We tried 17 products from Rare Beauty and here are our honest reviews

When Selena Gomez announced the launch of Rare Beauty last year, fans were ecstatic to see her tapping into the cosmetics industry. And if you’ve been keeping your finger on the pulse of the beauty beat, you’d know that her brand has just dropped at Sephora Malaysia!

This makeup line isn’t just a personal endeavour for the singer. Selena also wanted to address and break down the unrealistic expectations and standards of perfection set by society, which led to the birth of the brand. These formulas are lightweight and breathable, so they go on easily for adjustable coverage and a fresh finish without hiding your unique features.

The full line features a whopping 14 categories and 133 products that are available for purchase. We know you’d love to snag every item from the brand, but to help you narrow down your options (and prevent you from burning a hole in your wallet), the Daily Vanity team tested nearly every product from Rare Beauty.

Keep reading to find out which products we’ve already named our holy grails.

Pssst! You’ll also receive a deluxe Lip Souffle Matte Lip Cream sample in Fearless with a minimum spend of RM200 in-app! Terms and conditions apply.

Base makeup

Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Illuminating Primer

Create the perfect canvas for makeup with this silicone-free water-based primer. It cools, smooths, hydrates, and illuminates your skin in one step. Infused with a botanical blend of lotus, gardenia, and white waterlily, the featherlight gel primer also contains ultra-fine pearls for instant radiance.

“It definitely does what it claims – smoothes, hydrates, and illuminates skin, prepping it for makeup. Upon application, my skin felt hydrated, moisturised, and had the most gorgeous glow.

My makeup applied easily after the primer and it lasted pretty long. I love that it feels comfortable on my skin as well, even when worn for a few hours with a full makeup look beneath the mask.

However, because of Singapore’s humidity and how oily I tend to get throughout the day, my face became a bit too shiny for my liking. Because of that, I would opt for a primer with a non-glowy finish.

TLDR; It’s an alright product that I could do without. If you want to try a primer that gives you a wonderful glow, then give this a go.” – ‘Alyaa, content executive.

Rare Beauty Always An Optimist Illuminating Primer retails for RM128 at Sephora.my.

Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation

Available in 32 shades, this lightweight formula is great for those who are looking to achieve a natural glow without a greasy finish. Its concentrated pigments are suspended in an ultralight base, which allows for buildable medium to full coverage sans cakiness.

The botanical blend of lotus, gardenia, and white waterlily in the formula soothes and nourishes the skin too.

“A little goes a long way with this foundation. The serum-like formula melts into the skin when buffed in with the Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Foundation Brush. True to its claims, you’ll get medium to full coverage without it ever feeling heavy or cakey on the skin. It’s comparable to Urban Decay’s Stay Naked Weightless Liquid Foundation, except it has a dewier finish.

My only gripe with the foundation is that it can go on a little streaky when not blended properly with a brush, so you may want to reach for a makeup sponge instead for a seamless finish. I dotted some foundation on with the large doe-foot applicator and blended it out with a sponge to conceal my stubborn acne scars – those blemishes were virtually undetectable.

After wearing it out for a few hours, some of the foundation transferred on my mask, which is fine as it doesn’t claim to be budge-proof or transfer-resistant.

There was a bit of creasing under my eyes too, but it’s also because I didn’t set my makeup with a powder, so it didn’t bother me that much. Overall, my complexion stayed fresh and the shade didn’t oxidise one bit. She’s a keeper!” – Jade, senior writer.

Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation retails for RM142 at Sephora.my. 

Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer

Just like the Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation, the Brightening Concealer is available in 32 shades. With a buildable, longwear, crease-resistant formula, this concealer is great for concealing dark circles and blemishes. Thanks to its soothing botanical blend, it’ll leave your skin moisturised and refreshed, and hydrated.

“I LOVE THIS! I usually use my Tarte Shape Tape, but this is definitely my new holy grail. It’s truly weightless and brightens the under-eye area – even without any colour correction.

It has a creamy texture, which I thought would be too thick for my under eyes, but it felt pretty weightless once blended out. I also made sure to apply eye serum beforehand because my under eyes tend to be drier throughout the day. You can do without eye cream if you don’t use it in your usual routine.

