There are some terrible beauty products on Amazon—but, actually, these 11 bestsellers are *really* good
The wheat among the chaff
![An array of beauty products on a dressing table](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kyGragPPQLmCA5RaGSWFBF-415-80.jpg)
Here on the Marie Claire UK beauty desk, we appreciate the finer things when it comes to our beauty routines. I like my skincare routine to be chock-full of luxurious, spa-like products, while Senior Beauty Editor, Katie, likes science-led, proven formulas that also come with hefty price tags. I adore spending my hard-earned money on premium, unctuous body lotions and bath soaks, while Katie has been known to drop a pretty penny or two on expensive-looking foundations. So, with all of that said, shopping for beauty products on Amazon doesn't exactly come naturally to us.
When it comes to Amazon's beauty offering, we know all too well just how many dud products are available—after all, when you're selling that many products it makes sense that the edit might not be as considered as it is on beauty-specific sites. In fact, for the most part, we're prepared to say we're not big Amazon beauty shoppers at all.
However, I can't deny that Amazon provides quick and easy shopping at comparatively competitive prices—you just need to know where to look. And, truthfully, a quick scroll of the beauty bestsellers on Amazon took me by surprise. Most of the products on there are actually really good—we should know, we've tried and tested all of them over the years. So, if you're looking for some reasonably priced beauty essentials today, consider this your failsafe shopping list.
1. Dots for Spots Acne Patches
"I have long battled acne and regularly get painful spots on my chin and jawline. Therefore, acne patches that deliver targeted treatment to blemishes are up there with my most used beauty products. These little guys are listed as the number one bestselling beauty product on Amazon, and I totally get why. I have used heaps of different patches, and these affordable dots are really, really good. Made in Korea, they are thin and almost invisible to the eye. With hydrocolloid, not only do they protect your spots but they work to reduce them, too." – Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor
2. Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Sky High Mascara
"As much as I love a luxury make-up product, when it comes to mascara, even I'm willing to admit that Maybelline's formulas are the best of the best—and Sky High comes out on top. It adds next-level length and lift to my thick, poker-straight lashes, doesn't smudge or flake and is friendly on the purse strings. My make-up drawer is home to at least five tubes of this stuff—I refuse to be without it." – Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor
3. COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence
"As someone with rosacea and extremely reactive skin, I know I can slather on a snail mucin product at night and wake up to bouncy and hydrated skin that is calm—redness visibly reduced. Even after just a few days of using the viral COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, my skin felt and looked so much calmer and hydrated. I find that it lessens my redness and reduces dryness dramatically when I use it. It will absolutely stay in my rotation." – Tori Crowther, Beauty Contributor
4. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water
"I recently ran out of Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water and I now know why it's such a hero. Every other one that I've used in its place has stung my eyes, left my skin feeling tight and failed miserably at removing the majority of my make-up. There's a reason why it's a bestseller—it does the job properly and doesn't cost the earth." – Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
5. Bio-Oil Skincare Oil
"This was an absolute essential during both of my pregnancies. Each time, it took me by surprise just how much your tummy skin stretches. This can lead to tightness and itching—just another lovely side effect of pregnancy. To nourish the irritated skin, I would apply this every evening before bed. Well, that's not true, I got my husband to do it. He was the reason I was in that position, the least he could do was tend to the bump. I stand by this oil for keeping me stretch mark-free. Top tip: I started using it before my stomach started to stretch to ensure the skin was in tip-top condition." – Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
6. Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Eraser Concealer
"I have loved this lightweight but buildable concealer for the longest time. It works just as beautifully under my eyes as it does on blemishes and areas of redness. It costs under £10, and is so often on sale. It lasts for ages—mine will easily see me through the year. However, the one thing that I always found triggering was the sponge applicator—it did its job really well, but I didn't like the idea of using a dirty sponge each time I used it. Recently though, I found out that you can remove the sponge and clean it like you would your other make-up brushes. So, naturally, I now love this concealer even more." – Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
7. Eylure Dybrow Brow Dye
"I have very thick, relatively full brows, but overplucking in the noughties has left the tails of my brows sparse in areas with slightly fairer, thinner hairs. This at-home brow dye is, hands down, the best product for brow lazy girls like myself. Instead of using pencil to fill my sparse areas in every single day (I don't even own a brow pencil anymore), I pop this tint on for 15 minutes every month or so. It's a gamechanger." – Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor
8. Rimmel London Rita Ora 60 Seconds Super Shine Nail Polish
"Here's something you should know about me: I really don't like regular nail polish. It never lasts longer than 24 hours without chipping and it takes forever to dry. What a colossal waste of time. I am a gel manicure and pedicure girl through and through. However, in recent months my nails have needed a break. Not liking the look of a completely bare nail, I've had no choice but to turn to an off-the-shelf polish. Rimmel's 60 Second Nail Polishes have been a revelation. Quick-drying and fairly long lasting, I will use the brand's Gel Top coat for extra longevity. I have taken to wearing a creamy nude polish on my fingers – that way the chips don't show up as much – and a dark shade on my toes. I love this jet black, which will be my nod to the unexpected black pedicure summer trend." – Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
9. Color Wow Dream Coat Supernatural Spray
"Having worked in this industry for many, many years, I have been on the receiving end of a lot of advice from some of the best hairstylists in the world—and this product is adored by every single one of them. You just spray it onto lengths and it creates a super-shiny, sleek, flyaway-free look that oozes expense. And, actually, I'd say it's one of the most popular products for celebrity red-carpet looks, too." – Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor
10. CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser
"Open up my bathroom cabinet and you'll find bottles and bottles of this CeraVe cleanser. It's amazing. I use it in the morning with cold water to wake up my skin and in the evenings as the second step in my double cleanse. It's gentle, never leaves my skin feeling tight or stripped and keeps my hydration in check." – Katie Thomas, Senior Beauty Editor
12. CeraVe Blemish Control Cleanser
"I know so many beauty editors and skin experts who adore CeraVe's Hydrating Cleanser, as above, but my acne-prone, oily skin needs something a little harder-working. Enter, this stuff. Containing salicylic acid and niacinamide, it works to effectively treat congestion and active breakouts, while preventing the chances of any more cropping up. And, with CeraVe's iconic ceramide concoction, it does it all without disrupting the skin barrier. This is, hands down, one of my most used cleansers." – Shannon Lawlor, Executive Beauty Editor
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Shannon Lawlor is the Executive Beauty Editor at Marie Claire. With nearly a decade of experience working for some of the beauty industry’s most esteemed titles, including Who What Wear, Glamour UK, Stylist and Refinery29, Shannon’s aim is to make the conversation around beauty as open, relatable and honest as possible. As a self-confessed lazy girl, Shannon has an affinity for hard-working perfumes, fool-proof make-up products and does-it-all skincare.
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