My Makeup Bag is—Quite Literally—Filled With These 5 Makeup Brands

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There's never a day where I'm not testing a new makeup product, be it a dewy foundation that's launching next month or a mascara that's all over TikTok. What can I say? My face is a guinea pig for the beauty industry, and I don't mind. But as I was packing for a recent trip, it dawned on me that nearly half of my makeup bag (AKA the products I use when I'm not testing anything) were products developed by makeup artists. And I'm not really surprised, TBH—of course the best makeup I've tested in a while all comes from the pros.

However, there are five distinct brands—ISAMAYA, UZO, Bakeup Beauty, KJH.Brand, and Ciele Cosmetics—that are at the top of my list rn. Keep scrolling for a review of my favorite products from these five top makeup-artist brands, plus all the reasons each line is Cosmo editor–approved.

Isamaya Beauty

• The Artist: Isamaya Ffrench

• The Aesthetic: High fashion

Isamaya Ffrench has worked her ultracool magic on clients like Madonna, Rihanna, and Kylie Jenner. Also on her résumé? Collaborations with some of the biggest beauty brands in the world, including Burberry, Byredo, and Tom Ford—all of which inspired Ffrench to launch her own line, ISAMAYA, in 2022. “I’ve always felt like the industry wasn’t producing very exciting visuals, be it product packaging or ad campaigns,” she says. “This felt like an opportunity to create great makeup in beautiful, collectible packaging.”

ISAMAYA’s products—vinyl-like lip glosses with iridescent finishes, transparent lipsticks with shimmery flecks, metallic eyeshadows in smoldering shades—come in pierced or lacquered containers, and any of them can be applied and blended using just a finger. “I like a good balance between a modern version of a classic and something a bit unusual and fun,” Ffrench says of how she envisions the glittering lips and statement eyes people can create with ISAMAYA.

For those needing a little inspiration or guidance, Ffrench gives free master classes on her YouTube page and posts quick how-to videos on Instagram, because “ultimately, makeup is just makeup," she says. "It’s how you use it and how confident you are in the process that makes a difference.”

Industrial LipLacq Lip Serum

Consider this the reimagined version of glitter lip glosses of your youth. The glitters are suspended in hydrating hyaluronic acid and oils (see: castor oil and soybean oil) that make my lips look plump and smooth. And I'm obsessed with the edgy shades, like this blackened silver.

Industrial SkinLacq Triple Hyaluronic Glow Serum

I love slathering this all over my face before stippling on my foundation to get a Twilight-esque glow. Also, per Isamaya's IG, I recently started brushing this on my shoulders and chest for a shimmery look in flash photos, and it doesn't disappoint. There are zero glitter chunks—just a perfect sheen.

UZO Beauty

• The Artist: Uzo Ukaeje

• The Aesthetic: Runway basics

Although founder Uzo Ukaeje spent decades in the beauty industry, she actually is also a doctor. As she was getting ready to take her boards after practicing for a few years, Ukaeje decided to take a break from medicine by working at a Clinique counter in a department store. Slowly, she began working and training with big names like Bobbi Brown and François Nars (of NARS Cosmetics).

"Over the years of working with tons of products, I knew I could formulate something better," says Ukaeje. Because of her medical background, she also understood the chemistry of the ingredients and how they worked together. So, in 2018, she had a chance meeting with a manufacturer who specialized in plant stem cell technology. "That's when my business partner, our other cofounder, pushed me to dip my toes in the entrepreneur world," she says.

In November 2023, she launched UZO with three products: a plant stem-cell serum and moisturizer, as well as a black liquid eyeliner. "I didn't want to come out with a huge color line because the industry is flooded with that already," she added. "I wanted to focus on the essentials that made sense," she says, referring to skincare to prep and prime your skin, as well as makeup everyone can use.

"I wanted to create products that would resonate with everyone—not just pro makeup artists, but also a regular client," Ukaeje says. "And eyeliners, whether that be pencils or liquids, are one of those essentials for me that truly transforms makeup overall." UZO now offers both liquid and pencil eyeliners in black that are waterproof and smudge-proof (and I can attest—see below for my full review of the liquid).

Aside from the makeup products, UZO also features the serum and moisturizer powered by plant stem-cell technology. "When your skin's stem cells start to deplete, that's when we see the signs of aging, like fine lines, wrinkles, and dullness," Ukaeje explains. "By using products that contain stem cells, we can help support our own to hopefully slow down the aging process." Both of UZO's serum and moisturizer formulas are also filled with hydrators to help soften and smooth skin before makeup—because to UZO, skin comes first.

Stem Cell Serum Complex

The featherlight, soft-matte finish of this serum makes the ideal primer for my foundations. But it's also ultra hydrating (TY, hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and squalane) and filled with plant stem cells to slowly help rebuild collagen and elastin to reduce fine lines and wrinkles.

Blaque Liquide Eyeliner

Drumroll, pls: I officially have a new all-time favorite eyeliner pen, as this one from UZO checks literally every box. The pen itself is a lil heavy, which actually makes it easy to hold, while the felt-tip helps me get straight, even lines. But the best part? The lasting power is unreal. I drew on my winged liner at 8 a.m. and still had picture-perfect wings with zero smudging, flaking, or smearing at 10 p.m.

