Last Updated on 3rd December 2023 by Sarah Sarsby
To finish off the end of a pretty crazy year, I’m sharing the best beauty products of 2020, which includes a range of makeup and skincare products.
These are my 20 favourite beauty products of 2020. Not all of these products were released in 2020 but a lot of them are new purchases of mine. They’re all fantastic and I can’t recommend them enough. I had a pretty hard time narrowing down this list but I got there in the end!
Keep on reading to see the best beauty products of 2020. If you’re curious to see which beauty products made the cut last year, check out my 2019 beauty favourites roundup.
** This post contains some affiliate links. This means at no extra cost to you, I earn some commission if you purchase a product through my link. All thoughts are my own, though, as always. If you want to find out more, visit my affiliate disclosure page **
Skincare products
1. NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex
The NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex is hands down the best hyaluronic acid serum I’ve ever used. I received it earlier this year as part of the Caroline Hirons Spring Kit One and I was blown away by the results. Lightweight and absorbent, this serum makes your skin feel instantly hydrated. It also works well with other products as it’s not greasy or sticky.
2. Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster
The Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster is great for evening out skin tone, making the skin look brighter and improving uneven skin texture. It’s very easy to use and has made my skin noticeably better since using it. I personally mix it in with my moisturiser and it works a treat.
3. Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer
The Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer is by no means a new product but has been a new discovery for me. It’s totally worth the hype. This lightweight tinted moisturiser makes your skin look healthy and radiant while evening out your complexion. It’s utterly gorgeous and great for when I want a quick skin pick-me-up when I’m on the go.
Read my full review of the Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer here
4. Sunday Riley Autocorrect Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream
I’ve got to confess that I’m not the biggest eye cream fan and I’ve used quite a lot that don’t really do anything. However, the Sunday Riley Autocorrect Brightening and Depuffing Eye Contour Cream is pretty special. This eye cream immediately makes your eyes look brighter, smoother and less puffy.
5. OSKIA Super-C Capsules
Also part of the Caroline Hirons Spring Kit One, the OSKIA Super-C Capsules are expensive but easily one of my favourite vitamin C products. These capsules instantly make your skin look bright and radiant. The capsules are vegan, biodegradable and travel-friendly as you can just take however many capsules you need.
You can read my full review of the Super-C Cpaulses here.
6. Dr. Althea 147HA Intensive Soothing Cream
The Dr. Althea 147HA Intensive Soothing Cream is one of my favourite moisturisers. I was gifted this. As the name suggests, this cream cools and soothes the skin instantly. Hydrating and moisturising, this will leave your skin feeling soft and smooth all day long.
7. Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor
There were a lot of SPFs I could’ve included in this 2020 best beauty products roundup but the Fenty Skin Hydra Vizor is the most ground-breaking. This SPF was created specifically with black people in mind as it doesn’t leave a chalky cast on the skin. Instead, this SPF makes the skin feel moisturised and look radiant. But, most importantly, this SPF30 product protects your skin from harmful UV rays.
Want to hear more about the Fenty Skin line? Read my review of the collection here
8. The Body Shop Sumptuous Cleansing Butter
An OG in the skincare community, The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter is both affordable and high quality. The cleansing butter easily and gently removes any trace of makeup or dirt on the skin but leaves the skin feeling calm, soft and smooth. At £11 for a 90ml pot, you’re not going to find a more effective, affordable cleansing butter.
9. REN Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream
This is the final skincare product from the Caroline Hirons Spring Kit One that I’m including in this list. The REN Evercalm™ Global Protection Day Cream is a fantastic, lightweight and award-winning moisturiser. This nourishing and hydrating moisturiser is non-greasy and melts into the skin. It’s a joy to use and suitable for all skin types.
10. Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Glow is another fantastic vitamin C product but this time in the form of a facial oil. This daytime oil makes your skin look instantly brighter and more radiant while hydrating and nourishing the skin. Although the product feels quite oily in your palms, it absorbs into the skin quickly and is non-greasy once applied.
