Whether you’re a makeup newbie or a professional or probably fall somewhere in the middle, knowing the top players in the industry is very important.
In this alphabetically arranged article about makeup brands, you’ll learn a little tidbit regarding some big wig brands in the makeup industry. You’ll even be shocked to read about some brands you didn’t realize were into makeup.
Top 20 Makeup Brands
1. Armani Beauty
The Armani brand is considered Italy’s number 2 fashion brand, after Prada
The company, created in 1975 in Milan by Giorgio Armani, originally produced shoes, home interiors, accessories, etc., before opening up a makeup segment about 27 years later as it gained popularity.
The brand is big on quality, especially with Mr Armani being in the formulation process till production. He only sends every formula back to the labs for tweaking once he gets the same quality he wants. One Armani beauty product you want to try is its ‘luminous silk foundation’, which is weightless and silky to use on the skin. It is also, interestingly, a UK bestseller.
2. Bobbi Brown
Before starting her makeup line in 1991, Bobbi Brown was a makeup artist. Her inspiration was that there weren’t many makeup products that didn’t require mixing to get your desired effect. She believed makeup should be easy to apply and come out looking natural.
Brown eventually sold her company to Estee Lauder but remained CEO and retained full creative control over the line.
The brand currently has bestseller eyeliners, eyeshadow, bronzing powder, etc. Bobbi Brown products are sold in about 74 countries in over 2000 stores.
3. Burberry
The Burberry company is a British Fashion brand originally known for making Trench coats. The brand is known for its quality and innovative products, making its makeup line the best-known in the world.
4. Chanel
Chanel is an all-over-the-world-known brand. Originally and still known as a women’s clothing line, the French brand ventured into makeup in 1924 and has since churned out quality makeup products.
Two top must-have items on the list of Chanel makeup products are:
- Chanel Rouge Coco lipstick
- Chanel Gloss volume plumping lip gloss
Although expensive, Chanel makeup products will give you money’s worth on your skin.
5. Clinique
Clinique is easily one of the biggest skincare and cosmetics brands in the beauty industry, with its stores in over 100 countries worldwide.
It was founded in 1968 and has consistently maintained its skincare mantra; cleanse, exfoliate and moisturize. The brand’s products are science-backed, being created by an Elite team of dermatologists. One interesting thing about Clinique is that you have access to skin consultation for free at any Clinique store.
6. Dior
Dior, founded by Christian Dior in December 1946, is a top-notch luxury, the makeup even better with its ‘Addict Lip Maximizer pumping lip gloss’, which looks good on any skin tone. With a Dior in your makeup collection, you can keep your money’s worth.
7. Estee Lauder
Founded in 1946 by herself and her husband, Joseph Lauder, Estee Lauder started with just four products. This brand is now well-renowned in the world of makeup with all manner of makeup products and even skincare products.
8. Givenchy
Givenchy has long been known for products related to women’s beauty.
The brand was created in 1952 but launched its makeup line in 1989. They have since then continued giving consumers luxury, exceptional, quality products in makeup.
9. Gucci
Gucci is one luxury brand not to be trifled with. The company was founded by Guccio Gucci and ranked as the 33rd global brand in the world in 2019.
The brand launched its makeup line in 2014 but declined when other makeup brands came on the scene and knocked it off its throne. However, it revived its makeup line in 2019 with a 58-piece colour range of Lipsticks. Gucci has since maintained the class it has always been known for.
10. Hourglass
Hour Glass is a top beauty brand known for classic makeup, yet modern-day tuned. The brand was established in 2004 and offered cruelty-free makeup packaged in sleek containers to draw your attention. A top Hour Glass product you need to try is their ‘Confession Refillable Lipstick Set’. According to top reviews, you’ll be experiencing your money’s worth with this product and the other products, from container to content.
11. Laura Mercier
The world-famous Makeup artist Laura Mercier created a makeup company in 1996. The aim was to create a makeup line that would accentuate natural features without making a face feel too covered. The company has since kept its original goal of producing effortless and affordable makeup. The ‘Cavier stick eye color is a Laura Mercier product you want to try on.
