it’s really the color that I love so much. I can wear it without lip liner, and it pairs well with all the looks I’ve tried. So it has just become a go-to. The shade Level Up is described as “an apricot with a neutral to warm undertone.” However, on my olive undertone skin and purple undertone lips, it appears as a pink, mid-toned nude when paired with cooler looks (1st picture directly below this) and a brown, mid-toned nude when paired with warmer looks (2nd picture below this). In my full review, I feature the shade Covetable, if you want to see more from this line.

**Ulta website

	$ 42.00 Sale Price $ 42.00 Regular Price
Estee Lauder Pure Color Cream Lipstick – Level Up

**Estee Lauder website

	$ Sale Price $ 42.00 Regular Price
Estée Lauder Pure Color Creme Lipstick, 488 Level Up

**Nordstrom website

	$ 42.00 Sale Price $ 42.00 Regular Price
Estée Lauder Pure Color Long-Lasting Cream Lipstick in Level Up at Nordstrom

**Bloomingdale’s website

	$ Sale Price $ 42.00 Regular Price
Estee Lauder Pure Color Creme Lipstick

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**Tom Ford Eye Color Quads (wet/dry formula), $95

The Tom Ford wet/dry formula quads, while overpriced, have definitely become a staple product for me. Really easy to use and blend, and offers a nice shine while still being flattering on my 40+ eczema-prone eyelids. The looks that I do come together really fast, and it’s just effortless. I would recommend purchasing them on sale at the Cosmetics Company Outlet, an outlet store for brands under the Estee Lauder Companies’ Umbrella. However, if you don’t mind spending the money and already enjoy luxury beauty, I think it’s a great formula. I do like the summer 2025 Bronze Isle quad, which is a traditional powder formula, but in general, I don’t like Tom Ford’s powder eyeshadow formula as much as their wet/dry eyeshadow formula. I didn’t like the Olive Smoke quad, which is the brand’s creme formula, however, because I couldn’t keep it from creasing, no matter what primer or base I tried it with. I did hear recently that Tom Ford is repackaging their eyeshadows, so it remains to be seen if the wet/dry formula, as I know it, returns for 2026 as a new formula or just in a new package.

**Nordstrom website

	$ 95.00 Sale Price $ 95.00 Regular Price
TOM FORD Eye Color Quad Eyeshadow Palette in Golden Hour at Nordstrom

**Bloomingdale’s website

	$ Sale Price $ 95.00 Regular Price
Tom Ford Eye Color Quad

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**Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder (Translucent Tan), $54

The Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder is one that snuck up on me. Looking at it objectively and comparing it to other powders that I have and use, it’s not worth the $54. However, it does work, and I do have some issues with the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation (my #1 most-worn foundation): it sinks into lines and pores on bad skin days, and towards the end of the day, after about eight hours. The Hourglass pressed powder has really come in clutch to keep that foundation in place; it transfers less, and I see less sinking into my pores and fine lines, even after the eight-hour mark. I do think the bareMinerals Mineral Veil Pressed Powder is smoother and accentuates texture less, but it feels quite a bit drier on the skin to me than the Hourglass powder. If you want more information on the Hourglass Pressed Powder, you can read my full review by clicking here.

**Bloomingdale’s website

	$ Sale Price $ 54.00 Regular Price
Hourglass Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder 0.37 oz.

**Nordstrom website

	$ 54.00 Sale Price $ 54.00 Regular Price
HOURGLASS Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder in Translucent Tan at Nordstrom, Size 0.37 Oz

**Ulta website

	$ 54.00 Sale Price $ 54.00 Regular Price
HOURGLASS Vanish Airbrush Pressed Powder – Translucent Deep

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**Estee Lauder Futurist Soft Touch Brightening Skincealer (5W), $38 & **Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place 24-Hour Concealer (5W), $38

