Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, , butwhom does she count on regularly whenever she goes on an evening soiree or an afternoon gig with friends looking well put-on, confident, and beautiful?Whom does she turn to whenever she feels like a beauty queen on a regular working day, or even on a weekend trip to the grocery store? And whom does she turn to whenever she feels gray?Who gives her the liberty to express herself?
Colors say a lot about an individual.They communicate moods and personalities.And where does a woman get the color to make her statement?She never leaves home without it–her other best friend: her most dependable makeup kit.Lip gloss,lipstick, blush on, compact powder, eyeshadows, eyebrow pencil…these are the basic things inside a woman’s makeup kit,a small purse good enough to make her feel bedazzling and self-assured.
And because she applies them on the most prized part of her body, the face, she is quite particular about the quality of different type makeup kit that she buys.A woman’s facial skin is very sensitive. That is why, when it comes to makeup, she relies only on the most trusted cosmetic brands that offer the best value for her money.
Here is a list of cosmetic brands ranked according to how much they are preferred.Find out how your favorite brand ranks among the top 20.
20. NEUTROGENA
Looking for something backed up by doctors? This is the one for you! Neutrogena is an American brand that manufactures men and women’s skin care products and cosmetics which are distributed over 70 countries.It is advertised as top-of-the-listamong skin care products that dermatologists recommend. Neutrogena products are easily available at pharmacies and shopping malls.
Among Neutrogena’s makeup line that endorse clinically-proven formulas: Healthy Skin liquid and compact makeup, Healthy Volume mascara, Long Wear nourishing makeup, Mineral Sheers powder foundations, MoistureShine lip gloss, Nourishing Eye liner, SkinClearing blemish-fighting makeup and Shine Control oil-absorbing collection.
19. REVLON
There must be something from Revlon that suits your needs.Revlon is the oldest American brandthat manufactures and distributes skin care, fragrance and cosmetics distributed in 150 countries, the US being its largest market.Its reported sales in 2013 reached $1.49 billion. Revlon has a wide array of choices for its cosmetics.Check it out at their website: www.revlon.com.Among its new release are the Ultra HD Lip products (wax-free gel technology), Photo Ready makeup collection and the New Age-Defying makeup collection.
18. MARY KAY
Mary Kay may have stepped up the golden ladder, being a 50-year-old brand, but it still makes waves in the cosmetics industry.Mary Kay has over 200 beauty products being sold worldwideby over a million ‘beauty consultants” or direct-sellers by way of a multi-level marketing model.Mary Kay, Inc. usually caters to the mature women, but ithas recently stretched out its scope, boosting its sales in the process. Mary Kay shiftedits target market to the younger age bracket, which explains the release of its new products with youthful-sounding names: Shimmerrific body and bath set, Mary Kay at Play Hail to the Nails lacquer set, Past Perfect by Time Wise, Eyes Surprise by Time Wise, Party Til Dawn makeup set and Flash and Dash makeup trios. Mary Kay lists its best-selling products as the following: May Kay Oil-Free Makeup Remover, Time Wise Miracle Set and Mary Kay Ultimate Mascara.Mary Kay commands a large market in the US, Russia, Brazil, Mexico and China.
17. AVON PRODUCTS
Ever sighted an Avon lady lately?There are over six million of them worldwide direct-selling Avon products just like the Mary Kay beauty consultants do. Avon’s best-selling cosmetics include the Glimmerstickseyebrow pencils and eye liners, Smooth Minerals blush and foundation, Beyond Color Plumping Lip Color, Ultra Luxury eyebrow penciland eye liner, SuperShock mascara, the Flavor Savers lip balms, and the Ideal Flawless liquid foundation andpressed powder. Making Raves as well are the Anew facial care products.In the course of time the company would be beleaguered by certain legal issues but would not be brought down to its knees.To this day, Avon ranks as the number 2 direct-selling company worldwide.
