Sarah Kinonen (Associate Beauty Director): Hi guys. Thanks for joining this episode of beauty on repeat: base edition. We're going to be talking about concealers, foundation, blushes, powders — you name it. All of our favorites and products we never want discontinued.
And I think there are a couple of Best of Beauty winners on this list as well, but I'm not going to go first. I'm going to let one of you guys go first, and walk us through some of your must-have, can't-live-without base products.
Bianca Richards (Social Media Manager, Allure & SELF): I could go first if that's okay.
Sarah: Yeah!
Bianca: Because everything's here. Literally, my setup is...
Sarah: Right. I also have… [pulls out makeup bag].
Annie Blay-Tettey (Associate Beauty Editor): Your face looks good. The face is tea.
Bianca: So, it's with my hero products, but then I'm also trying out a new powder that I feel is going to make its way down the line. But it's a new one.
Talking about my three staples, okay. So I raved about this before, but the NARS Soft Matte Concealer is probably the absolute best concealer on the market.
I told Kara and them the story, but basically, in 2016, I was a beauty intern at Cosmo and this was being released. But, you know how beauty editors get products in advance, so you kind of got like the inside scoop? I was so excited because this was the biggest new thing coming out, and they had the shade Ginger & Biscuit. And I took those two and I have not looked back since. I keep repurchasing this one.
Sarah: You buy it?
Bianca: Yes, I do buy it.
Annie: Wow. We love those who support small businesses.
Bianca: Exactly. Small business — that’s tea. But no, I think going into Sephora or Ulta to buy beauty products is kind of a fun experience, too. Sometimes I do it with my mom and sometimes I do it as a—I don’t know—way to pass time and feel good.
So, I do buy these products, but yes, this concealer has worked wonders as a cover up for any breakouts you may have. Just to create an even base. Sometimes I'll just wear this alone without any other base products.
Sarah: How do you apply it?
Bianca: So, I use the Danessa Myricks Yummy Face 3.0 All Over Concealer Brush. She’s a 2024 Best of Beauty winner.
Sarah: Shoutout.
Bianca: The concealer brush. I dab a little bit in. I actually have a breakout coming in, so I'll do it on camera.
Sarah: Gasps. Oh, action shot.
Annie: Oh! A demo.
Sarah: Okay, wow. You really do use that. Look at that.
Bianca: I'll use her a lot, but like a little bit goes a long way. So dab a little bit in, and then… you can't really see it on camera. But I have a breakout coming in here — I have a dark spot. You just dab a little there. I’ll let it like set, then I would blend in with the finger, and it works wonders for covering up dark spots.
She's tea. She is tea.
Annie: Add to cart.
Bianca: Add to cart. Okay, I feel like I'm ranting at this point, but…okay. My second one is the Makeup by Mario SoftSculpt® Transforming Skin Perfector Now this was an accidental one, cause I wanted to go for… cause he has another one. I think it's the bronzer.
Annie: Is that the powder one or the….cream? Yeah, that’s the powder and it’s like shimmery?
Sarah: Yeah, show the camera. Let’s see it.
Bianca: It’s sooooo beautiful.
Annie: I love that one, too.
Bianca: It was an accidental purchase, and I was like, you know what? Let me just try and give it a shot. This is another one I go to Sephora and I purchase.
Sarah: Is it two-toned?
Bianca: It's two tones. So it's like a bronzer type. Yeah, it's a bronzer and highlighter all in one. What I love about it is that on days where I really just don't want to wear makeup [but] want to add a little bit of warmth, I'll do like two swipes and put it on my face.
You can see it on my forehead. Obviously, I have blush on, but I'll use it as my base over or under my powder blush. It's truly just a magical little powder compact, cause I also love the fact that it has a highlighter component. Instead of having a separate highlighter, you could just have two-in-one. And, after a long day, I feel like it gives you that nice, natural sheen on your face that looks totally radiant.
I honestly can't live without her. She's one of my desert island beauty products.
Annie: That's crazy. I loved it when I first came out. I used it religiously, and then I just kind of stopped using it out of nowhere. I feel like new things came out that I just… but now I need to find it and rekindle my love, because I agree. I liked how easy it was.
