Selena Gomez launched Rare Beauty on September 3, 2020, and named it after her album Rare, so the brand began as something personal rather than a name on a box. The first launch already had a point of view: 48 shades of foundation, matte lip creams, brow definers, liquid blush and lip balms, all vegan and cruelty-free in FSC-certified recyclable packaging. Gomez has spoken openly about her own bipolar disorder and built the company with mental health in mind, which is why 1 percent of revenue goes to the Rare Impact Fund, which aims to raise 100 million over ten years for mental health services. Time named Rare Beauty one of its Most Influential Companies of 2024. The face is where I would begin, because the best seller came in that very first launch. Soft Pinch Liquid Blush went viral on TikTok in 2022, and the family has grown around it: the Soft Pinch Matte Liquid Blush Mini, its own brush, the Stay Vulnerable Melting Cream Blush and the Warm Radiance Mini Blush & Luminizer Duo. The Warm Wishes Soft Matte Powder Bronzer and the Positive Light Silky Touch Highlighter handle warmth and shine. For the base, True to Myself Natural Matte Longwear Foundation and True To Myself Foundation carry the shade range, and the tinted finishing powder and Always an Optimist Soft Radiance Setting Powder finish it. If you are weighing cream against powder, my cream or powder blush explainer is a quick read.

Rare Beauty is not only makeup, and the Find Comfort line is where that shows. Find Comfort Niacinamide Hydrating Body Lotion, the Bouncy Body Cream in Awaken Confidence, the Niacinamide Hydrating Hand Cream, the Konjac Jelly Body Wash and the Lip Butter Balm with its overnight mask all sit under one name, so a routine can stay in one family. The Hydrating Under Eye Patches and the Positive Light Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 Sunscreen cover the face side of the shelf. Two Fragrance Layering Balms, Sweet Marshmallow and Fruity Pear, are made for layering. The Brow Harmony Flexible Lifting and Laminating Eyebrow Gel is in here too, for anyone who wants brows to hold their shape. What I would skip is relying on the SPF 20 tinted moisturizer as your only sun protection on a beach day; for hours outdoors, pair it with a dedicated sunscreen. For the cooler months, a fall skincare routine gives a sense of how to layer richer creams under all of this.

Lip products were part of the founding lineup, and the range here shows why. The Soft Pinch Lip Oil Stick, Positive Light Luminizing Lip Gloss and Kind Words Lipstick and Lip Liner give you a gloss, a stick and a defined edge, while the Luminous Faves Lip Duo packs two shades together. On the eye side, Perfect Strokes does most of the work: the Universal Volumizing Mascara in Brown, the Brown Liquid Liner and the Longwear Gel Eyeliner. Brown is a soft choice for anyone who finds black too sharp. The Essential Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette and the All of the Above Weightless Eyeshadow Stick make an easy two-step eye, and the Brow Harmony Precision Pencil finishes the frame. Selena's Lash & Brow Duo bundles the mascara and the pencil for anyone who wants both. If you are building a pink mouth, the good pink lip covers balms, oils and sheer tints.

The sets are the easiest way into the brand, and they carry the same names as the full sizes. Selena's Most Loved Face Set and the Bestselling Faves 4 Piece Set gather the products people reach for first. The Hope Faves 4-Piece Makeup Gift Set, the Mauve Faves Lip Duo and the Violet Faves Mini Cheek and Lip Trio are built around a color story, which makes them simple to give. The fragrance sets include the Rare Eau De Parfum Fragrance Gift Set With Vanilla And Caramel, the Rare Beginnings Mini Eau de Parfum Set and the Mini Rare Eau de Parfum Set with Vanilla and Caramel. If you are shopping for someone who is new to the brand, I would choose a color set that matches how they already dress, warm mauve for neutrals and violet for cooler tones. Gift sets are a gentle way to try the Soft Pinch blush family without committing to full sizes.

The whole fragrance range here is built around one scent: vanilla and caramel. The Rare Eau de Parfum with Vanilla and Caramel is the full bottle, with a Travel Spray for a bag and a Rare Moments Eau de Parfum Rollerball Duo for a quick touch at the wrists. The Rare Beginnings Eau de Parfum is the second name in the lineup, so there is a choice between the two. The Travel Spray and the rollerball duo make it easy to keep the scent with you through the day, and the mini sets in the section before are the low-commitment way to try it first. A warm gourmand like this suits cold weather. For the whole family of vanilla and caramel scents, I would read the boozy gourmand for what else sits near it.

My Rare Beauty routine would start with the Find Comfort body lotion, then a tinted moisturizer, a Soft Pinch blush and a Kind Words lipstick. I would carry the Fragrance Layering Balm and the vanilla and caramel rollerball for the day. If you want a full everyday face from there, this everyday makeup look shows how skin tint, concealer, cream blush and mascara fit together.

If you want to keep going, Huda Beauty Makeup and Fenty Beauty Skincare and Makeup pair well with this edit.