Even if you don’t know Rita Hazan by name, you know her work. The New York City native has been behind the hair color transformations of some of the biggest pop stars since the late ‘90s, from Mariah Carey’s first foray into lighter locks (and eventual blonde makeover) for her 1997 album, Butterfly, to Jennifer Lopez’s post-Selena honey highlights and Katy Perry’s full range of rainbow colors. And then there’s Beyoncé, who first came to Hazan in 2013 and has been working with her ever since.
But Hazan’s impact in the beauty industry extends far beyond her impressive list of celebrity clients. In the male-dominated field of hair coloring, Hazan carved out her own path: First by developing a coloring technique that defied (and eventually set) trends, then with the opening of her namesake salon and product line. “I didn’t even think about it as a woman; I just really loved doing color,” Hazan tells Observer of what drove her to take risks. After attending beauty school at 17, Hazan immediately went to work at Oribe Canales’ legendary Fifth Avenue salon, where she assisted color director Brad Johns (whose clients famously included Christy Turlington and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy) through much of the ‘90s. “I got promoted, and that’s where I was doing a little bit different hair color. Brad was all about chunky, very golden highlights, and I went the opposite way of that,” Hazan says. “My family background is Egyptian and Jewish, and we like to be blonde, but we don’t like to be goldy,” she adds of what inspired her more seamless approach to blonde color.
By the early 2000s, Hazan’s work with Mariah Carey, Jennifer Lopez and Jessica Simpson had established her as the go-to colorist for pop It girls and up-and-comers alike. “If you wanted to create an image or change your look, you would come to me,” confirms Hazan. All the while, she was still busy at Oribe with her usual clients, one of whom first planted the idea of opening her own salon. “I was like, ‘Who the hell wants that headache?’” Hazan laughs. “But I told my client I’d think about it, and when I went home and said something to my mom, she said, ‘If you want to, just open your own place.’ So I did, and that was it.”
Rita Hazan Rita Hazan.
After establishing her Fifth Avenue salon as the place for A-listers and those in the know, Hazan developed her own product line, which most famously introduced the world to the first root cover-up spray (inspired by and developed for her clients as an at-home solution for grays in between color appointments). But after 20 years in the industry, Hazan was introduced to her most famous client to date: Beyoncé. “About 12 years ago, [hair stylist] Kim Kimble called me and was like, ‘Beyoncé wants to be blonde but her hair keeps turning orange, and I told her, Rita is the only person that’s going to get you the color that you want. Can you do her hair?’” Hazan recalls of the singer’s first visit to her salon. Hazan delivered, and the two have been working together ever since. The colorist is behind every Beyoncé hair look of the past decade, from her bright blonde at the 2015 Met Gala to her more dimensional, “sunwashed” color during the 2023 Renaissance tour.
“We’ll go back and forth on color ideas, but I’m always making sure it looks good for video and with movement—Beyoncé is flipping her hair and she’s up and down when she’s onstage, so every aspect of her hair has to look beautiful,” Hazan says of their collaboration process. “She also grew up in a hair salon, so she understands what’s possible and what’s not.”
This fall, Hazan is sharing her coloring expertise through open classes at her salon, now located on the Upper East Side. “I really like educating, and everybody is always asking me about going blonde without it getting damaged or brassy, so I’d like to do classes in the salon that are affordable and open to anybody who wants to come in,” she says. In between creating buttery blonde color for her clients (Hazan’s top trending color for fall), Rita Hazan spoke with Observer about her current essentials—from the red lip that’s become part of her everyday uniform to the at-home hair gloss with results so good, she uses it in the salon.
When I was growing up, people would go feral for a sale. Black Friday would roll around, and news stations would set up outside Best Buy, Home Depot, and Target to watch thousands of people at 3 a.m. fight for half-off TV.
I was never the type of girl who could endure the mall on Black Friday. My anxiety gets overstimulated in a regular mall on your average Tuesday…what makes you think I could handle the war that once was Black Friday?
So, I’d wait for Cyber Monday. I would do my online shopping in peace, hoping everything in my cart stays in stock until I’m ready to check out. But since the pandemic, in-person shopping is no longer the more convenient option.
Now that online shopping is the norm, sales aren’t exclusive to in-store shoppers. We can enjoy the mall without leaving our homes — and it’s not like I was trying anything on in-store anyway.
So, it all leads up to one of the best makeup sales in the game: the highly anticipated bi-annual Sephora sale. Since beauty products rarely go on sale — yes, that includes luxury skincare brands like Tatcha and even La Mer — Sephora shoppers are graced with a discount up to 20% depending on your membership status.
