5 Must-Haves from 10+ Years of Beauty Writing
I have spent many years in the beauty trenches. More than I — as a beauty writer driven by vanity — can be expected to own.
I’ve weathered trends from gold leaf and caviar to snail mucin and snake venom, experienced facial massages in LA and vitamin A peels in NYC. I’ve sat under red lights, blue lights, white lights and highlights. Been scarred by bad extractions and misused lasers — and been saved by the same.
In short, my skin has seen a lot. And, in that time, many a great product has come and gone, some inciting panic attacks when they were discontinued. (I’m still mourning Lili Mineni’s A and C serums, which I just discovered are gone while writing this story. At least, she’s still available for the world’s best facials if you’re ever in LA.)
Fortunately, some of the greats have endured. A tiny portion of the bazillions of products I’ve sampled (and continue to cycle through) have risen above and become solid keepers for me — more experiences than simply skincare.
These are my ride-or-die besties, my must-haves, my desert island picks (if that desert island came equipped with a porcelain sink and a sanitized washcloth). These are the lotions and potions that, after I tried them gratis, I started buying for myself — a beauty writer’s ultimate compliment. These have transcended fads.
Some people have a bucket list. For better or worse, I have this. And now you have it too.
This face oil raises the bar. It’s not every day that a product hits the trifecta — great smell, great efficacy, great packaging/ingredients. (Wait, that’s four…oh, well. No one ever said I was good at counting.) Personally, I use this product every single day and, while I usually think the idea of turning your face washing routine into a ritual isn’t that realistic (aren’t we usually either rushing in the morning or exhausted at night?), I actually do that with my Vintner’s. Almost every time I use it, I close my eyes and inhale the essential oil scent for just a second and it really does relax me and lift my mood. Oh, and it makes your skin look good too. It never makes me break out; it doesn’t make my skin dry or oily. This is a safe space in the beauty world, the product I use when my skin is haywire or just fine.
2. Bioactive Rose Gommage Mask by Odacité
Okay. I’ll admit there’s a bit of a theme here. This product also smells incredible. It’s great for your skin, gentle, hydrating and refreshing. In fact, they call it a “baby soft peel.” BUT the real story is the experience of using the beautiful creation. The packaging is simple and pretty. The gel is the perfect color pink. The scent of rose permeates as you paint this cooling mask onto your skin with the crispest brush and let it dry (only to rub it off at the end, which is also satisfying). I sometimes give beauty-obsessed friends this product as a gift because of how lovely it is to use. It’s not just a mask. It’s an escape.
3. The Problem Solver by May Lindstrom
You know when you put a mask on your face and you can feel that it’s actually doing something? That’s the deal with The Problem Solver, which does seem to legitimately target myriad skincare problems. I love this mask for when my skin is a bit of a mess and needs a clean up/reset (for instance, after too many weeks of sunblock etc.). Where the Rose Gommage (above) feels gentle and cooling, this feels assertive — active and warm. Perfect as the weather cools! This product starts as a powder that you turn into a fluffy mousse by adding water and, again, you paint it on, so you feel all professional and stuff. Truly a work of genius.
4. Anti Bac Lotion by Kate Somerville
Let me make this short and sweet: If you notice a breakout coming on and you apply Anti Bac to the area consistently over the next days, the breakout will never happen. Yup. Now, I understand that everyone’s skin is different, but, in my experience, this product is the BEST spot treatment known to womankind. I never travel without it (and that’s from a travel writer too). In general, I like me some Kate Somerville (including the woman herself). But this product in particular is a game-changer.
5. Pumpkin Purifying Enzyme Peel by Naturopathica
When you think skincare, you don’t think pumpkin. After all, they’re just large orange gourds. And, yet, this non-toxic, Thanksgiving pie-smelling peel, which also incorporates cinnamon bark and lactic acid, gives you an amazing refreshed flush, bringing life back to your skin. It’s amazing for dullness, but isn’t irritating, like you just came in from a brisk walk, rosy cheeked, glowing and ready to face the world.