Clever Cosmetics

This fine mist is your shortcut to make-up that won’t budge. Acting as a primer, corrector and setting spray in one, it extends the longevity of your make-up so it lasts all day. “I like to use this on dry skin to prep and then after applying my make-up to set,” says Cecily. “It’s an effective setting spray that delivers on its promises.” Amanda adds: “This refreshing fine mist really does set your make-up. It’s a great product to throw in your handbag.”

Perfectly groomed brows are just a few swipes away with this hardworking gel that keeps every hair exactly where you want it. The lightweight, residue-free formula gives brows a laminated, feathered finish that lasts all day, without stiffness or flaking. “I apply this as the first step before doing my make-up and it doesn’t flake at all,” says Cecily. “The precision spoolie makes shaping, taming and fluffing effortless, whether you’re going for a sleek arch or a soft, natural look.”

With its slimline, gold packaging and fine precision tip, this sculpting brow-defining essential is the perfect pencil. The dual-ended design features a fine tip for hair-like definition and a spoolie to blend seamlessly. With a waxy, buildable pigment that glides on and stays put, it delivers full, defined, elegant brows – effortlessly. “I adore this rectangular pencil – the shape alone gives exceptional control; it’s much easier to hold in the hand, especially if you have issues with dexterity,” says Cecily. “With a fine-tipped pencil for precision and creating little hair-like strokes, this makes filling in sparse brows a breeze,” adds Amanda.

Lovers of a bold, glossy look will enjoy this hydrating yet never sticky formula that wraps lips in a smooth, weightless veil, locking in moisture and delivering mirror-like shine. It’s lip care meets make-up: nourishing like a balm, available in a range of flattering colours (our pick is Mystic Magic, a bold, rich berry) and comfortable enough to wear all day. “I love how this feels, how it wears and how it looks,” says Cecily. “A very nice product with nourishing ingredients.”

This is more than just a pretty tint – it’s a treatment in disguise, delivering soothing care with SPF15 protection. Shea butter and aloe vera drench lips in lasting moisture, while apricot extract, rich in provitamin A and vitamin E, helps shield them from environmental stressors. “I really love this product. It’s super hydrating, is gorgeous on the lips and provides just a slight amount of colour, which doesn’t cake or grab onto dry patches,” says Dr Yiasemides. “This nourishing lip balm is perfect for those who love a barely there ‘my lips but better’ tint in a handy twist-up tube, so no messy fingers!” adds Amanda.

Every bit as good as the brand’s multi-award-winning OG cult lip balm (since it's enriched with the original formula), but with a beautiful, subtle tint, this is a great balm for anyone who wants nourishment and a gentle pop of colour. “This is a lovely addition to the Dermal Therapy lip balm range, and one of the best balms to use for dry, cracked lips,” says Dr Yiasemides. “It’s got a very nice light tint, has the same feel as the original lip balm and doesn’t leave any weird residue or colour-sticking.”

Delivering a subtle, buildable kiss of colour, this sheer peptide lip tint is the perfect everyday go-to. It’s hydrating, nourishing and subtly plumping, thanks to a blend of peptides, shea butter and cupuaçu. The gel-like texture melts into lips, leaving a glassy, glossy finish. For a juicy, defined look that lasts, layer over your favourite lip liner. “This is a beautiful-feeling lip tint and I love that it comes in so many pretty shades. Something for everyone!” says Cecily.

This is one impressively glossy, not-remotely-sticky, hugely hydrating lip plumper, which leaves lips feeling, soft, smooth and juicy. We love the formula, which is packed full of nourishing ingredients including hemp seed, sweet almond and castor oils. “It feels beautiful on the lips, and the fresh mint flavour is a refreshing bonus,” says Cecily.  

What’s not to love about a lip liner that doesn’t feather into fine lines, stays put for hours, and glides on with the precision of a felt-tip pen? The Peppr Sculpt + Stain Lip Marker is as clever as it is effective, offering a lightweight, long-wear stain with the precision of a liner. It delivers up to nine hours of fade-resistant, natural-looking colour without heaviness, fuss or the need for constant touch-ups.