12. L’Oreal
L’Oreal has been around for almost a century. It is the world’s largest cosmetics company and creates products focused on hair color, skincare, sun protection, makeup, perfume, and hair care.
The company has its headquarters in Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, and currently has 36 brands.
The French company sells luxury cosmetics of superior quality at affordable prices for women everywhere. You will always be satisfied with the L’Oreal product in your collection.
13. MAC
There is no way you haven’t owned a MAC; know someone who owns one or at least come across one. MAC is that ‘common’ brand not to be noticed. A leading global brand in the world of makeup, MAC means Makeup Artist Cosmetics and is well known for its amazing range of colors. It adds fun to the choice process for their customers as there is a wide range to pick from. With MAC, you want to shop with a disciplined budget, lest you get carried away by so many colors to pick from.
14. Maybelline
Thomas Lyle Williams watched his sister, Maybel, use Vaseline, coal, and ash for her eyebrows, which he found amusing.
This amusement and curiosity about the makeup business birthed a desire to create makeup.
Thomas used his chemist knowledge and created the ‘Maybelline Cake Mascara’ – the first mascara ever. He created the brand’s name by joining the last four letters in Vaseline to his sister’s name, ‘Maybel; hence, Maybelline.
The company is currently one of the most popular ones for quality makeup.
15. NARS
Francois Nars launched the NARS company in 1994 with 12 lipsticks. The company currently has a complete line for every kind of makeup you can think of.
NARS has easy-to-use products that come in different shades. Both novices and professionals swear by this product because of its ease of use.
16. NYX
Toni Ko launched NYX in 1999. Her goal was to create makeup of great quality but affordable, and she succeeded massively. The company got its name from the Greek goddess NYX, and the idea behind this is that every woman is a goddess.
Toni later sold NYX to L’Oreal, at $ 500 million. The brand is still in the business of producing great quality products at affordable prices.
17. Revlon
Revlon was Founded in 1933. It was started by brothers Charles and Joseph Revson and a chemist, Charles Lachman, whose surname’s first letter replaced the ‘S’ in the brothers’ surname to form the Revlon company name. They started with nail polish as their only product during the Great Depression, and it was red nail polish, the first when only pale and sheer were available.
Since then, it’s been an upward progress for the company, and they’ve been on the scene for decades, offering their customers a high-quality product at affordable prices. It’s easy to guess why they are top in the market, and Revlon is a worthy addition to your collection.
18. Sephora
The Sephora company started in France in 1970. However, its beauty arm was launched in 1995 and has approximately 2300 stores in 33 countries. The Sephora company is arguably the largest international beauty store and carries the best makeup brands worldwide. It, however, branched off recently to create its collection of cosmetics. It also took its private label range of makeup and skin care products to another level with its new ‘Sephora Collection.’ With affordable prices and incredible quality, you’ll find almost anything makeup you seek in this new collection. From tools to brushes and even face masks – name it.
19. Too Faced
Jerrod Blandino and Jeremy Johnson co-founded the company, too faced with Jerrod being the creative chief responsible for the excellent products they produced. The company has some of the finest lip, eye, and skin makeup collections, and it was the first to introduce glittery eyeshadow. The Make-up Company is now an extension of Estee Lauder.
20. Yves Saint Laurent
Yves Saint Laurent speaks the language of ‘luxury and elegant’ fluently. The brand is not far-fetched even in its makeup products that are classy, bold-colored, and elegantly stand out in every scenario that they are used. The ‘Touche Éclat Blur Primer is one YSL product you want to put your money on, and you can trust not to be disappointed.
Conclusion
Makeup is an art. Knowing what tools to use is your superpower, and knowing which brands to get these tools from is wisdom handed to you on a platter.
From Armani to Burberry to Chanel to Dior and many other brands not listed in this article, you can get your art in place by picking one or two items from any of these brands.