Introducing the best makeup launches of 2023, new discoveries, and timeless classics that I fell in love with all over again.
Italicized product links are affiliate links, products marked with * were received as PR samples.
In the annual Best of the Year series, I traditionally round up not only the best makeup launches of the year, but also products that I discovered during the past twelve months.
vita liberata beauty blur face *
Vita Liberata Beauty Blur was not a new launch in 2023, but it was one of my personal favorites of the year. I used this illuminating cream as a base product more often than any foundation. Beauty Blur can be applied directly to the face on its own, and I often paired it with only a little concealer where needed. For several months, I didn’t use foundation at all beyond this combination. The cream can also be mixed into foundation or used as a highlighter on the high points of the face. It doesn’t technically cover anything, but it evens out the complexion and creates a more polished overall appearance. My favorite shade is Light, and I use the version without self-tanning properties.
Fenty Beauty Cheeks Out Freestyle Cream Bronzer *
Fenty Beauty’s cream bronzer was probably the bronzer I reached for most often throughout the year. My personal favorite shade is Macchiato. Butta Biscuit is another hugely popular shade, especially for contouring thanks to its cool brown tone. Macchiato works beautifully for both contouring and enhancing a sun-kissed look. The finish on the skin is beautifully radiant. The formula is lightweight and never feels greasy. It is easy to apply and blends effortlessly. For these reasons, Fenty’s bronzer easily earns the title of best bronzer of the year.
Makeup By Mario Softsculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer
I have successfully ordered Makeup By Mario products from the brand’s own website many times. Nowadays, the brand is also widely available through Sephora Sweden, where ordering is easy and often more affordable.
The official subtitle of this product is All Over Warming Complexion Tint, and I think that describes it perfectly. This glow-enhancing bronzing cream can be used much like a bronzer on the high points of the face. It almost seems to switch the lights on in your skin, creating an incredibly fresh and radiant complexion. The product is not intended to be as intense as a traditional bronzer, which is worth keeping in mind. I currently own only the shade Light, which works well on very fair skin or whenever I want only a subtle bronzed effect. I will almost certainly order Light-Medium next, as it will likely suit my skin perfectly in spring. There are several shades available, and I plan to add them all to my professional kit because I like the product that much. Apply it where you would normally use bronzer over foundation, or wear it alone when you don’t want to wear much makeup. The cream beautifully evens out the skin, gives it a polished appearance, and enhances the high points of the face.
Makeup By Mario Surrealskin Awakening Concealer
Makeup By Mario’s concealer was without question the best concealer I tried in 2023. It provides excellent coverage while blending effortlessly into the skin. The formula is long-wearing and stays in place beautifully under the eyes. Occasionally, particularly if I have applied slightly too much product, I notice that it interacts with my waterproof mascara and creates a dark mark beneath the lashes shortly after application. This could easily be prevented by setting the concealer with powder or switching to a water-soluble mascara that doesn’t react with cream formulas. My own solution is simply to wipe away the small smudge with my finger and continue my day, as I prefer not to apply powder to my dry under-eye area. My shade is 180, which conceals even the darkest under-eye shadows. I am also considering ordering one shade lighter. The shade range overall is exceptionally broad and inclusive.
Saie Beauty Dew Blush
I discovered several beautiful blushes during the year, but Saie’s lightweight liquid blush takes the crown as my favorite blush of 2023. The lightweight cream-to-liquid texture blends into the skin effortlessly. The formula is highly pigmented, so a small amount goes a long way. It leaves a gorgeous glowing finish while still feeling fresh and lightweight on the skin. The blush never feels greasy. It wears well, applies easily, and blends beautifully. The shade range is extensive, and I currently own three shades: Rosy, Baby, and Chilly. Rosy is a beautiful peachy coral that warms the complexion and suits many skin tones. Baby is a cool pink that creates a fresh flush and is especially lovely on fair skin during colder months. Chilly looks stunning on medium-deep and deeper skin tones. It is a soft berry shade that appears like a naturally fresh flush. It also works beautifully on lighter skin if applied sparingly or if you prefer a stronger blush look.
Lumene Luminous Color Lipliner shade 3 *
Lumene’s lip liner was not a new launch this year, but despite being a long-time favorite, shade 3 reached an entirely new level of obsession for me in 2023. This reddish-neutral shade perfectly matches my natural lip color, enhancing fullness without looking like lipstick. My favorite way to wear it is to outline my lips and then apply lip balm over the top—this has become my everyday signature combination. The shade is very similar to Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk, meaning you can easily replace the more expensive international option with this affordable Finnish alternative. The pencil is soft, easy to apply, and long-lasting.
Uoga Uoga Natural Cream Contour *
Lithuanian brand Uoga Uoga entered the Finnish market this year, bringing several excellent products with it. Try the brand’s BB cream if you want an exceptionally lightweight complexion product. The blushes blend beautifully, and the lipstick shades are also worth exploring. For this Best of the Year list, the standout products are the cream contour and the brow pomades featured below.
Natural cosmetics rarely include contour products, which already makes this one special. Soft Shade has the perfect tone for contouring and sculpting. The slightly cool brown perfectly mimics natural shadows on the face. The cream applies effortlessly and blends beautifully for a natural finish. At the same time, it contains plenty of pigment, allowing you to create stronger contouring when desired. The formula never feels overly greasy and wears well throughout the day. There is absolutely no compromise here between conventional and natural beauty. The compact is long-lasting, and a second one has already found its way into my professional kit.
