We Tried the Best Rare Beauty Products—Here's What's We Loved
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Over the past year I've learned that nothing brings generations together like discussing the best Rare Beauty products: The brand is something that I, a millennial, my Gen Z sister, my 11- and 17-year-old Gen Alpha nieces (who, yes, are Sephora tweens and teens), and my baby boomer mother have spent many a family dinner bonding over and now regularly text about.
This may not seem exceptional at first, but such universal appeal is no small feat. Rare Beauty is perpetually trending on TikTok—in fact, several of its products like the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush and Tinted Lip Oil have gone viral and sold out as a result. While this is the case for plenty of other brands that Gen Alpha adores, there are many which my mom and I wouldn't touch with a 10-foot pole. Similarly, the youths think some of our faves are “old-fashioned" or “uncool.” (Rude.)
So what sets Rare Beauty products apart from the rest beyond the fact that it's buzzy? The products are actually really good.
I know, I know: I was hesitant at first too. It is another celebrity-owned beauty brand—in case you're somehow unaware, Selena Gomez is the founder—which is a controversial phenomenon in itself. But Gomez and her team have seriously put in the work, and their products' top-notch quality and universal appeal is proof. Its relative affordability is just icing on the cake.
There's a reason I, a beauty editor, and several other Glamour editors love and use Rare Beauty products on a day-to-day basis. (No, really, we even have the photos to prove it.) But there's one problem when it comes to universally beloved brands: choosing where and how to start.
Fortunately, we've got you covered in that department: Glamour editors tested and reviewed all the best Rare Beauty products so you don't have to. We even tapped Rare Beauty global stylist Cynthia Di Meo for expert insight and tips on how to use and apply them—plus her viral blush hack—so you'll be a pro in no time.
Get your Sephora carts ready! Shop all the Rare Beauty products below.
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
Courtesy of Danielle Sinay1/11Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush
Rare Beauty's Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is possibly the brand's most popular product, and once you try it, you'll immediately see why. With its showstopping pigment, sensitive-skin-friendly formula, 14 diverse and flattering shades, seamless brush application, and silky-smooth texture that layers well with other skin-care and makeup products, it's pretty much the perfect blush. We think it's very much worthy of all of its viral fame, and possibly even then some.
Also of note? It comes in both a radiant and matte finish, so you can customize your glam accordingly. Rare Beauty also offers a corresponding Soft Pinch Blush Brush, which simplifies application and blending even further (see its blending abilities in the photo above). Selena Gomez and I both wear the shade Believe, a true mauve, but all the shades are simply to die for no matter your undertone.
As for how to apply it? “I like to start with one dot, blend on the apple of the cheek up at an angle toward the top of the ear, and add more if desired,” says Di Meo. “It’s mistake-proof, and it layers beautifully over liquid/powder formulas without disturbing makeup.”
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight
Courtesy of Danielle Sinay2/11Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight
A close second to the blush is Rare Beauty's Positive Light Liquid Luminizer Highlight, which, much like the blush, is the best product of its kind. It's bright, luminous, and light-reflecting without looking or feeling heavy or over-the-top. It's ideal for blending and layering (especially with the blush), and can be applied and blended with your fingers. It comes in eight gorgeous shades and instantly elevates any skin-care or makeup look. I love this highlighter so much, in fact, that it inspired me to change how I do my makeup, and since I've started using it, I've leaned more into a radiant, glowing finish than a matte one. Selena Gomez is out here changing lives!
“[This is] a silky, second-skin liquid highlighter with superfine, light-catching pearl that creates a subtle buildable glow, and does not settle into fine lines,” says Di Meo. “I love this formula to add highlight around the eye area and top of the cheekbones since it’s flexible and moves with the natural texture on the skin. It's best applied with your fingertips by lightly tapping the product where you want to attract light. It does dry down on its own for all-day wear.”
As for her viral blush hack? “Mix the Liquid Luminizer with your Soft Pinch Blush for an extra glowy look,” she suggests (you know I'm already on that).
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil
Courtesy of Ariana Yaptangco3/11Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil
Glamour senior beauty editor Ariana Yaptangco is a major fan of Rare Beauty's best-selling Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil. “Upon applying the formula with the doe-foot applicator, I was immediately impressed,” she writes in her Tinted Lip Oil review. “The formula felt unlike anything I’d ever tried on my lips. The oil is extremely lightweight—it almost feels as if you’re applying nothing—but creates a gorgeous wash of color. It’s also buildable, so you can work up the intensity, but a little goes a long way.”
Di Meo thinks of this product when going for easy summer looks. “It’s a jelly that delivers a juicy pop of color that then transforms from a lightweight oil into a lip tint while staying comfortable,” she says. “It reminds me of a watercolor—the more you layer the more the color pops and tints your lip. After the lip oil dries down, I love to top it with a lip balm or gloss for added shine.”
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara
Courtesy of Ariana Yaptangco4/11Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara
Both Yaptangco and Glamour senior West Coast editor Jessica Radloff swear by Rare Beauty's Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara. “When I want the look of false lashes without the added effort, this buildable, gorgeous mascara is it,” says Radloff. “While it isn't waterproof, it's the first formula that leaves no residue or smudging under my eyes. 10/10 recommend.”