My most loved concealers this year were the Estee Lauder Futurist Soft Touch Brightening Skincealer and the Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer (2025 reformulation). I do have dry skin, but daily, I prefer coverage over something hydrating, as long as it doesn’t dry me out. So in the colder months, when my skin is drier, the Estee Lauder Futurist Skincealer is better for me. The Futurist concealer has good coverage, but on me, it is best not to build it past medium coverage because it creases so easily. Although the Estee Lauder Futurist does crease, I’ve been able to get that under control by setting it with bareMinerals Original Mineral Veil Pressed Setting Powder. Due to both creasing and the “lower” coverage, in the summer months, I set the Futurist Skincealer aside and use the Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer. The Estee Lauder Double Wear concealer creases less than most concealers I’ve used (except maybe the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer), and it offers more coverage than Estee Lauder’s Futurist concealer version. However, for my dry skin type, I can only use the Double Wear Concealer when it’s warm outside. When it’s cold, it clings to dryness, and it just looks a little too patchy. As a spot concealer on my face, I don’t need to set it with powder. However, I do use the NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder under my eyes. This combo does not dry me out, and although creasing is minimal with the Double Wear Concealer, the NARS powder helps with longevity. I notice some fading after about 5 or 6 hours when I wear it without powder. While the Estee Lauder Futurist Concealer doesn’t have as much coverage as the Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer, it does have a smoothing effect that minimizes the appearance of my texture, which I sometimes prefer to that extra coverage.

A note on the shades: I can wear 4W in the Skincealer in the winter and a little into spring, but I had to switch to 5W for the summer, and it is still working, as I haven’t lost all my summer color yet. However, 5W in the Double Wear Concealer is workable for me year-round because I do not like to go too light under my eyes, and even in winter, I feel 4W is too bright for my preference. You can find my full review of the Estee Lauder Futurist Soft Touch Brightening Skincealer by clicking here, and for the Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer (2025 reformulation) by clicking here.

**Satin finish – Estee Lauder website

	$ Sale Price $ 38.00 Regular Price
Estée Lauder Futurist Soft Touch Brightening Skincealer Concealer, 5W

**Matte finish – Estee Lauder website

	$ Sale Price $ 38.00 Regular Price
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place 24-Hour Concealer, 5W

**Satin finish – Ulta website

	$ 38.00 Sale Price $ 38.00 Regular Price
Estee Lauder Futurist Soft Touch Brightening Skincealer Concealer – 5W

**Matte finish – Ulta website

	$ 38.00 Sale Price $ 38.00 Regular Price
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place 24-Hour Concealer – 5W

**Satin finish – Nordstrom website

	$ 38.00 Sale Price $ 38.00 Regular Price
Estée Lauder Futurist Soft Touch Brightening Skincealer Concealer with Vitamin C in 5W at Nordstrom

**Matte finish – Nordstrom website

	$ 38.00 Sale Price $ 38.00 Regular Price
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place 24-Hour Concealer in 5W at Nordstrom

**Satin finish – Bloomingdale’s website

	$ Sale Price $ 38.00 Regular Price
Estee Lauder Futurist Soft Touch Brightening Skincealer

**Matte finish – Bloomingdale’s website

	$ Sale Price $ 38.00 Regular Price
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place 24 Hour Concealer

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**NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder Pressed (Shore), $42

Speaking of the NARS powder, I have tried a lot of powders over the years, but at the end of the day, when I need to blur and smooth the texture on my dry skin, I am still using and loving the NARS Light Reflecting Setting Pressed Powder. I specifically prefer this powder under my eyes to keep concealer in place without adding texture or dryness, but I also like it all over the face. I like the shade Shore when setting my entire face, but the shade Crystal is more effective at blurring and keeping concealers from creasing under my eyes. As I mentioned, I do like that the Hourglass powder keeps my favorite foundation in place better, but it also accentuates my texture more. While I have used the Hourglass more often than I would have thought this year, NARS is the powder I default to for not accentuating my texture as much, not drying me out, and giving me some blur. You can see how Nars Light Reflecting Setting Powder (Shore) compares to “similar” powders in the image below, as well as previously in the Hourglass Powder section. I have many mentions of this powder throughout my website because it has been a go-to for years. For a full review, you can click here, and for a round-up that links all posts featuring this powder, click here.

