I’ve Been a Beauty Editor for a Decade—These Are the Products I Use Every Day

Over the span of a decade, you can make your way through a good amount of beauty products. There are some that you try once and then find  them a new home, and some beauty and skin-care goods that are so good, you can’t imagine a world in which they’re not staples in your routine. Those are the products that I want to tell you about today because each and every one of them is worth the story.

For some context: I have ten years of experience as a beauty editor for several publications. I’ve tested thousands of serums, moisturizers, and lip balms. I’ve slathered countless shampoos and treatments in my hair. And at the end of the day, while there’s so much to love out there, there are only a select few that I legitimately use every single day (and keep on ordering).

Let’s dive in.

SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore — $130.00

I have a fairly dry complexion, so every time winter rolls around, I reach for this moisturizer. It’s comprised of two percent ceramides, four percent cholesterol, and two percent fatty acids, so it’s able to support your skin and help supplement each of these components of skin topically. It’s rather thick, but it goes on smoothly and doesn’t leave behind any sort of oily residue the way that some moisturizers can. I apply this one at night and wake up to hydrated, happy skin.

Eadem Cloud Cushion Plush Moisturizer with Ceramides + Peptides — $58.00

For days when my skin is feeling more balanced, I opt for this cloud cushion moisturizer, which has an almost-whipped consistency. It also has ceramides to help strengthen and support your skin barrier, but it also contains peptides that help brighten skin. This BIPOC-owned brand is one to watch because every product they have made so far is a showstopper—and they’re only getting started. I’ve been using this product during the day and it’s supplied me with enough hydration so that my day never feels parched.

Murad City Skin Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 — $68.00

It’s a tall order to create a mineral-blocker SPF 50 that doesn’t feel like baby butt paste. This liquid, slightly peachy-tinted SPF however fits the bill. Texturally, it feels almost as if you’re putting on a lightweight foundation. It’s enhanced with ingredients that not only guard against UVA and UVB rays, but that also help protect skin from environmental pollutants. Bonus points for being fragrance free and sensitive skin friendly.

Dr. Loretta Intense Replenishing Serum — $70.00

There’s an old product from Guerlain called Midnight Secret, and the spiel is that you use this product after a late night or early morning and it instantly revives your skin. However, you can’t use it every single day, or it loses its magic. Somehow, Dr. Loretta has managed to give us that Midnight Secret effect 365 days of the year. I layer this serum on and instantly feel refreshed and RTG.

Sachajuan Ocean Mist — $34.00

I’ve been using this product for the better part of the past decade. It somehow manages to give my Type 2B waves just enough of a hold, but it doesn’t dry my strands out like other salt sprays. I use it on both dry and wet hair, and haven’t found much that it can’t do when styling my strands.

Philips Sonicare 9900 Prestige Power Toothbrush with SenselQ in Champagne — $380.00

I technically brush with the DiamondClean from Sonicare, but I want to tell you about the newer Prestige model because it really couldn’t be cooler. This toothbrush not only removes 20 percent more plaque than other toothbrushes and improves gum health, it also monitors your brushing patterns and habits and adapts to them so that you get the cleanest mouth possible. That means: Any time you press too hard or lift up, the brush can help you compensate so that your mouth is squeaky clean.

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray — $49.00

This stuff probably doesn’t need anymore PR, but wow is it solid. It’s particularly helpful mid-day when your hair kind of falls flat, so if you’re buying it and you have a job in the real world, maybe opt for the smaller can so you can let it ride everywhere with you in your handbag. A single spray and hair is zhuzhed.

Blinc UltraVolume Tubing Mascara — $26.00

This tubing mascara is pretty much the mid-way point between a waterproof formula and one you can remove without having to call in reinforcements. It goes on like any other mascara and helps to lengthen and add volume to your fringe, and it locks onto lashes so that you’ll be set all day long. When you’re ready to remove it, you simply run warm water and the tubes slide right off of your lashes—easy peasy.

Kosas Brow Gel TInted — $22.00

Fluffy brows are yours for the taking with just a few swipes of the good stuff. I like to use the tip of the wand to fill in patches and areas that need a little extra love, but with just a few swipes, the spoolie helps distribute the formula and looks like a dead ringer for your brows (if they got a blowout, or whatever the equivalent is).

Sugar Lip Balm Sunscreen SPF 15 — $24.00

This SPF lip balm comes in a rainbow of different hues, so you can keep your lips moisturized, protected from the sun, and with a hint of color all at once.

Grown Alchemist Body Cream in Mandarin, Rosemary Leaf — $26.00

This body moisturizer was able to take my dry, lizard snakeskin and turn it into actual soft, human skin that I’ve never been able to have in my life. I’ll love it forever.

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