16. SAINT LAURENT PARIS
YSL.The three letters that stand audibly for high-fashion and glamour. Founded by Yves Saint Laurent, the French fashion brand YSL lends glory to apparels, bags , shoes, accessories as well as fragrances that bear the label. When ownership of the YSL company changed hands and the “Yves” had been dropped from the company name, among the only items that retained the use of the prestigious YSL monogram wasthe YSL Beauté cosmetics and skin care line which is now a property of L’Oreal, the biggest cosmetic entity in the industry.L’Oreal included the beauty line in its Luxe Group, along with other high-status designer brands such as Ralph Lauren, Lancomé, Giorgio Armani, Guy Laroche, ShuUemura andUrban Decay, among few others. Touché Éclat face makeup line remains YSL’s strongest merchandise especially in Europe.
15. GUERLAIN
Get that sophisticated look with the Guerlain cosmetics.Indeed, the name Guerlain is not only associated with elegant perfumescreated exclusively for important people like the sovereigns since 1828. The family-owned company called The House of Guerlain had also been making exceptional cosmetic products. The Guerlains had also been pioneers in the manufacture of mascara, lipstick, powder bronzer and kohl eye liner.Their iconic products include: Terracotta bronzers, tanners and moisturizers, Meteorites primers and loose powder, Lingerie de Peau foundation and concealer, Rouge G de Guerlain lip colors, Rouge Automatique sleek lipsticks, and the Noir G de Guerlain refillable mascara with mirror—all sophisticated and first-rate.
14. BARE ESCENTUALS, INC.
Go natural with only the bare essentials.Go with Bare Escentuals.This is the company that made “mineral” and “natural” a by-word in the makeup industry. Bare Escentuals is puffed up as the world’s prime mover in mineral makeup especially formulated to improve the skin.Start with its makeup foundations called bareMinerals, unique because it comes in powdered form rather than the usual liquid. After making a break-through in the industry, Bare Escentualshave expanded its catalogue with otherproducts such as eyeshadows, translucent finishing touches, eye liners, primers and others.For its best-sellers,splurge on any or all of these: Get Started Kits, Natural Finish Foundation, BareSkin Serum Foundation, bareMinerals Powder Foundation, and the Mineral Veil Flip-Brush-Go. Bare Escentuals cosmetics are currently being sold in 130 boutiques in the U.S.,one in the U.K, and at online stores such as the SkinStore.com and sephora.com.
13. STILA
Stay stylish all day with Stila Cosmetics.Never leave home without any of those handy Stila makeup sets in your bag. And if you don’t have them yet, troop to the counter and get yourself some of Stila’s long-wearing best-seller makeup: Stay All Day Waterproof eye liners and mascara and other products,Eyes Are The Window eyeshadow palettes, One Step makeup products, and CC Correcting Cream, among others.Perfect for busy-bodies.Stila cosmetics were created by young revolutionary makeup artist Jeanine Lobell in 1994 and were being sold exclusively in Southern California until the company was bought by Estée Lauder, which exposed the products to the international scene.
12. BENEFIT COSMETICS
What’s in your makeup kit reveals who you are.It’s like the Confessions of AConcealaholic.Visit www.benefitcosmetics.com and see what’s more to this brand that benefits the consumers. The website poses a refreshing, delightful approach to online shopping.Anyway, Benefits Cosmetics started as a beauty box called The Face Place and its initial product was a nipple tint, which doubles as a lip tint or a cheek tint and which is now popularly known as the BeneTint. Then the founders, who are twin sisters Jane and Jean Ford, developed more products and got a new name for their business, the BeneFit Cosmetics.Then they ventured into the international scene. Then they got wooed by Louie Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) to become its subsidiary. It seems the twins have had it all so easy, but good fortune will never happen if their products weren’t good. For their most popular items, take a pick from the following witty names:The Benetint (of course!), the BeneBalm lip balm, They’re Real! gel eyeliners and mascaras, the POREfessional collection, Watt’s Up facial highlighter, Fake Up concealer and Get Even pressed powder. Check out the website…now. You got to see it to believe it!