Bakeup Beauty

• The Artist: Jo Baker

• The Aesthetic: Colorful glam

Jo Baker calls herself a “tough critic” when it comes to the makeup she’ll use on clients like Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Lucy Boynton. She brought that same discerning mindset to Bakeup, the line she recently cofounded with singer-songwriter Grace Gaustad. But it’s not just how their products will make you look that’s important, she explains, it’s how they’ll make you feel.

Every item is geared toward simultaneously boosting your mood and helping you express your unique self—via, say, bright rainbow brows, mod ’60s lashes, or a transparent bedazzled eye veil that, because this is indeed 2024, also comes in an NFT version for your metaverse avatar.

Accessibility was on Baker’s mind, too: Each Bakeup item costs less than $35 and is easy to use. Eyeshadows come in clear, credit-card-sized palettes and can be smudged on with just fingers. Adhesive face gems and stickers are designed to be long-lasting, no reapplications necessary.

“I really want to use my knowledge as a makeup artist to give people a little professional magic and to teach them how to do fast, fun stuff, so that they can go on living their life, because that’s more important,” she says.

Tarantulash Mascara

No mascara gets me compliments like Tarantulash. This wand loads my lashes up with the formula, coating every single lash with the deepest black mascara. But it's actually meant to be layered (and layered... and layered), giving me a dramatic, spidery look that's absolutely worthy of a red carpet (or, idk, just a day at the office for me).

Pastels Micro Palm Palette

This itsy-bitsy palette is the size of a credit card, which is a dream for travel (ahem, like any music festivals I have coming up). But the powders inside are shockingly pigmented, offering up opaque, pastel color in legit one swipe with my fingers or a brush. I've created at least 20+ looks with this palette since I got it, from all-over blue lids to watercolor rainbow eyes to inner-corner pops.

KJH.Brand

• The Artist: Katie Jane Hughes

• The Aesthetic: Maximum glow

While doing makeup for celebs like Hailey Bieber and Ashley Graham, Katie Jane Hughes found a second calling on Instagram, where she’s spent the past seven years sharing beauty tutorials with her 884,000 followers. The experience prompted a third act: “People were craving the nuances of how to use a product to its max potential,” she says. “This need for education made me want to create something of my own.”

In the fall of 2023, she debuted KJH.Brand with a three-piece highlight kit including a shine-enhancing serum, a shimmery pigment, and a makeup brush that you can use to DIY Hughes’s signature glass-like glow. Staying true to her roots, she walks buyers through the application process, counseling them on how to choose and build their own intensity (more serum = more dewy shine; more pigment = more metallic glow).

“Each of these shades can be worn on any complexion,” she adds. Before launching her line, she made sure to test all four hues of her highlighter on dozens of skin tones. Future products will be just as inclusive and expert vetted, she says: She’s currently getting feedback on new ones from some followers and fellow makeup artists.

Hyper Shine High Lite Kit

I want my cheekbones to be seen from space, mmk? Which is why I love this set from KJH.Brand. I can customize the level of glow I want by adding more of the Hyper Serum, depending on if I prefer a dewier finish or more metallic sheen from the pigment. And the brush has become my go-to highlight brush, since the bristles are fluffy and long to give me a lot of control over blending.

Ciele Cosmetics

• The Artist: Nikki DeRoest

• The Aesthetic: Clean girl vibes

I'll be the first to admit: Sunscreen-laden makeup products don't always feel like the most elegant, sophisticated formulas. And makeup artist and cofounder Nikki DeRoest understands that. "I've been doing makeup for 20 years, and I've worked for a lot of different brands," she says. "I'm constantly playing in formulas and seeing how products could be better." So during the pandemic, she teamed up with beauty vet Cerre Francis (the two previously worked on Roen Beauty together) hoping to develop an innovative brand amidst all of the noise in the industry. Ultimately, Ciele was created because of one question: Why is no one making blushes with high levels of SPF?

Sure, there was makeup that had SPF in it on the market, but these formulas didn't perform to the liking of DeRoest when it came to red carpets and editorial shoots with her celebrity clients. "With Ciele, we want to offer high levels of SPF with all of our makeup products," she adds. But said formulas are also so cosmetically elegant, you would never suspect they were loaded with SPF. "These formulas are clean and acne-safe, but they can stand next to any formula on a shelf right now and perform just as well," Francis says.

Ciele launched in August 2023 with three complexion products, all containing SPF 50: A tinted foundation serum, setting powder, and blush. DeRoest and Francis wanted to reimagine the staples that people use every single day, replacing what you may be already using with better ingredients and formulations. "We launched at the end of summer on purpose, because we don't want to be a summer brand; we want people to use these products every day of their lives," Francis says.

Tint & Protect SPF 50+ Tinted Serum Foundation

Nearly every serum foundation with SPF makes my oily skin look greasy as all hell. Not Ciele. This formula is actually blurring, with a satin finish that looks smooth and cloudlike on my skin when I blend it in with a brush. However, if I pat it on with a damp sponge, I get a slightly dewier, sheerer look.

Blush & Protect SPF 50+ Liquid Blush

Ciele's blushes are a must for anyone who loves a pigmented blush they can blend out to a soft, natural finish (it me!). I dab a few dots of this formula on my cheeks with the doefoot applicator, then blend out with a dense brush. It's opaque enough to show up on a wide range of skin tones, but blends out easily on my medium skin too. And the extra SPF 50 protection I get across my cheekbones and nose are a big bonus.

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