If you’re anything like me, you take this sale very seriously. It’s a great time to try that viral makeup product you keep seeing on TikTok, or to stock up on your go-to products. And since products sell out very quickly during the sale, it’s smart to have your cart ready for purchase the moment it starts.
When Is The 2024 Sephora Sale?
Starting April 5 – 15, 2024, all products sold at Sephora stores will go on sale. The Sephora Collection itself will be 30% off for everyone – and with great dupes, brushes, and basics, you’ll definitely want to take advantage.
For Rouge members (those who have spent over $1000 at Sephora in a year), all other products will be 20% off. For VIB members, 15% discount. And for your basic Sephora Insider, you’ll get 10% off your entire purchase.
What Are The Best Products To Get At The Sephora Sale?
Now here we are, on the precipice of a mega-beauty sale – where all of your favorite brands are on sale in the same place, at the same time…and you feel lost.
If you’re wondering what beauty products are worth spending the money on…luckily, I’ve tried most of them. I like to refer to my bedroom as a “mini Sephora” because of the sheer number of beauty products I own. If you need it, I probably have it.
Here are some of my favorite beauty products at Sephora right now!
Whenever I do a blowout with DreamCoat, people ask me if I’ve recently dyed my hair. If you want a no frizz style (even in the summer humidity), this is for you.
Kerastase is salon-worthy for a reason. While it may be on the more expensive side of hair care, it’s genuinely worth it. This will save your damaged hair and bring it back to life.
I will always look back on 2023 as the year I was finally won over by Dior’s best-selling Lip Glow Oil, discovered a newfound adoration for the full-coverage and glowy combo offered by Armani’s Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Flawless Foundation, and was converted into a Jo Malone fragrance enthusiast. So what’s in store for me in the New Year? I like to think that it’ll be spent in pursuit of a “that girl” beauty collection filled with only the highest-performing products that I can trust to carry me through 2024 without fail.
With that energy in mind, I reached out to one of my favorite retailers for a better idea of which beauty products are worth having. As a Seattle native, Nordstrom has always been my go-to for all things beauty. It’s the place where I purchased my first eau de parfum and experienced a full-face beat at the hands of Anastasia Beverly Hills’ makeup counter. With their help, I’ve ID’d the top skincare, hair, makeup, and fragrance finds that have been absolutely flying off the shelves recently. I’ll be using this as my Nordstrom beauty shopping guide going forward, so don’t be surprised if I try to snag all of these for myself.
We caught up with beauty expert, makeup artist, and and entrepreneur Jenny Patinkin to get the scoop on the best makeup practices for individuals with gamine facial features. “Gamine facial features tend to be delicate, so overdoing contouring can give an almost sunken or hollow look,” says Patinkin. “If I do any contouring at all, it’s only a subtle wash done at the part of the cheekbone closest to the ears and not extended onto the face more than one to two inches and perhaps a little on the jawline to call attention to the V shape of the jawline.”
Instead, Patinkin prefers to focus on bringing a soft glow to the cheeks and a slightly contoured smoky eye to create a round, doe-eyed look with a sultry flair. “It’s important to use makeup brushes sized for more delicate features instead of very large ones that can over-apply products like bronzer or contour,” she tells us. Her tool of choice is her very own Sustainable Luxury Angled Multi-Blender Brush, which she uses to apply cheek products. With it, she’s able to control placement in addition to creating a beautiful soft blend with minimal effort.
“I know the temptation is to do a heavier brow with this look à la Audrey Hepburn, the ultimate gamine, but I would advise caution when it comes to squaring off the inner corner of the brow or using a very opaque color to fill in,” Patinkin explains. Both can look overly harsh in contrast to one’s more delicate features rather than complementing them as needed.
Now that you know how to give gamine facial features the attention they deserve with the help of Patinkin, keep reading to discover the 16 bronzers, blushes, contour sticks, and highlighters that will deliver a stunning makeup look every time.
Can you believe we’ve already made it to November? The imminent transition from fall to winter signals the beginning of the holidays and, yes, the nonstop sales as far as the eye can see, including Nordstrom’s annual Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales. While they haven’t started just yet, I’ve combed through thousands of haircare, skincare, and makeup offerings to find the 20 products I’ll be adding to my holiday shopping list for friends, family, and—admittedly—for yours truly.
If you don’t have plans to browse Nordstrom’s beauty department IRL or you need some extra shopping inspo, you’ve landed in the right place. At Who What Wear, we’re all about high-quality products without having to put up with equally high prices. Keep scrolling to check out which ones have caught my eye and completely won me over before they’ve even left my shopping cart.