I used this to conceal my dark eyes, the redness on my forehead, and the little blemishes around my face. It blended like a dream upon application – I tried using a sponge (my favourite blending egg from Beauty Bakerie) and the Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Concealer Brush, and both worked fine!

I am currently gravitating towards Rare Beauty’s brush, just because of its unique shape which mimics your fingertip. It definitely gets in the areas which are harder to blend and is gentle on my skin.

I set it with my usual setting powder, the Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, and it left a radiant, skin-like finish. It also lasted throughout the day (10am to 10pm) without caking. However, it did crease under my eyes just slightly, which every concealer I’ve tried still does, so I’m okay with that.

I have to give the concealer a little shoutout for its warm undertone, which left my eyes looking truly skin-like, and not ashy at all. Honestly, I can’t rave about the concealer enough, and it’s safe to say that this is my new go-to concealer. My next move is to get one that’s exactly my shade (this one is a little lighter) so I can truly cancel out them panda eyes!” – ‘Alyaa, content executive.

Rare Beauty Liquid Touch Brightening Concealer retails for RM93 at Sephora.my. 

Rare Beauty Blot & Glow Touch-Up Kit

A refillable compact, the Blot & Glow Touch-Up Kit houses linen-blend oil-absorbing papers and a talc-free, powder-infused puff. Simply blot excess oil and dab your skin with the puff to sop up sebum and add a soft-focus finish to your skin any time. Oh, did we mention how chic its case looks?

“If there’s one thing you’ll want from Rare Beauty, it’s this. I’ve never been one to use blotting tissues. I could not be bothered because of how much of a fuss it all was – but this is an absolute game-changer.

The blotting paper works well and comes in a nice rectangular size that’s pretty decent. One sheet was enough for my entire face, but given that my face only gets oilier in the T-zone, those with oily skin may need one or two more sheets!

I love that the puff is universally flattering – meaning all skin tones will be able to enjoy its mattifying benefits. Best of all, it leaves a gorgeous, soft-blur radiance that makes your makeup look fresh! This Rare Beauty product is one that us local beauty junkies will benefit from the most!” – ‘Alyaa, content executive.

Rare Beauty Blot & Glow Touch-Up Kit retails for RM128 at Sephora.my.
Rare Beauty Blot & Glow Blotting Paper Refill retails for RM25 at Sephora.my.
Blot & Glow Powder In Puff Refill retails for RM74 at Sephora.my.

Rare Beauty Always An Optimist 4-in-1 Mist

Rare Beauty also came out with a 4-in-1 mist to prep your skin before makeup and keep it hydrated throughout the day. The glow-boosting formula features pore-refining niacinamide and hydrating sodium hyaluronate, which help prime, set, and refresh your skin.

“The minute I found out that this was a bi-phase product, I felt iffy about using this to set my already flawless makeup look. Upon application, I noticed that there was no scent to it – great for those sensitive to fragrance!

The mist is also lovely. Unlike some mists out there that tend to “spit” out liquid as opposed to actually “misting” the product, the Always An Optimist dispenses a fine, evenly-dispersed mist that’s refreshing.

After a minute in front of the fan, the mist dried down, but I didn’t completely like the sensation it left. It was a tad too tacky for my liking and throughout the day, I could feel it sitting on my skin. Compared to other setting mists, this one didn’t sit comfortably on my skin. I’d imagine it is great for colder climates, but not hot and humid ones like ours.

When it comes to setting makeup, I think it does alright. My makeup did transfer onto my mask slightly, which is expected, but the tacky sensation just didn’t make this a nice experience. However, I would use this to freshen up my face throughout the day, and pop it in the fridge for an extra cooling effect!” – ‘Alyaa, content executive.

Rare Beauty Always An Optimist 4-in-1 Mist retails for RM118 at Sephora.my.

Blushers

Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush

Inspired by the soft, flushed look we get when we feel the most vulnerable, this liquid-like cream melts on the skin for a weightless wash of colour. It combines pigments with a non-greasy blend of lightweight oils and spherical powders for a foolproof blush that’s great for both makeup novices and experts.

Available in five shades:

• Nearly Neutral – soft neutral pink
• Nearly Rose – true pink
• Nearly Berry – deep berry
• Nearly Mauve – true mauve
• Nearly Apricot – muted coral

“If you’re a cream blush maniac like myself, you’ll go weak at the knees for the Melting Blush. Its adorable pastel pink pebble-like case reminds me of a Tamagotchi, and its formula doesn’t disappoint either.

