Taking a cue from Fenty Beauty, there’s a wealth of foundation and concealer shades (48 each, to be exact), which means it has piqued the interest of beauty-obsessed YouTubers and TikTokers. How do the products fare on darker skin? “I expected nothing less,” said YouTuber OHEMAA of the foundation selection in one video. She championed the product for being “luminous, dewy and glowy” and, in a later review, said she was “absolutely in love” with it. TikToker @ris.monae said that Liquid Touch is her “fav foundation hands down” and the concealer has also been praised in TikTok comments for featuring yellow undertones to complement and enhance brown skin.
It all sounds very promising but is Rare Beauty really worth your hard-earned cash? Ten R29 staffers and contributors put it to the test. Here are their thoughts.
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L’Oréal Blackett, Unbothered UK Editor
“To say I’ve been intrigued by Rare Beauty is an understatement. The wide shade ranges and the promised easy application have long piqued my interest so I was excited to join the chorus line.
My hunt for the perfect tinted moisturiser — one that works for my skin tone, contains SPF and has no grey cast — is never-ending; Rare Beauty’s Positive Light Tinted Moisturiser, £29, gets ever so close but isn’t quite perfect. I chose two shades (38N and 40N) just a fraction too light for me, which masked the yellow undertones in my skin tone. Nonetheless, this tinted moisturiser blends so beautifully and offers great coverage while remaining light and breathable. I tend to wear a shade or two lighter for under-eye concealer, yet for Positive Light Under Eye Brightener, £23, I would suggest sticking to your skin tone (for me, that’s Medium-Tan). I require a lot of coverage from an under-eye concealer to wipe away all the late nights, and this is a little more subtle than I’m after for everyday wear.
I have high expectations of brow products and the Brow Harmony Pencil And Gel (Soft Black), £21, didn’t disappoint. The gel doesn’t offer an industrial-strength hold for my bushy brows (unlike my current favourite, Refy Beauty’s Brow Sculpt) but I love the double-sided applicator. The spiky nib distributes a liquid, dark brown gel that looks very natural, while the pencil side is great for concealing any sparse areas and achieving a polished shape. I wear winged eyeliner most days, and Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, £20, is great for those of us who don’t have the steadiest of hands.
I have been known to love a liquid blusher (and I am also known to go overboard, especially with Glossier’s Cloud Paint). I tried Rare Beauty’s widely hyped Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, £22, in the shade Joy, applying three dots to my cheekbones and blending out with a beauty blender. The finish was *chef’s kiss* — natural, youthful and my skin looks more awake. I will definitely be using this daily.”
Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturiser, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Eyebrow Pencil & Gel, $, available at Sephora
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, $, available at Space NK
Venus Wong, Senior Travel Writer
“I couldn’t be more excited when I found out that Rare Beauty was finally launching in the UK back in 2022. I’ve long been a casual fan of Selena Gomez and had heard such great things about the brand from my American friends. After getting my hands on some of Rare’s bestsellers, I totally understand the hype.
High-pigment makeup will always get my seal of approval and the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, £22 — the most popular product in the lineup and often sold out — has that in spades. All you need is the teeniest, tiniest dot and it will blend out to a flush of colour that shows up gorgeously on your skin (I’m wearing the shade Love in this selfie). Seriously, don’t go overboard with this; one tube will last you forever.
I’m not the best at using brushes and beauty blenders so a product that can be easily blended in with my fingers, like the Positive Light Under Eye Brightener, £23, is always appreciated. It’s a sheer-to-medium coverage concealer that’s meant to be applied with a cool metal tip and tapped in with your fingertips. The nourishing formula, which contains white peony and vitamin E, adds a bit of subtle sparkle to the corner of my eyes without any creasing. I went one shade lighter than my skin tone (Medium Light) to amp up the brightening effect.
One of the most lauded aspects of Rare Beauty is how well it stacks up against more expensive, prestige beauty brands. The Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream, £19, is a great example of this: the airy and luscious texture reminds me of YSL’s Tatouage Couture Velvet Cream Liquid Lipstick, £35, but for two-thirds of the price. I’m wearing Inspired, an orangey red, and the bold hue really makes an impression. The formula has great staying power but the colour transfers a bit too easily for my liking (I’d spot a little smudge on the corner of my chin or on my teeth every now and then).
Another product I love is the Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, £20. With a bristle tip that’s similar to a calligraphy pen, it’s very easy to manoeuvre. I’m able to draw a winged eyeliner in one clean swoop using my non-dominant hand. The ink-black colour didn’t budge, even when I rubbed my eyes, but fades away quickly with makeup remover. It’s 10/10 from me.
