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2014 was a big year for beauty—the masses were introduced to oil pulling, fell hard for all things Korean, chugged green juice, and embraced washing their hair a few—and in some cases two—times per week. Over the past 12 months, we've caught up with the pros who make it all happen in our Beauty Diary feature, in which we ask industry experts to document their lives for one week. From publicists to editors and entrepreneurs, these are tips, tricks, and products used by the women who make the beauty world, well, beautiful.
Cosmetics
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Sarah Tay, founder, Tay Cosmetics: Rose-Marie Swift is a famous New York makeup artist that has created this attractive line of color cosmetics. She's such an inspiration to the green beauty industry. I'm so in love with her lip and cheek pigment in Illusive. Its creamy but not greasy texture feels photo-shoot professional. It's one of my favorite go-to products that I can use both day and night.
Laurel Pantin, market editor, Lucky Magazine: This is what it looks like when I do my "makeup" at my desk. I use the word lightly because it's just this bronzing serum that one of our beauty editors, Megan O'Neill, gave me, and Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Het Loo—a cool 90's brown—on my lips and eyelids. I use VMV Boo Boo Balm for everything. I'm very bad at looking polished.
Charlotte Cho, co-founder, Soko Glam: I finally find the elusive IOPE Water Fit Lipstick that Jun Ji Hyun wore in the hit K-drama, Love from Another Star. Everyone was so obsessed with emulating her look, it was completely out of stock for awhile. Luckily I was able to snag a few on my trip to Seoul.
Megan O'Neill, beauty editor, Lucky Magazine: I'm obsessed with outlandish colors on my lips. Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics is one of my favorite brands, they're vegan and make intense, intense pigments like this chalky periwinkle. I don't think it looks good on me, per se, but I love it all the same. When I mused to my mom that maybe I'll wear it on my wedding day next summer, she scowled.
Kathleen Hou, beauty editor, The Cut: My daily makeup routine: Amore Pacific Cushion Compact, Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhance, Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Glow, Surratt Beauty eyelash curler, and a Dolce and Gabbana eyebrow pencil. Cushion compacts are the latest Korean skin coverage technology and Surratt Beauty makes the world's best eyelash curler (yes, even better than Shu Uemura).
Bryn Kenny, beauty consultant: When it comes to beauty, I'm a big copycat. I'm always asking the cool girls on the street what they're wearing, which is how I found this amazing matte purple brown lipstick from Nars called Volga. It's a more wearable version of Lorde's goth Grammy's look.
Grace Lee, founder, Nine Naturals: I love RMS Beauty's all-natural Living Luminizer. Dab a little around the eyes and it instantly brightens up your look to at least give you the appearance of a full night's sleep.
Holly Falcone, manicurist: If I'm drinking wine and my lips are stained, I camouflage them with MAC liner in Nightmoth and lipstick in Rebel. Then I drink more wine.
Courtney Tichman, Obsessive Compulsive Cosmetics:These are the products I used to design the look for Creatures of Comfort during Fashion Week FW '14. Lip Tars in Black Dahlia and Vintage to create the reverse ombre wine stain lip.
Gabrielle Korn, senior editor, Nylon: Say what you will about eye creams—I find the only way to look awake is by loading on the mascara. This one by Chanel is my favorite. The color is "Khaki Bronze," which is surprisingly flattering. And, since it's pretty light, I can wear a lot of it without accidentally darkening my eyes instead of brightening them.
Hair
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Eleanor Langston, founder, Paintbox: Anytime I get a blowout, I always request beachy waves that are more like twists than Real-Housewives barrel curls. The hairstylist got it right at this shoot—I really LOVED my mussed-up, casual hair. The key to getting this texture: Leave out at least an inch or two of your ends from the curling iron.
Stephanie Ferreira Koutikas, marketing director, Mehron: My three key products: L'Oreal's sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner, Oribe's Royal Blowout, and Aquage's styling products.
Kathleen Hou, beauty editor, The Cut: Aura Friedman is known as the "bleached blonde whisperer"—brassy is just not in her vocabulary. I came to her with a vague sense of direction ("I think I want to go lighter?") and she created this really pretty, golden-brunette tone, which is artfully blended through tiny pieces of strategically placed highlights. So, so good. Maybe she has ESP. Also, she is adorable and really rocks a romper.
