Here’s how to get your hands on the best American beauty brands

From their pearlescent Lux Diamond Lip Glosses to their super versatile collections of Pro Eyeshadow Palettes, LORAC is a makeup brand that’s known to deliver high quality products that work well for any occasion.

Take their iconic Pro Eyeshadow Palette (S$54) for example – all 16 shades blend perfectly together and can easily create any daytime office look. You can then pop on a darker shimmer shade onto your crease for an easy transition to a date night look. And if lip gloss is up your alley, try their high-shine, luminous lip glosses (you’ll be spoilt for choice with the shades) to instantly add glamour to your pout.

P.S. Unlike many other beauty brands like Colourpop or Glossier, LORAC Cosmetics doesn’t ship to Singapore. However, you can get some of their bestseller products on iHerb.com.

Kylie Jenner may be one of the most controversial celebrities on social media but whether you love or hate her, you can’t deny her success in building a beauty brand that has taken the makeup world by storm.

Made popular by the iconic Kylie Lip Kits (S$36 for a lipstick and a lip pencil), this brand has grown to feature more than just lip products. We’re talking eyeshadows, blushes, contours, highlighters and even brow products. Our favourite pick is the Stormi Collection inspired by Kylie’s adorable two-year-old daughter, featuring the hit 9-pan palette (S$39) with unique periwinkle shades. The collection also features a matte dusty rose blush (S$25) that’ll not only complement any skin tone but amp up any makeup look.

There is a flat fee of S$20 for international purchases, which is pretty reasonable if you’re combining orders with your girlfriends.

This New York-based cruelty-free and vegan skincare and makeup brand is the brainchild of the founders of Milk, a photo studio located in New York and Los Angeles.

From negative space eye makeup to glossy lids, the brand serves up cool, creative yet wearable looks.

One of their bestsellers is the Matcha Stick Cleanser. Splash your face with water and swipe the cleanser until it produces lather. Use your fingertips to massage it and rinse off. The result: clean skin minus the tight, taut uncomfortable feel that some cleansers leave behind.

Milk Makeup currently doesn’t ship internationally, so if you happen to be in the US next time, do drop by their retailer locations to stock up on their bestsellers. You can also hop onto Skinx, a trusted website that ships Milk Makeup to both Singapore and Malaysia.

This brand is known for their skincare that is gentle enough even for sensitive or reactive skin. All of the dermatologically-tested products from the brand like their best-selling moisturising cream are packed with emollients, humectants and ceramides which help to restore the skin’s natural barrier.

On the popular internet forum Reddit, there is at least one trending thread about the brand, with users raving about the efficacy of their products. A Reddit recently wrote about the brand’s hydrating cleanser and moisturising lotion: “I’ve been using CeraVe’s Hydrating Cleanser and Facial Moisturizing Lotion PM morning and night for the past couple months, and for the first time, there’s noticeable improvement in my skin… I wanted to make this post as a reminder that skin care doesn’t have to be expensive or complicated to be good.”

Unfortunately, CeraVe doesn’t ship internationally. But do check out Amazon as it has a number of their bestselling skincare products listed.

It’s hard not to see why everyone wants The Ordinary products for their #shelfie. This Instagram-friendly beauty brand is known for their minimalist packaging and effective, active-ingredient driven products at shockingly affordable prices – nothing in its line cost over US$20 dollars.

One of the brand’s most popular product is the Granactive Retinoid Emulsion 2%. Reality TV star Kim Kardashian has been said to use the product to keep fine lines and dark spots at bay.

You’ll be happy to know that The Ordinary ships to Singapore! Click the link below to shop now.

Known for its Lip Whips (matte lipsticks) that are budge-proof, Beauty Bakerie offers vegan-friendly and cruelty-free products that everyone would feel safe using.

The brand’s founder was inspired to create products with ingredients that are safe – her experience with cancer triggered her to be more health-conscious – and gave women of colour a makeup alternative. Although Sephora does carry its Lip Whips, it doesn’t have the rest of its products which have been highly raved about, especially their Flour setting powder.

So be sure to pop into their quaint ‘bakery’ for more goods like eyeshadow palettes, mascaras, contour palettes and more!

Beauty Bakerie offers free shipping on international orders over $150. So grab a few girlfriends and order away!

Founded by American sweetheart Jessica Alba, Honest Beauty promises to deliver safe yet effective products. Every year at least one product wins an award, so you can trust that the quality is there. Haircare, skincare or makeup, you’ll want to get whatever you can while you’re there because it’s extremely tough to get the products here.

Some items to look out for: Beyond Hydrated Moisture Milk leave-in conditioner, Luminizing powder and the Refreshingly Clean Gentle konjac sponge, which exfoliates and leaves your skin as smooth as a baby’s bottom.

Unfortunately, Honest Beauty does not ship too Singapore. So if you’re heading to US in the near future, do remember to stock up on their bestsellers and have it shipped to your hotel room or Airbnb.

