Some beauty products genuinely work on everyone — every skin type, every tone, every age — because they solve universal problems: shine, dullness, dry lips, sparse lashes, flat hair. In this video, makeup artist Nikol Johnson shares her ten truly universal picks and, more usefully, the categories that make a product universal in the first place.
Key Takeaways
- Universal products solve universal problems — hydration, shine control, definition — rather than depending on a color match.
- Sheer, buildable, and self-adjusting formulas flatter every tone; opaque one-shade products don't.
- A great black mascara, a neutral blush tone, an oil blotter, and a nourishing lip balm belong in literally every makeup bag.
- Build your kit from universals first — then personalize with the shade-specific pieces.
What makes a product 'work on everyone'?
Three qualities: it's sheer or translucent (so there's no shade-matching risk), it's buildable (so every intensity preference is covered), or it addresses a need every face shares. Black mascara is the classic example — there is no skin tone or eye color it doesn't flatter. The same logic covers blotting papers, brow gel, a rosy lip balm, and a soft highlighter: they meet the face where it is.
Which universal categories should anchor your kit?
Start with lashes and lips, the two most forgiving categories. A volumizing black mascara like VOLUME UP Mascara works on every eye shape and age, and a tinted nourishing balm like Rose Lip Balm adapts to the natural pigment of your lips, so it flatters every complexion automatically. Add a translucent powder or blotter for shine, a neutral rose blush, and a hydrating mist — those five cover most faces most days.
What are the universal tools?
Tools are the most universal products of all — a good sharpener, quality brushes, and a proper mirror serve every routine identically. A 10x Magnification Mirror is the unsung hero: brows, liner, and tweezing all improve instantly when you can actually see what you're doing. Nothing shade-dependent about that.
The specific third-party products in Nikol's top ten are linked in the video description on YouTube.
Frequently Asked Questions
What beauty products work for all skin tones?
Sheer, buildable, and translucent formulas: black mascara, tinted balms that adapt to your lips, translucent powder, cream highlighters, and neutral rose blushes.
What should a minimal makeup kit contain?
Mascara, a tinted lip balm, a neutral blush, concealer, brow product, and a translucent powder or blotting papers — six pieces that cover ninety percent of days.
Are expensive products more universal than drugstore ones?
No — universality comes from the formula type, not the price. A sheer drugstore balm is more universal than a luxury opaque lipstick.
What's the single most universal makeup product?
Black mascara. Every age, eye color, and skin tone benefits from defined lashes, which is why it tops nearly every artist's list.
