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You know those skin-care and beauty products that you use until the very last drop? The ones that you’ve spent entire brunches/text threads/email chains, telling your friends about? They’re the best of the best…so amazing that you’d never risk putting them in a piece of checked luggage. At Well+Good, we call those our Beauty VIPs (you know, Very Important Products). In this series, we ask women in wellness and the public eye what beauty products they use every single day and why—with an entire Internet of options to choose from—these items stand out.
As everyone who respects the beauty haul knows, channeling your inner-Marie Kondo to pare down your makeup drawer may lead to a full-on meltdown—even if you know it’s beyond time to purge. And hey, no judgments here: Even the biggest names in the industry recognize that the struggle is real.
Among them is Stephanie Mark, the co-founder of the fashion-forward site Coveteur, who declares that—even though it’s tough—banishing your extraneous products to leave a little wiggle room for your VIPs, is one of the most liberating actions you can take for your overall wellness. “It sounds like cliché and simple, but I have found that just investing in a few good products and not spending an hour taking my makeup off every night has just calmed down my skin, made my life easier, and has been effective,” she says.
Keep scrolling for the staples that she can’t live without.
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, $47
“My actual facial routine used to be like very intense with a lot of things, and then Mother Nature turned her back on me and I was dealing with really bad hormonal acne for years that wasn’t going away,” explains Mark. “I’m actually on Accutane, so my skincare is pretty bare bones just because my skin is so sensitive.”
Christophe Robin Regenerating Mask with Prickly Pear Seed Oil, $79
“I used to have really healthy hair, but over the years from dying it, I’ve actually done a pretty good job at just destroying it,” says Mark. “So, this product has made a huge difference in not only how my hair looks, but also how it feels.”
Waleda Citrus Creamy Body Wash, $14
“It really hydrates, especially in the winter when it’s so cold,” gushes Mark. “Plus, it doesn’t dry out my skin.”
RevitaLash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner, $98
“Their advanced eye conditioning serum literally changed my eyelashes,” Mark tells me. “They’ve made them so long, so I like to have that with me at all times.”
Gee Beauty Passionate Cheek Color Stick, $27
“I’m really bad at makeup,” admits Mark. “It’s as if I’ve never seen it before, and these sticks are obviously fool-proof and they do such a good job. The quality is amazing and they last so long. Anyone could use them.”
Aquaphor, $9
“I have like seven on-the-go like in my purse, next to the bed, next to the TV,” says Mark. “There’s not a moment where I’m without one.”
Speaking of sensitive skin: *this* ingredient might be the anti-inflammatory hero you’ve been waiting for. And here’s the exact right order to apply your skincare products, according to derms.
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