We’ve also found a trusted third party website that you can purchase Honest Beauty products from. P.S. it ships directly to Singapore.

We all know that situation when you’re looking at your collection of lipsticks, but you just can’t find the perfect shade.

At the Bite Lip Lab, you can literally create your own lipstick by choosing your shade (you can pick and mix over 200 colours), the texture of it, the scent and the packaging. So whether you’ve always wanted a mustard matte lipstick, a creamy purple or even a sheer fuchsia lipstick, this is your chance.

The Lip Lab is also jumping in on the safe cosmetics bandwagon, with ingredients that are safe for your body so you needn’t worry about harmful chemicals.

Bite Beauty offers international shipping at a flat rate of $9.95 for orders $50 and above.

Drew Barrymore’s makeup line promises quality products at an affordable price. The great thing about her collection besides its quality (according to multiple online reviews), is that it comes in packaging that looks like that of a mid to high-end priced product. There’s everything from primers to illuminators and eyeshadows.

The must-try product would have to be its concealer – which has won an Allure Beauty Award – that comes with a brush so you can effectively cover up the tiniest spots.

Since Flower Beauty is a newer brand, it doesn’t ship internationally yet. You can, however, shop some of their bestsellers from Coma, a trusted third party website.

A brand that’s well-loved by beauty gurus, Colourpop is an incredibly affordable and fairly new cosmetics brand that has lipsticks, eyeshadows, and eyeliners going from US$5 a pop. The shade range on their skinny lipsticks also known as Lippie Stix (and matching lip pencils) is incredible, and I love the quality of the eyeshadows.

You can order them off Carousell, but nothing beats the price of getting them directly. Colourpop now ships to Singapore and offers free shipping when you spend over $50.

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If affordable quality brushes and large eyeshadow palettes are your thing, you definitely need to check out the Morphe Brushes website. They do have a store in Burbank, California where you can experience the brushes and shadows for yourself, but the site also has specially created picks by certain beauty youtubers. The 35O palette is a cult favourite, and is regularly out of stock, so you might want to order that one given the chance.

Morphe Brushes ships to Singapore, but shipping fees are varied and dependent on your total purchase amount.

Another affordable “drugstore” brand, Milani does have some hit and misses, but is very much worth the money for certain products.

The most famous product from the brand is probably their baked blush in the shade Luminoso, which is a coral shade that is flattering on almost every skintone. They’ve also got a few great eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks you should pick up while you’re at it.

Milani Cosmetics is now available in Singapore at most Watsons stores. But if you’re looking to get your hands on their extended range of products, do check out their counters at Target or Walmart the next time you’re in the US.

One of my favourite origin stories, Glossier came about thanks to beauty editors from a well-known beauty blog called IntoTheGloss.com, who decided to create their own products. They’ve got both skincare and makeup, and I absolutely love the pink and white minimalist packaging.

While I can only personally vouch for their lip balm called Balm Dotcom, the brand comes with generally rave reviews.

Glossier currently does not ship to Singapore. But be sure to check out Lazada for a smaller but equally exciting range of everyone’s favourite Glossier products.

I was first alerted to this brand by a Youtuber I follow called Kathleen Lights. She was raving about how incredible the highlighting Shimmer Strips were, and called them a “dupe” for the Bobbi Brown shimmer bricks.

They also have a range of bronzers she raves about, and while looking for a product to buy while browsing iHerb.com, I decided to try out their “lash-boosting” eyeliners (not quite lash boosting, but very easy to use.

Physicians Formula does not ship internationally, but you can check out some of their bestselling products at iHerb.com.

As far as affordable drugstore brands go, I’ve been a fan of Covergirl mascaras since I first tried one in my teens.

The brand has some great foundations too that are worth a look (like the Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3-in-1 foundation), and is easily available from drugstores like CVS and department stores like Target.

Covergirl does not ship to Singapore just yet, but you can still get your hands on some of their fan-favourite products on Lazada.

I’ve heard about this brand for years, but sadly have never gotten acquainted with it.

It started out as a hair salon in New York City in the 70s, and now produces a massive range of hair products for all hair types, from tonics and styling creams to shampoos and prep sprays that are loved by plenty of consumers and haircare professionals alike.

You should probably have a quick search on which products are suited to your hair type beforehand, as the range can be quite overwhelming.

Bumble and Bumble ships to Singapore! They offer free shipping with a minimum spend of $70.

While not exactly a new player in the beauty market, Sonia’s seen a more recent rise in popularity on the scene thanks to Youtube beauty gurus.

The brand has got an impressive range of products from makeup to skincare and tools, with particular hero products like the Hidden Agenda Concealer Kit, mattifying primer, facial oil and various lipsticks.

This affordable brand does not ship to Singapore, but you can find a wide variety of their brushes at any Target store in the US, so do remember to drop by the next time you’re there on a holiday. Do hop onto Carousell too to see if you can get your hands on their bestselling brushes.

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