I had a bit of a learning curve using it, because I don't use bronzer so I was just like, how do I, what do I, where do I put this? I think I ended up going on [Mario’s] Youtube, and watching the tutorial on how to actually use his product.
It came in like a two… there's like the powder one, which [Bianca] has and then there's the cream bronzer thing he has. So I think using them together, and like he had this… there was like a TikTok Trend at one point. It was like…
Bianca: Really? I missed that.
Annie: Was it, like, glonzing or something? I don’t know. They gave it a name. Or, sun…sun something. Oh my gosh, guys. My laptop's about to die.
Bianca: Girl, get that charger.
Annie: Monica, cut this out.
Bianca: She’s going to cut it out.
[Note from Monica: In Annie’s defense, she is a new mom.]
Sarah: Go get your charger, and I will — well, first of all, Bianca, how do you use? Well, how do you apply it? With a fluffy brush?
Bianca: So, I'll do a fluffy bar brush, and this is another… Is this a Best of Beauty winner? [Bianca holds a brush up to the camera]. Yes.
Bianca: This is the Ulta Dual—
Sarah: Yup.
Bianca: Brush. This is the Dual-ended Finishing Powder Brush. So, I use this one. For the smaller end, I use an additional bronzer just to put on my eyelids. But for applying [the Makeup by Mario] product, I'll use the fluffy end of this brush and do one dab literally. Then I’ll go in the area where I’ll usually bronze and contour. It adds that nice little shimmer here, too.
That's my favorite part — more so than the actual bronzer part — it's the highlighter. Cause I was a highlighter girlie. I was the Anastasia Sun Dipped Glow Kit.
Sarah: You were a 2016 highlighter.
Bianca: I was a 2016 glazed donut baddie. After graduating from the Anastasia Glow Kit, I didn't wear highlighter for a while. And because of this product, I've been wearing highlighter more often.
Sarah: Wow.
Annie: I'm back.
Sarah: Okay, and what is your third product?
Bianca: My third product is the Tower 28 BeachPlease Cream Lip Cheek Tint. Versatile goodness in this jar.
Sarah: I feel like you can really show how much you actually love these products, because they're down to the pan every time.
Annie: You can see the sliver in the pan.
Bianca: There's so… I'm also that type of person, too, if I find a beauty product that I like, I'm just going to stick with it. I'll try other things, but I won't add it to my stash unless I'm really committed to the cause.
And this one, I honestly think I purchased this right before quarantine, because I was going to Puerto Rico and I wanted kind of like that nice… I don’t wear any makeup out there, so I'll wear a nice pop of color just to go with my sun-kissed tan.
And so, this was the one I wanted and it's called Golden Hour. I was like, this would be the perfect pickup, and it just so happened to be…love at first swipe.
Sarah: Aww. And do you use it on lips and cheek or just cheek?
Bianca: Just cheek. I haven’t really explored with lips, because I like to keep my lips super neutral, as you can tell.
Sarah: That’s not a lip color for you.
Bianca: Yeah. So, I just use it for my cheeks, and the color payoff is super intense. So, I actually underpaint with her. The first step in my makeup routine is to apply this, and I’ll go in with the Makeup by Mario F4 Dual-Ended Brush, too. I’ll go in with the fluffier side. Two dabs of this on both cheeks and you get that nice golden hour glow.
The color payoff is intense, too, which I think is consistent all around, because even with the powder blush, that color payoff pigment is incredible, too. I’m much more of a cream blush girly, and so this one, she’s really my girl.
Sarah: Should I go next, since I also have a cream blush?
Bianca: Yeah!
Annie: Okay.
Sarah: So this is actually a Best of Beauty winner. This is the MAC Beam Liquid Blush. Did you guys know that this was their first liquid blush ever?
Annie: No, I did not know that.
Sarah: Yeah.
Bianca: Really? It took them that long??
Sarah: This is the first.
Bianca: Oh, wow. Okay.
Sarah: The first and the best. But I guess it's not really cream. It's more liquid, but I love that it has the doe foot applicator. Comes in a lot of really cute shades. They're almost highlighter shades as well.
Bianca: I was going to say — it has that nice iridescence to it.
