The Empties | Hitting Pan
There’s nothing like a morning ritual to start your day off right.The splash of warm water on your face, the gentle massage as you infuse your skin with the red-tinted Dr. Diamond Plasma, the buttery lather of your moisturizer, and then—
Screech.
You stop dead in your tracks.
It couldn’t be… could it?
That dull flash of silver staring back at you with an evil glint.
Your breathing quickens.
Your heart kicks.
Your stomach drops.
The horror, the horror—it’s an empty pan.
Time to bring in the replacement squad.
The Replacement Squad | The Holy Grails
These are the products that I use again and again, my holy grails—cart constants and sale steadies.
Biologique Recherche | U Beauty
First up—the French favorites. This legendary, reclusive beauty is harder to find than Garbo on a cold winter day. But once you scout her, you’ll never turn back. The products? Tiny treasures.
My favorites: Lotion P50—IYKYK, and if you don’t, I’m telling you. Take heed. This toner is chef’s kiss. It wakes up my skin every morning and sets my makeup perfectly.
And that aquamarine Liposmose? My under-eyes—my Holy Roman Empire—are no match for the French. They wouldn’t be caught dead without her. Lipo? She’s formulated for under eye bags and congestion, and she puts the twinkle back in your gaze. Top it with U Beauty’s Eye Return. I bow to the altar of Tina—always. (Read the full U Beauty review here.)
Dr. Dennis Gross Peel Pads | Shani Darden Retinol Reform
If you’re not exfoliating, what are you doing with your life? But seriously, your skin will thank you for it. And Dr. Dennis Gross? No one does a peel pad like Dr. Dennis. I’ve repurchased too many times to count. It’s my twice-a-week ritual, and my skin craves it like candy—mercifully with none of the calories.
The other five nights, it’s Shani Darden’s Retinol Reform—boosting the turnover Dr. Gross initiated and keeping my skin wrinkle-free and tight. As a bride once told me while handing me a workout video she wanted me to use before her wedding—thin is in, but tight is right.
Clean Beauty | Elemis Skin Balm
This balm? It’s the bomb. Even after years of using it, I still look forward to this nighttime ritual. She never gets old. Elemis literally melts into your skin, gently removing your makeup without stripping any moisture.
Glow On
Once upon a time, all I wanted was to quell the shine. Be careful what you wish for…
As I get older? I covet the glow and will go to any effort to enhance it. Rhode Glazing Mist and Glazing Milk? Wonder twins activated. These two are the gentle dynamic duo who prep my pre-makeup skin, making it dewy and glowy-bright. My Hailey-taught trick? Mix the milk with your foundation to pump up the volume even more.
With my skin dewy and prepped, I move on to Dr. Diamond’s Metacine Serum—red manna from heaven. Add Chanel’s Baume Essential Glow Stick—it’s the highlighter I always go back to; I’ve yet to find a shade I didn’t love—and top with Rhode’s lip peptide, my day and night go-to glaze. Glow on, girl.
The Eyes Have It
My routine wouldn’t be complete without a good brow, a brown liner, and mascara. Victoria Beckham Beauty’s eyeliner and brow gel? Truly top tier products I reorder every time they get low. I literally just received my Black-Friday order—thanks VB!
And Gucci Westman’s mascara? Nothing—short of my eyelash extension days, let them rest in peace—gives you this separated, lengthened flutter with staying power. Because raccoon eyes? Passé. Sorry raccoons.
My newest obsessions? Sarah Creole’s under-eye concealer, which doesn’t crease or cake, and Mary Phillips underpainting palette—a true game changer. (Read the Mary Phillips underpainting post here.)
A spritz of Tom Ford’s Jasmine Rouge, my all-time favorite, and I’m out the door—not necessarily on time—just ask my kids—but make-up ready to face the day, nonetheless.
Word to the wise? Don’t be caught out in the cold. When you see your besties getting low, be proactive and replace.
Otherwise? You’ll be forced to call up the B roster. And who, I ask you, wants to play with a B-team when you can ball with the A-team? No one—that’s who.