With cream blushers, I prefer to dip my sponge into the pan and carefully blend it out on my cheeks for a natural flush of colour. The shade is a cool-toned pink, which isn’t the most flattering on my skin tone, but the texture of the cream blush makes up for it. It settles to a slightly powdery finish – something that took me by surprise.

I also tried dabbing some of the blush on my lips, which didn’t work out well because of its cream-to-powder formula. It felt a little chalky and the colour was a little too pale against my skin tone.

After coming home from a night out, the blush had faded a little, but at least there was still a pretty hint of pink on my cheeks. This is a great one to reach for when you’ve got a video call meeting in a couple of minutes and you don’t want to appear like a zombie.” – Jade, senior writer.

Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Melting Blush retails for RM105 at Sephora.my.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush

If liquid blushes are a mainstay in your makeup collection, you’ll want to pick up the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush. This lightweight formula blends effortlessly for a soft flush of colour, and it comes in eight shades – including matte and dewy finishes.

Available in eight shades:

• Grateful – true red (Dewy)
• Happy – cool pink (Dewy)
• Joy – muted peach (Dewy)
• Lucky – hot pink (Dewy)
• Bliss – nude pink (Matte)
• Faith – deep berry (Matte)
• Grace – bright rose mauve (Matte)
• Love – terracotta (Matte)

“A little goes a long way – a single stamp on each cheek will most definitely suffice! I love how easily it blends, whether you’re applying with a brush or your fingertips.

You can also build the pigment easily, so you can go for Selena Gomez’s iconic kissable cheeks or a bolder blush. It’s also easy to layer other products on top of it, as it doesn’t slip around as easily as other liquid blushers that dry down matte.

In terms of its longevity, I can’t say that it stays fresh throughout the day, but the pigment does last till the end of the day. Although it faded a little and didn’t pass the mask-transfer test, your cheeks will definitely stay popping for hours on end.” – ‘Alyaa, content executive.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush retails for RM89 at Sephora.my.

Highlighter

Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer

This silky, second-skin liquid highlighter imparts a buildable gleam that nourishes the skin, so it looks dewy all day. Its weightless formula contains superfine, light-reflecting pearls that’ll take your glow from a soft sheen to a bright beam in seconds.

Available in eight shades:

• Enlighten –Champagne
• Enchant – Soft Pink
• Mesmerize – Rose Bronze
• Outshine – True Gold
• Transcend – Rose Gold
• Flaunt – Bronze Gold
• Captivate –Copper
• Reflect – Deep Bronze

“It leaves the most amazing glow which is either subtle or blinding, depending on how much you want to layer on. However, here’s why I’m torn about it: Apply it on clean, moisturised skin, and it’s a gleaming dream – but apply it on top of powder, and you’ll struggle a little.

If you’re new to makeup, you may struggle with this, so try blending the product out on the back of your hand first before tapping it on your cheekbones. The luminiser dries down matte pretty fast, so you need to move quickly.

What I preferred doing was mixing the Soft Pinch Liquid Blush with the luminiser on my hand, so I can achieve those kissable cheeks that Selena is so known for! I would also recommend using this when you’re not wearing any powder products. Here’s a special shoutout to the shade Flaunt too, which is perfect for a bronzy sunkissed glow!

Ultimately, it’s a great product, but since it takes some getting used to, novices may not enjoy it.” – ‘Alyaa, content executive.

Rare Beauty Positive Light Liquid Luminizer retails for RM108 at Sephora.my.

Eye makeup

Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Pencil & Gel

A two-in-one product, the Brow Harmony Pencil & Gel features a soft, buildable brow pencil on one end and a weightless tinted brow gel on the other. The triangular tip of the brow pencil helps you create any brow look you desire – from natural to bold and defined. Its lightweight brow gel coats your brow hairs in a conditioning formula that provides a flexible hold.

Available in eight shades:

• Soft Blonde
• Rich Taupe
• Warm Brown
• Warm Auburn
• Cool Brown
• Deep Brown
• Ash Gray
• Soft Black

“Disclaimer: I’m blessed with rather thick, full brows so I rarely reach for a brow product. On occasions that I do need to fill in the negligible sparse spots at the front of my brows, I usually go to my trusted Gimme Brow by Benefit Cosmetics.