Sarah: Yeah. Yeah. I'm so lazy when it comes to my makeup. I'm also like you, Bianca, where if I find something, I'm going to use it down to the bottom. Because I'm lazy, I also just tap-tap and then blend with my fingers and bye. That's it.
My favorite shade is Ice Gleam, which was that pink.
Bianca: And that's what you're wearing right now on your face?
Sarah: Mm-hmm.
Bianca: Yeah, it adds like that nice… I love when products, especially base products, add that nice radiance and sheen, because it adds to that natural dewy essence we all love. It looks really beautiful on you.
Sarah: Oh, thanks. All right, and then another one, which is disgusting. Apologies, but this is my ride or die foundation.
Annie: Ohhhhhhh.
Sarah: Yeah, this is the Tarte Double Duty Beauty Foundation. Oh, no. Sorry. It's Face Tape.
Annie: The Millennial really just jumped out.
Sarah: I'm sorry. The thing is…
Annie: It’s very Millennial.
Sarah: I know, I know. I didn't actually wear foundation up until…[thinks back] COVID. Like I’ve never worn foundation, and this was one of the first ones I tried. I just stuck with it.
Bianca: Oh my goodness. Everyone loves Face Tape, even Kassidy (Social Director, Allure & SELF). She sticks by the concealer.
Sarah: I know. I hate to be that girl, but it's just really good.
Bianca: So, how would you apply it? Do you use a brush, a sponge? Cause when I do skin tints—I only do skin tints—I use a sponge, like a wet sponge.
Sarah: So, I actually just put it on my finger, and then blend it in. And even if it's splotchy, that's okay, because then I'll go in with my concealer with a sponge. And then you can tell I really do use a sponge. And then I'll blend it in. But it's really messy at first.
Bianca: So is it like a light to medium?
Sarah: Yeah. I think it's a light to medium. I really like to have my natural skin come through, but then I love to layer it with the blush as well.
Bianca: Fun! Love that. I have to check it out.
Sarah: I guess my last one was concealer. These are two of my favorites. I love the other version of the Nars concealer, the Radiant Creamy Concealer. I also love, again, Tarte, the Creaseless Creamy Concealer.
Bianca: Lovvvve. Wait! I haven’t tried that one. Because I know the Nars one…even the readers love it, right? It’s like a Reader’s Choice Award.
Sarah: Oh yeah, this is a Reader's Choice Award winner from 2025. Yeah. But [Tarte] I love, because it's so easy with the doe foot. Again, it's disgusting, but I like to apply my concealer like all the way up here. [Motions to the corners of her eyes.]
Bianca: Ohhhh. You think that helps brighten that area?
Sarah: Well, we have those natural shadows right there. Obviously, I didn't do a good job this time, but I will get up in there more so than in my undereye.
Bianca: Wow, okay.
Annie: I might try that.
Bianca: I do kind of see it on camera, though. Especially on…my left, your right.
Sarah: This.
Bianca: Yeah. I see it in that area. It’s definitely brightened.
Sarah: I learned that from a makeup artist, and I haven't stopped using it.
Annie: Perks of the job.
Sarah: I know, but yeah, these were my faves.
Annie: Yay.
Bianca: Lovvvvve.
Sarah: Okay, Annie.
Annie: Last, but not least, I'm not wearing makeup today.
Sarah: But you don't need to. None of us need to.
Annie: None of us need to, but…yeah, new mom life is hard.
Sarah: You have that glowy mommy skin.
Annie: But when I do wear makeup, when I need a pick-me-up… I didn't know if we had to only do one product in each category. It's hard for me, so…
Sarah: No, just tell us your three faves.
Annie: Let me tell you. Maybe it's more like…nine, but it's okay. [Sarah and Bianca laugh in shock.]
So, foundation. I really love the Make Up For Ever HD Skin Waterproof Foundation. It’s a pretty close match, and it's really hard for me to find a good foundation match. Because I have different tones. The center of my face is a bit brighter than the perimeters, but this one really does even me out and it's very hydrating. I love her.
The second—this is a skin tint. Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Tint. I just throw this on when it's no-makeup makeup. It's not foundation. It is a tint, so it's super light and I just love it. It looks like I'm not wearing...
