Style
11 Celebrities Share Their Favorite Beauty Products
Bustle presents our Beauty IRL package, a tribute to our readers' love of beauty and the way they use makeup and skin care to express themselves, to embrace their identities, and to self-soothe. Check out more of those stories here.
Taking on life fresh-faced and makeup-free can feel nothing short of glorious. But it can be just as empowering to embrace and showcase one's individuality by wearing your favorite beauty product. Makeup can act as wearable art and a vehicle of self-expression, which is something that truly never goes out of style. Products and trends women wear on their faces may be about short-lived experimentation, or they may be reflections of daily, weekly, or even monthly moods. On the other hand, they could be a woman's OG form of feeling good on a day-to-day basis.
The beauty routines of celebrities, however, may not be the most typical. Most celebs travel with their glam squads and get beautified as part of the job, whether it be for a red carpet, a performance, or a glamorous night in Hollywood. But even on their days off, they turn to their favorite products to feel their best. I caught up with a handful of them who told me what makes them feel as powerful on the outside as they do within.
Celebs like Jessica Sula (Split) and Elvy Yost (The Catch) are all about letting their lips shine with their favorite products tailored to their complexion. Others like Nina Dobrev, Vanessa Williams, and Kiersey Clemons always opt for the simple serums that nourish their natural skin and let it thrive.
Each celebrity has a different go-to method or product that makes them feel their best and highlights who they are, and that's the beauty of it all.
Quench Hydrating Face Serum, $75, Sephora
"Honestly, when I'm not working, I try not to wear makeup. I think that it's so important to let your skin breathe, and when I have clean skin that's fresh, I feel the most beautiful," Dobrev says. "I've been using this Kate Somerville serum, you just put that on and it gives you a glow. It's changed my life."
Intellishade Tinted Moisturizer, $51, Revision
"On a daily basis, as far as during the day, I always wear a product by Revision Skincare, like a tinted moisturizer with SPF in it. I don't feel good unless [I wear it]," Justice tells me.
"Mascara. I love concealer because it conceals my pimples, so it makes me feel confident," Robertson says.
"I recently discovered lipstick. It's really funny, but it's true," Sula says. "I used to use lip balm, but the other night I put on lipstick, just the basic red, and I don't know, it made me feel very womanly, like I was in some sort of film noir."
Mimi Luzon Neck Cream, $296, Mimi Luzon
"There's a line that I love, Mimi Luzon," Lutz says. "I use everything, but the cream is just incredible. I bring it everywhere. That's the one thing that I never forget. I love the BB cream. Not wearing makeup and just [that]."
Ladybug Jane Lip Balm, $4, Ladybug Jane
"I can't be without my Ladybug Jane lip balm. I love it so much. They're really adorable. And what I love the most is that not only are they made with all organic oils that are really good for you, they taste so good. I'm confident in saying there's no other lip balm that tastes better than this. I've gotten all my girlfriends hooked on it. They flavor it with Stevia and incredible organic flavorings. My favorite is probably sugar cookie. It tastes like a vanilla cupcake," Witt says. "I usually have about three of them with me when I travel just in case I leave one behind. I order them by the pack online."
Sunday Riley Brightening Serum, $85, Sephora
"I have a Sunday Riley serum and I mix it in with my makeup and put it on my skin when I'm not going to wear makeup," Clemons says. "My sister's always like, 'Your skin looks amazing, did you get a facial today?' It's the best stuff ever. It's my favorite, my go-to, always."
"My perfumes. Every single day, I wear a different one. Mostly, I've been wearing Gold Rush because it's my newest baby," Hilton says. "I have my skin care product line, which, every time I wear it, I just feel amazing. It's really great for your skin. Those are two of my favorite things."
Per-feckt Skin Perfecting Gel, $48, Amazon
"Probably what I use more than anything is Per-fekt, it’s a skin-perfection gel, you squeeze it out and it’s not a bronzer, it’s a light skin perfecter. It evens things out, and I’ve been using it for at least 10 years now. It looks like you have no makeup on," Williams says. "That’s what I always have in my bag."
Beauty Counter Sheer Lipstick, $30, Beauty Counter; Julie Hewett Red Lipstick, $24, Dermstore
"I'm very conscious about having as natural makeup products as possible," Yost says. "I've been very into Beautycounter products lately, I love their lip sheers. My foundation, I usually do a combination of Kjaer Weis and Gabriel. I'm obsessed with Julie Hewett lipstick. I'm a big red lipstick supporter. I'm just always on the lookout for natural, safe products."
There's no right, wrong, or "best" method when it comes to picking beauty products that make you feel good. These celebs prove that their favorite products only enhance their individuality and allow them to embrace who they are, and the possibilities are truly endless.