Sephora Bestsellers vs Worst Sellers: 14 Makeup Products Put to the Test

Introduction

Every beauty lover knows the temptation of scrolling through Sephora’s bestseller list. But what about the products at the very bottom of that list? We decided to find out whether the most popular makeup products live up to the hype, and whether the least popular ones deserve a second chance.

We tested every bestselling Sephora makeup product against every worst-selling one, going through an entire makeup routine from primer to lip gloss. The results were surprising: some bestsellers disappointed, while several worst sellers turned out to be hidden gems.

How We Tested

To identify the bestsellers, we sorted each product category on the Sephora website by best seller. The first product on the page became our benchmark. For the worst sellers, we scrolled to the bottom of the same page and picked the last available product for purchase.

We applied each product in real time, starting with a bare face and building a complete makeup look. We evaluated texture, blendability, coverage, wear, and overall finish. We also noted ratings and review counts to see whether popularity matched quality.

Primer: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip vs La Mer Perfecting Primer

The bestselling primer is the Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer. It has a gel texture that feels sticky at first, which makes sense as a base for the rest of your makeup to grip onto. At $38, it is not cheap, but you get a decent amount of product. It holds a four-star rating with pretty good reviews.

The worst-selling primer is the La Mer Perfecting Primer at $100. Given the price, the packaging feels surprisingly plain. The texture is a tinted gel that feels weirdly similar to the Milk primer, but for nearly triple the price. It also has a faint scent that mixes sunscreen with baby shampoo.

View more details for Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer

View more details for La Mer Perfecting Primer

Foundation: Nars Light Reflecting vs Tarte Maracuja Juicy Glow

The bestselling foundation is the Nars Light Reflecting Foundation at $52. It applies smoothly but does not deliver the full coverage we hoped for. A second layer helps build it up. It is worth noting that while this is currently the bestselling foundation, it only has around 2,400 reviews, far fewer than some other popular foundations on the site.

The worst-selling foundation is the Tarte Maracuja Juicy Glow Foundation at $42. The tube design is fun to use, almost like face paint. However, the finish is noticeably shiny, coverage is light, and the formula feels heavy on the skin. It also has a tendency to oxidize, turning darker and more orange over time.

View more details for Nars Light Reflecting Foundation

View more details for Tarte Maracuja Juicy Glow Foundation

Concealer: Kosas Super Creamy Brightening vs Nudestix Nudfix Cream

The bestselling concealer is the Kosas Super Creamy Brightening Concealer. It is very lightweight, blends easily, and leaves a dewy, glowy finish. The scent is a little unusual, but the performance is solid.

The worst-selling concealer is the Nudestix Nudfix Cream Concealer. Interestingly, it has better ratings than the bestselling option at four and a half stars. The packaging is compact and cute. It blends more smoothly than any concealer we have tried, and it easily outperforms the bestseller in our test.

View more details for Kosas Super Creamy Brightening Concealer

View more details for Nudestix Nudfix Cream Concealer

Contour and Bronzer: Patrick Ta vs Gain

The bestselling contour is the Patrick Ta Contour, a duo with both a cream and a powder shade. The cream applies subtly and blends well, while the powder side works to bronze the whole face. It is a great everyday contour and bronzer kit.

The worst-selling bronzer is the Gain Bronzer at $60. The shade looks very pale in the pan, but it applies as a pretty, matte finish. It blends nicely and feels great on the skin. Despite having only nine reviews, those reviews are positive. It may simply be a newer product that has not found its audience yet.

View more details for Patrick Ta Contour

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Setting Powder: Huda Beauty Easy Bake vs Fashion Fair FF Set It Loose

The bestselling powder is the Huda Beauty Easy Bake Powder, which promises to absorb shine with no flashback. It applies translucent and sets makeup well. It is the highest-rated product in our test at 4.7 stars, and it lives up to that rating.

