27 Helpful Products For People Who Think They Suck At Makeup (2025)

Psst — this is also perfect for taking on long trips!

Promising review: "Perfect for travel or quick touch-ups. I was looking for something nonliquid to take when I travel, and this is PERFECT! It's very small and slim and works great. Easily removes makeup and works well on my sensitive skin." — sandy

Promising review: "Great, easy to use product. Goes on quickly, looks natural but fills everything out. Good for a natural makeup day or something more dramatic depending on how much you layer." — May-Rose R.

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One side is the curved wing stamp, and the other is a regular fine tip liner for defining the rest of the eye. It comes in a pack of two, one for each eye.

The Flick Stick comes from New Zealand-based brand and small biz Lovoir Beauty.

Promising review: "Got this before a trip I took a few days ago. I have never been able to do wing eyeliner properly so I was excited to try this. It's very pigmented and goes on beautifully! I've tried other liquid eyeliners before and they were so watery and not close to a dark black I wanted at all but this product was great. I did my makeup and put this eyeliner on at 9 am, traveled two hours, walked around a city for about three hours and it was warm so I was sweating, and then went to an NBA game. After all that time (about 16 hours!), the eyeliner was just as perfect as I had put it on! I love this product and can't wait to use it more often!" — Elizabeth

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It comes with a precision cover to help you shape your brows to the exact shape you want. Or leave them just how they are. Remember, removing facial hair (or any hair) is optional, not necessary!

Promising review: "Plucking the more egregious of my thick black hairs is at least a 2–3x/week effort. I opened these rather hesitantly — I mean, they are sharp blades going on your face — took a sip of Prosecco for courage, washed my face and started shaving. I could not believe how easy and quick it was. After a couple of swipes down my cheek, I noticed that it was done. I thought it was going to take a lot more skill and time. First complete face shave (full cheeks, upper lip, lower lip, jawline) over and done with in less than three minutes with outstanding results. So much easier than tweezers and depilatories!! Wow." — Tara D.

www.amazon.com

Check out TikTok of the makeup brush in action.

Promising review: "I saw this on TikTok. I’m a middle-aged woman, so it’s difficult for me to admit that. I. LOVE. IT! It gives a flawless finish with little product. I have a compact foundation that comes with its own applicator sponge. I almost threw it out because I didn’t like the coverage. I tried this brush with it, and it’s perfect! It also comes in a plastic case, which is great because I travel a lot with my work and my other brushes get damaged sometimes." — Thayel M. Caison

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "I have hollow dark under-eye circles, and concealer never works for me bc it just makes my under eyes dry and doesn’t conceal the darkness. THIS STUFF IS MAGIC. It has a very hydrating formula, and a tiny bit goes a very, very long way. I’m so impressed and incredibly happy with this purchase!" — Val

Kayla Suazo / BuzzFeed

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Kayla Suazo / BuzzFeed

Here's what BuzzFeed Shopping editor Emma Lord says about it: "TBH, at the start of the pandemic I started using this myself (although this is former BuzzFeeder Kayla Suazo's lovely human face above), and I am mad that I wasted time with other concealers for so long. I am a deeply impatient person who likes to look good and does not like to put in effort in any way, shape, or form, and Maybelline created this so that people like me could gracelessly slap it on in the morning and be like "OKAY, REFLECTION, YOU GOT THIS" before being on their merry way. It never cakes, I look way more awake than I have any right to, and I never struggle to blend it the way I do with other concealers. 11/10 subscribe."

Promising review: "Throughout high school, I never knew how to do makeup. But then I heard this product was the absolute best on TikTok. And trust me, they were not lying. It has really good coverage and hides my 'raccoon eyes.' And the best part is that a little bit goes a long way. So if you’re starting out or want to try something new, I definitely recommend you try this out." — Liela Lee

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Promising review: "Personally, I never liked a liquid form of makeup. It was hard to use in my opinion. But this completely changed my mind, and I love using it. Super easy to apply for first time makeup users." — Rene

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Promising review: "I was amazed when my daughter got this product and her eyelashes looked so long without makeup. I had to try it for myself and sure enough it worked for me as well! Now we both have long full eyelashes without any mascara. This product is truly amazing!!" — jenny schillinger

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It's formulated with hyaluronic acid and squalane for a boost of hydration!

