Makeup mecca Sephora is chock-full of stunning scents, luxe lipsticks and lavishly luminous highlighters. Beauty’s leading retailer serves a wide demographic both online and in brick-and-mortar, prompting Beauty Insider to wonder which items across the trendiest categories are top rated among reviewers? Here, a roundup of the best-selling highlighters, brow pencils, lip sticks, face masks and heat tools that rank at least 4.5 stars, and why they’re resonating with consumers. All of the following have at least 25 reviews, many are Sephora exclusives.
Highlighter
Fenty Beauty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter
You’d be hard-pressed to find a Fenty product without an average 5-star review, but this luminizer is flying off shelves for a few reasons. Yes, it has the advantage of being created by celeb powerhouse Rihanna. But this long-wearing cream-to-powder comes in both singles and duos. It ranks 4.7 stars out of 5, thanks to its highly pigmented composition. Trophy Wife is the most instagrammable, but also the most popular shade iteration.
Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector Highlighter
Becca has upped its luminizer game in the past few years and its offerings are among the most popular. This creamy powder version comes in a range of hues and earned 4.6 stars out of a possible 5, despite its hefty price tag of $38. That said, a pan of this luminizer will likely last close to a year, as only a small amount is needed to highlight the places where the light hits the face.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Sugar Glow Kit
This quartet of neutral shimmery hues works well on just about any skin tone. The palette has earned 4.8 stars out of 5, making it a ragingly popular item. It probably helps that Anastasia has partnered with makeup artist influencer in his own right, Mario Dedivanovic, one of Kim Kardashian West’s go-to makeup artists. Besides being an on-trend item (highlighters are still having a moment), this product is also encased in pink iridescent packaging, appealing to millennials.
Lipstick
Huda Beauty Contour & Strobe Lip Set
Created by mega influencer Huda Kattan, this lip set is a spin on the popular lip kits Kylie Jenner made a thing a few years ago. Known for her contour and strobing skills, Dubai-based Huda brings her sculpting technique to lips, inspired by her own trademark pout. Each set features a full-size Lip Contour, a mini Liquid Matte Lipstick in a complementary shade, and a mini Lip Strobe to create the illusion of fuller lips. Garnering 4.5 out of 5 stars, one reviewer said that “the color was the perfect nude and this year the packaging is everything. This little tin will have a ton of future uses.”
ColourPop You’re a Gem Trio
Millennial favorite ColourPop’s trio of mixed finish liquid lipsticks boast three shades that smooth and condition lips to keep them looking full. A Sephora exclusive, this set got 4.5 stars out of 5, with reviewers noting its “long and comfortable wear.” At $18 for the trio, it’s also an inexpensive investment.
Pat McGrath Labs LiquiLust 007
A whopping 5,906 reviewers “loved” this item, which garnered an average of 5 out of 5 stars. At $75, this trio of liquid lipsticks is hardly wallet-friendly, but the cosmetics come packaged in Instagram-friendly sequined packaging encased in a chic, clear plastic bag. Available in two trios, Colour Blitz and Skin Show, one reviewer said the formula only requires “one swipe and you have full coverage.” Of note is that Pat partnered with Spotify on the sale of these items, an innovative use of an untapped social user base.
Face Masks
GlamGlow Let It Glow SuperMud Set
Even the most casual mask maven has heard of the wonders of GlamGlow’s offerings. This exclusive-to-Sephora set contains four of the brand’s bestsellers and has earned 4.8 out of 5 stars. For the same price as a single tub of GlamGlow SuperMud, one can get sample-sized complexion companion to test and try.
Drunk Elephant TLC Sukari Babyfacial
Indie brand Drunk Elephant is a cult favorite of many, including Man Repeller’s Leandra Medine, investor. This new facial-in-a-bottle rates 4.5 out of 5 stars, with reviewer saying, “It shrinks pores, lightens age spots and smooths rough skin patches. A must-have!” At a fairly inaccessible $80 for a 1.7-oz bottle, this skin care savior warranted 60K loves on the site.
Ole Henriksen Power Bright 3-Step Professional Brightening System
Another Sephora exclusive, this mask set comes with six three-step treatments for $55. When it comes to masking, it’s all about immediate gratification and a user showing on social how they’re using it. This mask ranked 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Brow Pencil
Surratt Beauty Expressioniste Brow Pencil
Despite the ubiquity of microblading, brow products are still all the rage, with many brands boasting entire suites of brow-product offerings within their regular ranges. This refillable iteration from Troy Surratt rated 4.9 out of 5 stars, with one reviewer stating that “the thin point of the pencil is perfect for quickly filling in my almost nonexistent brows.” Refills retail for only $15, while the initial holder is $25.
IT Cosmetics Brow Power Universal Brow Powder
Solutions-oriented brand IT Cosmetics arrived at Sephora around a year ago and is highly rated across many categories in reviews. This $24 pencil comes in a single shade, Universal Taupe, and got an average of 4.6 out of 5 stars. Popular with reviewers over 40 (but not exclusively), one reviewer noted that the product seems a little dark when first applied but once she uses the spoolie to blend it, “the color is perfect. The product stays on, but washes off easily and it doesn’t smear.”
Burberry Effortless Brow Definer
At $33, this arch definer is not wallet friendly, but it scored 4.8 out of 5 stars, so it’s worth the investment.
Hair Tools
GHD Curl Creative Wand
British brand GHD’s clipless wand is a fan favorite for many reasons. This heat tool retails on the expensive side for $199, but still ranks an impressive 4.6 out of 5 stars, thanks to its ability to yield voluminous curls.
Sephora Collection Hold It Together Blow Dry Clips
At $10, Sephora’s house brand provides a low-cost alternative to at-home blow-dry clips that retail for much more. These cute pink “alligator-jaw” clips section even the thickest hair easily while providing a girly touch to your boudoir.
Hello Kitty x Tangle Teezer Compact Styler
At $16, this must-have collab is wallet friendly, yet does the job. Perfect for wet or dry hair, this tangle tamer comes with a clip-on cover to protect the teeth and prevent stray hairs from flying around in your purse. This brush garnered a rare 4.9 out of 5 stars, with one reviewer pronouncing it, “Easy to keep in purse and freshen up hair! Love the way it fits in my palm! Great tool!!”