Despite the overwhelming results accompanying an internet search for “the best blushes,” shopping for your ideal blush can be made simple. One of the biggest determining factors when I’m on the hunt for a new blush product is, without a doubt, its formula. Most blush formulas fall into one of the following categories: powder, cream, gel, or liquid. Recently, cream-based blush formulas have been on the rise, with makeup lines providing them as alternate versions of their best-selling powder blush products. For example, Nars’s cult-classic powder blush in Orgasm has been launched in the form of a multiuse stick.
I flock toward cream and gel blushes that have a sheer yet buildable quality to them since they tend to allow space for teeny-tiny mistakes and a chance to build up the product to my desired pigment. My skin type happens to be dry, so I prefer using products that are chock-full of long-lasting skincare benefits. Blush comes in a number of finishes that can impact a finished makeup look. Whether you’re in the mood for matte or longing for something dewy and fresh, there’s something out there for you!
Before we dive into the blushes I was completely obsessed with long before becoming a beauty editor, I thought it would be helpful to reach out to one of the beauty industry’s most reputable celebrity makeup artists who doesn’t shy away from adding a gorgeous flush of color any chance she gets. Courtney Hart, who has worked with the likes of Anna Cathcart, Kristen Bell, Hilary Duff, and Chelsea Handler, shared a couple of the blushes she’s always reaching for in her makeup kit. Check out her picks and a number of my personal favorites below!
I have always been a makeup person. When I was younger, I was a competitive dancer, and when we would get ready for competitions, shows, or recitals, we got to wear makeup for the performance. This was my introduction to makeup. Ever since I did my makeup in the dressing room before going onstage for my dance studio’s production of TheNutcracker, I’ve been hooked. The product that I’ve always cared the most about is foundation. After all, that is the base of your makeup look and the number one thing that can really throw your glam off. If the foundation isn’t the right shade, doesn’t blend well with your skin, isn’t full coverage enough, or is too full coverage, you may as well throw the whole makeup look away. Having the right foundation is key. Just like a building’s foundation, it’s the most important part because everything else falls apart without it.
For my own personal journey with foundation, I had a few hurdles to overcome.
First of all, I’m biracial, so finding a foundation that is my exact shade without being too orange or too gray has proven to be extremely difficult. However, I refuse to purchase two different shades and mix them together, as it’s important to me to shop beauty brands with a wide shade range and inclusivity in mind. When I find a brand that doesn’t have a shade for me, rather than giving them double the money for two products I have to mix together, I move on to a brand that values customers who look like me. Second, I struggle with acne scarring and discoloration, so I need a foundation that covers imperfections but still looks like skin. Lastly, I have oily skin, so I also need to make sure that the product is mattifying and glowy while not being too dewy so that my face isn’t an oily mess by lunchtime.
This was a lot to ask of one foundation, but I was determined to find one that checked all of my boxes, and luckily for me, I found it. Somewhere along the way while testing every long-wear foundation under the sun, I tried Nars’s Natural Radiant Longwear Foundation in the shade Tahoe and fell head over heels in love. That was it. I had found the foundation that I was going to be wearing for the rest of time.
“When I’m shopping for a concealer, I’m always looking for something lightweight, buildable, and hydrating! There is nothing that I hate more than a concealer that becomes cake-y and flakey by the end of the day,” shares freelance makeup artist and Kite Beauty representative, Morgan Leigh. “My favorite go to is Kite Beauty because their ingredients are beyond hydrating and buildable which is key! The packaging is also made for the on-the-go girls so it’s always easy to touch up or build coverage for a day to night look!” When applying concealer, Leigh likes to begin with an very moisturized canvas to ensure easy application of the concealer product.
For skin prep, Leigh’s go-to product is Merit’s Instant Glow Serum which uses skin-loving ingredients like niacinamide and hyaluronic acid to quickly hydrate and visibly plump the skin; lending to a visibly brighter and smoother palette to start with. She then follows the serum with a moisturizer for easy concealer application that also remains glowy. After your skin is moisturized, Leigh recommends using a damp beauty blender for flawless application and the ability to build up your concealer’s coverage.
If you haven’t found your holy-grail concealer just yet and are still looking for a versatile lightweight formula, don’t worry! I’ve scoured the internet for some of the best ones out there. Below, you’ll fine a variety of concealers offering endless shade ranges, formulations depending on specific skin types, and different types of coverage.
