Welcome the Woman make-up awards 2014! With the help of top expert industry experts, M&S Beauty buyer Louisa Maaldrink, celeb make up artist Lee Pycroft and Daniel Sandler, and Woman’s Beauty Director Jess Henley, we’ve put hundreds of products through their paces to bring you the best of the best. Look no further to discover the makeup that really cuts the mustard…
Best Liquid Foundation
YSL Fusion Ink Foundation, £30.50
A gorgeous lightweight texture, it leaves skin looking healthy, bright and youthful
A gorgeous lightweight texture, it leaves skin looking healthy, bright and youthful
Best Loose Powder Foundation
Clarins Skin Illusion Loose Powder Foundation, £28
Buffed into the skin, this powder makes you looked airbrushed before you take a photo
Best BB Cream
Bioderma Sensibio AR BB Cream Anti-Redness, £14.50
Skincare meets make up with this creamy texture “It blends really well and I love that it has 30 SPF” says Louise.
Best CC Cream
Olay Total Effects Pore Minimising CC Cream, £14.99
This light fluid glides onto the skin seamlessly. “Anything that says pore minimiser wins my attention!” says Lee. Plus it’s oil free so ideal for shiny complexions.
Best Concealer
Amazing Cosmetics AmazingConcealer £19.50
This truly covers anything! The best concealer we’ve seen in years. It smoothes away imperfections, holds well and the finish stays dewy and hydrated. Genius!
Best Primer
Illamasqua Matte Veil £30
This primer plumps up skin and creates an even, super matt canvas to prep any make up look. “Love love love!” says Louisa
Best Illuminator
Illamasqua Gleam in Aurora, £20
Wake up your makeup with this fab creamy highlighter. Dabbed on cheek and brow bones it instantly lifts your complexion.
Best Bronzer
MAC Studio Sculpt Defining Powder, £22
With super fine pigments, this blends evenly over your skin to give a soft-sunkissed glow all year round.
Best Powder Blush
Bourjois Little Round Pot Blush £7.99
This cult powder blush still stands out as the best for texture, colour and longevity.
Best Cream Blush
Daniel Sandler Watercolour Cream-Rouge Blusher £15.50
This glides onto your skin seamlessly giving you a natural healthy flush in seconds. Hello English rose complexion.
Best Cheek Tint
BECCA Beach Tint, £20
This is a great multi-tasker. Use the light-weight formula on cheeks and lips for complimentary colour.
Best Finishing Powder
ILLAMASQUA Loose Translucent Powder, £24
“The perfect invisible veil to set your makeup so it lasts all day” says Daniel. Plus a little goes a long way so it will last for ages.
Best Brow Pencil
Eylure Brow Pencil, £5.45
With great natural looking shades, these pencils are soft and easily blend into your brows giving a youthful bold look we can’t live without.
Best Brow Powder
Topshop Brow Palette, £12
Feathered in with a sharp brush, this powder is perfect for building up brows to make them look thick and glossy.
Best brow Gel
Benefit Gimme Brow, £17.50
This gel is the best at keeping rogue brows in check and giving sparse brows a boost thanks to its brush-on fibres. Just sweep it over penciled in brows and enjoy the groomed bold brow look.
Best Powder Eyeshadow
NARS Dual Intensity Eyeshadow £21
So easy to apply, this shadow works well into the skin so it doesn’t crease and has a subtle sheen that boosts the colour and makes eyes pop.
Best Cream Eyeshadow
Origins Brightening Cream Eyeshadow, £17.50
With a beautiful creamy texture these cream shadows last forever! The earthy shades are universal so anyone can wear them.
Best Eyeshadow Palette
Smashbox Full Exposure Palette, £37
“Simply divine, both the texture and the all the colours suit everyone” says Jess. Dial them up or dial them down depending on how adventurous you’re feeling.
Best Glitter
Two Faced Glamour Dust in Glampire £14
This is great for sculpting eye sockets and highlighting eyelids. An unusual two-tone shadow, that’s definitely worth a try. “Press it onto your eyes for more the reflective results” says Lee
Best Kohl Pencil
Bourjois Contour Clubbing Waterproof Eyeliner, £4.99
Glides on effortlessly and doesn’t drag the delicate skin around your eye. Plus being waterproof, it stays on all evening.
