The 15 Best Makeup Kits of 2023

Best Overall

Merit Five Minute Morning

Merit

There’s nothing basic about the core products in Merit’s Five Minute Morning kit, which includes everything you need to define eyes, lips, and brows, plus create a radiant and contoured complexion. We love that you can use the Perfecting Complexion Stick as a foundation or concealer, depending on your needs, and that all the products in the set lend themselves to creating clean, classic makeup looks quickly and easily. It even includes a brush for seamless blending. Finally, the set was made with partially recycled materials.

Price at time of publish: $200

Included: Cheek color, lip oil, foundation/concealer, highlighter, mascara, brow pomade, brush | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Complexion

Fenty Beauty Soft Matte Complexion Essentials with Sponge

Fenty

We love Fenty Beauty’s The Complexion Essentials bundle, which includes everything you need for a flawless face. Even better, the products work together gorgeously for a low-maintenance pro look. The set comes with a pore-diffusing face primer, a beauty sponge, and a matte foundation, the Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation, a cult fave that comes in 50 shades.

Not a fan of makeup sponges? Switch out the sponge for the version with a foundation brush, instead.

Price at time of publish: $89

Included: Face primer, foundation, sponge or brush | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Complexion, Runner-Up

Kosas Tinted Skincare Set

Kosas

A favorite among makeup artists, Kosas’ The Clean Start Set includes complimentary complexion products for buildable (and flawless) coverage. “Complexion should be a splurge,” notes celebrity makeup artist Jaleesa Jaikaran, who thinks this set is worth the price.

Also nice is this kit’s foundation contains SPF 25, which offers some sun protection, though we wish it were higher. The concealer doubles as a daytime eye cream, and the setting powder offers a mattifying finish. The result—a “your skin, but better” look.

Price at time of publish: $105

Included: Foundation, concealer, setting powder | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Splurge

Charlotte Tilbury Sofia’s Confidence Boosting Makeup Kit

Charlotte Tilbury

Charlotte Tilbury Sofia’s Confidence Boosting Makeup Kit is a treasure trove of buzzy products. The Hollywood Flawless Filter included in this kit has to be one of the most talked-about face products out there. You’ll find it on TikTok, where everyone from beauty gurus to professional MUAs confirms its glowing effects. We also really love this eyeshadow palette—the colors are super-pigmented and pair beautifully with the cream eyeshadows and neutral lip products.

Price at time of publish: $223

Included: Face primer, eyeshadow palette, creamy eyeshadow, mascara, lip liner, lipstick | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Multi-Use Products

Jones Road Start-Up Kit

Jones Road

Minimalists will appreciate the versatile bundle of only four products. Bobbi Brown, the creator of Jones Road, describes this kit as a “desert island set” that’ll help you achieve the perfect no-makeup look. The cool gloss gives lips (or cheeks) a healthy shine, while the deep shadow color can be used to cut your crease, fill in brows, or even cover up grays. The eyeliner and eye tint are essentials for rounding off any look.

Price at time of publish: $68

Included: Eye tint, eyeshadow, eyeliner pencil, lip gloss | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Brows

Benefit Cosmetics Great Brow Basics Pencil & Gel Set

Benefit Cosmetics

Benefit Cosmetics has always been the go-to choice for brows. This kit is an essential that makeup artists reach for on the regular. The Goof Proof Brow Pencil with spoolie works to fill in brows, while the My Brow Pencil creates realistic-looking hairs and is precise enough to outline your desired shape. Finish off with the gel to lock in brow hairs and maintain that shape all day.

Price at time of publish: $60

Included: Brow gel, 2 brow pencils, spoolie | Cruelty-Free: No

Best for a 5-Minute Face

Inner Beauty Cosmetics Clean Beauty Essentials

Inner Beauty Cosmetics

If you’re the type who likes a 5-minute makeup routine, the Inner Beauty Cosmetics Clean Beauty Essentials can help you streamline. A skin tint foundation keeps the look luminous and fresh, and it pairs nicely with the hydrating lip balm and oil. Other standout products include the smudge-free mascara, which is totally effortless, just like this look. We also love the clean formulas of all products.

Included: Foundation, concealer, mascara, lip balm, lip oil | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Lips

Mented Cosmetics Build Your Own Lip Trio

Mented

The Mented Cosmetics Build Your Own Lip Trio lets you personalize your lip color palette, choosing from nine semi-matte shades. Reviewers rave about how hydrating the formulas are, noting that they sit beautifully on lips without feeling too heavy or stiff. Reviewers with medium or dark skin appreciate that these neutral colors perfectly complement deeper undertones.

Included: 3 lipsticks | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Eyes

Tarte Tartelette Collector’s Set

Tarte

Tarte Tartelette Collector’s Set gives you options for different eye looks, from everyday to special occasions. These 48 different shades are highly pigmented, so they go on easy and stay all day.

Included: 4 eyeshadow palettes | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best for Eyes, Runner-Up

Juiva’s Place The Nubian, Nubian 2, and Nefertiti Bundle

Juiva’s Place

The Nubian and Nubian 2 eyeshadow palettes feature neutral and colorful shades that all work well together. You can easily transition from day to night with the simple addition of a deeper shade blended into the crease. The Nubian Loose Highlighting Powder in Nefertiti complements the eyeshadow palettes perfectly, perfect for an intense, glazed donut look.

Included: 2 eyeshadow palettes, highlighter | Cruelty-Free: Yes