We’re pretty eyeliner obsessed—from the best waterproof liners to drugstore pencils, no liner goes underappreciated around here. But even the best pencils eventually go dull. And anyone who has ever ruined one of their favorites knows that when it comes to eye pencil sharpeners, there is definitely a class above the rest. Not only will a great sharpener keep your pencil pointy and precise, but it also reveals a fresh layer of product, which can help reduce the spread of bacteria.
According to celebrity makeup artist Allie Renee, a great eye pencil sharpener is an unsung hero in your tool kit. “Cosmetic pencil sharpeners are the most sanitary and efficient way to keep your products performing at their best,” she says.
So what separates the good sharpeners from the great ones? I’m glad you asked. “Because pencils come in many shapes and sizes, I like to have a sharpener with two size options,” Renee says. “A sharp blade is a must, too! I also look for something with a housing that can be removed or opened so I can clean it.”
Better yet, even prestige sharpeners tend to be fairly inexpensive. You only have to spend a few dollars for a tool that will last years and that will keep your eye, lip, and brow pencils in fighting form.
Simply put, says the makeup pro, “It’s a must-have in your beauty collection, even if you rarely ever think about it.” If you’re in need of an upgrade, keep scrolling for 10 of the very best eye pencil sharpeners, plus pencils to pair them with.
Everyone has their “can’t-live-with0ut” makeup product. However, many can agree that foundation is perhaps the most important of them all. The best foundation makes subtle enhancements but still allows you to look and feel like yourself. Consider foundation the quarterback of your cosmetic bag; you can probably get by without it (try a tinted moisturizer or BB cream instead), but everything goes (err, blends) a lot better when it’s added to the mix.
“When you build up your foundation, you’re creating a clean base for the rest of your glam. Without a base, powders may go on patchy or won’t last as long. To me, the foundation creates an even skin tone that helps the rest of your products look even better,” celebrity makeup artist Judi Gabbay tells ELLE.com. Our Beauty Director, Danielle James, looks to brands with an extensive shade range: “Foundation is so personable. There’s nothing worse than finding the right formula for you, only to discover it comes in only seven shades.”
Ask ELLE editors what their top foundation picks are, and they’ll spend a lifetime explaining why they prefer skin tints over full-coverage formulas, which base blurs their most stubborn skin concerns, or which formula provides the best long-lasting coverage for jam-packed vacations. ELLE editors keep the foundation market running, “no-makeup” makeup trends be damned.
However, we know you are busy and don’t have time to go on an endless hunt for the best foundations on the market, so we narrowed it down to 16. Whether you want a filter-like finish or a no-blemishes-left-behind full coverage option, shop ELLE’s favorite foundations below. Thank us later!
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Best Shade Range
Fenty Beauty by Rihanna
Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation
Best For Blurring
Uoma Beauty
Say What?! Foundation
Best For Hydration
bareMinerals
Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream Broad Spectrum SPF 30
Best Splurge
Giorgio Armani Beauty
Luminous Silk Foundation
Best Glow
Dior Forever Skin Glow Foundation SPF 35
Best For Radiance
Charlotte Tilbury
Beautiful Skin Foundation
Best For Color-Correcting
Dior
Backstage Face & Body Foundation
Best For Skin-Like Finish
Tower 28 Beauty
SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation
Best Hybrid
ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr
Turn Up the Base Beauty Blur Balm Hybrid Foundation
Best For Longwear
NARS
Soft Matte Complete Foundation
Best For Skin-Loving Ingredients
Clinique
Even Better™ Makeup Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15
Best For Multi-Tasking
Bobbi Brown
Intensive Serum Foundation SPF 40
Best Natural Finish
Bobbi Brown
Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF 15
Best For Weightlessness
Rare Beauty by Selena Gomez
Liquid Touch Weightless Foundation
Best Affordable Foundation
Maybelline New York
Fit Me Matte + Poreless Liquid Foundation
Best Powder
bareMinerals
BAREPRO Longwear Powder Foundation
What should you look for in a foundation?
Knowing your skin well is key to finding the perfect foundation, as certain formulas can make or break your entire routine. Here’s what you should consider when shopping for your next foundation.
Shade Range – An extensive shade range makes it easier to find a shade close enough to your complexion. Understanding your undertone is especially important when looking at the shades because a good undertone match will provide a seamless makeup look. You can always ask a sales associate to help you match your undertone or refer to our guide.
