This is TQE Cribs, a real and raw look into the homes of our contributors and founders we cover. It’s our homage to MTV’s zeitgeist shifting show, only DTC-ified. Discover which products have earned a permanent spot on our shelves and counters below.
While I’ve been a minimalist since in utero, my bathroom cabinet would say otherwise. The surge of DTC brands, coupled with my occupational fascination with ingredients and technology and a deep-seated focus on well-being, has led to a swelling stash. Here are the products that routinely reign supreme…
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Skincare
I place a priority on my skincare – and have for the past twenty years. I often buy in bulk so that I never run out. Brands I keep well-stocked include:
LULA: I reviewed the brand, developed by a former protégé of Bobbi Brown, right after it launched last Fall. I use the sustainable, botanical Potion Serum ($125) and the Beyond Balm ($75) daily, as well as the Hand & Body Lotion ($55).
Vintner’s Daughter Serum: I have been using this religiously for years. At $195, it’s one of the more expensive items in my cabinet, but it’s rich with botanicals and oils – and I can tell the difference in my skin when I am not using it. I apply it liberally.
Soft: While this Moisture Mask ($36) was developed for men, this creamy and uber hydrating mask is fantastic for women as well. I use it twice weekly to hydrate skin and take the edge off – 20 minutes is ideal to relax, enjoy the faint ginger scent and let the key ingredients (Squalane, Hyaluronic Acid and Niacinamide) settle in.
F. Miller: The debate about eye cream continues, and I am in the camp that you don’t need a specifically designed cream – despite this being a thinner, more delicate area of your face (though I do believe select ingredients work better around the eyes). F. Miller’s Eye Oil ($74) is laden with minerals, antioxidants and vitamins A, E and K, and works brilliantly to brighten and tighten skin while improving my dark circles. The stainless-steel roller has a cooling effect and helps deliver the hydration. The oil is a great multi-tasker – I often use it on my lips and cuticles too.
I use this Toning Mist ($48) for a mid-day spritz to hydrate skin and deliver botanical extracts (which have anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties). I love that it’s healthier – and less messy – than splashing your face with water. Beauty tip: Keep in the refrigerator for even more refreshing results.
Figure 1 Beauty: This science-based line is incredibly effective and affordable, so I try to keep it on hand. For hotter days, I love the lighter, yet hydrating, Niacinamide Nourishing Treatment ($28) and Ceramide Moisturizer ($28). I just rebought the Vitamin C 15% Treatment (a mandatory in my morning routine year-round/ $32) and Retinol Night Cream No.2 (the gentlest retinol I’ve ever used! $42). I also take the Skin Radiance Capsules ($29), packed with antioxidants to support skin’s barrier and even tone, several nights a week.
Camera Shy: My stack of sunscreens, which are the best defense against aging skin. I live in them year-round and swear by Supergoop!, Beautycounter and Alastin for their clean, effective – and mineral based! – formulas that are skin (and ocean) safe.
Cleansers also did not make an appearance as they live in my shower. I am fickle about cleansers, but currently loving Alastin’s Ultra Calm Cleansing Cream ($45) and several times a week (but no more, as it slows cell turnover and dries out skin) I live for Goop’s Microderm Instant Glow Exfoliator ($125).
Body Care
Body care adds a calming ritual to each day. These brands help put me at ease each morning and evening.
Necessaire: I love to rotate the brand’s serum (which is a Hyaluronic Acid treatment/ $45) and body lotion (a great moisturizer with zero greasy after-effects/ $25) with other brands throughout the year.
Balmyard Beauty Romantic Call Body Oil: The love affair here is all mine, thanks to the scent of this oil. I often slather this on arms and decolletage for the fragrance alone. While it’s incredibly moisturizing for the whole body, its coconut, shea and sweet almond oils are my escape to the tropics.
Goop Beauty/G.Tox Ultimate Dry Brush: While it’s known to help detox skin by increasing blood circulation, I love to use this brush ($20) several nights a week before showering because it feels amazing and is a great exfoliator.
Skincare Tools
As a wife and mother of twelve-year-old twin boys, spending the day writing about fashion, beauty and wellness means I try any – and all – beauty gadgets that claim stress-relief. Less is not more here.
Omnilux Contour™ Face: I love gear that enhances the skin, and this LED face mask ($395) is one of the latest to prove itself. With red LEDs (aka light-emitting diodes) lights, the mask can stimulate collagen and elastin production; I have seen a difference in my skin tone and pigmentation. Wearing it more often leads to better results, so I aim for several nights a week to enjoy the downtime.
Jillian Dempsey Gold Bar: The infamous makeup artist (aka McDreamy’s wife) tapped into gold with this Vibrating Wand ($195). Mimicking a massage, it lifts and tones the face. I find it incredibly relaxing as well, relieving tension and stiffness in my oft-clenched jaw and neck.
WTHN Face Cupping Kit: While this traditional Chinese technique is known to lift and depuff skin, I rely on it to also relieve tension (at temples where headaches build) and stress as well.
Haircare
A secret weapon to looking and feeling good, haircare is not to be forgotten!
LolaVie Glossing Detangler: There is no question Jennifer Aniston has fabulous tresses. I have found her haircare line, LolaVie (when used sparingly so as not to weigh my hair down) does a fabulous job of delivering shiny, swingy locks.
Wellness
It’s been said that wellness is the new luxury. My overloaded bathroom cabinet reflects this, as do many other choices I make on the reg.
MindAlt Deodorant: I live for the morning’s inhalation of this aluminum-free, paraben-free, and clean deodorant ($15), because it’s loaded with essential oils that – as body temperature fluctuates – releases a mood-altering scent. I stockpile the varieties: Focus, Mindful, Less Anxiety and Energy.
House of Wise: I am loving the brand’s CBD gummies ($49/box of 10), strength and sleep in particular. I believe the former (which features vitamins that aid in recovery) helps me as I continue to rebound from knee surgery and get back into Crossfit. The latter (with melatonin) lulls me to sleep, which is key for my well-being.
Which cabinets are you eager to see in the next edition of TQE Cribs? Let us know @thequalityedit.
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