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This year we introduced Beauty Diary, a series where industry insiders shared a week in their life of products, habits, and discoveries. Icons like Pamela Love and experts like Birchbox co-founder Katia Beauchamp were gracious enough to share their standbys and miracle products—we've culled the best tips, tricks, and recommendations by category after the jump.
Hair
Nicolette mason, blogger: I freshened up my [blowout] with Arrojo's Dry Shampoo, my curling iron, and a bit of 100 proof treatment oil on the ends. I set the 'do with drybar's "Money Maker" hairspray. A new addition to the repertoire is the Tangle Teaser brush which is difficult to explain but quite honestly a miracle tool. It adds mega volume to my hair and detangles without pain and, I don't know how, but I swear it makes my ends more shiny.
Rita Hazan, Colorist: The BEST treatment. I like to sleep with it over night, then wash out in the morning.
Pamela Love, Jewelry Designer: I love having a slightly wild mane so its essential for me to use the right kinds of products. Dry shampoo is a must: Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray and Sachajuan Volume Powder are amazing for adding volume and creating more texture. This tiny bottle of Rodin hair oil is so moisturizing and smells wonderful. When my hair is feeling a bit over-dried and brittle I'll use Ouidad's Biotin potion to bring it back to life. Moroccanoil and Mongongo Oil are great for traveling—if I'm in the sun I'll pour some in my hand and use it on my hair, arms, and legs.
Katia Beauchamp, Birchbox Co-Founder: Oscar Blandi's texture spray revives the volume at the roots after a long day of traveling.
Cosmetics
Emily Turner, SoulCycle/Physique57: I have been using Estee Lauder Sumptuous Mascara for years and love it! I always get compliments and people think I have eyelash extensions.
Pamela Love, Jewelry Designer: Because I am so busy with work keeping my routine consolidated is important. neuLash serum is great for promoting lash growth—I use it every night. And my favorite mascara is Eyes to Kill from Armani. It really just lengthens and thickens my lashes without making them look too overdone.
Rita Hazan, Colorist: I'm always in a rush. My secret to looking "done" is mascara and a red lip. These Nars pencils are amazing: the colors are great and they stay on all day.
Stephanie Middleberg, Nutritionist: Orange lip gloss? Trust me, it looks awesome.
Alina Roytberg, Fresh Co-Founder: Winter lips need extra richness—this is the real bespoke solution. Take your favorite Sugar Lip Treatment colors and blend together with your bolder lipsticks to create a rich pigment. Slice them together in a ceramic bowl, heat up for a minute or two in the microwave, take out and cool and you've got the most amazing lip laquer. Use your favorite lip brush to apply.
Jennifer Walsh, Beauty Entrepreneur: Every week I clean my make-up brushes. For years I have looked high and low for the best and easiest way to do this mass cleaning and to be honest, it was always such a chore UNTIL I found the Blender Cleanser Solid.
Skin
Alina Roytberg, Fresh Co-Founder:My mornings always start with our Soy Face Cleanser—it's my desert island product! At Fresh we believe good skin starts with clean skin. It's important to use a cleanser that won't dry out your complexion during the cold weather months. This one is a unique gel formula that gently removes impurities and makeup without stripping the skin of essential moisture.
Lisa Elaine Held, Well+Good NYC: These are the face products I've been loving this summer. The fruit enzymes in the Mychelle products are so refreshing, and the Josie Maran product is mattifying and acts as a moisturizer, sunscreen, and foundation all at once.
Pamela Love, Jewelry Designer: Eve Lom rescue mask saves me year-round. I'm so busy with work that it's great to have a kind of "one stop shop" mask for so many different needs: stress, blotchiness, puffiness, it does it all!
Melissa Munn, Face Painter: Peter Thomas Roth Un-Wrinkle Peel Pads and Un-Wrinkle Night are two of my go-to products. I like to leave a package of the peel pads at the gym also, and after I use one on my face, I use it on the back of my hands. My hands take such a beating!
Emily Turner, SoulCycle/Physique57: I teach at SoulCycle and Physique 57, plus personal training, so some days are absolutely non-stop. Ole Henrickson cleansing wipes are a lifesaver—keep them in your bag for in between workouts so you never have to worry about keeping your skin fresh, beautiful, and blemish free.
Body
Annie Kreighbaum, Beauty Editor at xoVain: This is the only way to do at-home bikini waxes. I highly recommend GiGi's Brazilian hard wax—it really grabs the hair and doesn't require strips.