11. SMASHBOX
Six years after they founded Smashbox Studios in 1996,photographer brothers Dean and Davis went on to create Smashbox Cosmetics. Borne out of the need to have a makeup that doesn’t wear out sooner than their rigorous photoshoots are finished, the brothers two came up with a long-wearing foundation which they called the Photo Finish foundation primer which became an instant hit among professional makeup artists.Soon this was followed by High Definition Healthy FX Foundation SPF 15 and the avant-garde Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder.Not resting on their laurels, the Smashbox brothers added more blockbusters to their list: more Photo Finish makeups, the Camera Ready BB cream, Always Sharp Waterproof kohl eye liner, Full Exposure palettes and eye makeups, O-Plump Intuitive Lip Plumper, and the Step-By-Step Contour Kit. About their makeups, born right in their photo studio, Dean and Davis say, “because we know if it works in the tough studio environment, it will work in the real world.” They definitely got the It Factor, these two grandsons of cosmetics industry icon Max Factor.
10. URBAN DECAY
Normal is boring for Sandy Lerner and WendeZomnir, so they decided to partner up and introduce something outrageous in the makeup world at a time when lipstick meant either red or pink.To their surprise, the industry gave a warm welcome to their new line of lipsticks with ten new upbeat colors ( rich brown, light lime green, light blue, black—all shimmery). Urban Decay was born and it set the trend for innovative hues in the lipstick world. And then it went on to expand its catalogue with more lipstick hues, eyeshadow palettes, blushers, primers, eye liners, more nail colors, etc. To make a long story short, Urban Decay fell into the hands of L’Oreal and was placed in its prestigious Luxe Group, along with Lancôme, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, ShuUemura, Guy Laroche and Yves Saint Laurent.Urban Decay makeup products that send the cash registers clinking are the following: eyeshadow palettes Naked, Naked 2 and Naked 3—for the au naturel look; Electric eyeshadow palette—for that bright and shimmering splendid look; Naked 24/7 eye pencils and concealers; Revolution lipsticks with 22 shades; Naked Skin Ultra Definition face makeups, and the Urban Decay makeup tools which are made of organic materials.
9. CHANEL
After the iconic fragrance Chanel No. 5 came out as a huge success, the makeup and skin care line by Coco Chanel followed in the mid-1920s.Over the years, Chanel has developed a generous assortment of makeup products, shades and finishes. These are available in Chanel’s company-owned luxury stores as well as in high-class stores like the Neiman Marcus, Nordstrom, Harrods, David Jones, Bergdorf Goodman, Galeries Lafayette, and Hudson’s Bay.Among the clients’ favorites are: Perfection Lumière flawless liquid foundation, Correcteur Perfection Long Lasting Concealer, Rouge Allure for the lips, Le Crayon Yeux Precision Eye Definer eye liners, Chanel Le Blanc De Chanel Multi-Use Illuminating Base and the exclusive Chanel makeup tools.Some of itsrecent release include the limited edition Les 5 Ombres De Chanel eyeshadow palette, Camélia De Plumes Highlighting Powder and Le Vernis nail lacquers collection.
8. LANCÔME
What do Kate Winslet, Isabella Rosselini, Penélope Cruz, Emma Watson and Julia Roberts have in common? Opulence, celebrity status, beauty…all check. Plus, all of them have been commissioned as representatives of Lancôme cosmetic and skin care products. Lancôme saw these beautiful, radiant and self-assured ladies as incarnations of qualities that Lancôme would like to convey to its clients. For 79 years now, Lancôme has been doing just that successfully with its first-rate cosmetics, the most famous of which is the Hypnôse mascara series and the Definicils mascaras. Other best-sellers include the Juicy Tubes, the first ever quick-fix lip gloss in a tube, Teint Miracle, Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover that easily wipes away even waterproof makeup, L’absolu lip colours, Le Crayon lip liners, and the Vernis In Love nail polish collection.
7. CLINIQUE
Worried about having skin outbreaks? Invest in Clinique products.Clinique cosmetics are upmarket products for consumers who are willing to pay extra for the total assurance that the products they are buyingcontain only those elements that are non-invasive to the skin. Clinique cosmetics have been clinically-proven to be hypoallergenic and are, therefore, very safe to use.Developed by Estée Lauder Companies, Clinique makeup products are distributed mainly in high-end department stores namely, Macy’s, Saks Fifth, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Sephora and SoHo, among the few. The makeup line also has its own website, www.clinique.com, where one can check online about their best-sellers.Among the top-of-the-list items are the 3-in-1 facial cleansing set that comes with a sonic cleansing brush, the Chubby Stick lip and eye makeup, the SuperFine brow and eye liners, Wear Everywhere Neutrals eyeshadow palette,the Clinique hydrating creams and moisturizers and the Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel.