Promising reviews: "This stuff is so legit I’ve gone through three bottles. Adds the perfect glow to your skin! Sometimes, I use it under foundation, and sometimes, I use it solo with a bit of concealer. I will never not repurchase it for the price and how beautifully it sits on the skin. This stuff is viral for a reason!!" — mapagill

"If you like Charlotte Tilbury's flawless filter, this is leaps and bounds better! Just buy it. The coverage is better; [it] makes my skin have the most amazing natural glow! The colors run with a more warm/yellow undertone, which worked great for me! Spend a fraction of the price and just get it; you will be happy you did!" — Amazonreview

Life Hack: A dry spoolie is also great for removing mascara that's transferred to your lid during application. I do this all the time!

Promising review: "I don't really know how to shape and draw my eyebrows until I use this brow brush! The width of the bristle just fits my eye brow's original shape. It's also easy to apply with brow powder for a natural effect. Love it!" — YoyoZ

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The kit comes with 30 different eyebrow stencils, a shaping razor, and a double-sided waterproof eyebrow pencil.

Promising review: "Really great! Surprisingly! I bought these expecting the worst and they were awesome! There are tons of different eyebrow stencil options. I found one closest to my eyebrow shape. I struggle with drawing my eyebrows to match. Their shapes are naturally quite different. This set did a great job. I used my own brow pencil, however, because the light brown color is very crayon brown. I like a more taupe color for my brows." — Chls

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Amazon

Here's what BuzzFeed Shopping editor Jenae Sitzes has to say about it: "I picked up this color removal sponge from Amazon after hearing about this hack on TikTok and can testify that it actually works SO well. I'm so bad about cleaning my brushes (I know...shameful) and this makes it super easy to clean a brush in a matter of seconds. So even if I'm trying to do a slightly more elaborate eyeshadow look for the day, this makes the process of switching colors as quick and painless as possible. Also, it's super lightweight, and I've already tossed it in my bag and brought it on vacation with me. This is one of those products I won't be traveling without in the future if I plan on doing eyeshadow at any point — and it means you only need to pack one or two eyeshadow brushes!"

Promising review: "This product makes it even easier for me to be lazy when it comes to cleaning my brushes. It also allows me to use the same brush for a makeup look since I can swish away a previous shadow and move on to the next. Great buy. Super easy to wash. I'm not going anywhere anytime soon, but when I do finally travel again, I'm sure this will be excellent to travel with and make it so that I only need to bring one or two brushes." — Azaleah Bumpus-Barnett

Promising review: "This is my fifth color. This is the best thing to happen to makeup. I can do a smokey eye or a natural one in under a minute. I suck at makeup. This makes it so easy. I am also 51. The Coco color has some shimmer. It does not crease or define my wrinkles. Putty and Clay are amazing." — kristyn

Emma Lord / BuzzFeed

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Emma Lord / BuzzFeed

Youthforia is an Asian woman-owned small business established in 2020 that specializes in environmentally friendly, cruelty-free makeup made with at least 90% renewable ingredients.

Fun fact: All of Youthforia's makeup is designed with ingredients that won't muck up your skin if you sleep with it on!

Promising review: "This blush product is awesome. For me it only takes two very small dabs on both cheeks for desired result. I also dab on my lips for a great under-color base! I hope they never stop making this product!" — Elise F.

Promising review: "I've been a certified makeup artist for 12 years. Used for my cousin's wedding makeup, and they worked really well as far as catching fallout and shaping goes, but taking them off, they really stick so just be gentle. Still great." — Andrea

Promising review: "This moon slice is perfect and everything I’ve ever wished for. I wanted an eyeshadow shield that a) wasn’t sticky, and b) was reusable. This particular gadget gets bonus points for being made of silicone, which is stiff yet flexible and fits comfortably — and pleasantly — under the eye. I also feel the grippy nature of the silicone helps catch eyeshadow fallout better than, say, a business card. All in all, this is an amazing little tool." — Kat