Makeup products
1. Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation
The Pat McGrath Labs Skin Fetish: Sublime Perfection Foundation is expensive, luxurious and makes your skin look divine. This foundation is a recent discovery of mine but I’m obsessed with it. The foundation beautifully reflects the light, making your skin look dewy, without looking oily or wet. It’s quite sheer but can be easily built to medium coverage. Whilst it’s lightweight, it’s still very long-wearing, which is impressive.
For my thoughts on the Skin Fetish Foundation, check out my full review here
2. Glossier Boy Brow
Glossier Boy Brow is an iconic brow product. This easy-to-use product makes your brows look fluffier, thicker and more groomed in an instant. My favourite thing about this brow product is that even if you make a mistake, it’s so easy to clean up. The brow gel is waxy and flexible, so you can manipulate your brow hairs however you want to.
3. M.A.C. Pro Longwear Paint Pot
The M.A.C. Pro Longwear Paint Pot is the ultimate eyeshadow primer. This primer stops your eyeshadow from creasing or fading throughout the day and gives you a perfect, smooth canvas for you to create stunning eye looks. I wouldn’t be without it now.
4. By Terry Terribly Paris Vip Expert Palette Paris By Light
I adore the By Terry Terribly Paris Vip Expert Palette Paris By Light. This neutral eyeshadow palette is amazing for creating soft daytime looks through to sultry evening looks. The shadows are pigmented, easy to blend and buttery. The shimmers are multi-dimensional and truly special. Plus, the packaging and eyeshadow embossing are unmatched. Love, love, love.
5. Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix Glaze
The Danessa Myricks Beauty Colorfix Glaze is an awesome, versatile product. It’s a multipurpose gloss that can be used on the eyes, lips and cheeks for an editorial look. I love using this gloss over matte eyeshadows for a Vogue vibe. It doesn’t feel sticky or heavy on the lids either.
Want to discover some more awesome black-owned beauty brands? Check out my blog posts here and here
6. KKW Beauty Crème Contour Stick
I couldn’t do a 2020 beauty faves roundup and not include the well-loved KKW Beauty Crème Contour Stick. Although this cream contour product isn’t new to the market, I only discovered it this year and it’s definitely worth the hype. Creamy, easy to blend and impossible to overdo, this contour stick is beginner-friendly. Plus, there’s a great shade range to choose from.
7. ICONIC London Sheer Blush
The ICONIC London Sheer Blush is a blusher that deserves way more attention. Although this isn’t the most pigmented blusher out there, it’s so easy to build and imparts a gorgeous, radiant flush to your cheeks. It’s very natural-looking and makes gives your skin a healthy tint.
8. Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb
The Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb is definitely one of the best lip glosses of all time. Shimmery and lightly tinted, this lip gloss gives your lips a juicy shine without ever feeling sticky on the lips. The Gloss Bomb also makes your lips look fuller and smoother on application.
You can read my full review here
9. Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
If you like your highlight to look lit-from-within rather than overly shimmery, then you’ll fall in love with the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. You can mix this dewy liquid formula in with your foundation for a glowy base or over high points of your face for a subtle glow. It’s a totally unique illuminating formula but is absolutely amazing.
10. Juvia’s Place Mini Magic Palette
The final product I’m including in the best beauty products of 2020 list is the Juvia’s Place Mini Magic Palette. This beautiful eyeshadow palette contains an intriguing mix of cool and warm shades. Not only are Juvia’s Place eyeshadow palettes affordable but they’re also all extremely pigmented. The eyeshadows in the Mini Magic Palette are buttery, easy to work with and deliver gorgeous colour on the lids.
Final thoughts on the best beauty products 2020
2020 has been another brilliant year for beauty products. This list of makeup and skincare products includes my favourite products for the year and they’re all worth checking out.
Sarah Sarsby is the owner of A Woman's Confidence. With over 5 years' experience of writing in the fields of beauty and lifestyle, Sarah is passionate about all things content, makeup, skincare, wellness, and lifestyle. She has oily skin, is obsessed with lip gloss, and loves cookie dough.
I love this list. The Pay McGrath foundation was such a find for you. I also love the By Terry eyeshadow palette. I couldn’t live without it.
The Pat McGrath Foundation is the ultimate find. Obsessed
A truly exceptional list! A lot of my all times fav on here (such as the Body Shop Cleansing Blam), and others that I really want to try (mainly the Oskia vitamin C capsules!)