UOGA UOGA NATURAL EYEBROW POMADE *
Long-wearing brow products with beautiful shades are always welcome additions to natural beauty collections. Uoga Uoga’s eyebrow pomades were a truly delightful discovery. They earned a place among the year’s best products largely because all three shades are exceptionally well executed. Pebbles and Salt is a cool brown-grey shade that suits light to medium brows. Taupe is a classic grey-toned medium brown that works beautifully on everything from light to dark brows. Forest Path is designed for dark brown and black brows and is also a wonderfully cool-toned deep brown. The pomades are richly pigmented, a little goes a long way, and the product is incredibly easy to work into the brows. Using an angled brush, you can also apply color beneath the brows directly onto the skin, where it lasts all day. The small jars deserve special praise as well, as the packaging is minimal, lightweight, and compact. Despite their size, the products last an impressively long time. All three shades are in regular use in my professional work, and every time the brows turn out perfectly. These little jars immediately replaced many of the heavier glass containers in my makeup kit.
HURRAW! AURA BALM *
Hurraw!’s Aura Balm was the glow product I reached for most often this year. Like several products on this list, it was not a new launch and may already be familiar to many, but I only discovered its brilliance this year. Thankfully I did! The shade Pearl is my personal favorite. It is a beautiful pearlescent tone that leans slightly warm with a subtle champagne undertone, yet does not appear noticeably colored on the cheekbones. The shine is intense and beautiful, yet there are no visible glitter particles. The glow appears as if it comes naturally from the skin itself. It is highly economical and contains nourishing ingredients. Application works best with fingers or a small dense brush using a tapping motion.
FENTY BEAUTY INVISIMATTE INSTANT SETTING + BLOTTING POWDER *
I rarely get particularly excited about powders for my own skin, but Fenty Beauty’s incredibly lightweight powder impressed me. It sets makeup beautifully without making the skin look heavily powdered—which is exactly what I want. The texture is extremely finely milled and never leaves even dry skin looking overly matte or powdery. In fact, I think it slightly blurs skin texture and pores, creating an incredibly silky finish. Only one universal shade is available, but it genuinely adapts to all skin tones. Another major advantage is that refill pans are available for the compact.
LUMENE LIQUID BRONZER IN THE SHADE DEEP GLOW *
One of the best new launches of the year was undoubtedly Lumene’s expansion of the Invisible Illumination line with new shades for both Liquid Bronzer and Liquid Blush. The Liquid Bronzer gained a darker companion to the original Summer Glow shade: Deep Glow, which was very much needed. This new deeper shade is ideal for medium-deep and deeper skin tones, but also for anyone wanting a stronger bronzed effect or more defined contouring. This product has been a long-time favorite since its original launch, and the new shade has quickly become just as heavily used as the original. The Liquid Blush drops also gained a stunning bright coral shade, Bright Bloom, alongside the original Pink Blossom.
ICONIC LONDON ILLUMINATOR
2023 was truly the year of glow products, and Iconic London’s Illuminator drops in the shade Original also earned a place among the best products of the year. These drops pack a serious punch—if you want intense glow, they deliver. A single drop covers a surprisingly large area, so a light hand is recommended. The drops mix beautifully into foundation or can be applied beneath foundation for a softer glow. For those who love maximum radiance, they also work beautifully applied over foundation. The texture is incredibly lightweight and dries down on the skin. This makes it an excellent option if cream highlighters applied from a jar feel too greasy for your preferences. Several shades are available. Original suits a wide range of skin tones and has a beautiful subtle coppery undertone. It flatters both fair and deeper complexions equally well.
VIOLETTE_FR YEUX PAINT IN THE SHADE DIEU BLEU
I’ll admit that many makeup products spark a strong desire to try them throughout the year, but very rarely do I feel an absolute need to own something. This product was one of those rare exceptions. Violette_FR’s liquid eye paint and liner in the stunning deep electric blue shade Dieu Bleu was simply impossible to resist after seeing it on Instagram. I honestly don’t think I was as excited about any other makeup product this year. The shade is unlike anything I have seen before—an absolutely extraordinary blue. I love Violette’s liquid eye products. They apply beautifully, are easy to use, wear well, and layer successfully. This is also one of the longest-lasting liquid eyeshadows and eyeliners I have ever tried. Applied precisely, it creates a striking graphic liner, while blending with a brush creates a softer eyeshadow effect.
MAC LONGWEAR PAINT POT IN THE SHADE GROUNDWORK
MAC’s cream eyeshadow in Groundwork is certainly not a new product—it’s a classic found in almost every makeup artist’s kit. I use it frequently in my professional work, either on its own or as a base for powder eyeshadow. This year, however, I rediscovered it for my own makeup and used it consistently throughout the year. One jar lasts an incredibly long time. I apply it all over the mobile lid with a fluffy brush, and it blends effortlessly. The cool brown shade may not look particularly exciting in the pot, but it flatters an impressive range of skin tones. The subtle light-reflecting finish brightens the eyes without appearing shiny or glittery. The result is instead softly velvety and matte. This is the perfect eyeshadow if you want to enhance the eyes and visually lift heavy eyelids. For that effect, apply the shade slightly above the natural crease.