**Ulta website

	$ 42.00 Sale Price $ 42.00 Regular Price
NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder – Shore

**NARS website

	$ Sale Price $ 42.00 Regular Price
NARS Light Reflecting Setting Powder – Pressed, Shore

**Nordstrom website

	$ 42.00 Sale Price $ 42.00 Regular Price
NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder in Shore at Nordstrom

**Bloomingdale’s website

	$ Sale Price $ 42.00 Regular Price
Nars Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder

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**Armani Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder (110), $59

For bronzer, I am still loving the Armani Luminous Silk Bronzing Powder for a satin/glowy option. I do still enjoy the Makeup Forever Artist Bronzer when I want a matte option, but I do prefer the finish of the Armani bronzer. I’m not really sure you can ever tell the difference between my bronzers in photos 😂, but I can in person. Hopefully, seeing the comparison to the Makeup By Mario Bronzer before and after can help. I have a full review of this bronzer, with comparisons, that you can read by clicking here.

**Armani website

	$ Sale Price $ 59.00 Regular Price
Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder – Bronzer | Shade: 110 – Sun Embrace

**Bloomingdale’s website

	$ Sale Price $ 59.00 Regular Price
Armani Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder

**Nordstrom website

	$ 59.00 Sale Price $ 59.00 Regular Price
ARMANI beauty Luminous Silk Creamy Bronzing Powder in 110 at Nordstrom

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**MAC Powder Blush (Burnt Pepper), $32 & Pat McGrath Skin Fetish Divine Blush (Divine Rose III), $38

My most worn blush this year was MAC Burnt Pepper, and while I still like the formula, I’ve been using Pat McGrath’s Divine Rose III more often for the last couple of months. I do believe that the shade Divine Rose III is limited edition and is only available on the Pat McGrath website. However, the blush formula is permanent. The thing I love about both of these formulas is how smoothing they are. They don’t accentuate any texture, and although they are matte, they look healthy. I do prefer natural hair brushes, and they do help with the blend of powder products. You can, of course, use these with synthetic brushes, but that is something to keep in mind when considering them. I have a laundry list of MAC swatches and reviews, so if you are interested in a particular shade, I’d check my Brands A-Z page or my blush index to see if it is on my website. I have a full review of Pat McGrath’s blush formula based on the shade Paradise Venus (click here), and another review of Divine Rose and Nude Venus (click here). I do discuss brush styles and how they work with the Pat McGrath formula in the Paradise Venus review.

**MAC Cosmetics website

	$ Sale Price $ 32.00 Regular Price
MAC – Powder Blush

**Nordstrom website

	$ 32.00 Sale Price $ 32.00 Regular Price
MAC Cosmetics Powder Blush in Burnt Pepper at Nordstrom

**Bloomingdale’s website

	$ Sale Price $ 32.00 Regular Price
MAC Powder Blush

Another blush that I really enjoyed this year was the **Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in the shade Flush. I think the formula is a little harder to blend compared to some other matte formulas, but I really like the color on me. I’m not sure if I’d call it a favorite just yet, but it felt right to group it with the other blushes rather than move it down to the honorable mentions.

**Ulta Website

	$ 30.00 Sale Price $ 30.00 Regular Price
Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush – Flush

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Natasha Denona Bloom Eyeshadow Palette

The last favorite I want to mention is the Natasha Denona Bloom Eyeshadow Palette. I know that this is one of those brands where many people think all the palettes look the same, and I couldn’t disagree more. I think that it’s important to break out of the mindset that: (1) you need to buy or at least be attracted to everything a brand puts out, and (2) that there aren’t different undertones and skin depths that could benefit from a new palette that might look similar to another one, but has a different undertone. Aside from all that, for my olive undertone skin and depth (NARS Tahoe/Estee Lauder 4W4), the Natasha Denona Bloom really looks beautiful no matter which eyeshadow combination I put together with this palette. I find it easy to work with, I don’t experience much fallout, and it wears well throughout the day. I will say it works better when I use it with the **Mac Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base Primer than with other eye primers I have tested. So, that may be why I have a good experience with it. If you are curious, I have a post with more insight into this palette that you can read by clicking here.

