stackable makeup

Photo: Gregor Halenda

Cleverest Packaging

Hard to believe, but Ready to Wear Button Stack holds six eyeshadows, three lipcolors, a blush, a powder, a mirror and three applicator tools, all neatly organized in six small compacts.

$40; 800-642-2795
eye color trio and eyeshadow quad

Photo: Gregor Halenda

Most Outrageous Pigments

Nervous about trying the vivid colors in Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio in Punky Blues (top) and Rimmel London Glam'Eyes Quad Eyeshadow in Thrill Seeker? Follow this rule and wear them with aplomb: With the dark shades, line your upper and lower lashes; apply the middle tone all over lids; and finish with a light wash of the bright shade just below your browbone. Brilliant!

Shiseido Luminizing Satin Eye Color Trio ($33; Macys.com)

Rimmel London Glam'Eyes Quad Eyeshadow ($6; drugstores)
Pixi succulent lip twin

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Best Double Feature

You can get two very different looks with a Pixi Succulent Lip Twin. The balm gives you a sheer coat of color that's shiny but not tacky; the lipstick gives you a matte, velvety finish.

$18; PixiBeauty.com
Philosophy Hope in a Tinted Moisturizer

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Most Exciting Spin-offs

Philosophy Hope in a Tinted Moisturizer combines sheer coverage with the antiaging benefits and lightweight formula of the original Hope in a Jar moisturizer.

With the same staying power as Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eyeliner Pencils, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencils come in 12 blendable but waterproof shades that won't crease or flake.

Philosophy Hope in a Tinted Moisturizer ($38; Philosophy.com) 

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Shadow Pencils ($20; UrbanDecay.com)
lip kit

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Sveltest Palette

JK Jemma Kidd City Chic Lip Kit fits into your smallest party clutch—yet contains five lip glosses and lipsticks (all in classic nudes and pinks), a mirror, and a lip brush.

$22; Target.com
24 lipcolor

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Most Long-Lasting Lipcolor

One end of Maybelline New York SuperStay 24 Lipcolor contains a highly pigmented gloss; the other has a clear moisturizing top coat to lock in the color. Apply one of the 30 shades in the morning and your lips will still look polished enough for cocktails at 6.

$8; drugstores
cheek tint

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Most Fun "Now You see It" Blush

Give cheeks a rosy flush with The Body Shop Tailored Cheek Tint. The gel formula looks clear straight from the tube but turns into a soft shade of pink on your skin.

$16; TheBodyShop-USA.com
Clinique mascara

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Best Big Idea in a Small Package

The teeny brush of Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara is specially designed to coat bottom lashes with a long-wearing, sweatproof formula that won't smudge, smear, or flake—but comes right off with warm water.

$10; Clinique.com

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