The only thing I didn’t vibe with was the Discovery Eyeshadow Palette – Came To Play, £28, which contains lilacs, mauves and pinks, and a glittery top coat. The pigments just didn’t really translate on my skin tone. I might need to play around with them more (and maybe layer them on top of one another) to make a final call.”
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Positive Light Under Eye Brightener, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Discovery Eyeshadow Palette – Came to Play, $, available at Space NK
Lauren Cunningham, Freelance Affiliate Writer
“Forever hearing criticism of celebrity beauty brands, none was at the top of my list to try. But after fangirling over Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty, I jumped at the chance to smother my skin in Selena Gomez’s brand.
First up, Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation in shade 190W, £29. Not normally a foundation gal, I was pleasantly surprised by this product. Lightweight with a silky soft, matte finish, it gives just enough coverage to conceal uneven skin tone, redness and blemishes without caking around any facial hairs (always a plus to have a foundation that doesn’t draw attention to your moustache, no?). I would go in with a concealer to fade those under-eye bags further, and any extra-prominent blemishes, dark spots or redness would need a helping hand, too.
In shade Happy Sol, the Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer Stick, £25, is incredibly easy to use. The rich, creamy formula effortlessly blends into the skin, contouring my cheeks, nose and forehead in a flash. I’m not normally one to add this step into my barely there makeup routine, but it may just have convinced me to give it a go for more glam occasions. After all, it took less than 20 seconds to apply.
A bit of a blush fiend, you’ll rarely see me without a rosy flush and I have a few absolute favourite pink products that I wear on repeat. Rare’s Soft Pinch in shade Lucky, £22, is quickly becoming a favourite. It’s so heavily pigmented, I actually had to remove most of it before blending. I’ve never seen pigment like this, instantly adding a pop of punchy colour to the face. Go in with just a tiny dot before blending out, and it’s sure to last an incredibly long time.
I’d definitely label the Dewy Lip Balm, £15, as more of a lipstick than a lip balm, thanks to its colour payoff (I tried it in the shade Thankful). But in true lip balm style, it’s incredibly hydrating, silky and soft with an almost oil-like consistency. It’s a nude I’ll be wearing on repeat.
For the eyes, I opted for the True To Myself Discovery Eyeshadow Palette, £31, and have mixed feelings. The small gold and pink shimmer shades are stunning, with a great colour payoff, high shine and long-lasting finish. The others aren’t quite as good. Wetting the brush did improve things but, for now, it’s the only Rare Beauty product I tried that I won’t be picking up again. The Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara, £19, saved the day with this look.”
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm, $, available at Sephora
Rare Beauty Discovery True to Myself – Eyeshadow Palette, $, available at Sephora
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara, $, available at Space NK
Esther Newman, Affiliate Writer
“As a longstanding Glossier fan, Rare Beauty, with its focus on light, dewy, natural-looking bases and high-pigment blushes and lip products, is right up my street.
The Positive Light Tinted Moisturiser, £29, has already earned a spot in my everyday makeup bag. It’s weightless and super blendable, doesn’t cover up my freckles but evens out redness and brightens my complexion. As with all of the Rare products I’ve tried, a little goes a long way. I combined it with the Under Eye Brightener, £23, which is unlike any other concealer I’ve used. Rather than a soft doe-foot, it has a tapered metal applicator that feels so cool against my early-morning, puffy eyes. Unfortunately, while it definitely does brighten, it doesn’t quite give the level of coverage I’m used to and very easily creases, even when set with the Always An Optimist Soft Radiance Setting Powder, £24, and a velvet powder puff. My dark under-eyes and I will be sticking to our usual Saie Hydrabeam.
To warm up my pale skin I opted for the Effortless Bronzer stick in Power Boost, £25, and Liquid Blush in Bliss, £22. I love both of them — just like my colleagues, I highly recommend the pigment and lasting power of the blush. I reckon it’s knocked Glossier’s Cloud Paint off its pedestal. The contour/bronzing stick is super creamy and easy to blend — more so, I would argue, than another fave, Fenty’s Match Stix. Though, for all my pale girlies out there, I tried the lightest in Rare’s arsenal and found it far too orange-based. The Match Stix in Amber is a cool-based beige that works far better for my winter skin. Silky Touch Highlighter in Exhilarate, £24, is the perfect final touch: a soft, subtle, gold shimmer that also looks great tapped on the inner eyes.
For a crisp wing and bulked-up lashes, I paired Perfect Strokes eyeliner, £20 (an easy-to-manoeuvre brush) with Rare’s mascara, £19. Both are winners in my opinion, with neither running nor smudging — even on busy days running around London in the rain.
