As a beauty editor, I'm constantly asked which brands, products, and treatments are worth it. This is a tricky question because an honest answer depends on left-out information—skin concerns, hair type, makeup preferences, etc. Still, I like to keep a select number of tried-and-true suggestions in my back pocket if people are simply open to testing new things.
That's the case with 18 beauty products I recently recommended to my picky friends. From a gentle cleansing foam to an iconic foundation and beyond, these are the beauty products I recommend to just about anyone. Lucky for me, they're all available at Nordstrom. How convenient. Keep scrolling to see my picks!
Skincare Staples
What it is: a gentle foaming face wash
Why I recommend it: It has a silky, luxe-feeling lather that whisks dirt, oil, and debris off of my skin without stripping moisture or exacerbating irritation. Whenever I use it, my skin feels exceptionally clean, happy, and healthy. It's definitely a staple.
What it is: a blemish-fighting, oil-regulating, pore-minimizing serum
Why I recommend it: Acne-prone skin needs hydration too, yet many acne products strip moisture rather than adding it back into the skin. This one is different. Sure, it uses salicylic acid to unclog pores and prevent breakouts, but it also uses hyaluronic acid to moisturize, soothe, and plump irritated complexions.
What it is: an effective moisturizer
Why I recommend it: This is one of my top three moisturizers. I've used it since I was a teenager, and I still love that it moisturizes, soothes, and plumps my skin without clogging my pores or exacerbating irritation. I really, truly love it.
What it is: a moisturizing eye cream
Why I recommend it: This creamy eye treatment deeply moisturizes the delicate eye area for a plumper, smoother appearance that has less visible fine lines.
What it is: a refreshing, hydrating mist
Why I recommend it: Thanks to ingredients like aloe, sea salt, hyaluronic acid, and seaweed, this face mist hydrates and refreshes dry and tired skin like a charm.
Bodycare Staples
What it is: a luxe shower oil
Why I recommend it: This starts out as a silky oil and transforms into a light, foamy lather in the presence of water. It's rich in almond oil and other moisturizing lipids, so it softens the skin as it cleanses. Plus, it has a delectable scent that turns any shower into a spa-like experience.
What it is: a cult-classic bodywash
Why I recommend it: With plant-derived surfactants, botanical oils, vitamins, and omegas, this bodywash is like a multivitamin for the skin. It washes away dirt, oil, sweat, and other debris without stripping the skin. Plus, it comes in both scented and unscented versions. I like the Eucalyptus one best.
What it is: a celeb-loved body oil
Why I recommend it: Here's another Osea item. This time, it's a body oil that's never thick, heavy, or greasy—unlike others on the market. The lightweight dry-oil formula contains undaria seaweed, white lupin flower, and a botanical oil blend to moisturize and strengthen the skin. Not to mention, it makes skin glow beyond belief. It's no wonder celebs like Victoria Beckham use it.
Makeup Staples
What it is: a cult-classic foundation
Why I recommend it: Beauty editors, celebrities, and makeup artists agree that this foundation is elite. It provides the prettiest and most natural-looking glow to the skin, disguises imperfections with medium coverage, and never leads to clogged pores and breakouts. I'm not lying when I say makeup artists and facialists recommend it to literally everyone.
What it is: a brightening concealer
Why I recommend it: Half concealer and half eye cream, Kosas's Revealer Concealer does double duty. Its medium coverage disguises dark circles, while its caffeine- and hyaluronic acid–spiked formula treats and perfects the under-eye area. Even though it works like a dream under the eyes, I use it all over my face for natural-looking coverage and skin benefits.
What it is: a cream concealer
Why I recommend it: Makeup artists recommend cream concealers to cover the most stubborn skin concerns, like breakouts and dark spots. This one offers high-coverage, skin-blurring effects and a stunning soft-matte finish.
What it is: a creamy eyeliner pencil
Why I recommend it: I would shout my love for this eyeliner from the rooftops if I could. Not only is the shade range impeccable, but the formula is also soft, creamy, and blendable, so it's easy to work with. Once applied, it doesn't smudge, feather, or transfer either. I know my beauty-editor colleagues agree.
What it is: a lash-perfecting mascara
Why I recommend it: The Who What Wear team is not-so-secretly obsessed with this mascara. It volumizes, lengthens, and fans out lashes for a defined yet natural-looking effect. I'll always recommend this mascara to anyone who will listen.
What it is: a universally flattering lipstick
Why I recommend it: This lipstick has been around since, well, forever, but it recently went viral on social media after younger folks discovered just how universally flattering the iconic Black Honey is. The raisin-like color suits almost every single skin tone out there. Plus, the sheer, shiny finish is so pretty.
Hair Staples
What it is: a shine-boosting hair treatment
Why I recommend it: In case you missed it, glossy hair is one of the biggest 2025 hair trends, according to experts. This in-shower treatment boosts shine and lasts through three washes. Expensive-looking hair right this way.
What it is: an iconic texturizing spray
Why I recommend it: This four-in-one product absorbs excess oil like a dry shampoo, boosts volume like a mousse, provides touchable hold like a hair spray, and delivers the most intoxicating scent like a hair perfume.
Fragrance Staples
What it is: a sweet, floral fragrance
Why I recommend it: Fragrance is so personal, so it can be difficult to recommend a specific scent to someone—especially if I don't know what type they're usually drawn to. Luckily, there are a few perfumes that seem to hit the mark for just about everyone, and I'd argue that Chanel's Coco Mademoiselle Eau de Parfum is one of them. With notes of orange, Grasse jasmine, May rose, patchouli, and vetiver, it's bright, sweet, and traditionally feminine. It's so good I'd go as far as to say that it's uncontroversial.
What it is: a modern skin scent
Why I recommend it: Here's another fragrance I think smells good on literally everyone. Phlur's Vanilla Skin has notes of pink pepper, apple, lily, cashmere wood, vanilla, and sandalwood. It's best described as a "your skin but better" scent that's sheer, subtle, and inoffensive to any nose that sniffs it.
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