The Essence of an Internet Boyfriend: An Analysis of the Beauty Staples that Would (Probably) Spill Out of Our Fave A-List Actors’ Bags

What is the essence of an internet boyfriend? That’s the question I found myself asking on an average Tuesday after a conversation with Who What Wear’s beauty director, Erin Jahns. We were discussing the hold that people like Jacob Elordi, Michael B. Jordan, and Pedro Pascal have over the internet. Obviously, there’s an element of raw creative talent (these people aren’t celebrated actors, singers, and performers by accident). There’s also an element of charm. I would also add an air of mystery to the mix, as well as a unique and well-developed sense of style. All of these things contribute to the internet boyfriend X-factor.

At the end of the day, though, we’re beauty editors and not psychologists, so we’ll never get inside the psyche of our favorite internet boyfriends. However, we can take a more practical, almost anthropological approach by analyzing the beauty and grooming products they keep in their designer bags. Stay with me here, but I postulate that we can learn a lot about a person from their beauty routine.

Once I had my hypothesis, I did what any good beauty editor would do. I polled my colleagues on their favorite A-list actors and performers. Then, with their help, I narrowed down the list to just seven celebs who fit the internet-boyfriend bill the most (it was difficult, but we did it). From there, I committed myself to hard-hitting research. Weeks later, I’m pleased to present a culmination of every internet boyfriend-approved beauty product I could find on the internet, plus a few hunches and educated guesses for good measure. Enjoy.

Jacob Elordi was a shoo-in on this list from the start. In fact, almost every single member of Who What Wear’s beauty team chose him as part of their top-seven internet boyfriends (myself included). He was one of the more obvious choices. After all, he’s been the subject of dedicated fan accounts and in-depth articles ever since he played Noah Flynn in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth. After his performances in Euphoria and Saltburn, he became an official internet BF.