There’s no denying this looks like a product made for people who still retain every ounce of their collagen, but this little pink jelly stick delivers. It’s easy to apply, hydrating, feels like cooling water and dries down to a stain that means business. With a flush that lasts on both lips and cheeks, it’s a standout for anyone who wants to look fresh with minimal effort, and comes with a very friendly price tag.

This pretty blush is your instant ticket to a radiant glow. Enriched with antioxidant-rich vitamin E to shield against environmental stressors, and nourishing jojoba seed oil to deeply hydrate, it leaves skin smooth, supple and never cakey. The lightweight, buildable formula blends seamlessly whether you’re sculpting cheekbones, adding a sunlit highlight or sweeping across lids. “This is such an excellent multitasking product!” says Amanda. “Love it, as it delivers just the right amount of glow-enhancing flush, with a small dash of shimmer. It blends beautifully on both eyes and cheeks.”

A minimalist’s dream and a make-up bag essential, this dome-shaped balm glides on like silk and melts into skin with a dreamy flush of colour. The lightweight, satin-finish formula is buildable, blendable and completely non-comedogenic – ideal for sensitive, acne-prone or mature skin. Housed in Merit’s signature elegant packaging, it’s a chic beauty staple that effortlessly elevates your complexion.

Ultra silky and infused with skin-loving ingredients, this bronzer blurs imperfections and mattifies, never settling into fine lines. It contains phyto squalane to hydrate, vitamin C and E to brighten, and tea rose extract to protect. “From its divine luxe packaging to the product within, this bronzer feels really special. It’s the perfect matte, without being too flat,” says Amanda. “Grab an angled fluffy brush to shape and warm up your complexion.”

Elegant and effective, this creamy highlighter delivers a luminous, lifted glow without a trace of glitter. The weighty, luxe packaging hints at the skincare-powered formula within, infused with hyaluronic acid for hydration, ceramides for barrier support, and peptides to help maintain youthful firmness. It melts seamlessly into skin, offering radiance and refinement in one swipe. “This feels lovely on and gives an instant shimmering glow to the skin,” says Dr Yiasemides.  

This rich pot of balmy goodness lives up to its name with a formula that delivers radiance and versatility. It’s available in an array of colours, such as lovely Golden Hour, a warm sheer gold with subtle shimmer. Worn alone or layered over make-up, it blurs, brightens and brings life to the skin with a dewy, light-reflecting finish. “Packed with nourishing ingredients, including jojoba seed oil, this balm melts seamlessly into cheeks, lips and lids, hydrating as it highlights,” says Cecily.

Full coverage without feeling heavy, this skincare-packed foundation, containing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and superfood extracts like pomegranate, starfruit, passionfruit and kiwi to nourish and protect, leaves a radiant finish that lasts all day. “Unpopular opinion: you don’t need a full-coverage product all over your face. However, this satin-finish liquid foundation is buildable medium to full coverage, it blends beautifully and is best suited to combo to oily skin,” says Amanda. “I found that applying it with a damp beauty blender works best. I really like that it still leaves skin looking like skin.”

Part serum, part foundation, all glow. This skincare-infused base is packed with 83 per cent skin-loving ingredients to hydrate, protect, soothe and brighten while delivering buildable coverage and a second-skin finish. “This foundation has a beautiful texture that leaves a semi-matte finish, which is, I’ll be honest, a little unexpected,” says Amanda. “This is lovely for those who like a BB-style, light-as-air-feeling cream, skincare and make-up hybrid. A one-and-done gal with combination skin will love this.”

A true multitasker, this serum-like tint offers buildable coverage with a refined, radiant finish without feeling heavy or greasy. Infused with peptides, polyglutamic acid and olive-derived squalane, it hydrates, smooths and protects with broad-spectrum SPF50 and blue light defence. “This foundation feels good to apply with its elegant texture that’s sun-smart, too,” says Cecily. “It’s skincare and sun protection disguised as flattering foundation.”

This award-winning tint has taken out a Prevention Beauty Award before, and now it’s been elevated further with new airless pump packaging. The formula is elite: the ultimate your-skin-but-better protective tint, packed full of goodness including niacinamide, peptides and antioxidants. It’s a rich mineral formula that has nailed skincare-make-up seamlessly for a balanced tone, smooth texture and supported skin barrier. “This product is amazing because it completely blends and looks absolutely flawless – like I’m not wearing make-up,” says Dr Yiasemides. “It looks and feels absolutely beautiful on the skin and I love that it has SPF in it, too.”

