I wear a lot of hats in my personal life: the unofficial petsitter, the one you’d call to help you hide a body (partially out of loyalty, but mostly because I consume a lot of true crime content and genuinely could get away with the task), and above all, the product recommender. The latter is perhaps the most earned: I experience literal embarrassment during every interaction I have with the lovely men in my mail room due to the quantity of packages I receive. “They’re for my job!” I bellow thrice a week as I walk away with the armful of packages I was sent—and that’s not a lie. For the past eight years, I’ve worked as a fashion and beauty editor, and this comes with the lovely—or as my mail room would call it, clinically insane—perk of testing lots and lots (and lots) of products.
At any given moment of any day of the week, if you walked into my bedroom, you’d see a pile of products sitting on the corner of my vanity waiting to be given the ole’ college try. The road ahead of them is treacherous: kind of like saying a word so many times it no longer sounds like a word, most products face a fate of blending in with each other and making an unfortunate journey to my product graveyard (a bag in my coat closet I give to my family and friends—they didn’t work for me, but sometimes they do for them!). The chances of a product standing out enough to make into my daily routine are low, but when it happens, earns a blast to my group chats and a place on a pedestal so high, my family and friends usually wind up picking them up too.
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Until now, that bat signal has been reserved for my blood line or people I like enough I would bury the aforementioned body for, but it’s high time it’s made public. Welcome to Not an Ad by Betches Style, where I—hey I’m Madeline, Betches’ Style Director!—will be spilling the (never sponsored) details on the products that have passed through my rigorous testing process and, against all odds, stood out so much that they’ve received the highest honor: I’ve recommended them to my mother.
The twice-a-year Sephora Sale is a hazard for those of us who are chronically online. Every time it rolls around, video after video of influencers screaming that you need 15 different viral products is probably coming across your desk. It’s oversaturated, and you definitely don’t need any of the products anyone is recommending. But if you want to treat yourself or try something new, I’m throwing my hat in the ring to bring you the products I’d recommend above the rest (and what I personally am repurchasing with my own hard-earned coin while I can get it at 20% off).
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Saie’s Slip Tint makes me look like I just got a facial and downed two gallons of water, even if I’m hungover and haven’t eaten a vegetable in three business days.
Every time I look at myself and think I inexplicably look better than usual, I remember it’s because I used m.Ph’s Underpainting Face Highlight & Contour Palette that morning. If you’re a lazy makeup person, no shame, this probably isn’t for you. But if you’re down to tackle the task of underpainting (highlighting and contouring before you apply foundation) this is worth its weight in gold, and unfortunately does actually make a difference.
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I have hooded eyes that tend to rub eyeliner off within the first hour of applying it, but Urban Decays 24/7 Liquid Stick Eyeliner stays put from dusk ‘til dawn (and even 3 a.m., which unfortunately is a test it’s been put through multiple times). Its angled applicator makes applying it quick and easy, and the brush it features on the other end is the only built-in brush I’ve ever preferred to, you know, my actual brushes.
Huda Beauty’s Easy Bake Airbrush Powder makes my T-zone genuinely look like I have a beauty filter on, but isn’t too drying for my perpetually dry skin.
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Saie’s SuperSuede Baked Bronzer is the most natural-looking bronzer I’ve ever used. Its baked formula makes it blend into my skin in the most glorious, airbrushed way possible, and the shade ‘Amalfi’ genuinely makes me look like I just got back from two weeks on a beach. It also lasts on my face all day—even through a 9-5 spent in heinous office air.
Crown Affair’s Texturizing Air Dry Mousse has made me pivot from being a daily blowout girl to embracing my natural waves. It makes them look beachy and sexy instead of frizzy and accidental, and for that reason, always have a backup stashed in my under-bed storage (very New York, no?).
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I’ve never gotten as many compliments on a fragrance as I have from Lore’s Sublimity Eau de Parfum. It is the most non-offensive clean, summery scent (without veering into bar-of-soap territory). I am also obsessed with Lovely and a Little Twisted, which is rosey and musky and super unique.
Laneige’s JuicePop Box Oil Lip Tint is, by far, my favorite lip product I have tried over the past few years. Not only is every single shade sheer enough to be actually wearable, but its oil formula is hydrating enough for even my perpetually dry lips, and the stain it leaves lasts all day. A dream come true for low-maintenance lip product girls.
Amika’s The Kure Intense Strength Repair Hair Mask has single-handedly transformed my dry, bleached strands into something that actually resembles healthy hair. I had a couple of friends come into town and use this mask when they showered, and both bought it after they tried it. One even said, and I quote, “It almost made my hair too silky.” High praise!
Mac’s Glow Play Cushion Blush in the shade ‘Blush, Please’ is the blushiest blush I have ever tried, and is my go-to “I’m just flushed and gorgeous” no-makeup makeup shade.
Benefit’s Fan Fest Mascara gives fluttery, voluminous, non-clumpy lashes that really check all the boxes. The day they release it in brown is the day I give up all other mascaras.
Patrick Ta’s Major Beauty Blush Duos are one of those products that are hyped for a reason. Choosing my favorite shade feels a little like Sophie’s Choice, but I’d have to give the title to ‘Not Too Much,’ which is great if you’re looking for an everyday flush.
No matter how many powders I try, nothing makes my skin look as good as Charlotte Tilbury’s Airbrush Flawless Powder. I also love its refillable packaging.
