As someone who was born in raised in Minnesota, went to college
in Wisconsin, got my first job in San Francisco, and now resides
and works in Los Angeles, I have absolutely zero business handing
out NYC-geared beauty advice. That said, having been in the beauty
industry for a little over two years now, I’ve met plenty of
amazing East Coast editors who 100% do.

Between walking, subway-ing (yes, I’m inventing this word), and
dealing with all kinds of crazy weather and environmental
conditions (snow!
heat! humidity! pollution!),
it’s safe to say New York presents a certain kind of obstacle
course when it comes to nailing an A+ beauty aesthetic. So what
does the NYC-based beauty set know about product
shopping that we non–New Yorkers don’t? Below, some of my
favorite women well-versed in East Coast beauty essentials are
sharing the products they swear by—not only to survive crazy city
life but to ensure they look damn good while doing so. Keep
scrolling for all of their must-have products. (And trust me, this
intel is helpful regardless of your locale.) 

Maya
and I used to work together back when we were both assistant beauty
editors at Byrdie—she was based in New York City, and I was in
Los Angeles. Now, she’s Marie Claire’s digital beauty editor, and
she was one of the first people to come to mind when I started
gathering intel. Her NYC beauty picks are as follows.

“It’s
no secret that New York smells like trash 90% of the time. So
fragrance is my invisible accessory. Like a designer bag, a few
spritzes of this intensely sultry scent give me copious amounts of
joy. It’s blended with masculine notes of musk accompanied by warm
florals like lavender and orange blossom. This luxurious scent
makes me feel like such a boss lady. Every single Uber driver and
countless co-workers say the three magic words when I wear this:
‘You smell good.’ The fact that I’ve stuck with this scent since it
launched says a lot. I’m perfume-obsessed and usually date
fragrances like flavors of the week, but Libre has been my main
attraction for a while.”

“A
simple walk to the subway is subjecting your skin to a whole lot in
New York. I’m constantly running around and don’t have time for
touch-ups, so I rely on this full-coverage foundation to hydrate
and protect my skin from environmental elements for hours on end.
Thanks to the hefty amount of grape-seed oil in this formula, my
dry skin feels so moisturized. And I must mention the glow that I
get from this foundation is truly unmatched. All my fellow
glow-chasers need this ASAP.” 

“Red
lipstick is my face’s power suit. Whenever I have a big meeting,
celebrity interview, or presentation, I put on red lipstick. Sade
has become one of my signature shades because it makes me feel
unbelievably confident. Created by one of my favorite black-owned
beauty brands, Uoma Beauty, this blue-based red pops on my deep
skin tone. And it’s named after the legendary Sade, who is one of
my favorite soulful singers of all time. It’s a cherry red shade
that looks fire in photos and feels weightless on your lips because
of its featherlight texture that won’t dry your lips out.”

Even
though she just recently moved from New York City to Los Angeles
(amazing news for me!), Jess once told me that together, the below
three products basically equate to the ultimate “New York–girl
starter kit.”

This
brow gel is Glossier’s best-selling product. You can opt for clear
to keep things super low-maintenance or grab one of the tinted
options to boost your arches with a touch of color for extra
oomph. 

I
wasn’t surprised when Jess mentioned this cult-loved serum.
It’s jam-packed with amazing ingredients sure to help your
complexion combat whatever city life throws at it. And if you want
to get really fancy, pair it with its new(ish) cousin, Active
Treatment Essence.

Consider
this fragrance icon one of the most-wanted scents in the industry.
According to Jess, it’s a New York beauty staple. Its instrumental
notes play to the tune of violet accord, cardamom, iris, leather,
papyrus, Ambrox, cedarwood, and sandalwood.

I
met Sarah a little over a year ago (at the time she was an editor
for Teen Vogue in NYC), and even though she has since moved to
Berlin, Germany, she knows a thing or two about New York beauty
essentials. She’s sharing her favorites below!

“This
is my 10-minute treatment of choice when I’m hungover or
occasionally forget to leave the club until lunchtime. Talika is
more known for its reusable eye patches (also fantastic), but this
face mask is what I always have to have on hand. It’s just so good
at brightening, taking down redness, and flooding my skin with
moisture when it’s clearly crying out for help.”

“All
my friends and colleagues (and some random people I’ve told this to
and never seen again) know that I love perfume and rarely wear the
same thing two days in a row. But my most consistent scents are by
Maison Francis Kurkdjian; they’re unfailingly beautiful and
original. My favorite is Grand Soir, which is warm and sweet and
enveloping. And expensive. It smells very expensive.”

“The
mark of a really good highlighter is when everyone just asks about
your skincare routine. This one is from Chanel’s summer collection
this year, and I’ve been wearing it daily since it launched. It’s
warm and iridescent and gives your complexion this glimmering
quality that looks as mesmerizing in photos as it does in person. I
love the accompanying matte bronzer too, but the highlighter is
next-level.”