Best Liquid Liner
Shu Uemura calligraphy:ink pen, £12.50 and cartridge, £12.50
“This liner is absolutely amazing and the best liner pen I’ve ever used,” says Lee. It’s a novices dream!
Best Gel Liner
The Body Shop Smoky 2 in 1 Gel Liner, £10
For those a bit more adept at putting on liner, this gel works wonders at giving an intense line that won’t shift.
Best Eye Shadow Primer
Smashbox Photo Finish 24hr Shadow Primer, £18
To go from office to party and without having to retouch your eye shadow; wear this primer underneath. The colour will hold fast and not fade!
Best Mascara
Clinique Lash Power Feathering Mascara, £18
“A fantastic mascara which does not budge when cycling – my daily test! ” says Louisa. Build it up in layers and there’s no sign of flaking. We’re impressed!
Best False lashes
Eylure Pro-Lash Individuals – Fine to Full, £5.29
These lashes blend into your own, making them look thicker, longer and lusher. They’re your ultimate party accessory.
Best Waterproof Mascara
SMASHBOX Full Exposure Waterproof Mascara, £19
“I love the big brush which is super easy to use and the colour is so intense, lashes look massive and glossy” says Daniel.
Best Eyelash Curler
Japonesque Heated Mini Lash Curler, £13
Put away the falsies! Super easy to use, these curlers give your lashes great lift that lasts all day and night.
Best Lipstick
NARS Audacious Lipstick, £24 Louisa
With the best colour pigments around, we were super impressed with these lipsticks. Can we have every shade please!
Best Lip Gloss
BareMinerals Marvelous Moxie Lipgloss in High Roller, £16
With a gorgeous high shine finish, this gloss will make your lips infinitely more kissable. Where’s the mistletoe?
Best Lip Balm
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm £20
Coming out in the lead again, Eight Hour Cream is still our one stop shop for intensive hydration. This balm version leaves lips velvety soft.
Best Lip Liner
Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Liner £4.99
A gorgeous creamy texture, this pencil is lipstick’s best friend by helping colour hold, drink after drink.
Best Liquid Lipstick
Too Faced Melted Liquified Long Wear Lipstick, £19
“I love the lightweight, creamy texture,” says Daniel. “It gives long lasting results and a great intense colour. One of my staples.”
Best Chubby Stick
Clinique Chubby Stick Moisturising Lip Colour Balm, £17
You can’t go wrong with this balm! A moisturising formula with a shot of colour that is easy to apply, even without a mirror!
Best Matte Lipstick
Topshop Lips, £8
Matte lips are the ultimate trend and this has a lovely, opaque non-drying formula. Plus it’s great value so you can get it in a few shades. Brilliant!
Best Gel Nail Colour
Bourjois Gel 1 Seconde Nail Polish in Rouge £5.99
The brush shape and texture of this gel polish makes this a fast track route to pro-looking DIY mani. Plus it’s quick drying and wears really well.
Best cult classic
Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Makeup £29.50
“It’s my fail-safe base for when I need to create a full coverage finish that stays put” says Daniel. Ideal for anyone who suffers with oily skin, blemishes.
Best Matte Nail Colour
Rimmel London Velvet Matte Nail Polish, £4.49
“The brush in this nail polish is a game changer!” says Louise. “It’s super easy to apply and you only need one coat to give you a cool matt effect”
Best Nail Colour
OPI Nail Lacquer, £11.95
A great chip-resistant polish. The brush applies colour evenly and coats the nail in one swipe. Opt for two coats for a deep, succulent shade.
Best Brush Set
Nars from £22
They may be a bit pricey but as soon as you sue them you can see why. Makeup seems to melt on your skin, leaving you look like you’ve had professional makeover. Genius.
Best new product
Clarins Radiance Plus-Golden Glow Booster £18
“Just a few drops added to your mosituriser or foundation and you get a gorgeous natural looking sunkissed glow all year round” says Jess. “I’m totally addicted.”