8 underrated makeup products that deserve more hype

The Prada Reveal is everything you’d want from a foundation: seamless, lightweight, and not remotely cakey. The transfer-resistant formula is infused with vitamin E, niacinamide, and even SPF 17. It gives your skin that luminous effect while also hydrating and improving texture. Despite the frankly embarrassing number of foundations I own, this is the bottle I reach for most often.

A relatively new discovery, but I can already foresee its permanent residency in my makeup bag. Made with squalene, this blush melts easily into the skin rather than sitting on top of it. No danger of blush blindness here. It’s buildable, ridiculously easy to blend, and the perfect travel-sized essential to give your cheeks, lips or eyes a pick-me-up when on the go. I’d recommend the shade Pop Strawberry to help uplift even the laziest of makeup looks.

For those days when a full face of glam feels wildly ambitious, Laura Mercier’s Tinted Blur Balm is a saviour. It smoothens, blurs, and evens everything out while still letting your actual skin breathe underneath. The balm-to-powder texture successfully holds up during the Mumbai humidity. If that doesn’t convince you, I don’t know what will.

A Kylie Lip Kit recommendation in 2026 feels almost nostalgic, but I have good reason to share this particular one. The shade Kylie in the Glossy Lip Kit is an exceptionally good everyday lip combination. The nude brown liner gives the lips definition, and the pigment payoff is such that I use it to fill in the entire lip rather than just tracing the edges. Top it off with the hydrating sheer gloss, and this combo will stay put for hours.

Possibly the easiest brown smoky eye of your life. Scribble the shade 09 Espresso Matte along the lash line, blend it out with a brush or, more realistically, your finger, and suddenly it looks as though you’re a professional MUA armed with tricks of the trade.

It’s waterproof and comes with a built-in sharpener. You can thank me later.

Yes, this has been around forever, but we still don’t talk about it enough. This isn’t any ordinary strobe cream but one powered by antioxidants and potent botanicals like green tea, which helps clarify skin that’s been through a lot. Mix it into foundation or tap directly onto the high points of the face for a sun-kissed glow.

You’ve tried Morphe’s eyeshadow palettes. Now give your brows some love. Its micro brow pencil in the shade Java is a deep neutral brown that beautifully complements Indian skin tones and doesn’t leave any unwanted undertones. The ultra-fine tip makes it a breeze to fake tiny, hair-like strokes instead of making your eyebrows a colouring sketchbook.

All a girl wants is a mascara that actually defines and separates her lashes without leaving a clumpy residue. L'Oréal answered our prayers with this product. You can keep it clean with one coat or build it up when you want more drama, and the waterproof formula is particularly useful in case you’re subject to any unexpected showers.