I’d say that the Brow Harmony Pencil & Gel by Rare Beauty does give my go-to brow gel a run for its money because I get both pencil and gel formulas in one product – very convenient. With both formulas, you do have to start light-handed so that you end up with Crayon Shinchan-like brows but the pigments give natural-looking fullness easily and if you happen to mess up a little, it can be easily removed.

Overall, it’s a handy brow product to have in your makeup bag as you can easily touch up with it if you need to.” – Lynnett, senior writer.

Rare Beauty Brow Harmony Pencil & Gel retails for RM101 at Sephora.my. 

Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Liquid Eyeshadow

A weightless liquid-to-powder formula, the Stay Vulnerable Liquid Eyeshadow blends and builds before setting to a soft, satin finish. Armed with a long-lasting, waterproof formula, it claims to last all day without creasing, smudging, flaking, fading, or transferring. It’s even made with sensitive skin in mind, so you won’t have to worry about irritation or dryness.

Available in five shades:

• Nearly Neutral – warm neutral beige
• Nearly Rose – soft tea rose pink
• Nearly Berry – rich berry
• Nearly Mauve – soft mauve
• Nearly Apricot – soft coral

“This liquid eyeshadow goes on velvety smooth – much like a matte liquid lipstick. And just like a matte lipstick, it dries down incredibly fast too, so you have to blend it out quick. Since I learned this the hard way, I was left with a patchy mess but was able to salvage the look with a couple more layers of eyeshadow.

I’d recommend blending this out with your fingers if you’re pressed for time, but the Stay Vulnerable All-Over Eyeshadow Brush works well for detailed application. One thing I was slightly disappointed by, however, was how the shade Nearly Neutral looked on my lids. I expected a “warm neutral beige” as described, but it appeared more terracotta in person.

To put its staying power to the test, I wore the eyeshadow on its own without a primer. After several hours on my oily lids, I was surprised to see that it didn’t budge or crease at all! Once you’ve overcome that learning curve, this liquid eyeshadow is a breeze to use – my new favourite one-and-done eyeshadow.” – Jade, senior writer.

Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Liquid Eyeshadow retails for RM89 at Sephora.my.

Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner

Longwearing and waterproof, the Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner features over 1,000 vegan bristles for a smooth and perfect application, so you can create thin or thick lines with it. It dries fast too, so build on your lines slowly for a sleek streak.

“I’ve stuck with the same eyeliner for the past six years (Maybelline’s Hypersharp Liner), and this will definitely be the one I turn to from now on! Unlike some brush-tip applicators out there that are quite limp, this one is nice and sturdy, making it an easy eyeliner for beginners to start out with.

The design is ergonomic easy to manoeuvre too, but what won my heart is how budge-proof she is! It dries down in seconds to leave an opaque matte black finish that does not budge at all.

Since it is so budge-proof, you’ll want to make sure you use an oil-based cleanser to remove it. I tried removing this with the Bioderma Micellar Water, which usually works for my most waterproof products, but that was not enough. Bifesta’s cleansing wipes got the job done!” – ‘Alyaa, content executive.

Rare Beauty Perfect Strokes Matte Liquid Liner retails for RM93 at Sephora.my.

Lip products

Rare Beauty Lip Souffle Matte Lip Cream

An airy, whipped cream formula, the Lip Souffle Matte Lip Cream glides on easy for pigmented colour with a featherweight feel. Its velvety texture has a soft, blurring effect on the lip to smooth and plump up your pout. Creamy and buildable, the lippie promises to sit comfortably on the lips without drying or caking.

Available in 12 shades:

• Ascend – deep fuchsia
• Brave – muted terracotta
• Courage – nude mauve
• Daring – muted lavender
• Energize – bright coral
• Fearless – deep mauve rose
• Heroic – true berry
• Inspire – bright red
• Motivate – watermelon pink
• Strengthen – dark blue red
• Thrilling – true brown
• Transform – deep wine

“I got immediately hooked when I saw the tomato red shade… but while I like the colour of the matte lippie, it wasn’t as long-lasting as I thought it would be for a matte liquid lipstick. In fact, there was barely any colour left after I finished eating fried chicken for dinner.

