line-stiletto-ultimate-precision-liquid-eyeliner_pack-shot-cropLine Stiletto Ultimate Precision Liquid Eyeliner (Maybelline)
This eyeliner has made me a legend at my eye doctor’s office. Every time I go in for my yearly exam, the doctor scolds me like, “Tsk tsk tsk! You shouldn’t have worn eye makeup today! It will probably come off once we put eye drops in.” Look doc, what can I say? I need to constantly look glamorous even when I’m having my pupils dilated! But since I use this—the best drugstore liquid liner I’ve ever tried—my makeup doesn’t smudge one bit throughout the exam (or during a regular day). One time, one of the eye doctors at the practice made me write down the name of my liner so she could buy some for herself. I felt like Lil Mama in “Lip Gloss” when the principal calls her to her office to ask where she buys her gloss. —Gabby

LA-Splash-Lip-Couture-and-Smitten-Lip-TintLip Couture (LA Splash Cosmetics)
Right now, the entire obsession of the beauty world (besides what magazines push) is centered on lip lacquers—specifically, liquid lipsticks that tend to have a matte finish. Plenty of brands make them—high-end to bodega—but few have garnered the attention or fanbase that LA Splash has. With good reason: They have awesome colors that DO NOT BUDGE. Their Lip Coutures come in a billion different shades—pastels, neons, deep wine colors, purples, black—so there’s something for everyone, and the quality is pretty spectacular. They are so smudge-proof that LA Splash actually had to come out with a lip lacquer remover, which you buy separately. (Using a waterproof makeup remover you already have will work fine.) As long as you let it dry for a minute or so after applying, the lip color becomes waterproof and smudgeproof. P.S They are pro-nerd, shoutout to the lip colors based on Harry Potter characters. —Arabelle

urban-decay-24:724/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil (Urban Decay)
Before starting my long-term relationship with this eyeliner pencil, I spent years going steady with gel eyeliner and flirting with liquid pens; none of them stuck around like this guy did! It does just as the name says and glides on super smooth, giving you a solid, opaque line. It looks pretty much the same as my old gel eyeliner did, but without the need for a fiddly brush and pot combination. The best part, though, is how long it lasts! I can wear this all day without it budging at all—a big change from liquid eyeliner, which tends to smudge on my eyelids—and even my regular make-up remover struggles to take it off. (A little melted coconut oil wiped off with a hot flannel is perfect for removing it, if you don’t have Urban Decay’s companion product, Meltdown Makeup Remover.) I’ve been around the eyeliner block, lemme tell ya, but I’ve never wanted to commit to any like I do with my twenny-four-sevs. —Brodie

elfStudio Eyeshadow Primer (e.l.f.)
This eyeshadow primer is so bomb. I’ve used it for years and even when I get more expensive primers, I always come crawling back to e.l.f. I usually go with the sheer shade, which rubs in easily. I recommend putting a dab of it on your fingertip (instead of using the applicator) and blending it in with your hands. Also, if you use concealer as an eye brightening “eyeshadow,” put a layer of e.l.f. on first to curb that creased look. —Chanel

s1681303-main-zoom Photo Finish Primer Water (Smashbox)
If you love the effects of primers but your skin can’t hang with the silicones that are often a top ingredient, Smashbox’s Photo Finish Primer Water may just be your new best friend. It’s silicone-free, which is a rarity in the primer world, and the application is super simple: you just spray it on your face and you’re ready to move on to your next cosmetic step. I love this stuff because it allows for easier application of some of the thicker BB creams out there (if your face is wet, you don’t end up pulling on the skin so much to blend things in) and because you can stick it in your refrigerator during sweltering summer days and give yourself a nice cool spritz whenever—it works not only as a primer but a setting spray, as well. —Pixie

300LashTite Clear Adhesive (Ardell)
Because, I guess, this is the way we’ve chosen to spend our lives: Let me tell you about the majestic properties of an adhesive. NAH BUT FOR REAL: This shit makes me so happy! Ardell LashTite makes it so that I can wear fake eyelashes to bed, for days, in the shower, in the ocean—when I got knocked ass-over-teakettle by this one gigantoid wave three summers ago without fluttering a lash, I knew this glue was my dude for life. If you’re high femme with weird priorities, like me, and want to make sure you’re in proper hag-drag no matter how aquatic the occasion, this is your go-to. —Amy Rose