The worst-selling powder is the Fashion Fair FF Set It Loose Powder in the shade Warm Sunrise. It has a warmer tone and does a great job of toning down shine while keeping some of the skin’s natural dew. It is not better than the bestseller, but it is a solid powder that we would happily use again.

View more details for Huda Beauty Easy Bake Powder

View more details for Fashion Fair FF Set It Loose Powder

Blush: Patrick Ta vs Fashion Fair Blush Duo

The bestselling blush is also from Patrick Ta, tied with the Huda Beauty powder at 4.7 stars. It comes in a similar cream-on-top, powder-on-bottom compact. The powder shade is a pretty pink that is quite pigmented, maybe even a little too much at first. It blends very well and the color is lovely.

The worst-selling blush is the Fashion Fair Blush Duo in Berry Red. The shade is very dark and did not suit our skin tone, but it would likely look beautiful on someone with a deeper complexion. It does not blend as smoothly as the Patrick Ta version. Fashion Fair was originally around in the early 2000s, went out of business, and has now returned with a loyal fan base.

View more details for Patrick Ta Blush

View more details for Fashion Fair Blush Duo

Highlighter: Rare Beauty Positive Light vs Milk Makeup Mini Holographic Stick

The bestselling highlighter is the Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter in the shade Exhilarate. A single swipe delivers a stunning amount of glow. It is one of the standout products in the entire test and should last for years.

The worst-selling highlighter is the Milk Makeup Mini Holographic Stick in the color Mars at $24. That is a lot of money for a very small amount of product. The shine is subtle and only visible when light hits it directly. You would need to use a lot of product to get a noticeable effect, which makes it easy to run through quickly.

View more details for Rare Beauty Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter

View more details for Milk Makeup Mini Holographic Stick

Eyebrows: Sephora Collection Retractable vs Bobbi Brown Micro Brow

The bestselling brow product is the Sephora Collection Retractable Eyebrow Pencil in Neutral Gray Brown. It has a spoolie on one end and a retractable pencil on the other. It feels similar to a popular high-end brow pencil but at half the price. Unfortunately, the tip broke during our test, and we had to press hard to get any color out. It was our least favorite bestseller.

The worst-selling brow product is the Bobbi Brown Micro Brow Pencil at $36. It is very similar in design to the Sephora version, and some reviews mention that it breaks easily. However, it delivers precise, pigmented strokes that look like real brow hairs. As far as brow pencils go, the worst seller is the clear winner.

View more details for Sephora Collection Retractable Eyebrow Pencil

View more details for Bobbi Brown Micro Brow Pencil

Eyeshadow: Makeup by Mario The Neutrals vs Violet Voss High Di 4

The bestselling eyeshadow is the Makeup by Mario The Neutrals Palette at $50. It is a compact, travel-friendly size with a great selection of everyday shades. The shadows blend effortlessly and the color story is perfect for daily wear. It ranks among the top three eyeshadow palettes we have ever used.

The worst-selling eyeshadow is the Violet Voss High Di 4 Palette. It was $36 but is currently on sale for $24. The palette is bold and colorful, with bright neons and shimmers. The matte shades perform well, but the shimmers are less impressive. It is a fun palette for festival looks, but the bold color story likely explains why it did not sell as well.

View more details for Makeup by Mario The Neutrals Palette

View more details for Violet Voss High Di 4 Palette

Eyeliner: Sephora Collection Waterproof vs Natasha Denona Liquid

The bestselling eyeliner is the Sephora Collection Waterproof 12-Hour Retractable Eyeliner. It has a lot of ratings and they are mostly positive. It applies smoothly and delivers great color payoff for the price. Unlike the brow pencil from the same brand, this one performed exactly as expected.

The worst-selling eyeliner is the Natasha Denona Liquid Liner at $27. Reviews mention that it bleeds, cracks, and runs. In our test, the application was smooth and precise, though the black was not the deepest. It did not run or wipe off during wear, which was a pleasant surprise given the reviews.