Blemish blurring, redness reducing and hydrating without shine, this oil free, non comedogenic foundation really does it all. It combines full coverage with the benefits of skincare, thanks to hyaluronic acid for hydration and vitamins C and E to brighten, protect and support collagen. “This lovely skin like, matte-finish foundation smooths and evens tone without clogging pores,” says Cecily. It’s even good for sensitive or post-treatment skin.

A good powder foundation has the ability to deliver natural coverage, help control shine and feel breathable all day. We love this for its ability to even out skin tone, disguise redness and pigmentation, and leave skin with a radiant, soft-focus finish. The formula is non-comedogenic, non-drying and enriched with antioxidant-rich Kakadu plum, nourishing jojoba esters, and oil-absorbing kaolin clay. “This product has been a standout, affordable, accessible loose mineral powder foundation for many years,” says Amanda. “Brilliant for sensitive, combination-to-oily-skin types (and gals living in humid climates), it feels weightless and is hot-flush tolerant! Wear a light dusting or layer for a more medium-to-full-coverage finish. Great for those who like to wear a little make-up while exercising, too.”

This silicon-based primer has cult status and for good reason. Its lightweight, silky formula smooths the skin’s surface, blurs the look of pores and fine lines, and creates the perfect base for seamless make-up application. It feels good on the skin, and the non-comedogenic formula won’t clog pores. Whether worn alone or under foundation, it enhances make-up longevity, ensuring a refined, soft-focus effect. “While not one for our sensitive-skin gals, this is still one of the best primers for our combo-to-oily-skinned beauties looking for a mattifying and blurring effect,” says Amanda. “It helps to control shine and extend the life of your make-up.”

This refreshing primer contains hydrating hyaluronic acid and neuropeptides to relax fine lines and wrinkles, creating a flawless base for make-up. “You’ll often find me on off-duty days just rocking this glorious luminous lightweight primer solo, as it gives a gorgeous glow to your skin,” says Amanda. “I love the pump pack, so you only use what you need. It layers beautifully under your foundation, giving that lit-from-within finish. You’ll be fielding compliments all day long.”

The perfect prep step, this clever oil-free jelly serum delivers more than hydration. With its built-in rolling applicator, it massages as it moisturises, infusing skin with aloe vera and ceramides to soothe, strengthen and plump. It’s a serum, moisturiser and primer in one, creating a smooth, dewy canvas whether worn under make-up or on bare skin for a fresh, healthy glow. “This is a unique product that has a really cooling, anti-puff, soothing effect on the skin,” says Dr Yiasemides. “I love this innovative product for us over-40s,” adds Amanda. “The cooling roller-ball applicator feels so good. It’s a very smart way to distribute the lightweight cooling formula.”

Soft, smooth and seriously impressive, this primer’s soufflé texture instantly blurs the skin, smoothing pores and fine lines while locking in moisture with powerhouse ingredients including hyaluronic acid, glycerin and niacinamide. “Love the portable compact design of this primer, which delivers the perfect soft-focus filter, and the little built-in spatula for mess-free application,” says Cecily. “This primer smooths and softens texture, pores and fine lines; great for dehydrated and blemish-prone skin,” adds Amanda. “You only need a pea-sized amount, and it feels really cooling.”

This creamy colour corrector uses peach- and apricot-toned pigments with light-reflecting backlight technology to neutralise blue tones and illuminate the under-eye area while nourishing with vitamin E. "This product was a staple in my professional make-up kit when Becca launched it a million years ago,” says Amanda. “The original, first-of-its-kind exceptional colour corrector with light-reflecting illumination that brightens dark under-eyes.”

This clever dual-ended pencil is a true overachiever with a creamy, transfer-proof formula that glides on and then locks in, allowing you to define, blur or contour with ease, on eyes, lips and face. The built-in brush makes it a liner and tool in one, perfect for on-the-go touch-ups. Bonus points for being 100 per cent vegan and available in a gorgeous range of wearable shades. “It’s really smooth with nice pigment and good staying power,” says Dr Yiasemides. “This multi-purpose liner is designed to work anywhere,” adds Amanda. “Its creamy gel texture glides on effortlessly – perfect for delicate eyes. Plus, it’s kiss-proof.”