Jessa Blades, Natural Beauty Expert: A much needed at home spa night: epsom salt and baking soda bath, an apple cider vinegar rinse for my hair, Kahina argon oil mud mask, dry brushing, Tahitan body oil, and a bit of muscle mend for my tired muscles.
Anne Serrano-McClain, MCMC Fragrances: [Here] are two products I can't live without: Kai body butter and rosewater (I get them at Whole Foods). I keep my rosewater in the fridge and spritz it on my face and body—so refreshing.
Jennifer Walsh, Beauty Entrepreneur: I have worked with Caudalie for over a decade and am always impressed with their products. I brought their Divine Collection to the beach to keep my skin looking radiant and tan.
Nails
Annie Kreighbaum, Beauty Editor at xoVain: I practice nail art on my boyfriend's toes because they're so huge.
Stephanie Middleberg, Nutritionist: SpaRitual is vegan friendly and free of synthetic dyes, plus they have really beautiful neutral color options.
Lisa Elaine Held, Well+Good NYC: I love Priti because they're one of the least toxic polish brands on the market, and I've been obsessed with this color, Flame of the Forest, since I interviewed Jessica Alba about Honest Co. and she was wearing it.
From the Inside
Melissa Munn, Face Painter: When I start feeling like I'm catching something, THIS is the BOMB. I used to tour singing in Europe with no understudy and this saved me many a time. Seriously the best $13 you'll ever spend.
Stephanie Middleberg, Nutritionist: I found this wonderful organic, gluten free, fair trade quinoa vodka. Just need to find a kale liqueur…
Emily Cook Harris, Trainer: Non-dairy post workout shake. I mix these two proteins in the green blender bottle and add unsweetened almond milk. Delicious and easy.
Stephanie Middleberg, Nutritionist:My husband and I bought a Vitamix a few months ago and it's become part of the family. To save time I put the ingredients (minus the ice and liquid) in the container the night before so it's ready to go. My go to is spinach, berries, ½ banana, 1 tbsp chia, 1 tsp spirulina, and almond milk.
Alina Roytberg, Fresh Co-Founder: Teas are a beauty staple! If you can, grab loose tea rather than the tea bag as it represents the first flash of tea and it has better nutrients. My recipe is black tea inside and out—I use our Black Tea Instant Perfecting Mask and our new Black Tea Age-Delay Serum.
Stephanie Middleberg, Nutritionist: It's really easy to overdo it with supplements—there are literally a million options. Like most things, less is usually more. My favorites right now are a multivitamin by New Chapter, a probiotic by Dr. Ohirra, a B-12 (I'm deficient), and an algae-based DHA (it's like fish oil).
Fitness
Emily Cook Harris, Trainer: Myofascial release (aka foam rolling) is KEY for top functionality of your muscles and getting the most out of your workout! My pre-workout routine always consists of five to ten minutes of foam rolling. I am slightly obsessed with The Grid by Trigger Point Therapy because it has different densities on the same roller and has a strong plastic center that keeps the roller from losing its shape. The Stick is also a staple for rolling the lower limbs.
Sharon Feiereisen, Style Editor at The Fashion Spot: I'm in Noah Neiman's Barry's Bootcamp class pretty much every morning. He's one the smartest, funniest, all-around awesome people. He has this thing about high-fiving everyone when they walk in and out of his class (did I mention he was awesome?). And it goes without saying that his workouts are amazing—rumor has it 17 people have thrown up from taking his class (it's considered a badge of honor).
Etc.
Rita Hazan, Colorist: I just got this makeup organizer called the "icebox." It's the best thing because now my dressing table is neat and clean with all my makeup tucked away.
Felicia Walker-Benson, Bergdorf Goodman: I make time to exfoliate my lips once a week: this is a must, especially given my love of bright red lips. Easy recipe: a dollop of petroleum jelly, a sprinkle of brown sugar, and a drizzle of honey. I always finish with two coats of Dior Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm. Do this weekly—your lips (and your guy) will thank you.
Annie Kreighbaum, Beauty Editor at xoVain: I don't pluck my brows at all, but I do trim them with my mom's old surgical scissors (she used to work in hospitals), brush them in place with Le Métier de Beauté's Anamorphic Lash Mascara in the brown shade, and keep them full and growing with Elizabeth Arden's Prevage lash and brow growth serum.
Felicia Walker-Benson, Bergdorf Goodman: This is totally normal, right? I scent my car with Maison Francis Kurkdjian APOM Home Scent. Everyone does this, right?
· All Beauty Diary posts [Racked NY]
· All Year In Racked posts [Racked NY]