View more details for Sephora Collection Waterproof 12-Hour Retractable Eyeliner

View more details for Natasha Denona Liquid Liner

False Lashes: Sephora Collection Flirty vs Huda Beauty

The bestselling lashes are the Sephora Collection Flirty Lashes at $10. They do not come with glue, which is a minor inconvenience. They apply easily, feel lightweight, and look great. The style you choose will affect how much you like them, but overall these are an excellent value.

The worst-selling lashes are from Huda Beauty at $23. The lash design is beautiful with a doll-eye effect, but the band is thick and stiff. They are decently comfortable but noticeably heavier on the eye than the Sephora pair. Some glue from the packaging also transferred onto the lashes. They are pretty, but not worth the higher price for us.

View more details for Sephora Collection Flirty Lashes

View more details for Huda Beauty Lashes

Lip Liner: Sephora Collection Retractable Rouge Gel

The bestselling lip liner is the Sephora Collection Retractable Rouge Gel Lip Liner. It is more creamy than jelly, applies smoothly, and would work well with a matching lipstick shade. The shade we picked, Matte Pink Brown, was a bit unusual, but the formula itself is solid.

The worst-selling lip liner did not arrive with our order, so we could not test it. It was the Xoni Lip Liner, a basic pencil liner priced at $32, which seems steep for a simple pencil.

View more details for Sephora Collection Retractable Rouge Gel Lip Liner

Lipstick: Sephora Collection Satin vs Lancome L’Interdit Cream Velvet

The bestselling lipstick is the Sephora Collection Satin Hydrating Lipstick in the shade Old Rose. It has a glossy, hydrating finish that feels comfortable on the lips. It has a distinct lipstick scent, but the performance is solid.

The worst-selling lipstick is the Lancome L’Interdit Cream Velvet Lipstick at $44. The packaging is stunning, and the applicator has an unusual shape that feels like a tiny pom pom. The texture is incredibly soft, almost like it could rub off easily. It is one of our favorite worst-selling products, with a four-star rating to back it up.

View more details for Sephora Collection Satin Hydrating Lipstick

View more details for Lancome L'Interdit Cream Velvet Lipstick

Lip Gloss: Summer Fridays vs Tom Ford Lip Blush

The bestselling lip gloss is the Summer Fridays Lip Gloss, which has been blowing up on social media. The formula is glossy, hydrating, and smells great. The applicator fits the shape of your lips perfectly. You get a generous amount of product, and the clear shade is versatile. It is worth the hype.

The worst-selling lip gloss is the Tom Ford Lip Blush at $60. The packaging is the most luxurious we have seen, but the product inside is unusual. It contains literal gold flakes that are more of a visual gimmick than a functional ingredient. The color turns pink on the lips and looks pretty, but it is hard to justify the price. That said, using it makes you feel like a billionaire.

View more details for Summer Fridays Lip Gloss

View more details for Tom Ford Lip Blush

Overall Buying Advice

The bestseller list is not always a reliable indicator of quality. Some bestsellers, like the Huda Beauty Easy Bake Powder, the Patrick Ta Blush, and the Summer Fridays Lip Gloss, absolutely deserve their popularity. Others, like the Sephora Collection Retractable Eyebrow Pencil, left us disappointed.

Meanwhile, the worst sellers revealed several hidden gems. The Nudestix Nudfix Cream Concealer outperformed its bestselling rival. The Bobbi Brown Micro Brow Pencil delivered precise, natural-looking strokes. The Lancome L’Interdit Cream Velvet Lipstick was one of the softest, most comfortable lipsticks we have ever tried.

A low sales rank does not mean a bad product. It might just be new, expensive, or bold in a way that appeals to a smaller audience. The Fashion Fair products, for example, have a dedicated fan base from the brand’s earlier days.

Conclusion

Testing bestselling and worst-selling makeup side by side proved that popularity and quality do not always go hand in hand. We found standout products on both sides of the list. The best approach is to read reviews, consider your skin tone and preferences, and not be afraid to try something that is not at the top of the charts.

Whether you stick with the bestsellers or explore the hidden gems, there is something worth trying in every category.