Lastly, for my bold, berry-red lip, I opted for Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream in Transform, £19. Again, the colour payoff here is amazing but it can easily smudge and transfer down your chin if, like me, you often forget you’ve put lipstick on.”
Rare Beauty Positive Light Tinted Moisturiser, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Warm Wishes Effortless Bronzer, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Silky Touch Highlighter, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream, $, available at Space NK
Jacqueline Kilikita, Deputy Beauty Director
“Thanks to Fenty by Rihanna, Florence by Millie Bobby Brown and Lady Gaga’s Haus Laboratories, we’re spoilt for choice when it comes to celebrity makeup. Do we really need another brand? I asked myself when Selena Gomez’s Rare first landed at Space NK. But I simply couldn’t ignore the hype on TikTok, not to mention the very high praise it has received from totally obsessed beauty editors.
I tried the Brow Harmony Pencil & Gel, £21, in Deep Brown and it was an exact match for my very dark arches. This is dual-ended so it features a twist-up brow pencil and a tinted brow gel. The nib on the pencil is angled and reminds me of a favourite of mine, Hourglass’ Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil, £35, though it’s a lot cheaper. It gave me the most snatched brows. In fact, it’s the best they’ve looked in months. That’s because the pencil is very pigmented but not too soft, so you can whip it through sparse hairs to create shape and definition without fuss. The tinted brow gel is much like Glossier’s cult Boy Brow, £17, but the brush is much smaller so it’s easier to be more precise and avoid smudges. That said, I’d have preferred a clear brow gel as once I’d defined my brows with the pencil, I didn’t need to use the tinted gel for fear of brow overkill. I use brow pencils more so would prefer this to be two separate products. I can’t deny that they’re great, though!
The Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara, £19, is really, really good. Even without an eyelash curler it perked up my lashes and bulked them out in one single swoosh. I was actually taken aback by how quickly it thickened and lengthened without so much as a single clump; usually, I need multiple coats. It even lasted a run outside in the sun without smudging an inch or flaking, and it was easy to remove with micellar water at the end of the day.
A confession: I hate liquid eyeshadow. It makes a mess and often dries too quickly to blend, lending lids a blocky, smudged look. But the Stay Vulnerable Liquid Eyeshadow in Nearly Neutral, £19, has converted me. It swipes on smooth and takes seconds to blend out using fingers, resulting in a very pretty, soft matte finish that looks just like a powder eyeshadow. The best part is that it stayed matte all day and didn’t melt away or collect in my creases. If you buy anything from Rare, make it this!
Winged eyeliner is my signature so I was very excited to try the Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, £20. It fell short for me, though. Despite giving it a proper shake, the nib wasn’t wet enough and it took me a while to achieve the jet-black, feline flick I like. While the initial application looked a bit grey, I do like the shape and feel of the liner brush — it’s precise and soft but sturdy, too.”
Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Liquid Eyeshadow, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Pencil & Gel, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, $, available at Space NK
Maybelle Morgan, Senior Editor
“It’s impossible to go on TikTok at the moment without scrolling through endless beauty influencers raving about Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty line. What I keep hearing is that it’s super pigmented without sacrificing how breathable it is for your skin — so naturally, I was excited to try it. First up: Always An Optimist Pore Diffusing Primer, £15. Because I’m acne-prone, I have this irrational fear that primer will act like a plug to block all my pores and break me out but this one went on like a dream and instantly gave my skin a Photoshop-style, mattifying blur. I haven’t seen my skin look this good in such a long time; so much so that all I needed to go out were a few dabs of concealer. Next up: Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream, £21. Unfortunately, I have super dry lips and this powdery texture immediately settled in the lines in my lips. I preferred it when I wiped it off (or struggled to wipe it off). It has serious staying power and the shade, Inspire, left a gorgeous, coral-blush stain, perfect for summer. I also tried the Stay Vulnerable Glossy Lip Balm in Nearly Neutral, £19. I’m obsessed with this brown-nude hydrating gloss, which honestly I’ve been applying every half an hour since I got it. I know it’s probably all in my mind but my lips feel plumper and more cushiony since it came into my life.”
