I Spend 70% of My Time Giving Beauty Advice—30 Products That Always Come Up

It's incredibly hard to give people skincare recommendations because everyone's skin is so wildly different (especially when it comes to an active, like vitamin C). BeautyStat's editor- and celebrity-approved formula is the only one I feel comfortable recommending to literally everyone. The price point is much more doable than other cult-favorite vitamin C products out there, and it offers 20% pure and incredibly stable vitamin C for a brighter and more even complexion. (True story: Hailey Bieber was such a fan that she recruited BeautyStat's founder, cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, to help formulate her line, Rhode.)

Up until very recently, I was platinum blonde and had my bright-as-possible-blonde hair routine down pat. Naturally, people were always asking for my thoughts on purple shampoo and which formula I recommended above all others. Hands down, I always respond with Dae. Not only did I find it the best for counteracting brassiness, but I also found that it delivered the most hydration, shine, and movement to my hair post-cleanse.

I have a few lip oils that I really love, but I would say that I'm most often tipping people off to try this one from Gisou. I personally like that it's sheer so I can easily wear it on its own or use it as an ultra-shiny topper to whatever other lip products I'm wearing. It's incredibly hydrating—thanks to Mirsalehi honey and hyaluronic acid—and the perfect consistency. (I hate when lip oils are too sticky OR too slippery.) It's the true Goldilocks of lip oils for me, and I have this new shimmer iteration at the top of my wish list.

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I am an absolute freak when it comes to mascara. It's my favorite category of beauty products and, consequently, the one I'm the most discerning about. It's very hard to choose a favorite child, but I really feel like Dior's iconic curling formula gives you the best of all worlds—aka, the perfect ratio of volume, length, and lift. It's an investment but a worthy one if you, like me, take your lashes very seriously. 

So many great concealers have launched since this one did a couple of years ago. However, this one from Kosas is still the one I always reach for. It blends like butter, rarely creases, has tons of shade options, and is infused with strategic skincare ingredients that will actually help improve your skin while you wear it, just as an eye cream would.

When I'm giving someone a fragrance recommendation, I usually keep two things top of mind: price point and the number of compliments I've been given. I have some other favorite perfumes that I love to wear and rake in the attention, but Father Figure from Phlur is the one that currently has a choke hold on me and feels the most accessible in terms of price. The mix of fig, vanilla, sandalwood, and jasmine dew is so juicy and intoxicating—one part green and fresh, one part warm, creamy, and skin-like. It's so hard to put my finger on, which is what makes a fragrance truly irresistible in my eyes.

Your face primer (and how you apply it) can really make your break your entire makeup look. First, make sure you're waiting at least 10 minutes after you've done your skincare routine to apply it, and then wait three to five minutes after you've applied your primer to start in on your foundation and/or concealer. (You should also make sure your primer is similarly formulated to your other complexion products—i.e., determine if it's oil-, water-, or silicone-based.) Exa is Credo's in-house brand, and all of the products are so underrated. This oil-free hydrating primer is so freaking great and my secret for a truly flawless base that will also keep your skin looking and feeling balanced all day long.

Lash serums can be tricky because they can often be irritating. But as someone who has had issues with lots of other formulas (hello, redness and watery eyes!), I haven't had any issues with this formula from Grande Cosmetics, and it makes my lashes look crazy good. (This is coming from someone who used to use Latisse!) I keep trying to tell myself I don't need to keep using it, but after my lashes start to go back to normal, I freak out and have to buy it again

I come back to Kosas again and again for my brow products because the undertones are just so right and look the most natural IMO. (I've found other lines often run too warm or too cool, which I don't find flattering.) As a blonde, I loved to combine Taupe and Honey Blonde, but as a newly minted redhead, I've been cocktailing Auburn and Soft Brown. 

I don't always use brow gel and usually like to let my filled-in brows go au naturel after I've completed my handiwork, but for the times when I want to make sure they don't budge through a long day or night, I reach for this clear, strong-hold formula from Make Beauty. I love the chic packaging (duh), but I also appreciate that it easily brushes through my brows without flaking or clumping and is also composed of hyper-nourishing ingredients. 

I've kissed a lot of frogs when it comes to lip plumpers over the years, but this one has probably impressed me the most when it comes to both the results and the price you can get them for. Now, this stuff is spicy—you've been warned—but the kicky mix of blueberry oil, ginger, and capsicum creates the perfect trifecta of shine, hydration, and visible plumping. 

I love this foundation so much that I dedicated an entire article to it. I love that when I wear it, people don't compliment me on my makeup, they compliment me on my skin. It's buildable, boosted with skin-loving ingredients, and just looks so unbelievably pretty. It's a true your-skin-but-better product.

I don't know what it is about skin tints, but I just never like them. They always leave me wanting more! That said, this new skin tint has finally changed my mind, and it's the only one I will (and want!) to keep in my regular rotation. First of all, the coverage is really gorgeous. It looks completely invisible on the skin, so no one would ever guess you have any kind of base product on, but it instantly makes your skin look more even, glowier, and bouncier. Basically, it's the bottled form of what I've always wished my makeup-free skin could look like naturally. Plus, since it's a tinted version of the brand's already cult-loved Super Hydrator, you're still getting all of the same skincare benefits that have made it such a beloved moisturizer.

I love a lip tint, and this OG one from Benefit deserves Hall of Fame status. It looks intense right out of the gate, but if you dab it on your lips (I like to do this after I've lined them) and then wait a minute to let it sink in and marinate, you'll be left with the prettiest wash of color. It gives you that quintessential "I've been sucking on a cherry Popsicle" look that I happen to love.