Promising review: "I like that you don't have to sharpen this liner! It stays on good and helps my lipstick last longer." — SoonerGal

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Promising review: "I was a loyal IT Cosmetics brush customer, then I went with a few Real Techniques brushes. These actually beat both of those brands — I have no idea how! I ended up tossing most of my brushes now in favor of these. They wash easily, look nice, are soft, and very durable. I’ll keep buying!" — Amazon Customer

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Emma Lord / BuzzFeed

BuzzFeed editor Emma Lord is committed to this lipstick. She writes: "Personally, I absolutely swear by this lipstick to the point that I haven't used anything else in years (my favorite is the muted pink 'Seductress'). I'm pretty bad at applying anything matte, but this formula and the applicator make it close to foolproof. It lasts a long time and my lips never feel chapped or dry. I also like that when it does fade, it does it in a gradual way that doesn't look obvious or patchy and require an immediate touch-up."

Check out our Maybelline SuperStay Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick review for more.

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Promising review: "I love these sticks. The colors are really nice and can be put on lighter or heavier for desired coloring. They aren't too dark, which I really appreciate and they're buttery soft and don't leave my lips dried, streaked, or blotchy looking." — Alyssa V

Promising review: "Love brushing out my lashes with this after applying mascara. Gets rid of lumpy clumpy lashes and fluffs them to a natural voluminous finish. If you use drugstore mascara that is giving mediocre results, try out this lil device. A huge difference for a small price." — Sierra Jill

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Promising review: "My skin is oily and at the end of the day my eye makeup looks bad. I started using your primer and what a difference. Now my eye makeup still looks good when I get home from work. Can’t believe the difference. I love it!" — Deb Rubin

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Elizabeth Mott is a Korean American, woman-owned biz!

Promising reviews: "I wore this primer under my foundation (Nars and Maybelline Fit Me) along with setting spray (Nyx) in this photo [above right]. I had been dunked in the pool two times and went down a giant slide that caused you to go underwater three times. This was the result of my makeup! Love this product. A little goes a long way!" — Ryan Brooks

"I have extremely sensitive, acne-prone skin. I realized the makeup I was previously using was breaking me out so I threw it away and purchased this primer with a powder foundation from another brand. THIS PRIMER THOUGH!! I hated the powder foundation I purchased and got rid of that, too, but this stays. I use this as my foundation now! It comes out green but blends into your face quickly. It covers my redness and uneven skin tone, but my freckles can still be seen. It makes my face look almost flawless, hydrated, and clear. This blew me away. I've already been suggesting it to friends, and I will continue to buy this over and over again." — LGee

Guide Beauty

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Guide Beauty is a woman-owned small biz founded by makeup artist Terri Bryant after her own Parkinson's diagnosis made some once-routine makeup techniques more difficult. So she set out to listen to the most common makeup struggles and develop tools to make application easier for everyone!

Promising review: "I have extremely hooded Asian eyelids and shaky hands so eyeliner has kind of always been insurmountable to me and I had pretty much given up on it before trying this. I bought it with hopes it would work but it's now an actual game-changer in my makeup routine. Upon first attempt, I was able to do winged eyeliner for each eye in under five min., and the eyeliner has not budged since application. I haven't worn it out yet, but it feels like a pretty strong hold. Overall, I'm in love with this product." — Hailey

www.amazon.com

Promising review: "The suction is awesome; I have moved this mirror every which way and it hasn’t come off once. I’m really pleased with how well it has held up on my vanity mirror. Bending over the counter top to apply my makeup in the morning was driving me wild. It took me a day or two to get used to the magnification but that has actually be super helpful with applying mascara. I’m very pleased." — Jade

Olive And Lace Studio / Etsy

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Olive And Lace Studio / Etsy

Olive and Lace Studio is a woman-owned Etsy shop run by Amanda, a wife, mom, and veteran makeup artist creating digital resources to aid your own hair and makeup journey, whether you're a hobbyist or professional.

Promising review: "I got this for my mom to provide an easy to understand foundation to makeup — she loved it! I love the design and graphics too, very elegant and streamlined." — Tara McMahon