6. NARS COSMETICS
What’s in a name that could make you blush like you’ve just had an Orgasm.Heyy, nothing to censor there, folks.Orgasm is the name of Nars Cosmetics’ top-selling blush-on. It’s also the name of the makeup collection that the blush-on belongs to. The collection also includes lip gloss, illuminator and the multi-purpose cream stick.Other product names include Body Glow, Striptease, Deep Throat, And God Created the Woman, and Audacious.Outrageous, yes, just like the one who created this line of makeup, Francois Nars, who does the makeup of equally outrageous celebrities like Madonna and Naomi Campbell.Narscolours are highly pigmented, very ideal for that runway look.Check out www.narscosmetics.com and see for yourself what other products would suit your taste.
5. MAYBELLINE
Maybelline is another budding American cosmetics company that ended up in the L’Oreal stables as one of its consumer brands.From limited array of eye makeup being sold to a limited market, Maybelline now has a whole new catalogue that boasts of newly–developed products distributed worldwide.Among L’Oreal’s consumer brands, Maybelline has proven to be its top best-seller in the mass market in the US.Maybelline’s trending makeup line includes the Eye Studio collection,Expert Wear eyeshadow collection, The Nudes Palette, Color Sensational lip products and Baby Lips Collection.
4. ESTÉE LAUDER
Estée Lauder the company manufactures and distributestopnotch makeup products at posh department stores worldwide.After over a decade, the company has expanded its market to include male consumers as well when it released skincare products for men through its Clinique Laboratories line of cosmetics.Estée Lauder has a wide array of cosmetic collections that seem to offer an answer to every need, from the natural look to the evening glamour .Among its in-house best-sellers include the anti-aging and skincare products like theEstée Lauder Advance Night Repair and the Perfectionist serums, and top-rate cosmetic products like the Double Wear Stay-All-Daymakeup,Sumptuous mascaras, Pure Color lipsticks and eyeshadow palettes.Estée Lauder,to date, has an estimated total sales of over $10 billion.
3. BOBBI BROWN
Celebrate your individuality with Bobbi Brown cosmetics.Start with any of the Bobbi Brown Essentials, a collection of lipstick shades that give offa natural look.These lipsticks sold like hotcakes and caught the interest of Estée Lauder so much that the corporation acquired the line in 1995 to distribute under its company name.One-tenth of Lauder’s total revenues come from Bobbi Brown cosmetics. Aside from lipsticks, Bobbi Brown also boasts of other makeup productssuch as the yellow-toned foundation, skincare products, makeup tools and accessories. Among the top ten of Bobbi Brown cosmeticscurrently being retailed in makeup counters include the following: Creamy Concealer Kit, Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner, Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara, Rich Lip Color, Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks, Bronze Shimmer Brick, Skin Foundation SPF15, High Shimmer Lip Gloss, Shimmer Wash eyeshadow and Bronzing Powder.
2. CHRISTIAN DIOR S.A.
Achieve that expensive and luxurious Diorific look with primers for the face, the lips and the eyes from Christian Dior. Aside from designer clothes, accessories, footwear and fragrances, the company also boasts of a line of makeup and skincare products which are sold worldwide in select retail stores and online at dior.com.Check out the Dior Addict and the Dior Rouge for the lips, the Dior Show for mascara, and the Dior Skin for the face.Look astounding with the Backstage Box or the Golden Shock Collection by Dior.Perfumes and cosmetics account for 12% (which translates to 3,678 European millions) of Christian Dior Group’s 2013 total revenues.
1. MAC
Look chic and captivating with MAC, or Makeup Art Cosmetics, a favorite line among professional makeup artists because the products prove to be hard-wearing for long duration of photo shoots. MAC keeps an exclusive line marked PRO Only which are made especially available to professional makeup artists and apprentices by membership. However, MAC products that do not show the mark PRO and that were originally sold exclusively at Nordstrom in the US are now available over MAC counters and freestanding stores in malls.These cosmetic are also available online at www.maccosmetics.com.Choose from MAC’s best-sellers which includeMAC Studio, Mineralize, Pro Longwear, Prep +Prime, and Lightful skincare.