Bianca: It's so beautiful. My best friend's been on me. She's like, Do you have extra of the Danessa Myricks in the closet? And I was like, Babe, I don't know. I have to check.
Annie: Get it for her!!
Sarah: Well, she was a 2024 winner.
Annie: She was. I was going to say that. Not this year, but last year. And an honorary mention, Makeup by Mario, the Surreal Skin Foundation — also won a Best of Beauty Award. Not this year, but last year?
Sarah: Yeah, I think it was 2024.
Annie: Yeah, it's a good one. So that's it for foundation for me. Powders. I'm so sorry, guys. I also have three. I just can't.
Bianca: We didn't talk about powders.
Sarah: Oh, we didn't.
Annie: I can't do a base without powder!
Sarah and Bianca: That's true.
Sarah: I can't either.
Annie: So again, another Make Up For Ever HD Skin Powder. I'm one of those people that when I find a product I like from a brand, I like to buy. I like to have a whole routine in that brand. I have the foundation. I have the powder. I haven't tried the concealer, but I feel like there’s something to be said for having a whole routine that's just one brand. I feel like, I don’t know, they’re…
Bianca: They’re formulated to work together, right?
Annie: Yeah. I feel like they’re formulated to work together, so it kind of makes sense. So, yes, Make Up For Ever. This one is a newer one for me, but the Huda Beauty Easy Bake Loose Baking and Setting Powder. I'm not a baker, so I was kind of scared to use this.
Sarah: I’m also not a baker.
Annie: I don't know how to bake, but I use this as my last step, because it’s really blurring. So I just kind of use it to kind of blur everything together. Then, Laura Mercier — we know her, we love her — she’s a winner. I have the jumbo (Laura Mercier Translucent Setting Powder).
Bianca: I was about to say, that is a cute little compact.
Sarah: Yeah, that’s huge!
Bianca: Wait, it has the little thing on top. That’s so cute.
Annie: It's the jumbo, because fun story:
Laura Mercier, like this setting powder was one of the first beauty products I bought with my own money, but I was broke, so I had to buy the mini. And I ran that mini out. Like I ran it down to the ground. So this is just honestly a testimony for me that now I own a jumbo size.
Sarah: Look how far you've come.
Annie: From rags to riches. [laughter] Okay, and then my third category, concealer. Oh my gosh. I also have three, you guys.
Fenty Skin, this concealer. What is it called? The Hydrating Longwear Concealer. I love it. I didn't love the original Fenty Concealer, but this one…was redemption.
Bianca: Cause that one came out with the skin tint, too, I remember.
Annie: Yes! And I think it was redemption for all of the…like girls who didn't want something super heavy.
Sarah: Or matte.
Annie: Or matte.
Sarah: I feel like it's really dewy.
Annie: Yeah, so, I really love this. Again, Danessa Myricks Yummy Skin Lift and Flex Concealer. I just love using combo. If I'm using the foundation from a brand, I want to use its concealer, you know? Keep it in the family. I really, really love this one.
I use both of these as my first kind of concealer. Sometimes I'll underpaint with it. I usually do one or two drops or a swipe.
Sarah: Can I stop you guys? Both of you have mentioned underpainting, and for the uninitiated watching this, who wants to explain what underpainting is?
Annie: So, I don't know who came up with it. It’s definitely an OG makeup artist…
Sarah: For sure.
Annie: …like technique. I remember when it was going viral on TikTok I think they said Mary Phillips was the one spearheading it. But it's basically when you highlight or contour, add color to your face before you put your foundation on. So, with these two products, I will do a layer of concealer.
I use underpainting for occasion makeup, when I really want to look super glam. I'll do concealer. I'll do like a heavier contour. I'll do a lot of blush. And the idea is, when you put foundation, it kind of lightly veils all of that. So you're still seeing all of it, but it just looks more natural, more set in.
Yeah, I mean, that's my explanation. Would you say differently, Bianca?
Bianca: No. I mean, I would say the same. I also was introduced to that concept, because I went to esthetician school and we took a makeup course. When we were introduced into like the makeup category, we explored obviously different undertones and how the color wheel plays a role [in] the formation of the entire beauty range across any of the base products, any of the powder products.
