(Photo: Shiny Diamond / Pexels)
Get a head start on your Christmas shopping with 2020's best makeup and beauty tools!

As Cosmopolitan declares, "Worst year, best products."

With a worldwide pandemic raging on, everything that we have taken for granted we sorely miss. It's not as easy to step into our favorite salon for some pampering after a tough week at work. Even that simple perk-me-up of scouring makeup aisles for a new lipstick can be a health hazard. Online shopping is fun, but it's not the same. However, that is becoming our new normal as we try to stay indoors and avoid heavy crowds.

This year, holiday shopping will have to be done holding a phone or facing a computer. To give you something to look forward to, here are some of 2020's best beauty products and tools compiled by your favorite beauty magazines.   

Eyes

Maybelline The Falsies Lash Lift Waterproof Mascara

Faux lashes make a huge difference, but if you can't be bothered by the process, try this mascara from Maybelline. Cosmo says this mascara made them want to quit their lash curlers. Get it in Black for maximum impact.

E.L.F. Wow Brow Gel

Infused with fibers, this long-wearing brow gel comes in five colors and gives sparse brows that feathery effect everyone has been going for lately. Even better, its cheap price tag is a steal!

E.L.F. Liquid Glitter Eyeshadow

It looks like E.L.F. is coming up with hits this year. This liquid eyeshadow is fool-proof, highly pigmented, and quick drying. It comes in 11 shades and again, very affordable. All E.L.F. products are vegan and cruelty-free.

MAC Pro Longwear Fluidline

Allure loves this ultrasmooth gel formula that's long-wearing, waterproof, and smudge-proof. Brush sold separately.

Maybelline Nudes of New York Eyeshadow Palette

Everyone loves a good bargain, and that's what you get with this palette. With 16 universally-flattering shades of nude, mauve, and brown, this is perfect for gifting.

Pat McGrath Blitz Astral Eyeshadow Quad in Nocturnal Nirvana

If you love colorful lids, this cream to powder palette will give you great pigment and a metallic finish. It also comes in two other quads, Iconic Illumination and Ritualistic Rose.

Lips

BareMinerals GEN NUDE Matte Lipcolor

Good Housekeeping and its Beauty Lab approves of this liquid lipstick which they describe as having the "pigment of a lipstick with the easy glide of a gloss." The mousse formula is also non-drying, unlike other matte lippies.

Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer

If it's Rihanna-approved, then it must be good. Marie Clare is a fan of this rich brown gloss that moisturizes lips and can go from the office to a date in a heartbeat.  

Lancome L'Absolu Rouge Ruby in RubieZ

Vampy lips are trending for this winter season. For the perfect dark red, Allure loves Lancome's RubieZ. Try it for yourself or get one as a luxurious gift for your loyal bestie.

Bobbi Brown Crushed Oil-Infused Gloss

Both Cosmo and Allure are fans of this gloss from Bobbi Brown. With just the right blend of gloss and color, Cosmo thinks it's "perfection."

Also read: Ace That Face! The Best Zoom Makeup Tips from Celebrity Makeup Artists

Face

CHANEL Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation

This medium coverage fluid gives a soft-focus finish that's perfect for all those Zoom conferences. Again, both Cosmo and Allure voted for this.

Maybelline Cheek Heat Gel Cream Blush

Good Housekeeping approves of this fool-proof paint for cheeks. With its sheer gel formulation, you can easily apply this with your fingertips for a natural flush.

Benefit Cosmetics Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer

Perfect for dark undereye circles and patches of redness, GH rates this highly in terms of coverage and blending.

Beauty Tools

Shiseido Hanatsubaki Hake Polishing Face Brush

GH likes this handcrafted powder brush that's shaped like a flower. It's compact, but the curved edges make it easy to hold, and as Beauty Lab testers note, the bristles are soft and produce an airbrushed effect.

Dermaflash Exfoliation & Peach Fuzz Removal Device

If you have excess facial hair, this device helps remove that and helps makeup glide beautifully. Aside from making your skin smooth and silky, of course.

Dyson Corrale Straightener

This unique, albeit pricey, heat styler lessens hair damage during heat styling and is super handy - you won't get tangled up in extensions cords with this rechargeable straightener. With the right technique, you can also use this to create beachy waves and curls.

Related article: Best of 2020: Hair and Skin Care