Coverage – Depending on your preference, most foundations are broken into three coverage categories: light, medium, and full. Lighter consistencies are similar to skin tints and BB/CC creams; they are sheer and lightweight and enhance your skin, but don’t necessarily conceal blemishes or dark spots as well as fuller coverage foundations. Medium and full coverage formulas cover most (if not all) spots and hyperpigmentation.
Finish: There are many foundation finishes you can choose from, including matte, natural, or dewy. Dry skin should favor foundations with a natural or dewy finish, while oily skin should typically reach for matte/soft-matte formulas.
What is the best way to apply foundation?
To avoid a mess-free application, it’s always best to apply foundation with a brush. But certain formulas call for other tools. Light foundations can be applied with your fingers if you’re looking to subtly enhance your natural skin. For the thicker formulas, brushes and makeup sponges help to evenly coat your skin, and can be used to build up the coverage to your desired look.
Nerisha Penrose is the Beauty Commerce Editor at ELLE.com. Since joining ELLE.com in 2017, she has interviewed countless beauty professionals and has personally tested the latest and greatest foundations.
For this piece, she interviewed celebrity makeup artist Judi Gabbay and ELLE Editors for their favorite foundation picks.
Nerisha Penrose Beauty Commerce Editor Nerisha is the beauty commerce editor at ELLE.com, covering all things beauty (and fashion and music).
Before there was TikTok, there was YouTube. The old me would sit down with a snack and watch storytimes, challenges, moving out videos, makeup tutorials, cooking shows, you name it. I ended my nights with budding influencers Emma Chamberlain, Tana Mongeau, James Charles, and David Dobrik.
To me, YouTube videos always felt a bit more intimate. Instead of a few minutes, an average YouTube storytime could go as long as an hour. And, although TikTok has ruined the attention spans of many, it was almost always captivating.
One of the best – and longest running – series on YouTube is Vogue’s Beauty Secrets. With over 275 episodes, you get the chance to sit down and watch a celebrity get ready in their bathroom. There’s something so wholesome about some of the biggest names in Hollywood telling you what makes them feel beautiful.
Better yet, you get to see what products your fave celeb is using. Some of them are clearly plugging their own brands or partnerships, but lately, it’s become the standard to recommend somewhat affordable products so everyone watching can buy, too.
Vogue’s got supermodels like Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber, rising stars like Euphoria’s Storm Reid and White Lotus’ Haley Lu Richardson, and even icons like Zoë Kravitz and Alicia Keys. While everyone has jotted down HB’s Kosas recs from her segment, I’ve gone and done research for the rest.
This year, if you’re struggling to find a gift for someone who loves all things beauty but has everything already, see what products their fave celebs are using. Confidence comes from within, but using the same cleanser as Ciara can’t hurt it either.
I’ve sat down and watched almost every Vogue Beauty Secrets from the past year and rounded up the best products you won’t want to miss out on. Let’s dig in.
Nobody has skin quite like R&B royalty, Ciara – she even got her husband, Denver Broncos QB Russell Wilson, into skincare. Luckily for the general public, she takes us through her glowy routine.
If you want to get rid of dark spots, even out your skin tone, and brighten your complexion, try her go-to OAM Vitamin C Cleanser. OAM, founded by Ciara, is affordable with quality ingredients so you aren’t getting scammed by celeb skincare.
Maude Apatow
One of our favorite nepo babies and Euphoria breakout star, Maude Apatow has one of the trendiest skincare and makeup routines I’ve seen. Filled with NARS, Charlotte Tilbury, Armani, and Laura Mercier, her routine is accessible and damn good.
Seemingly ageless and always gorgeous, Kate Hudson’s Beauty Secrets video is seriously relaxing. She’s so casual about getting ready that it feels like you’re in the room with her. Her key to beautiful skin? Sleep, water, and supplements.
Her InBloom Beauty Aura supplements contain Marine Collagen for the ultimate hair, skin, and nail vitamin. Beauty really starts from within.
Natalia Bryant
Model and daughter of the late NBA star, Kobe Bryant, Natalia shares her skincare routine for those with sensitive skin. She uses a lash serum which is such an underrated product in the beauty community, but one of the few products that deliver genuine results in no time.
Kate Moss is the OG It-Girl. She has a surprisingly minimalistic routine, but the perfect gift here is the Droplette Microinfusion Device. This cool skincare gadget dissolves capsuled skincare ingredients that transform into a mist on your face and set them deep in your skin.
Another favorite is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette, which you’ve probably heard of from TikTok. This adorable palette has everything a makeup lover can ask for: contour, blush, and highlight in gorgeous, glowing shades.