And, for me, I was kind of introduced to the concept of underpainting through artistry. When you're an artist, you use specific materials to evoke a specific dimension and things like that. So, for me, I took underpainting as more of using it as a canvas for achieving a desirable look.
I like to underpaint with blush more so than a bronzer, because I like more of a pop of color that's seamless and natural as opposed to just having a sunkissed bronze glow.
But yeah, everything that you said is how I know underpainting to be, and it's super easy and seamless. If I do my own Allure 10-Minute Beauty Routine, the underpainting technique is going to chop that up into seven minutes. I think it's an easy way to just throw everything on and then once you get your foundation or your skin tint, whatever, it helps to melt everything in seamlessly.
Annie: Yeah. Pro tip. My last concealer, which I do not underpaint with, it is the Hourglass, um, what is it?
Bianca: That one went viral. It is the Veil Light?
Annie: Yeah. That one. Yes, the Vanish Airbrush Concealer. It went viral. When I first tried this, I was really nervous because it is quite thick. So I was like, oof. But when I tell you guys I use a dot… sometimes I'll dot it and I'm like, Oh my god, too much, too much.
Sarah: Where do you use it?
Annie: I use it right underneath my eyes. I’ll take my glasses off, but I have really dark, deep-set eyes. I don't sleep either now, so...
Sarah: That’s mom life.
Annie: I do a dot really just like in that inner corner, because it’s so pigmented that once I start going in with the brush, I can basically spread it out. So, I will say, if you try this, caution.
Bianca: A little goes a long way.
Annie: A little bit goes a very long way — and it's buildable. You can build it up, which is why I love it too. I really feel like it covers my dark circles, and that deep-set line that I have that is hereditary. Thanks, Mom. But I don't always love it.
So yes, those are my three…”nine.”
Sarah: Nine!
Bianca: Your holy grails.
Annie Holy grails, yeah.
Sarah: Okay, fun. I think just a fun thing we can do to quickly close this out is to give everyone a peek of your makeup bag if you have it near.
Annie, I know you probably don't, but maybe just hold—
Annie: I’ll just hold, oh my gosh, I'll hold everything.
Sarah: But you can see how authentic we are and how much we actually test and love all of the products.
Bianca: We’re testing this for This Just In this month too. Wait, is it this one? No, it’s the Fenty Bright Fix Instant Brightening and Blurring Powder. This? I’m wearing it right now. Girrrrrrl, this is teeeeaaaa. Rihanna, you know what you're doing, babe. Love it.
Annie: I'm trying so hard to make this look okay. [holding all 9 products]
Bianca: Annie, you have to screenshot this. [she says to someone holding 9 products]
Sarah: Hold on. Let me…Monica can do it.
Bianca: Monica. [strikes a pose]
[Monica watches the video as nobody stays still long enough for her to screenshot anything.]
Sarah: But yeah, this is our real stash.
Annie: Yeah.
[Annie’s camera freezes.]
Bianca: I know. I remember one time I was traveling with both my skin-care bag and my makeup bag, and it amounted to 10 pounds extra. Matthew (her boyfriend) was like, “We have to talk about this.” No, this is not up for discussion.
[They both realize Annie’s camera is frozen.]
Sarah: Okay, well, I have to streamline my bag because I'm going on vacation and I have to fit everything into a little Ziploc baggie.
Bianca: Oh my God, you're bringing back the Ziploc bag.
Sarah: I'm bringing it back, unfortunately.
Bianca: Even beauty editors use Ziploc bags.
Sarah: We do. We do. We are disgusting, like truly disgusting. But on that note, what is not disgusting is our Best of Beauty and how we officially launched all of our winners earlier this week. We have 352 winners and so many great base products.
[Annie triumphantly returns.]
I just wanted to thank you both for your time and for your expert tips and your product recs. This was so fun. I really think we all have the same routine, except in a different font. But I really, really loved talking about base products, concealers, foundations, etc.
And I hope everyone goes and checks out our 2025 Best of Beauty winners because we have a lot of great base products in there, and just a lot of great products overall.
So, thanks guys.
Annie: Yeah, thanks guys.
Bianca: Perfect way to start my Friday morning.
