SPOT IT: SHISEIDO IBUKI MULTI SOLUTION GEL

Are you prepared for your next beauty emergency?

As former sitcom starlets know, making a comeback is not always easy. Sometimes when your face wash routine gets off track, it feels like your complexion will never recover. When life is putting your skin through the wringer, you can count on Shiseido Ibuki Multi Solution Gel to come to the rescue.  Check ULTA 20 off entire purchase for saving.

BEAUTY EMERGENCY #1: You wake up in your makeup. Hello, blackheads!
Errybody in the club gettin’ tipsy and then falling face-first onto their silk pillowcase with their foundation still packed on. Oops. When you inevitably wake up with new blackheads, this gel formula’s salicylic acid will get down to business.

BEAUTY EMERGENCY #2: You go from the ocean to not enough lotion. What’s up, dry skin?
After spending a weekend at a brochure-worthy beach, your office air-conditioning greets you Monday morning with a blast of free radicals. Thankfully, this solution’s PhotoTarget Complex restores skin’s barrier function as it doles out serious moisturizing benefits.

BEAUTY EMERGENCY #3: You’re suffering from diet disquiet. How you doin’, blotchy patches?
Your brain is like, “Kale,” but your body is like, “Nope, donut.” You should eat nutrient-rich foods for lots of reasons—one being your skin will look bumpy and sallow if you don’t. But for those days when you just feel like snacking on junk food anyway, the formula’s Connective Memory Network makes the gel spread evenly on your skin for an overall dewy complexion.

Sephora Nails - One Drop Beauty

Five ways less can be more.

You know that feeling when you’re running late, trying to put on your makeup, and end up just dolloping on way too much product? While we’ll never be able to slow down time, here at the Sephora Glossy, we can at least help you take out some of the guessing game. Case in point: all five of the beauty products below claim to only require one drop of formula to give you your desired outcome. Below, I take them on their word—and discover how a little goes a long way. KELLEY HOFFMAN

NAILS INC. Gel Effect Polish

THE SERVING SIZE: One dip.

THE TEST: Several features of this polish immediately caught my eye. The formula is very high-pigment, so I noticed no streaking when I applied it. Plus, it comes with a wide brush, which made it quicker and easier to swipe on than most polishes. The plumping, high-gloss effect and patented plasticizer formulation gave me the gel look and last I love, without having to sit under a UV lamp. Yep—NAILS INC. nailed it again.

NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation

THE SERVING SIZE: One pump.

THE TEST: This longwear foundation comes in a frosted glass container that looks as elegant and feels as substantial as a fragrance bottle. To apply, I shook the bottle, then warmed one drop of the liquid between my fingers. Next, I blended the concentrated formula on my freshly cleaned and moisturized face—across my forehead, cheeks, nose, chin, and upper lip area. To my surprise, it covered it all, just fine. The foundation had a weightless feel, and offered a polished, soft-matte finish. The best part? It gave me full coverage while still looking natural.

Amazing Cosmetics Amazing Concealer

THE SERVING SIZE: One dot.

THE TEST: With the tiniest squeeze of the little black tube, out popped a formula I instantly realized was unlike any other concealer I’d ever seen before. The consistency is super-emollient. The tiny drop was enough to blend (with my non-dominant ring finger) onto both of my under eye areas. As someone with genetically dark circles, I was in awe of how, ahem, amazingly it covered them up.  I’m sure it has something to do with the fact it contains more than three times the amount of pigment in  other concealers.

Josie Maran Coconut Watercolor Eyeshadow

THE SERVING SIZE: One dab.

THE TEST: This is a really interesting formula—not only does it have the argan oil that’s central to Josie Maran’s products, it’s also 50% coconut water. The shimmery shades come in a mini eye dropper-esque bottle, and I had to shake it before I applied it. All I needed was one swipe from the doe-foot wand, and then I finger-painted the ultra-hydrating formula across my eyelid to blend. All I can say is: wow.

Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics Lip Tar Matte

THE SERVING SIZE: One bead.

THE TEST: With a slight press of the tube, I applied a tiny squirt of the crazy high-pigment tar to its corresponding brush (included with purchase). I dotted the color on the center of my lips, then easily blended it out to the edges of my lip lines. I loved how quickly it dried to an on-trend matte. With a huge range of classic and edgy colors alike, I like that I can go from Plain Jane to Tumblr cool  in one drop. Bonus points: formula is 100% vegan.