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Pore Diffusing Primer, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Glossy Lip Balm, $, available at Space NK
Alicia Lansom, Associate Editor
“I was really excited to finally try out Rare, especially after reading about the company’s ethos and accessible packaging when it first launched. The brand’s natural approach to beauty is definitely baked into the products, with everything falling under the Glossier-esque umbrella but with more of a focus on soft matte finishes than sheer ones. With dry skin, this scared me but the products turned out to be highly pigmented and easily spreadable on the skin. In particular, the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, £22, really impressed me. I only needed a little to achieve a fresh, rosy look. Similarly, the Lip Souffle Matte Lip Cream, £21, was a big surprise, offering a light, fluffy formula that didn’t stick to the dry parts of the lips like most traditional liquid lipsticks. When it came to the liquid highlighter (the Positive Light Liquid Luminizer, £24), the intense pink in the bottle gave me cause for concern but when applied it actually gave more of a silvery payoff, which worked well on my pale skin. The mascara is a nice touch to the kit but mostly wins for its handbag-friendly size rather than its substance.”
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer, $, available at Space NK
Vanese Maddix, Beauty Writer
“I’ve never seen so much hype and anticipation for a celebrity beauty brand as I did with Rare Beauty. I struck gold back in November when I spent a few days in Paris and a lot of time in Sephora at the Rare Beauty stand. It’s been a few months now since I made my purchases and the results still have me shook!
The product I was most looking forward to trying out was the Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream, £21, and it did not disappoint. I picked up quite a few shades but my favourite by far has been Inspire, a buildable, bright red which instantly feels creamy on the lips and has a velvety matte finish. The lipstick is really lightweight and in just one swipe it lends quite a sheer colour that can easily be built up.
Next up is the Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, £20, a waterproof liquid eyeliner in the darkest ultra-black I’ve ever seen. As someone who has struggled massively with trying to get my eyeliner to look semi-decent, I can confirm that this liner is truly one of the easiest to use. It has over 1,000 vegan bristles and there’s something about the angle that makes precision seem like a breeze. Honestly, my winged liner game has never been so strong.
Lastly, the Positive Light Liquid Luminizer in Transcend, £24, is a captivating rose gold. A little really does go a long way. The first few times I tried the highlighter I applied far too much and had quite a tricky time blending it down (the glow was popping a bit too much for the morning). A small dot is just right for a nice pop of colour on the cheeks. The formula is nourishing and it layers well on top of makeup and skincare without any piling or separating. I’m ready for Rare Beauty to dominate the beauty space.”
Rare Beauty Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer, $, available at Space NK
Kristine Romano, Associate Photo & Design Editor
“Like everyone else I haven’t managed to escape the hype about Rare Beauty so it’s safe to say I was quite excited to try out a few of the products. I was a bit sceptical about the selection I had on hand but everything really impressed me! I was worried the foundation was going to be too dark for me when I first saw it but I can’t get over how perfect a match it turned out to be. It’s a very natural-looking foundation which blends nicely and feels super light on the skin. I personally love that I can wear it sheer enough to show some of my freckles while evening out the redness I experience. I thought the mascara would clump just from looking at how big the brush is but it’s very lengthening and held up nicely throughout the day. The blush is so pigmented, I can’t believe how little you need. It blends out really easily to quite a natural, peachy flush and didn’t interfere with my foundation underneath. The highlighter was probably the most unexpected of all. I was a bit worried it would be too cold and glittery on my face but it actually just provided a beautiful sheen to the skin. I definitely plan to keep using what I’ve already tried but I’m quite keen to get my hands on some other products in the collection. It’s not often I want to go out and buy new makeup but Rare Beauty has me converted.”
Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Universal Volumizing Mascara, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Faves 4 Piece Mini Set, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer, $, available at Space NK
Sadhbh O’Sullivan, Health & Living Editor
“Embarking on this would genuinely be the first time I have worn eyeshadow since about May 2020. I have poor eyesight and have been less inclined to wear contacts as the years have gone by so I essentially have to relearn how to put on eye makeup. All I knew about this collection was what R29’s deputy beauty director Jacqueline told me (that it’s very hyped but the hype may well be worth it) and I trust her beauty judgement more than anyone — even Selena. For that reason, I was excited to dig in. I went for the Glossy Lip Balm in Nearly Neutral, £19, as a matte lip cream felt too much for a Monday morning (no hate to the matte lip cream fans). It’s a LOVELY product: glossy but not sticky, tinted enough to make lips look fuller with a pop of colour but subtle in a way you could forget you have it on and just think you’re having a good lip day. Is that a thing?
The Discovery Eyeshadow Palette, £28, is pretty – almost too pretty for my tastes! I’m not a glitter girl so I gravitated to the mattes and swept the shade Positive all over the lid. Back when I wore eyeshadow I liked solid, statement colours. This lived up to the hype and seemed to blend beautifully on the back of my hand with other shades.”
Rare Beauty Discovery Eyeshadow Palette in True To Myself, $, available at Space NK
Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Glossy Lip Balm, $, available at Space NK
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