Best Eyeliner
There's nothing worse than an eyeliner that feels like you're dragging a No. 2 pencil across your lid. That's why we welcome Marc Jacobs gel crayon with open arms. The gel formula feels like butter as you apply. Plus, if you aren't a cat-eye pro, the pencil isn't messy and can be applied and removed without worry. It's a beginner's dream, as well as the pro's must-have.
SHOP: Marc Jacobs Highliner Matte Gel Eye Crayon, $25
Selena Gomez
For Selena's 2017 Billboard Awards makeup, celeb makeup artist Hung Vanngo used the eyeliner to define the star's eyes. Her makeup is relatively light for the red carpet, playing up her natural features. The thin line added to the top lashline and layers of mascara add the perfect amount of drama for the natural look.
Best Brow Powder
This is for the person who has grown beyond the brow pencil. Yes, you're that pro. Using an angled brush, a little of this pomade goes a long way when it comes to defining your brows. The waxy consistency helps coat dull strands while the powder intensifies the color. Using this product takes a skilled hand, but when you have it, the payoff can be impressive.
Laura Mercier Sketch & Intensify Pomade and Brow Powder Duo, $28
Margot Robbie
While this product is perfect for more natural-looking brows, it works for statement ones as well. Think: Hailee Steinfeld at the VMAs (courtesy of makeup artist Vincent Oquendo) or Priyanka Chopra at the Met Gala (courtesy of Pati Dubroff) or Margot at the Goodbye Christopher Robin premiere.
Best Brow Gel
What's the different between a brow pomade, powder and gel? Think of the latter as hairspray, the last step to hold everything in place. While this product adds natural-looking volume and texture, we love that it dries so fast! Call us lazy, but this product is for the girl who wants to spend 10 seconds on her brows.
Tracee Ellis Ross
Of course, you can use it for more dramatic results. See: the Blackish star at the American Music Awards.
Best Mascara
When asked their favorite mascara, a vast majority of Hollywood will answer the same: Diorshow. Well, this year, the prestige brand reinvented its best-selling formula into a genius product that will solve most of our problems: getting the most out of the product. This mascara tube actually flexes so you can literally squeeze more formula on the wand to create fuller, more voluminous lashes. Like we said…genius.
SHOP: Dior Diorshow Pump 'N Volume Instant Volume Squeezable Mascara, $29.50
Michelle Williams
Remember when we said Diorshow is a celebrity staple? Everyone from Emmy Rossum, Anna Chlumsky and Margot Robbie to Elisabeth Moss, Jessica Biel and Michelle Williams wore the mascara to high-profile events this year. Do you need anymore celeb approval? Please contact us separately for a list.
Best Budget Buy
When you have a budding love affair with faux lashes, you probably have a certain affinity for mink. They're soft and natural-looking, in comparison to many of their synthetic peers. But, let's be honest: mink lashes are expensive. Good news: Ardell, a celeb-loved brand, has faux mink strips that made it from the drugstore to the Met Gala red carpet.
SHOP: Ardell Faux Mink Lash, $5.99
Kerry Washington
Makeup artist Carola Gonzalez used the $6 product on Kerry Washington for the 2017 Met Gala. Atop silver-toned eyeshadow, the wispy lashes add to the drama of the look without looking unrealistic. They also look far from cheap, which is why they're our Best Budget Buy.
Best Nail Polish
Typically glitter nails are reserved for "girly girls" or the holidays, yet Laverne Cox's collaboration with ORLY Beauty, "Celebrate Yourself," changes the way we think about metallic nails. Voting "Million Dollar Views" as our favorite hue, the rose gold lacquer isn't too overdone for everyday, while remaining glamourous. For best results, apply after a clear base coat and before a top coat, which will keep the glitter from sticking to your nail beds and the polish from chipping.
SHOP: Orly Celebrate Yourself Collection by Laverne Cox, $41
Laverne Cox
The actress debuted her ORLY Beauty collaboration on the 2017 Emmys red carpet, with a two-toned look, featuring the Androgyny and Shine shades, created by manicurist Denise Kelly. "This collection is about red carpet glamour and giving everyone the opportunity to feel that glamour in their day-to-day lives," the star stated in a press release.