The Lineup is a monthly series where we're giving you an inside peek at the beauty lineups of cool fashion people, editors, makeup artists, hairstylists, and estheticians—all the people we trust the most. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at all the can't-live-without products that make their worlds go 'round.
For as long as I can remember, I've been fascinated by founders and how they got their start. How did they come up with their ideas? Did they want to be founders from a young age? Did they happen to stumble upon a line of work that interested them? Well, for Annie Lawless, becoming a founder kind of happened naturally. As a kid, she suffered from severe eczema all over her face and body until she reached her teenage years and was finally diagnosed with celiac disease. "This was life-changing for me," she tells me. "When I cut gluten out of my diet, my eczema completely went away. It was mind-blowing because I never considered that there was a correlation between my diet and my skin condition."
Clearly, Lawless's interest in health and wellness stemmed from her personal experience dealing with skin and gut issues, and she started focusing on the idea that what you put in and on your body can affect how you look and feel. This led her to learn more about nutrition and co-found the mega-popular organic cold-pressed juice company, Suja Juice. "A couple of years later, I felt a disconnect between the way that I cared about ingredients in the foods I was eating and the skincare products I was using, but I didn't really pay attention to my makeup. I purchased a lot of 'clean' makeup products to test and see if I could replace some of my conventional favorites, but everything was geared toward a no-makeup makeup aesthetic with very sheer coverage, lots of cream products, and minimal staying power," she explains. Lawless is a full-face-of-makeup kind of girl most days, so when she realized that clean makeup with full coverage just didn't exist at that time, she knew she wanted to create it.
Fast-forward to 2017, and Lawless Beauty was born. The collection is full of clean, toxin-free makeup with amazing ingredients that actually work. Not only are the formulas clean, but they actually perform and last. (I'm a true sucker for the Forget the Filler Lip Plumper Line Smoothing Gloss, $25.) Plus, they come in chic packaging. What's Lawless's favorite product? The Conseal the Deal Full Coverage Concealer ($26). "It's such a unique formula because it's so serum-like and lightweight, but it's full coverage. It also has a really pretty self-setting, soft-focus finish that just perfects my skin wherever I use it," she shares.
Well, that seals the deal for me (pun very much intended). And if you're curious about the rest of Lawless's can't-live-without beauty products, keep scrolling to see her 15 top picks.
"I love this because it's an active cleanser with AHAs and exfoliating enzymes. As a daily wearer of makeup, I need something that really thoroughly cleanses without stripping my skin, and this is it."
"This concealer is so magical. It has such a uniquely thin and bendable consistency for the coverage it delivers. It feels like there's nothing on my skin, but it covers everything. I love that no matter how much I apply, my skin still looks like skin."
"Set the Stage is my biggest morning time-saver. This acts as my serum, moisturizer, and primer, doing the work of three products in one. My skin has never looked better and my makeup has never applied more beautifully since I started using this."
"Words cannot describe how much I love this product, and my husband may love using it even more than I do! It's the most comfortable, buttery, hydrating lip balm I've ever used, but it also contains Maxi-Lip, which is an ingredient that has been clinically proven to increase your lips' collagen production, smooth lines, and increase volume with continued use. It's like a night serum for your lips!"
"This is my favorite lip plumper because it doesn't sting or burn my lips, has a glassy high-shine finish, and makes my lips look instantly bigger! It completely erases my lip lines upon application and contains clinically proven collagen-producing and plumping ingredients for long-term benefits. This shade is the perfect baby pink that's named for my daughter, Daisy. I wear it every single day."
"This stuff works miracles. As a blonde, breakage is unavoidable for me, and this is the only hair product I've ever used that truly makes my hair stronger and healthier. It leaves my hair so glossy and moisturized without weighing it down and protects it from heat styling and color damage."
"I started using this extremely velvety and luxurious body butter when I was pregnant, and I can never go back because my skin has never felt smoother and as deeply moisturized as it does now. It's packed with super-nourishing seed butters and oils and actually absorbs into my skin without feeling greasy or sticky. The light citrus scent is also very nice and refreshing."
"I have used this brush since I was a young girl and still have never found a more beautiful brush. The bristles brush through my long hair so easily and comfortably and are gentle enough for my baby daughter's hair. I gift my friends and family with them often because they are so high quality and will last a lifetime."
"I use this serum every night and have seen such a smoothing and brightening effect that just gets better over time. I have leftover pregnancy melasma that has faded significantly, and my tone is overall much more even. Whenever I get complimented that my skin is 'glowing,' I know it's because of this serum."
"This is my favorite eye cream because it's ultra moisturizing without being heavy or oily in the slightest, and it lays so perfectly under makeup. This really helps plump fine lines and hydrate my under-eye area."
"I use self-tanner year round, but most of them dry my skin out so badly that it shortens the length of my tan. I love this so much because I can substitute my after-shower body cream with it on the days I want to tan because it's so rich and hydrating. It is a gradual tanner, so I use it two to three days in a row at the beginning of my week so I can be bronzed and glowing all week long."
"I have very sensitive skin, and this is so gentle while leaving my skin extremely soft, smooth, and clean. The sandalwood scent makes me feel like I'm at a spa."
"As a Southern California beach girl, any scent that invokes summer for me is a winner. Fawn smells like summer in the sexiest way: coconut milk, sea salt, and suntan lotion. I find myself reaching for it all year long."
"I love this toner! It softens and exfoliates my skin like nothing else. I use this after cleansing to prep my skin for the rest of my skincare routine, and it completely removes dead skin, dry patches, and any residual makeup. I will use this forever because it makes my skin feel so clean and clear."
"This conditioner is a must-have for blondes! I notice such a big difference in the brassiness of my hair when I use this purple conditioner. It smells great and leaves my hair so soft and silky."
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