Maybelline New York

The story begins in 1915 in Chicago with a family mishap: Mabel Williams singed her eyelashes and eyebrows while cooking and improvised a homemade paste of Vaseline, coal dust, and ash. Her brother Tom Lyle Williams was so impressed by the result that he turned it into a product called Lash-Brow-Ine and named the company after her. In 1917, the Maybelline Cake Mascara became the first mass-market eye make-up product ever. Via stops at Plough Inc. and Wasserstein Perella, Maybelline New York has been part of the L'Oréal Group since 1996 and, with slogans like 'Maybe she's born with it, maybe it's Maybelline,' remains one of the best-known make-up brands worldwide to this day.

This deserves a nuanced answer: within the EU, testing cosmetics on animals has been legally banned since 2013, and Maybelline, as part of L'Oréal, complies with this. However, there's no official PETA cruelty-free certification for the brand as a whole, since L'Oréal products are also sold in markets such as China, where animal testing can be legally required under certain circumstances. Individual products are additionally labeled vegan, meaning free of animal-derived ingredients, which you can recognize from the note on the relevant product page or packaging. Vegan and certified cruelty-free are therefore two different claims that we deliberately don't blend together here.

The most reliable source is always the INCI list on the relevant product page or packaging, where you can see exactly what's included. Many foundations and concealers are now formulated with additional care ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, while mascara and lip products use different carrier substances depending on the series. If you have known intolerances or fragrance allergies, we recommend briefly checking the list before buying.

Let's bring some order to the range: Fit Me is the foundation line for a natural, matte finish with a fine-pore look. Super Stay stands for especially long-lasting lip products such as the Matte Ink Liquid Lipstick. The Falsies and Lash Sensational are mascara lines for maximum volume and curved lashes respectively, while Tattoo Liner delivers precise eyeliner application. You'll find all eye make-up products bundled in our Eyes category, lip products in Lips, and complexion products such as foundation and bronzer in Complexion.

For the longest-lasting result, we recommend: first apply Fit Me Foundation evenly, then set contours with Concealer and the City Bronzer & Contour Powder. Next comes eye make-up with an eyeshadow palette, Tattoo Liner eyeliner, and finally mascara such as The Falsies or Lash Sensational. Lips come last, for example with a Super Stay lipstick or the Lifter Gloss for extra shine. You'll find matching brushes and sponges in our Make-Up category.

The mascara and eyeliner lines are basically designed for everyday use, but for very sensitive eyes or contact lenses, we still recommend applying the product carefully and avoiding direct contact with the lid margin. When removing make-up, waterproof formulas like The Falsies dissolve most reliably with a dedicated eye make-up remover rather than regular facial toner. If irritation or redness persists, discontinue the product and, if in doubt, consult an ophthalmologist.

Yes, Fit Me Foundation is available in a wide range of shades to cover different skin tones well, and the matte finish is especially suited to combination to oily skin. For dry skin, we recommend using a moisturizing day cream from our Creams & Oils category before applying foundation, so it doesn't settle into fine lines. The eyeshadow palettes include both neutral and bold shades for different occasions.

Maybelline wins us over with the combination of well-known trend products, a wide color selection, and an attractive price-performance ratio in the entry-level segment. L'Oréal Paris belongs to the same group but additionally stands out with a larger skincare range and a somewhat more premium positioning. If instead you're after vegan formulations and a scientific skincare approach, Newwell is an exciting alternative at similar prices.