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2025 Makeup Favorites – Honorable Mentions

**Pat McGrath Mothership Petalmorphosis Eyeshadow Palette, $128

I want to give an honorable mention to the Pat McGrath Petalmorphosis Eyeshadow Palette. I really enjoy this palette and think it’s excellent, but after testing it, I found I was only using three of the shades for eye looks most of the time. So while I enjoy it overall, I’m really not getting use out of the entire palette the way I thought I would. I can use the whole palette and get a lot of variety out of it, but that just doesn’t end up happening. I do have a look that I can show you, featuring the green shade (Astral Eden Envy). Still, when it comes down to what I’m actually attracted to wear when I reach for it, I just fall back on wearing Twilight Lilac in the crease, Divine Dawn on the inner third of my eyelid, and Cosmic Fantasies on the rest of my lid. I did feature a similar look in my full review of the Petalmorphosis Palette, but the one below is a different day 😆.

**Ulta website

	$ 128.00 Sale Price $ 128.00 Regular Price
PAT McGRATH LABS Mothership XII: Petalmorphosis

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**MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush (Unsweetened), $30

My last honorable mention is the MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush. I prefer a powder blush, hands down, all day, every day. However, if I were a liquid blush person, this would be the go-to. It has a healthy glow without overemphasizing texture. Despite how pigmented it is, I think it’s buildable when applied in light layers and easy to blend out, even when used more heavily. You can read my full review on this blush, which I updated recently with a swatch of the shade Nitelite, by clicking here.

**MAC Cosmetics website

	$ Sale Price $ 30.00 Regular Price
MAC – Strobe Beam Liquid Blush

**Ulta website

	$ 30.00 Sale Price $ 30.00 Regular Price
MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush – Unsweetened

**Bloomingdale’s website

	$ Sale Price $ 30.00 Regular Price
MAC Strobe Beam Liquid Blush

**Nordstrom website

	$ 30.00 Sale Price $ 30.00 Regular Price
MAC Cosmetics Strobe Beam Liquid Blush in Unsweetened at Nordstrom

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Favorites and Wrap-Up Style Posts From Previous Years

• 2021 Favorites
• If I Could Only Keep One Tag/Shop My Stash
• Best Makeup Products of 2022
• The Most Surprising Products of 2022
• Worst Makeup Products of 2022
• 5 Makeup Techniques That I Stopped Doing in 2022
• My Favorite Makeup
• 5 Things I’d Like To See From Brands in 2023
• 2023 Year In Review (Best and Worst Makeup Products of 2023)
• Top 10 Posts of 2023 (And What I Think Of The Products Now)
• Favorite Makeup of 2024
• Top 10 Posts of 2024 (And What I Think Of The Products Now)
• Setting Powders That Work for My Dry Skin (2025 Update)
• Best Hydrating Concealers for My Dry Skin
• Allure Best Of Beauty Winners 2025

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Are you doing any Black Friday shopping? What’s on your wishlist?

Let me know if you have any questions 🙂

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If you’d like to check out more of my content, here are some places to start. 

• Blush Index
• Brands A-Z
• Bronzer & Highlighter Index
• Brush Index
• Concealer Ranking
• Eyeshadow Index
• Foundation Round-Up
• Lipstick Index
• Makeup Storage and Organization Ideas
• My Favorite Makeup
• Powder Round-Up

Disclaimer:  I purchased all products featured with my own money.  This site receives a minimal commission from participating in the WordAds program and using affiliate links (marked with **).  For my full disclosure policy, click here.