Billie Eilish
I couldn’t write about Vogue Beauty Secrets without including my queen, Billie Eilish. Billie’s on-tour skincare routine is mostly Biba de Sousa, an LA-based skincare brand that bridges luxury and clinical skincare.
Welcome to “Splurge/Save,” a series in which we quiz beauty obsessives about the top luxury (“splurge”) and drugstore (“save”) products in their routines.
Amy Chang — the Los Angeles-based digital content creator known to her many followers on YouTube, Instagram and TikTok as @bondenavant — has some opinions when it comes to beauty products. She’s tested just about everything worth trying, and her fans know they can trust her for honest takes on formulas, treatments and trends. It’s Chang’s grounded, relatable presence, on social media platforms that can often feel overwhelming, that keeps fans coming back.
Born in South Korea but raised in Minnesota, Chang says her passion for beauty stems from her “Sicilian and French Canadian” mother.
“She always has a full face, even if we’re outside in the woods hiking,” Chang tells Fashionista. “She always has lipstick on — she reapplies it throughout the day, even when she’s home alone. This I still don’t understand, but she says, ‘Amy, I just apply it for myself.’”
At 19, Chang temporarily dropped out of college and got a job working at a Shiseido counter, where she recalls first falling in love with skin care. “That little seed of passion was there, it just needed another push,” she says. “When I went back to college, I got an internship at L’Oréal, at Shu Uemura in their PR department, and thought that this was going to be my path.” She spent years working in beauty and then hospitality public relations in New York City before experiencing burnout.
“My boyfriend at the time — now husband — asked me to move to L.A., and I was like, ‘Sure, let’s do it. Let’s go on another adventure,’” she says. “I knew I didn’t want to go back to an agency life, so I started a blog about beauty and wellness, things that I was exploring in this new world of L.A., like Botox and fillers and lasers and smoothies and juice cleanses.”
What initially began as a “passion project” eventually grew into a full-time career as a beauty content creator.
“I think I was just always searching for connection with other women, and my blog allowed me to have that,” Chang says. “I met so many interesting women along the way, and I had the best time talking with them and sharing what I’m exploring and what works and what doesn’t.”
Chang’s product vetting process is thorough and practiced, though it differs depending on the formula: “Cleansers, I can get a pretty good sense after the first couple of uses of how my skin is going to respond, so I feel like I’m switching out much more frequently than any of the other products. Serums, I give at least a month to see, ‘Okay, what is this doing?’ If I’m not seeing anything after a month of consistent use, I’m kind of like, ‘Okay, this is not happening.’ I need to be seeing something there, even if it’s just a little improvement.”
Whether she’s choosing to cover a product on her channels organically or deciding to partner with a brand, Chang always asks herself three questions: “Is this a product that I would spend my own money on if I didn’t already, if it was gifted? Is this a product that I would re-purchase? Is this a product that I would recommend to my sister, my mom, my best friend? If it’s yes to all three, then I bring it to my audience.”
Ahead, Chang shares her top “splurge” and “save” beauty picks across a wide variety of categories.
Photo: Courtesy of Amy Chang
Mascara: “I have non-existent eyelashes. You can’t even see them. This is just the byproduct of being Asian. They’re straight, thin, limp, short. My budget-friendly one that I love is No. 7 360 Waterproof Mascara in Dark Brown ($10.99). It does such a great job of lifting and providing a little curl. It doesn’t smudge. And dark brown is the thing — I feel like this past year, I’ve really opened myself to brown eyeliner and brown mascara, and it has been a game-changer. It’s such a soft look for daytime, and it makes me look like I don’t have anything on my eyes. Black is more dramatic; I wear that for nighttime.
“For high-end, I love the Tower 28 MakeWaves Mascara ($20). I don’t know if it’s because the founder is Asian and so she probably was creating this product for herself, but I love it. It builds up really well. It gives a nice curl, and it holds and lengthens my short lashes.”
Cleanser: “The ‘low’ is an OG in my household: the CeraVe Cream-to-Foam Cleansing Face Wash ($14.99). It works for everyone in my family. I’ve dealt with dermatitis. My kids have dermatitis and eczema patches. I use it on them, on myself, on my husband. I even use it as shampoo on my kids, and it’s phenomenal. I love that product.
“For ‘high,’ I really like the Philosophy Purity Foaming Cleanser ($27). At first, I was kind of like, ‘I don’t know about Philosophy brand.’ There’s something about the bubble baths. It seemed very… not serious skin care, right? But then I tried this cleanser, and it’s so good. I have sensitive skin, and it has salicylic acid in it. It’s extremely gentle. It helps to clear up clogged pores and blackheads. It’s one of my favorite cleansers now.”