This is a great tubing mascara (which wraps each lash in lightweight ‘tubes’) to maximise length, lift and curl without clumping. The smudge-resistant formula wears beautifully all day yet removes easily with just warm water. Enriched with conditioning ingredients like carnauba wax, rice curl complex for lift and hold, and antioxidant-rich jojoba oil and jackfruit extract, it combines performance with care. “The biggest surprise for me was the lift this gave my lashes!” says Amanda. “Lengthening and defining, it’s a natural-looking mascara that won’t budge. Great for sensitive eyes, too.”

An intense, pitch-black lash that’s all volume with zero weight, this mascara delivers bold lashes without smudging. Its gravity-defying formula uses lightweight aero-particles and is infused with ProVitamin B5 to help strengthen lashes while building dramatic impact. “I love the skinny wand, as it lets you get right into the root of your lashes for instant lashline definition,” says Amanda. “This buildable, volumising and lengthening formula doesn’t clump, but it’s definitely for those who want big, bold lashes rather than a ‘barely there’ look.”

This clever mascara combines the power of a tubing formula with the benefits of a lash serum, all in one sleek swipe. Infused with growth-boosting ingredients like swertia japonica extract, saw palmetto fruit extract and soothing acorus calamus root, it builds volume, stays smudge-proof all day and conditions your lashes while you wear it. The curved wand captures every lash, and the hypoallergenic formula makes it a standout for sensitive eyes, too. “Absolutely love this mascara, the wand and application,” says Dr Yiasemides.

Created by leading Australian ophthalmologist Dr Jacqueline Beltz, this gentle mascara proves you don’t have to compromise eye comfort for impact. Formulated with over 90 per cent natural ingredients (including manuka honey) and designed for sensitive eyes, it delivers definition, volume and care in beautifully accessible square packaging. “This is a lovely formula that delivers bold lash definition,” says Cecily. “I love that it’s available in black and brown as well, and removes easily without irritating the eyes.”

Packed with lash-loving actives, this serum is a serious contender for anyone committed to longer, thicker, healthier lashes. Pentapeptides encourage new growth, vitamin B7 nourishes follicles, peptides strengthen and hyaluronic acid locks in hydration. "If you’re serious about improving the thickness, length and health of your lashes, you need this in your life. It works," says Amanda.

We love a fool-proof eyeshadow, and this clever roll-on means easy application, no mess and no fuss. The mineral pigment is buildable and long-lasting, ensuring it stays put, without disappearing into fine lines. It’s a versatile product, too: apply dry and blend or mix with water and transform the powder to a liquid liner. “This eyeshadow has a beautiful rich pigment that is both blended and buildable, and the roller ball makes it incredibly easy to apply,” says Cecily. “Simple and clever.”

This beautiful, soft micellar cleanser is infused with pure alpine water and soothing Swiss mallow flower to calm and comfort the skin. The micelles act like magnets, attracting make-up, grime and impurities and sweeping them away; no rinsing needed and it’s safe for sensitive skin and eyes. Just apply to a cotton pad, swipe and go. It’s simple, gentle and a joy to use. “This is great for those with sensitive skin,” says Dr Yiasemides. “It’s fragrance free, hypoallergenic, doesn’t strip the skin, sting or burn the eyes and leaves a nice feeling on the skin after use.”

This rich make-up-removing balm is infused with skin-conditioning oils, including hemp seed, jojoba seed and evening primrose oil, along with pear fruit extract, to melt away even the most stubborn make-up without stripping the skin. “It has a creamy formula, a lovely fragrance and removes all traces of make-up without irritation or dryness,” says Dr Yiasemides. Vegan and paraben free, it leaves skin soft, refreshed and beautifully clean.

Ideal for travel or quick-swipe convenience, these time-saving soft, gentle wipes make light work of make-up and even waterproof mascara, to leave skin feeling soft and clean.
“These are fabulous at getting make-up off,” says Dr Yiasemides. “I’m generally not a fan of wipes because they’re bad for the environment, but these are biodegradable, which is a plus, contain nice ingredients and effectively remove make-up without irritation or leaving any residue.”