Gabrielle Korn, senior editor at Nylon: Confession: I basically only wash my hair on Sundays. After washing it, I work in Morrocanoil's Treatment Light, and let it air dry. This makes it dry to a baby-soft finish. Then I use some hair powder and dry shampoo for texture, and finish it off with a texture cream. I'll use more dry shampoo throughout the week. The dirtier it gets, the better it looks.
Rebecca Perkins, co-founder, Rouge: I am a BIG L'Oreal fan. I just think they are the bomb. And as a woman with a new business and a toddler, I don't have hours to devote to coloring my hair in a salon, so I slap this box o'color on my head and L'Oreal does all the work for me. I think it gives really rich, multi-dimensional color. Thank you very much.
Laurel Pantin, market editor, Lucky Magazine: The Sachajuan Finishing Cream is serious. I'm growing my hair out from a crazy short pixie cut and I get super excited to wear it curly again.
Preetma Singh, market editor, Nylon: Having green hair is actually not super high-maintenance (it seems to hold better than say pink or purple), but every now and then you have to freshen it up a bit. I usually rotate between different Manic Panic greens to layer since I don't have the patience that my wonderful colorist, Jenny Regec, does to painstakingly create dimension.
Bryn Kenny, beauty consultant: The are the hair products I can't live without? Pantene hairspray, Oscar Blandi dry shampoo, and Phylia de M Connect.
Skin
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Charlotte Cho, founder, Soko Glam: On my last day on vacation in Seoul, I looked over the pile of goodies that I collected throughout the week, and there are so many amazing products that I can't wait to test and narrow down for Soko Glam's upcoming curation.
Sarah Tay, founder, Tay Cosmetics: If I have a sty coming on, I make a double dose of T Salon chrysanthemum tea, then take the lukewarm tea pouch and use it as a compress against the eyelid, to help reduce swelling and to remove bacteria.
Glynnis Mapp, beauty editor: If feel a breakout coming on, I use one of my favorite beauty gadgets of late, the Tanda Zap. It uses LED light technology (the same kind used at your dermatologist's office) to fight bacteria under the skin and prevent blemishes from seeing the light of day. It's turned this sceptic into a believer.
Rebecca Perkins, co-founder, Rouge: St. Tropez: A straight up necessity in the dire polar vortex months. I put the mitt on and rub the mousse into my pasty skin. There's a difference between fair/porcelain and Seasonal Affective Disorder Skin. St. Tropez helps bridge that gap and never looks orange.
Gabrielle Korn, senior editor at Nylon: This is Tatcha's Camellia Beauty Oil and Nourishing Lip Balm, both of which contain 24-karat gold leaf. This is the kind of thing I might love too much to ever use. I just want to stare at it.
Laurel Pantin, market editor, Lucky Magazine: This is all the crap I bring with me on vacation. I don't wear much makeup but I always pack glitter and Marc Jacobs's Showstopper lipstick.
Preetma Singh, market editor, Nylon: If your skin is dehydrated in any way, I find that nothing beats Elemis products to balance you out and plump you back up. The Cellular Recovery capsules in particular are miraculous. And pre-packaged SK-II face masks are a little piece of heaven right in your own home.
Nails
Deborah Lippmann, celebrity manicurist: The "Band o' French" manicure at the Band of Outsiders presentation mimicked the strong outline of the lip created by Dick Page.
Holly Falcone, manicurist: My essentials: Bernadette Thompson's oil, Deborah Lippmann cuticle remover, Floss Gloss base coat, and tissue oil cream.
Glynnis Mapp, beauty editor: Nothing gives me a pick-me-up like getting a manicure, and the ladies at Valley Nails in Soho do a stellar job. They set me up with one of the best manicures I had in months: pinky-purple tips in Plum and Done #71 and a clear base coat. Ask for it.
Bryn Kenny, beauty consultant: I go to my no-frills nail place on Hudson Street for a quick manicure when my cuticles need work. I go for this deep purple shade from OPI called Vant to Bite My Neck because—honestly?—the name made me giggle.
Eleanor Langston, founder, Paintbox: I get Julie Ventura, one of our incredibly talented manicurists, to paint my nails in our Bling Ring look. She blends a custom gold for my nails to make them especially gilded.
Gabrielle Korn, senior editor at Nylon: For my New Year's Eve nails, I'm going with this gorgeous sparkly white by Lancôme. It reminds me of how snow looks through a child's eyes — magical and pristine, before you become an adult and realize that snow makes everything in life more difficult and miserable.
Fitness
Grace Lee, founder, Nine Naturals: My husband bought a TRX so he could squeeze in workouts during business trips and now we always travel with it. It's a great way to get a full body workout away from the gym. He set it up on the yoga deck at our house. By far, the most beautiful scenery I've ever had for a TRX workout.