“Nothing
is going to work a miracle on my short lashes, but this gets pretty
close. It holds a curl well and gives me that fanned-out, fluttery
look. I always have one in my bag. It’s a good five-second hack to
looking more awake than I actually feel.”

“In
full honesty, I almost gave it to someone else to test. I have a
lingering fear of retinol after prescription Retin-A left my face a
peeling mess. (I primarily blame my doctor, who didn’t give me
proper instructions for usage.) That’s over now. This moisturizer,
which smells like Creamsicles, gave me a complexion that looks more
flawless by the day. I already used up my first tub, and I’m about
to go in on the next one.”

“Philip
B. is forever giving me excellent advice, both about life and about
my hair. Obviously, I try everything he tells me to, and the best
beauty tip he ever gave me was to treat my hair with his
Conditioning Water. I don’t get it because it feels like you’re
spraying straight-up water on your hair, but then all of a sudden
it’s glossier, silky-soft, has major volume, and smells like a
countryside garden retreat.”

“Nail
artist Steph Stone turned me on to Essie’s gel couture formula,
and now it’s all I use. Previously, I thought all polish brushes
were more or less the same, but now I see I was wrong. This one is
cut so it glides down your nail perfectly and gives you a nice
clean edge, no matter how much you suck at painting your own nails.
It wears forever (particularly if you pair it with the Gel
Couture Top Coat, $12), and there’s a shade for every mood.
Usually, I go for Good Knight, which is the deepest maroon
imaginable.”

“When
I was at Teen Vogue, I would always come back to my desk to find
my co-workers hunched over this palette and covertly doing their
makeup. I didn’t think this combination of reds, oranges, and
megawatt glitters would become something I reached for daily, but
it’s too gorgeous to only wear on occasion. I love all the Huda
palettes, but this remains my favorite.”

Even
though she’s not technically a beauty editor here at Who What Wear,
Nicole still regularly schools me on amazing NYC-approved beauty
picks from across the country. (Just look at her hair and makeup
guides for reference.) 

Not
only does Nicole swear by this particular dry shampoo from Living
Proof, but she also says plenty of other NYC-based beauty lovers
she knows frequently spritz it as well. Unlike so many dry shampoos
on the market, this formula plays well with all hair types and
truly cleanses the hair sans shower. (Seriously, sweat, odor,
everything is gone in under one minute.)

No
shame, I’m pretty much obsessed with Erin’s beauty aesthetic. (And
it’s not just because we share the same name!) She regularly
contributes amazing hair stories for WWW’s beauty vertical, and
she also has the best makeup recs. 

“Several
of my girlfriends keep this little guy in their bags while out and
about. The teensy size makes it an ideal on-the-go beauty
essential, and the versatile, two-in-one formula creates a
subtle, natural flush for that less-is-more city-girl
aesthetic.” 

Jasmine
just moved to New York from L.A., but when she used to sit across
from me at WWW HQ, I always wanted to know what she had in her
hair, on her face, etc. Creepy? Perhaps, but now she’s sharing all
her beauty deets since making the jump to city life
cross-country. 

“Moving
to New York changed so much about my life, including my day-to-day
beauty routine. I never was heavy on my makeup routine, but now
that I live in a city with extreme shifting weather (your face can
literally melt off in a subway car) where it seems like everyone is
always on a time crunch, my routine has minimized even more.
That’s why I swear by Fenty’s trusty Gloss Bomb. Not only does
it give my lips a little pop, but I don’t have to worry about
finding a random restroom to reapply my lip color. Plus, I’m
supporting RiRi in the process.”

“Okay,
this isn’t just a plug because Versed is WWW’s sister skincare
line. Honestly, I never had problems with my skin in L.A. Maybe it
was the relaxed lifestyle, or maybe it was the fact that my face
wasn’t exposed to the filth that coats this city. But either way,
this serum has made dealing with the little pimples that pop up
from time to time so much easier.”

“Styling
curly hair is already a process, but moving from a dry climate to
humidity has made my hair, well, interesting. The product that has
been keeping my curls hydrated and the least frizzy they can be on
a rainy day is this amazing hair mask from SheaMoisture. I put it
in at least once a week, or whenever my hair needs it, and let it
soak for 10 minutes. The results allow my curls to stay defined
come rain or shine.”

“Yes,
it’s gross, but let’s be real here: NYC isn’t kind on your feet.
Somehow, you end up walking 10 miles in a day without realizing
it—something my L.A. feet are not here for. So upon moving, I
had to change my pedicure routine to not only be more frequent
(cause your feet to need some love) but to also include a foot
file. Any New Yorker can attest to how life-changing a good
pedicure is, especially with a file.” Up next: Red, Chapped Skin Is
Officially in Season—These Foundations Will Have Your Back

from Purple Style | Top Fashion News https://ift.tt/2O0PuJt