Sunscreen: “Beauty of Joseon ($10.29) is a Korean SPF that went viral last year for a reason. I mean, it’s $10. It has the lightest texture. There’s no white cast. It’s just a beautifully crafted SPF. The only hesitation I have with it personally is that there’s no tint, and for someone like myself who’s dealing with melasma and pigment, wearing tinted SPF is really essential because it protects against that blue light which can stimulate the melanin production of pigment.
“On a day-to-day basis, I really do reach for the EltaMD Tinted SPF 41 ($36.50) for sensitive skin. I’ve been using it for years. I love it because it’s formulated to be used post-laser and chemical peel. That’s actually when I first got introduced to it — I had a Fraxel laser done, and my dermatologist recommended I use this SPF. I also really like the SkinCeuticals Fusion SPF 50 ($36). It also has a tint, so I feel good that I’m getting that extra protection from the blue light. It has more of a watery texture to it.”
Shampoo and conditioner: “The luxury one almost pains me a little bit to recommend it because it’s so expensive. Well, I love it. It’s the Augustinus Bader Shampoo ($55). The thing is that it’s a shampoo that the more you use it, the better your hair will get. Typically, shampoos are like a face cleanser: You want one that’s not going to be damaging, that’s going to be gentle — yeah, it can contribute some benefits, but because it’s a wash-off product, it’s not going to be as dramatic as a hair serum, so you really just want to find something that’s gentle that works for your hair type. But this, I actually notice improvements in my hair with continued use.
“For the budget-friendly one, I’m a really big fan of Kristin Ess Extra Gentle Shampoo ($11). I think there are five or six different surfactants in it. When you shop for a shampoo, one of the best indicators if it’s good or not is how many detergents they use, because if there’s two different types of detergents to get a foaming action, they need a lot of each of those two detergents. But if you have five or six different kinds and you just need a little bit of each one, there’s less possibility that you’re going to get an irritation or a reaction to that detergent. It also has a lot of film-forming humectants, which add moisture to the strands. When people think about hydration for hair, they’re always thinking butters and oils, which, yes, are great, but you really need things that will bind water to the strand, too. Butters and oils can really weigh down strands. It’s the film-forming humectants that really give that moisture that makes hair kind of flexible and bouncy.
“For conditioners, I love the accompanying conditioner for the Augustinus Bader [shampoo] ($55). I also really like the Briogeo Mango Cherry Conditioner ($30). If you have fine, thin hair, you want one that doesn’t have too many of these rich butters and stuff, because it’s going to weigh it down.”
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Retinoid: “I just recently got back on the retinol train after a very long hiatus. I’m using the SkinCeuticals 0.3 Retinol ($70), which I think is just one of the best if you have sensitive skin. It’s a targeted delivery system.
“For the budget-friendly one, I like the CeraVe ($20.99). I find that it’s a little intense. I go slower with those budget-friendly ones. I think they try to pack a little more punch into them.”
Eye cream: “For the ‘low,’ I’ve loved The Inkey List Caffeine Serum ($13.79) for years. The only drawback is that it doesn’t have anti-aging benefits to it, but it gives you that immediate payoff of helping with dark circles because that’s my problem. Caffeine is a vasodilator, so it helps with improving blood flow. And it’s $10 and it just brightens it right away.
“On the higher end, when I’ve been using nightly, I love the Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye ($70). It’s so funny because I feel like this product has been around forever, but they recently reformulated it and added in this technology that has this antioxidant blend that helps block the blue light. With studies coming out and finding that blue light damages collagen and elastin and helps to stimulate that pigment, I think about all the time in the day I spend in front of a screen — I wake up, grab my phone, go to the Peloton screen, to the TV screen, to my computer screen, back to my phone screen at night and then I go to bed. There literally is no break. It’s very sad.”
Body scrub or wash: “The Kopari KP Volcanic Ash Scrub ($26) is hands down my favorite body scrub. That’s really good.
“I’d say on lower end for body wash, I really love the Raw Sugar Body Wash in Watermelon and Fresh Mint ($7.99). It’s really gentle, it smells great, it’s only $10 and you get this huge bottle.”
“I really love the Rare Beauty Eyeliner ($22). It’s really wet, so you have to be careful, but it’s amazing at getting that really sharp winged eyeliner look.”
Blush: “The one that I’ve used the longest and really stayed true — I feel like I always come back to it — is Nars Orgasm ($32). That’s just an OG. I love that one.