I've been wearing this color-changing blush oil every single day ever since I discovered it. (I also love it on the lips!) It's very viral on TikTok, but just in case you missed it, it's a color-changing blush oil that reacts to your skin's pH to give you your most customized and flattering flush.

As a beauty editor who has talked to so many expert formulators and brand founders, I can tell you that you really do NOT have to be spending more than $50 on a hyaluronic acid formula, folks. (Truly, save your money!) I am obsessed with this simple and potent blend from Kiehl's. My thirsty complexion laps it up and instantly looks so plump and dewy. 

Say hello to my favorite cleanser of all time. In my eyes, it is, quite literally, perfect. It has zero sneaky pore-clogging ingredients (spoiler: so many cleansers can exacerbate acne-prone skin on the sly), and it's just so supremely juicy and hydrating.

I know, I know—you are probably sick of reading about my obsession with this eye cream. (I magically find a way to include it in almost every story I write.) But let me explain: My under-eyes get super dry and are prone to creasing under my concealer, and I swear this is one of the only eye creams that truly makes a difference—nothing else compares to the hit of moisture it delivers. It doesn't feel sticky or tacky (the worst), it provides the longest-lasting surge of moisture I've ever experienced with an eye cream, it doesn't cause my eyes to water or irritate, and it helps plump up any fine lines or wrinkles.

If you break out easily, no other sunscreen really exists aside from this one. There's a reason it's a cult favorite and well-loved by celebrities. So many facialists and dermatologists have told me it's the formula to use, and I've heeded their advice ever since. It's lightweight and oil free and doesn't leave a filmy residue or icky cast on the skin. 

I love +Lux Unfiltered so much, and I have an entire review (including before and after photos) to show for it. I recommend this lotion to everyone—whether they're brand new to the world of self-tanner or a seasoned veteran. It has clean ingredients, the end results are so natural looking and never streak, it fades evenly, it's white-bedsheet safe, and last but certainly not least, the scent options actually smell amazing and super elevated. (To the point where people will actually tell you you smell good—in what world has that ever happened when you've applied self-tanner?) 

Surprise, surprise, another +Lux Unfiltered formula. So many facial self-tanners have tons of comedogenic ingredients. (Think coconut oil, etc.) These drops not only give the best sun-kissed glow, but they actually keep my skin clear and make my complexion look and feel healthier. I like to mix a few drops with my moisturizer in the morning to maintain a perpetual dose of natural-looking color, and I feel good knowing it has a roster of clean ingredients to boot. Fun fact: One of my best friends who's also a celebrity aesthetician and has acne-prone skin, like me, is the one who got me hooked on them!

This is the only hand cream I use because it actually keeps my skin hydrated, soft, smooth, and practically shimmery with nourishment for hours and hours. Despite the MVP ingredient—rich honey extract—it's not sticky or overly thick in the slightest.

Is Dyson's iconic hair dryer expensive? Yes. Do I feel it's entirely worth the investment if you're able to take the plunge? Yes, again. It's light, it's efficient, it dries my hair more quickly than any other dryer, and it also wreaks way less havoc on my fragile strands in terms of heat-induced damage.

Honestly, I would buy this incredibly effective nourishing hair balm for its heavenly scent alone, so the fact that it can truly transform dry, damage-ravaged hair feels almost too exciting to handle. One of my absolute favorite tricks is to saturate my dry hair with this stuff before pulling my strands into a sleek, slicked-back style. Your hair, again, will smell next-level amazing, and no one will know your chic style is actually a damage-proofing plan stealthily at play. Leave it in for as long as possible (sometimes I'll even go days) for shine, softness, and smoothness galore.

As the years have gone on, I've become increasingly indifferent to face masks. And if I'm really being honest, most of their results are so minimal and fleeting I've deemed most formulas a complete waste of time and money. Except this one. As someone who deals with occasional breakouts and consistent skin congestion, I really notice a night-and-day difference when I use this mask. (Think smoother, brighter, clearer, and more hydrated skin, instantly.) That said, I also appreciate that the melding of blue (kaolin) clay; niacinamide; salicylic acid; and Hyaluroset, the brand's special botanical alternative to hyaluronic acid, is gentle enough not to irritate my sensitive skin.

If you're not curling your lashes before applying mascara, they're not living up to their full flutter potential. I've tried at least 30 lash curlers in my lifetime, and this one is the absolute best, hands down.

I love this stuff, but let me tell you right now that you will feel it. It gets warm and spicy, and while I personally love the sensation, it's an acquired taste for most. Consistency is important with this one, but when I'm using it regularly and twice a day per the instructions, I do find that my skin looks tighter and much smoother. I also love that it's made in Brazil using native Brazilian ingredients. There's nothing else on the market like it!

I've started to wash my hair more frequently than I used to in the name of scalp health. But every so often, I still rely on dry shampoo, and this thoughtfully formulated option from Vegamour is my go-to. It's lightweight and effortlessly absorbs any excess oil or odor that's happening with zero detectability. 

I recently discovered this luxe hair oil from celebrity hairstylist Mara Roszak's line Rōz, and now I truly cannot get enough. It's made with five nourishing plant-based extracts that are light enough not to grease down my fine hair but are nourishing enough to amply treat curls and thick, textured strands. I love combining it with the brand's Milk Hair Serum when my hair is damp to help protect, detangle, and enhance my hair with lots of vibrant shine. (Brownie points if you add a touch to dry strands for even more gleam.)

The shape and size of this liquid liner are perfect. It's easy to work with and extremely precise. Plus, your handiwork won't budge or fade as the day goes on. I have to have the black and brown on standby at all times.