Joanna Vargas, briefly: it is a house signature that has been redrawn several times, and most of what people recognise is the proportion rather than the mark itself. Recognition is built by repetition over decades, which is why an imitation of the mark never carries the same weight. The short version usually matters less than how the thing is used now. Give anything new four weeks before you judge it. The groups below run from the decision that matters most to the ones you make afterwards.

What decides this is formula, texture and where it sits in your routine. Everything else is preference. Two from the first group show the range: Oneskin's OS-01 LIP SPF, Recurring at $30, and elfcosmetics.com's Suntouchable Invisi-Stick SPF 50 at $15. The first is the considered buy; the second is the one to start with. Introduce one active at a time, otherwise you cannot tell what worked. Texture matters more than the ingredient list for whether you will actually use it. A higher price mostly buys materials and finishing, and occasionally it buys nothing at all.

Thinnest texture first, richest last. Consistency beats the number of steps. From the second group, chantecaille.com's Blue Light Protection Hyaluronic Serum ($164) is the one that earns its place, because it works in more than one context without being restyled. The third group is smaller and deliberately narrower, skincare, for the decisions you make after the main one. None of this needs the whole group. One piece from each is usually enough.

There are 20 skincare here from 16 brands, $7 to $195, all in stock when this was written. We would not buy all of them, and neither should you. elfcosmetics.com's Holy Hydration! Daily Cleanser at $7 is the low-risk way in, and Chantecaille WW's *Blanc Peony Eye Serum at $195 only makes sense if this is a category you already use constantly. Read as a set, they get you close to Joanna Vargas without any single purchase being compulsory. Nothing here is included because it is famous, and price is not used as a proxy for quality anywhere on this page. If you take one thing away: the piece you reach for on a rushed morning is the one that was worth the money.