by Jackie Longo
Whenever a celebrity enters the cosmetics industry with a new brand, as a beauty reporter, I’m hesitant to try it out. People like Blake Lively and Hailey Bieber may be well-known celebs, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they’ll be beauty experts. I usually take a “wait and see” approach when it comes to celebrity-backed beauty brands, but Rare Beauty was the exception to this rule. The clean packaging and viral TikTok reviews sold me on it quickly. I was impressed that the company, founded by Selena Gomez, offered over 100 products in 14 categories when it launched. There was something for everyone to try, whether you’re a less-is-more kind of girl or a full-beat type.
No one could predict how successful Gomez would be when she launched the vegan and cruelty-free cosmetics line in 2020. Thanks to social media influencers and its under $40 price point, the singer’s brand quickly went viral. The company is now valued at about $2 billion, according to Bloomberg. According to the internet, it seems like every social media influencer, teen, and tween loves the products. But do they live up to their reputation? The answer is yes — and no.
I’ve tested every product in the line, including some of the hard-to-find items like the Blot & Glow Touch-Up Kit and Rare Beauty Under Eye Patches. Some of the products have earned a coveted spot in my makeup bag, while others were a hard pass for me. Here are the items that impressed me, and the ones that didn’t.
Soft Pinch Liquid Blush ($23)
If Selena Gomez’s line is known for one thing, it’s arguably the blushes. The Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is one of Rare Beauty’s most popular items, and it’s a very good product. It’s highly pigmented, and one tube will last forever, as a tiny amount of product goes a long way. The small brush tip applicator allows for a precise application and will give you the perfect flushed look. I recommend always using a makeup brush to blend this product out, as it’s easy to wind up with too much product if you don’t have the proper blending tool handy.
It’s long-wearing, so you can almost guarantee your cheeks will be rosy for hours. The hardest part about this Rare Beauty favorite is selecting the perfect shade for your skin tone because they’re all fantastic. My favorite shades are Hope and Bliss.
Bonus tip: While the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush is great for my hydrated skin, if you have excessively dry skin, I’d recommend trying the Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush ($22) as an alternative.
Perfect Strokes Longwear Gel Eyeliner ($19)
If you’re a gel eyeliner girl like me who prefers a glide-on product over a liquid, you will likely give this eyeliner a thumbs up. It’s a creamy, long-lasting liner that glides on pretty effortlessly. Like most gel liners on the market, it has a convenient built-in sharpener on the end. The gel liner is highly pigmented and will stay put for several hours if you don’t smudge it before it dries. I have very sensitive eyes that water when using most eye products, but this product doesn’t bother my eyes. If you prefer a dark look on your lids, the shade True Black is a great option, as the rich tone will make your eyes pop.
Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation ($30)
The Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation is one of the more affordable foundations you’ll find in Sephora, but it’s also my least favorite product in the entire Rare Beauty line. Although it lives up to its weightless name, it emphasizes my fine lines, dry skin, and imperfections, which is the main reason I use foundation to begin with. The coverage just wasn’t there for me.
It would be a good choice for anyone with a very youthful look who isn’t insecure about highlighting any imperfections or large pores. If you have oily skin and don’t need a lot of coverage, this might be the perfect product for you.
Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush ($26)
The popular makeup brand has several amazing blushes, but the newest in the line, the Soft Pinch Luminous Powder Blush, is the best one yet. I can’t say enough great things about this product.
Before the product launched in March 2024, Gomez said it was “a dream” to create it. “I wanted to capture the way we look when we radiate with confidence, and this does just that,” the singer posted on Instagram at the time. “It combines Soft Pinch’s weightless color and Positive Light’s glassy sheen to get the best of both worlds in a single powder.” I think Selena did just that when she formulated this product.
The texture is smooth and lightweight, and it offers a gorgeous shimmer without being overly highlighting. Like its sister products, it’s highly pigmented but gives a youthful glow that’s very hard not to love. My favorite shades are Cheer and Hope. Both colors are neutral enough to be worn daily, or they can be layered on top of cream blush for an added pop of color for a nighttime look.
All of the Above Weightless Eyeshadow Stick ($22)
Eyeshadow sticks are all the rave right now because they’re quick and easy to apply. If you’re a fan like me, the All of the Above Weightless Eyeshadow Stick is a decent option to add to your makeup bag. It comes in six shades, including a pretty soft pink shade (Well-Being,) and great champagne color (Integrity.)
The Rare Beauty shadow sticks are super creamy and will stay put for hours. The only downside is that they’re a bit shimmery for everyday wear. For that reason, I’d only wear one on certain occasions. I prefer the brand’s Discovery Eyeshadow Palette ($29) over the sticks for everyday wear. Most of the colors in the palette are highly pigmented without the heavy shimmer, and they stay put just as well.
Always an Optimist Weightless Eye Primer ($21)
When it comes to eye primer, Rare Beauty wasn’t able to convince me that a higher-priced product is better. The Always an Optimist Weightless Eye Primer goes on smoothly, and a little goes a long way. I did like the fact that the primer’s skin tone color is similar to that of a concealer. However, it didn’t do anything special, in my opinion. Eye primer is one product you can pick up in a drugstore for half the price and get the same results.
Lip Souffle Matte Lip Cream ($20)
“Smooth like butter” are the three words that come to mind when I think of Rare Beauty’s Lip Souffle Matte Lip Cream. This air-whipped lip cream offers a nourishing hydration that feels amazing, and it comes in 15 different shades, so there’s something for everyone. My go-to color is Confident. The lip cream has a velvety matte finish, giving off a soft blurring effect. If you prefer glossy over matte, the Soft Pinch Tinted Lip Oil ($20) can be layered over this product to add a touch of shine.