According to Di Meo, this formula is also super easy to build and perfect for creating lash looks that are weightless with volume no matter your lash type. “I love this formula because it is ultra black, water-resistant, flake-free, and tested for sensitive eyes and contact lens wearers,” she says. “It's ‘Universal’ for a reason.”
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter
Courtesy of Jessica Radloff5/11Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter
Radloff also can't get enough of Rare Beauty's 2023 Glamour Beauty Award–winning Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter, which is the aforementioned highlighter's powder-based cousin. “I've always wanted gorgeous highlighted cheekbones, but no highlighter has given me that contoured glow like Rare's Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter in powder form,” she says. “All the shades are great, but Enlighten is my fave. It's now cult status as far as I'm concerned.”
Glamour editorial assistant Monique Wilson feels the same way. “I love the added shimmer finish that the Rare Beauty highlighter adds on prime areas of my face, such as my cheekbones, the tip of my nose, and right under my brow bone,” she writes in her review of the shade Exhilirate.
Di Meo refers to this as the ultimate highlighter for an instant glasslike glow. “You can apply it with your finger for a softer application or with a brush for an eye-catching look,” she says. “Its unique semisheer base is packed with ultra-smooth, prismatic micro shimmers that sync with your skin to enhance a range of skin tones.” It can also be applied on the cheekbones, eyes, nose, Cupid's bow, and shoulders—anywhere you’d like to glow, Di Meo says.
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener
Courtesy of Danielle Sinay6/11Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez Positive Light Under Eye Brightener
Need a nap? Same, but I have the next best thing: Rare Beauty's Positive Light Under Eye Brightener. “This is my go-to to instantly awaken any undereye,” says Di Meo. “It’s a super-lightweight liquid that instantly brightens, hydrates, and depuffs with a sheer to medium coverage for a fresh, radiant look. You can wear this alone for a no-makeup makeup look, or if you would like additional coverage, I recommend tapping this over your concealer for additional brightening.”
This is also a wonderful product to use for refreshing your makeup during touch-ups, she says. And it's true, so I keep it in my makeup bag at all times. Pro tip: Use the Liquid Touch Concealer Brush. It's my favorite brush of all time. I own two of them.
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
Rare Beauty Find Comfort Hydrating Hand Cream
Courtesy of Andrea Navarro7/11Rare Beauty Find Comfort Hydrating Hand Cream
“I've always loved a good hand cream,” says Glamour commerce writer Andrea Navarro, who now considers Rare Beauty's hand cream to be one of her must-have hand-care products.
“Selena Gomez launched her first range of skin-focused products for Rare Beauty, and while I love the entire collection (the scents are phenomenal), I love throwing the hand cream in my bag,” she says. “It has a unique twist-top opening that doesn't require taking the cap off and locks it back into place, so you'll never have to worry about losing it. The pointed top was also designed with reflexology in mind, so you can actually use the bottle to give yourself a hand massage after applying the lotion (or, you can give yourself a regular hand massage).”
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Longwear & Waterproof Gel Eyeliner
8/11Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Longwear & Waterproof Gel Eyeliner
I use Rare Beauty's Perfect Strokes Longwear & Waterproof Gel Eyeliner every single time I'm wearing eye makeup. It's the only nonliquid eyeliner that doesn't make my eyes water and burn, and lasts all day long without smearing or irritating my eyes or skin. It's also super easy to apply and use, and comes with a built-in sharpener you can't and won't lose!
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Brow Gel
Instagram/@rarebeauty9/11Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Brow Gel
Another fan (and Selena Gomez) favorite? Rare Beauty's Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting Brow Gel. “This flexible water-based gel builds easily to sculpt and smooth brows for a brushed-up, laminated look,” says Di Meo. “It has a strong yet flexible gel that is waterproof. The clear gel dries to a natural flake- and cake-resistant finish that can be used with other brow products. My favorite feature is the tapered brush that helps create a fluffy brow when using the longer bristles or a laminated brow when using the shorter side.”
As for how to apply it? “I recommend applying your brow pencil first, then sealing with the brow gel for a groomed finish that’s lasts all day,” she says.
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
Rare Beauty All of the Above Weightless Eyeshadow Stick
10/11Rare Beauty All of the Above Weightless Eyeshadow Stick
As noted above, I have very sensitive eyes—to the point that several eye shadows have made my eyes swell up before. Fortunately, Rare beauty's vegan and cruelty-free formula is gentle enough for even my overly emotional eyes. It allows me to create showstopping shimmering eye shadow looks that are so easy to apply (you literally just swipe it on), and it lasts all day long and doesn't smear. I am never not wearing this eye shadow stick. It's life-changing.
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick
11/11Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick
Both Glamour contributing editor Emily Tannenbaum and I love Rare Beauty's Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick. “I use Bright Side—the light tan shade with cool undertones—as my contour because it's the perfect size and never lifts my makeup,” says Tannenbaum. “I've tried other liquid contours that everyone loves on TikTok, and they simply don’t compare.”
Di Meo's favorite way to wear this is to apply it first to add some shaping and warmth to the skin and then add Soft Pinch Blush on the apples of the cheek for the radiant summer look. “It’s such a beautiful alternative to eye shadow if you’re in a hurry,” she says.
Save when you shop for the best Rare Beauty products with these Sephora promo codes.