Kathleen Hou, beauty editor, The Cut: ModelFit, my new workout obsession, was started by the "Model Whisperer," Justin Gelband and former stylist-turned-holistic-nutritionist, Vanessa Packer. Despite the name, it's unintimidating: A calming, intense workout, with a focus on slow, tiny movements (Gelband is always telling us to 'slow down,' which is a nice reminder for life). It's housed in this welcoming studio, once Terry Richardson's.
Deborah Lippmann, celebrity manicurist: New rule for Fashion Week: YOGA! Started my day doing the Julie Wilcox Method.
Bryn Kenny, beauty consultant: I poo-pooed SoulCycle when it first came out because everyone was talking about it to the point of being annoying. Then I got a few free passes so I went and of course I loved it. It's fast, super intense, and feels more like a fun dance party than a boring workout, which is good because I hate gyms. I go once or twice a week and the other days I do yoga or run.
Body
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Negin Niknejad, esthetician: I am absolutely obsessed with the fairy dust from Maha Rose healing center in Greenpoint. I can't leave my home without a dash of dust to make my day sparkly and fun. Their shop has many beautiful handmade offerings.
Sarah Tay, founder, Tay Cosmetics: A friend introduced me to the Gong Bath. It's an amazing ritual that the ladies at ABC Sanctuary host during the night for every new moon. While lying flat upon a floor mat, the harmonic overtones of different tuning forks, chimes, and gongs take my mind to a peaceful state. Then after an hour, the music stops and I feel re-energized.
Food
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Megan O'Neill, beauty editor, Lucky Magazine: I came across a stand of organic technicolor cauliflower at the Union Square Greenmarket and shell out $30 and buy four heads because I could not help myself.
Kathleen Hou, beauty editor, The Cut: The Butcher's Daugher is always mobbed, so I go to their take-out spot for avocado toast (why does this never taste the same when I try to make it?). I eat avocado at least once a day.
Mindy Yang, curator, MiN New York: A bit of ginger every day keeps the doctor away! This quick, healthy (vegan) lunch from Juice Press gets me going when I don't have enough time for a proper meal.
Negin Niknejad, esthetician: My superwoman vegan smoothie sustains me through my morning. I am really into nutrient-packed liquid meals and this is one of them: Wild blueberries, black berries, pineapple, acai, homemade sprouted mung beans, kale, raw pumpkin seeds, raw sunflower seeds, raw protein powder, maca, spirulina, raw cacao, and cayenne topped with raw coconut water or almond milk.
Etc.
Grace Lee, founder, Nine Naturals: Every morning I drink a full carafe of water and I check my Jawbone UP app. As an entrepreneur and mom to a two year old, sleep is a luxury and the Jawbone UP helps me track how long I sleep as well as the quality of my sleep.
Negin Niknejad, esthetician: Oil pulling, an Ayurvedic ritual taught to me in India, is part of my oral care. Using 1 or 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, swish in your mouth for 15-20 minutes a few times per week. This practice aides in cavity and gingivitis prevention, builds stronger gums, and keeps bacteria at bay.
Gabrielle Korn, senior editor at Nylon: This is my new favorite perfume: Midnight Fleur by Nest Fragrances. It's a super warm fragrance, with patchouli, black amber, and vanilla. I think patchouli gets a bad rap. There's a right way to do it, and a wrong way. This is the right way. It's elegant and cozy, and not at all like a hippy at a co-op.
Grace Lee, founder, Nine Naturals: I tried a homemade toothpaste of baking soda + finely ground salt + peppermint oil + water per the advice of my dentist, who thinks the natural, store-bought toothpaste I use might be the reason my teeth are staining more easily. The toothpaste tasted like I had just eaten a half teaspoon of salt—oh wait, I did. Otherwise, my teeth and mouth felt fresh and clean.
Mindy Yang, curator, MiN New York: A powerful potion from Oman, Amouage's Gold is a luxurious, exotic, and intensive floral perfume. Rockrose, lily of the valley, and silver frankincense reveal a heart of myrrh, orris, jasmine on ambergris, civet, musk, cedar wood, and sandalwood. This scent is sexy sophisticated, and complex.
Sarah Tay, founder, Tay Cosmetics: For a brunch date with the girls, I pick out my two current favorites from Aveda and MCMC Fragrances.
· Beauty Diary [Racked NY]
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