Key ingredients: sunflower seed oil, cocoa butter, vitamin E | Finish: natural (9 shades), shimmer (3 shades) | Available shades: 12
A Mascara That’s Actually Groundbreaking: Limitless Lash Mascara
Why it’s worth it: It may look like just another mascara at face value, but the Readers’ Choice and Best of Beauty Award-winning Limitless Lash Mascara is pretty amazing for a multitude of its innovative features. Let’s start with the two-sided wand: One end has shorter, denser bristles to add volume, while the other is a straight comb to lengthen and separate hairs. The formula is an intense black that defines lashes and is laced with a conditioning duo of shea butter and keratin to moisturize the hairs as it tints.
Tester feedback: “This elite and long-lasting mascara can extend the length and volume of my lashes so well,” says senior audience director Lexi Herrick. “Application is a breeze, it doesn’t clump and it doesn’t bleed. One of my all-time favorites!”
Key ingredients: shea butter, keratin | Finish: lengthening and lifting | Who it’s for: anyone who wants a subtle oomph to their natural lashes.
Your New Lip BFF: Lip Sketch Crayon
Why it’s worth it: From the moment it launched, the Lip Sketch Crayon instantly became an Allure editor-favorite for practically reviving the chubby lip product category. Though it’s formulated with moisture replenishers found in dewier-finish products (read: hyaluronic acid, rosehip oil) this layerable, blurrable lip crayon’s tint has a soft matte finish perfect for lining or an all-over color.
Tester feedback: “My ideal red lipstick—deep but not dark, matte but not drying, just barely on the cool-toned side—is hard to come by, but Ilia’s Case Study lip crayon lives up to my picky standard,” says senior news editor Nicola Dall’Asen. “It reaches full opacity in a single swipe, leaving behind a velvety look and feel that lasts for hours so long as you blot it.”
Key ingredients: hyaluronic acid, rosehip oil, seaweed extract | Finish: matte | Available shades: 12
Skin Care With Proven Results: Bright Start Activated Eye Cream
Why it’s worth it: Sure, Ilia is known for its makeup products, but the brand also dips its toes in skin care frequently. One of our current favorites from its skin-forward lineup is the Bright Start Activated Eye Cream, an Allure Best of Beuty Award-winning formulation that utilizes a multitasking cocktail of peptides, caffeine, and antioxidant-rich extracts that, in combination, act as a gentler alternative to retinol. This combination works together to boost skin elasticity and moisture retention without the potential irritation of a harsh active ingredient.