STEP1_Big_imageStep 1 Skin Equalizer (Make Up Forever)
My daily makeup routine is pretty simple: sunscreen, lip gloss, mascara. But when I want to go all out, and I want my makeup to last the whole night, I always start with primers, specifically Make Up For Ever’s Step 1 Equalizer, which acts as a base coat for your face, preparing the skin for makeup and helping to keep your look locked in as the hours pass. Before I started using primers, I’d spend a ton of time getting my makeup just right, only to watch it basically slide off of my face as soon as I left the house, so taking the extra step to prime my skin before starting to uh, paint the canvas, is totally worth it. The great thing about MUFE’s primers is that there are 10 different formulas—my favorite is the redness-correcting equalizer, which uses a green tint to neutralize red blotchy areas before foundation or concealer even hit the skin. Good stuff! At $36, it’s pricey, but a tiny bit goes a long way. —Pixie

stila-linerStay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner (Stila)
I feel like Rihanna, always pleading for my eyeliner to “staaaaaay” on my eyelids. But, Stila is not about that life; its liquid, yet waterproof eyeshadow formula is so long-lasting that sometimes it just doesn’t want to come off before bed. Alas, there has to be some downside to the pay off, right? I’ve personally only used the black shade, but the liner comes in 15 stunning colors and they are perfect for everyday or a night out! One thing: make sure the cap is closed tight, as you don’t want the liner to dry out—it’s too good (and costly!) for that. —Chanel

83005Seche Vite™ dry fast top coat (Seche)
Whenever you give yourself a pretty manicure (or try one of our DIY nail art tutorials) it’s imperative to use a top coat as your last step. The secret to long-lasting nail color lies in the top coat, which seals in the polish, preventing it from chips and dents. Seche Vite is my go-to when I do my nails; my manicure lasts twice as long when I slip this glossy lacquer over my finished handiwork. It’s seriously the best.You can find it at most drugstores. They make a great basecoat too! —Marie

mac_sku_MX0003_640x600_0Liquidlast Liner (MAC)
The first time I used MAC Liquidlast Liner I was afraid I had accidentally used a Sharpie marker to give myself a winged eye. If you want the kind of cat-eye that will not come off, even if you’re out all day sweating like crazy or accidentally rub your eye, this is the eyeliner for you. It will weather a storm. Seriously, if you get caught in a storm this eyeliner would probably stay intact and on point! It’s so impenetrable that I’ve used it to draw a fake beauty mark near my eye in the full knowledge that this eyeliner wouldn’t rub off and I could trick people into thinking that was my real mole. This was before I realized I already had a prominent beauty mark near my chin and that was more than enough. This product is NOT for the faint of heart. —Marie

dream-fresh-bb_pack-shot_122337Dream Fresh BB Cream (Maybelline)
Since I don’t often wear foundation, I like to apply the lightest form of coverage when I need a li’l something-something on my face. Maybelline’s BB cream is a nice, easy formula that does the job of a basic base—and it keeps me glowing all freaking day. Also, it’s a really great product that helps other things, like blush and eyeshadow, stay the heck on. So if you don’t want to slather your entire face in BB cream, rub some on your cheeks and apply blush, and you’ll glow glow glow. —Chanel

51cAbUB-FAL._SY355_Peri’s Tint Lip Gloss (Peripera)
Korean beauty brands, like the glorious Peripera, have gone international with their unique, innovative, and abundantly CUH-YUTE products. One star in the beauty game is Peripera’s Peri’s Lip Tint. The outside of each tube is decorated with its own character whose outfit compliments the shade within. Inside, the teardrop-shaped applicator immersed in this gloss which also stains like a tint. It’s super pigmented so a couple dabs will do ya if you’re looking to achieve a noticeable lip flush. If you want to get a bit more colorful, keep layering for a stain that stays glossy throughout the day. (How? The only logical answer is magic.) Endurance, intensity, stamina…this is a top runner for MVP in my makeup bag. Whoever said “if it seems too good to be true, it is” OBVIOUSLY never tried Peripera’s tint gloss. —Alyson

imgresOutlast Lipstain (CoverGirl)
This junk is a wonderful two-for-one: After I fill in my lips with it, I swipe a line of it up each cheekbone, then vigorously rub it into my zones for a very natural-looking flush of color. And one that perfectly matches my lip color instead of clashing, which can, of course, look rad in its own right, but l haven’t really figured that out yet. This lipstain is my favorite drugstore product of all time—there have been at least six in my possession at any given moment for years. —Amy Rose

10191189Lash Sensational Mascara (Maybelline)
I first tried Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara because an editor-pal asked me to test it for a beauty panel she was moderating. Obviously I obliged. Although I wear mascara every day, I’ve never been brand loyal, since I find a lot of mascaras get clumpy or smeary as the day wears on. (Which is a buzzkill when you shell out top dollar for something that says it won’t.) Enter: My surprise, when I found this particular mascara didn’t clump, lasted ’til bedtime, and was as waterproof as it claimed to be. I learned its virtues after crying my eyes out in a movie theatre and emerging aesthetically intact. Plus, if you’re like me and maybe sometimes (always) forget to take off your eye makeup at night, you’ll be relieved to know you won’t wake up looking like the cover of Live Through This. Victory. —Anne ♦