Celeb Hairstylist Chris Appleton Shares 13 Products for Next-Level Skin and Hair
Here at WWW HQ (AKA our respective WFH "offices"), there's nothing we love more than feasting our eyes upon the clothes and product wardrobes of our favorite fashionable people. From touring the closets of celebrities like Charles Melton and Sydney Sweeney to sightseeing the beauty collections of mega-watt makeup artists like Sir John and Nina Park, our #WhoWhatWearWardrobes series is a can't-miss.
Most recently, celebrity makeup artist Nina Park took us through her beautifully organized collection of skincare and makeup, and next up, we have hairstylist Chris Appleton (who regularly works with clients like—J.Lo and Kim Kardashian West—taking us through his seriously beautiful collection of skincare and hair must-haves.
From the "secret little recipe" that will make the whites of your eyes sparkle to the serum concoction that will give you an A-list level glow (while providing sun protection!), Appleton is giving us an exclusive tour just below. We recommend watching the tour in full and scrolling for a more in-depth look at each of his favorite beauty formulas. Keep scrolling!
The Wardrobe
"This Copper Firming Mist is from IS Clinical. They're an amazing brand, and they make great products. You use this as a toning mist basically right after you get out of the shower. It's really nice and hydrating, and honestly, I just like the smell of it. But it actually brightens and firms, which is nice!"
"On top of the Copper Firming Mist, I use the eye cream. So the IS Clinical eye cream is a great product to just hydrate your under eyes. So this little bad boy… Just use a little bit. I literally just dab it under my eye, just really lightly, not anything too heavy, and then I follow through with their moisturizer."
"One of the brands I’m really into right now is Dr. Barbara Sturm. What I love are the Anti-Pollution Drops ($145). Now, I like my skin to look bright, so one of the biggest things that I always look for when I'm using anything with skincare is a brightness to my skin. When I'm tired, when I'm traveling a lot on planes—which is my normal day-to-day life—my skin can look really dull and flat, so these anti-pollution drops are amazing. You put a couple of drops on your skin after you've washed your face. I combine that with this anti-inflammatory Calming Serum ($250)."
"More recently, I've been mixing in the Sun Drops SPF 50 ($145), so it's kind of three products. I don't normally use as many products, but during quarantine, I've really been trying to make a little bit of an extra effort to look after my skin. The reason I use this one is because its factor 50, so I put a drop of that in with the anti-pollution drops before I moisturize and it basically just gives me factor 50 protection on my face. I just noticed living in L.A., I've been working outside quite a lot and going on runs, and I really catch the sun. I guess, you know, you just gotta be careful of sun damage. I never used to use sunscreen. Obviously, I'm English, so in England, as soon as the sun comes out, we all get out there, but definitely living in Los Angeles has changed my whole philosophy on what the sun can do and the damage you can do to the skin."
"I use my Dr. Barbara Sturm serums to kind of prep the skin, and then I use the IS Clinical Moisturizing Complex ($89) to finish and give my face a nice moisturized look. I know this combination of products sounds a little bit extra, but honestly, it makes my skin look so much brighter and more glowy.
"I've noticed a big difference from the beginning of quarantine to where I'm at now, even though I've been in the sun a lot more than I normally am. So the fact that my skin has stayed so hydrated is a big thumbs up."
"Before quarantine, I was using this all the time for shoots, and it's a secret little recipe. For anyone who wants brighter eyes, just one drop of this stuff in each eye is magic. It shrinks the blood vessels in your eye, making your eyes look really wide, and it literally makes your eyes sparkle.
"I think the eyes are the biggest giveaway when you're tired, so for me, this is a lifesaver. I haven't been using it during quarantine because I've been getting a lot of sleep, but for anyone who wants brighter eyes, or has bloodshot eyes, or just wants the eye whites to look super-bright, it's a moneymaker."
"For anyone who wants a bit of a treat, I recommend these eye and face masks from Skyn Iceland. I started off just using this under-eye one, but then over time, I was like, let me do the whole face. Surprisingly—or not—I actually use these on plans quite a bit. I just put it on then put my head under a pillow so no one can see me. I've got a massive face, and they actually fit really well. Both masks are really nice and cooling, and they're great for cooling down your skin, giving you a nice, glowy texture, and making you feel refreshed. It's almost like doing an ice bath for your face."
"I tend to break out a little bit every now and again, especially where I have facial hair. So whenever I get pimples, I use these alcohol-free pads from Stridex. They're pretty strong, they smell like—whew!—they kind of give you an aggressive waft, but sometimes, you need that especially if you're acne-prone. So these are a great little trick for drying out new pimples."
"I'm really into EltaMD Skincare. This is a sheer, lightweight moisturizer, but it has SPF 40 in it. It's nice because it has a little bit of tint and glow to it. Usually, I just apply it to my T-zone."
"My routine wouldn't be complete without haircare. Hair is really important to me, obviously, it's what I do, and my go-to shampoo and conditioner is Color Wow Color Security. This shampoo is an amazing product because it leaves behind no ingredients. It cleans my hair, it cleans my scalp, and it really keeps your hair bright and sparkly."
"This conditioner is amazing. It really seals the cuticle and gives a great shine. It doesn't darken the hair, it doesn't leave any residues, and it keeps everything nice and bright."
"One last little secret of mine. I always have one of these candles burning in the bathroom. Le Labo Santal 26. It's an amazing smell, and it's my go-to candle whenever I want to chill out and relax when I'm in my bathroom."
Next: 7 Genius Beauty Organization Tips I Learned From Zoë Kravitz's Makeup Artist
Erin has been writing a mix of beauty and wellness content for Who What Wear for over four years. Prior to that, she spent two and half years writing for Byrdie. She now calls Santa Monica home but grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, and studied writing, rhetoric, and communication at University of Wisconsin, La Crosse. She studied abroad in Galway, Ireland, and spent a summer in L.A. interning with the Byrdie and Who What Wear family. After graduating from UW, she spent one year in San Francisco, where she worked as a writer for Pottery Barn Kids and PBteen before moving down to L.A. to begin her career as a beauty editor. She considers her day-to-day beauty aesthetic very low-maintenance and relies on staples like clear brow serum (from Kimiko!), Lawless's Lip Plumping Mask in Cherry Vanilla, and an eyelash curler. For special occasions or days when she's taking more meetings or has an event, she'll wear anything and everything from Charlotte Tilbury (the foundations are game-changing), some shimmer on her lids (Stila and Róen do it best), and a few coats of the best mascara-type product on earth, Surratt's Noir Lash Tint.