“For the ‘low’ pick, I like the W3ll People Stick Blush ($22). I just tried it the other day and it’s really nice.”
Foundation: “Kosas Revealer Foundation ($42). I like that it’s really hydrating. On days that I use it, I don’t use any moisturizer. I’ll just put my SPF on and then I’ll put my foundation on. I really like the Summer Fridays Skin Tint ($42). It’s super sheer. That’s for the days where I feel like my skin is looking great and I don’t actually want that much.
Essence or toner: “I love the SK-II Pitera ($185). That’s really great because it has that fermented yeast that has the B vitamins. It’s so expensive. And for the longest time, I was like, ‘Come on. Really? Why is this so expensive?’ But then I used it and actually noticed a huge difference in the redness on my face, especially around my chin and nostrils. And it did help with my pigment, oddly. I can’t deduce exactly what’s causing it, which really perplexes me because I’m like, ‘How could just the B vitamins and this fermented yeast do this?’ But I think it helps with the skin barrier, really strengthening it. That’s how it helps with the pigment and the spots and the redness.
“I really like the Cocokind Rosewater Toner ($17.99). I’m a big fan of rose water. I constantly spray it on my scalp, on my face; when my girls get itchy, I spray it on them.”
Highlighter: “Everyone is just obsessed with the Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter ($46). I use it in a shade lighter than what they recommend for my skin because it really gives a lot of brightness to the face.
“There’s the viral dupe, and it works just as well — it’s called the L’Oréal Lumi Glotion ($15.99). It works just as well at giving that same kind of high beam, strobe light, really big brightness to the skin. The difference is the consistency: The Lumi Glotion is very thin and lightweight, and the Charlotte Tilbury one is thicker.”
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
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Over the summer, I was traveling around from place to place, lugging around hoards of makeup products in a huge bag. It was disorganized. It was chaotic. And tragically, it ended with exploded products and, often, tears.
Throughout my travels, I found it very difficult to fit my full-sized makeup, skincare, and brushes into a tiny travel bag. When I attended Coachella, TSA threw out half of my makeup and an expensive Olaplex set because they were too large. I’m still traumatized.
As a solution, I had the grand idea to curate a travel size makeup bag filled with all of the essentials that would pass through airport security with flying colors. Groundbreaking.
The skincare is even worse. The Magic Cream and Magic Serum minis retail for around $30 each, all for 0.5 ounces of product. You can get around five full-sized The Ordinary serums for the price of one mini Charlotte Tilbury. Make it make sense.
While Charlotte’s full-sized products are well worth your dollar, their minis are an instant skip. An abomination to the mini makeup community. A laughable joke, if you will.
I couldn’t believe my eyes when I opened my Sephora bag, so to save you this heartbreak, I compiled a list of the best minis for your travel bag. May your makeup bag be locked and loaded at all times.
Mini Makeup Forever Foundation
This classic foundation is full-coverage and gives your skin a flawless finish. It’s perfect for your travel bag to get you through your vacation without having to lug your full-size bottle with you.
Milk The Starter Pack Set
There’s no better way to build your makeup bag than with a set of minis. This set contains the mini Hydrogrip Primer and Setting Spray, RISE mascara, and full-sized Matte Bronzer. All for $28.
Tarte SEA Power Flex Concealer
This mini concealer is currently on sale at Sephora and is super hydrating. With a near five-star rating, it’s full coverage and glowy.
Rare Beauty Mini Kind Words Matte Lip Duo
You need a lip kit in your travel bag, and Rare Beauty is one of the best. This $20 lip kit is the perfect natural rose tone and is ready to go at all times. It contains both a mini lipstick and lip liner, all you need.
NARS Mini Orgasm X Blush
The NARS Orgasm blush shade is famous for a reason. This highly pigmented powder in the mini size will last you forever and give you a sun-kissed look year-round.
The INKEY List Winter Skin 101
INKEY List is similar to The Ordinary because they are both affordably priced, effective skincare brands. This set has everything you need while traveling to keep up with your skincare routine: Cleansing Balm, Hyaluronic Acid Serum, Retinol Serum, and Caffeine De-Puffing Eye Cream all for $25.
Sephora Collection Essential Mini Brush Set
This $20 set of mini brushes has only the essentials: a foundation brush, concealer brush, shadow brush, and crease brush. It’s only the basics, but you’ll thank yourself when your bag isn’t packed with all of your huge brushes.
Don’t waste your money on Charlotte Tilbury minis when you can get 4x the products for the same price…and happy traveling!
All products featured are independently selected by our editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.