That said, it’s one of the most comfortable matte lippies I’ve ever worn and it definitely applies really well onto the lips too with the applicator that picks up a decent amount of product. With a buildable consistency, I imagine that it can give you that trending diffused lip look easily as well.

The pigments don’t really settle into the fine lines either, so my lip lines weren’t that emphasised when I wear the Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream. With such a comfortable formula, I guess it’s a trade-off that you have to settle with when it comes to the formula’s longevity. While it’s not entirely transfer-proof, I’m quite surprised that it barely stained my mask – win!

My other gripe with the Lip Soufflé Matte Lip Cream is the slightly floral scent that it comes in – sometimes, it reminds me of the scented erasers we used to use in primary school. While the scent was quite faint, I can’t help but feel slightly turned off by the fragrance.

Oh, I tried using this on my cheeks too and found that it doubles as a blush really well! While the fragrance isn’t exactly my cup of tea and the longevity is just so-so, I’d still have this in my makeup bag because I can foresee that it’d be such a lifesaver for me on days where I have to meet someone outside spontaneously after work and I need to freshen up quickly with light makeup.” – Lynnett, senior writer.

Rare Beauty Lip Souffle Matte Lip Cream retails for RM89 at Sephora.my.

Rare Beauty With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm

A hydrating lip balm with a kiss of dewy hue, the With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm imparts a sheer wash of colour and soft shine on your lips. You can even swipe it on without looking in the mirror and still get it right. It provides weightless hydration to nourish your lips as it blurs the look of fine lines.

Available in eight shades:

• Appreciate – cool brown
• Blessed – bright coral
• Compliment – muted berry
• Empathy – rose mauve
• Honor – untinted
• Praise – muted peach
• Support – plum brown
• Thankful – nude mauve

“MY FAVOURITE! This is like a lustrous version of my favourite Estée Lauder Pure Color Envy Liquid Lip Potion shade (in #210 Not So Innocent, if you must know), which I am just so thrilled to have tried.

It glides on effortlessly and leaves a nice layer of colour with just one swipe alone – I swiped twice just to make sure I got an even layer of coating.

When I cleaned up after my meal, I was expecting the lip balm to be wiped off along with the grease and everything else but to my surprise, it left a nice matte stain behind that I barely needed to touch up. It’s definitely going to be my new holy grail now.” – Lynnett, senior writer.

“Just like the Empathy shade, this lustrous lippie gave me a plump, juicy, berry-hued pout effortlessly and instead of feathering or smearing, it left behind a nice matte berry stain that was not patchy at all.

As I find most matte lipsticks to be a tad drying for my lips, I certainly foresee myself reaching out for this gorgeous shade especially when I do go out for date night with my husband. The only thing you have to keep in mind is that it will stain your mask since it’s not exactly a matte lippie, but if you don’t mind the convenience, it’s definitely a product you should try.” – Lynnett, senior writer.

Rare Beauty With Gratitude Dewy Lip Balm retails for RM79 at Sephora.my.

Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Glossy Lip Balm

Like a lip mask in a gloss, this shiny balm envelops the lips in soft, nourishing colour. The smooth formula provides lasting hydration and a hint of colour for plump, healthy-looking lips. It even conditions your lips to keep them soft and moisturised all day.

Available in five shades:

• Nearly Neutral – soft neutral pink
• Nearly Rose – flushed pink
• Nearly Berry – soft berry
• Nearly Mauve – soft mauve
• Nearly Apricot – soft coral

“This is one of the Rare Beauty products that I was quite surprised by. When I looked at the product itself, I almost wanted to shrug it off because it looked too brown for me. But when I applied it onto my lips, it instead became more of a transparent formula with a tinge of pink that gave me the coveted MLBB look.

Best of all, it doesn’t leave a sticky or uncomfortable feel at all on the lips which is a quality that’s hard to come by in many lip glosses. I’ll definitely be reaching for this more on days that I want to give my lipsticks a rest and flaunt juicy, healthy lips with this formula instead.” – Lynnett, senior writer.

Rare Beauty Stay Vulnerable Glossy Lip Balm retails for RM90 at Sephora.my.