We assign products a rating of one to five stars.

• Five stars: Superior. These are industry-leading, world-class products that contain an intriguing amount or combination of research-proven ingredients.
• Four stars: Excellent. These are some of the best products around but have minor formulary, aesthetic, or performance issues that can affect a decision to purchase or results you’ll see.
• Three stars: Average. May have certain issues such as a lack of key ingredients or a more basic or one-note formula, but might still be worth considering, especially if the price is low.
• Two stars: Below average. These products are disappointing on many levels, from formula to packaging or value for the money. Not worth strong consideration.
• One star: Poor. An irritant-laden or otherwise disappointing formula, bad performance, poor packaging, or a combination of these make such products a must to avoid.

Skincare review ratings are based on published scientific research—not our feelings after using the products. No one needs to use a product to find out that it’s bad for their skin, the same way you don’t need to smoke a cigarette to find out that it’s bad for you. The research is there to inform us, and when it comes to skincare, it’s the research that matters most.

Makeup ratings are based on the team’s color specialists who test and compare products to let you know their opinions of exactly how they perform. Each category of skincare and makeup products have their own unique criteria that determine its final rating, but here’s the basic checklist we use to determine if a product is worth your time and money and most importantly brilliant for your skin:

• Who is the product best for, and how easy is it to use?
• Can the product live up to all (or any) of its claims?
• Does it contain effective amounts of ingredients proven to make skin look younger?
• Does the product contain any ingredients research has shown can irritate skin?
• How does the product differ from similar types of products—is it worth its price?
• How does its packaging impact performance, ingredient stability, and ease of use?

You can learn about the criteria we’ve established for each category of products by visiting the Best Products section where each category has these details summarized for your convenience!