Delightful Discoveries for Gift Givers with Great Taste
It’s official: every music artist, actor, and model now has a namesake makeup, skincare, bodycare, or haircare line.
Not literally. But it sure seems that way, with new ones coming out every month for years now. Now, I haven’t believed that oh, if I have that, I’ll look just like her! since 1981, when Brooke Shields sold me on adding her Calvins to my Christmas list. Celebrities lending their face and name to a brand is nothing new, obviously, but things have changed in the sense that today’s famous folk want their own brands. Brooke wasn’t a denim mogul in her own right, in contrast to, say, Michelle Pfeiffer, who recently became a legit perfumer with her brand, Henry Rose.
While I’m savvier than I was as a kid in 1981 who hoped wearing Calvin Klein jeans would make me as pretty as Brooke Shields, celebrity-created products still capture my attention. Well, at least those by celebrities I personally find relatable. And even then, I’m not willing to accept that every product in that line is a winner. Virtually every beauty line will have a dud in the bunch, no matter how lauded. For example, I really like Kiehl’s in general. They’re considered gold-standard skincare by many. But their Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado has an unusable consistency. If Kiehl’s can’t hit it right every time, I’d be silly to assume that a celebrity new to the beauty products industry will.
So here are the specific celebrity beauty products I really do think are worth trying. They’d be worth trying without the famous face attached. I can’t say these are the best celebrity beauty products in existence. I haven’t tried them all, or even a third of them, being there are hundreds. But of those I have, these are the ones that stand out.
I’m endlessly impressed by Jennifer’s style: California cool; minimalist-elegant; casual-chic. Always in neutral colors yet always interesting. And her hair is legendary. It’s also naturally curly, believe it or not. So is mine, so I was thrilled to discover this hair oil which, strangely but wonderfully, is not oily. A few drops of it shines up and de-puffs those pieces of hair I keep highlighting. I like that it works just as well applied to dry hair. Most such products need to be used on damp hair, which I never like because you can’t really see where you need it the most.
I’ve been so taken up with the reunited-with-true-love-20-years-later thing. Mrs. Affleck seems so resilient, strong, and like somebody you’d want to be friends with. And she has the skin equivalent to the other Jennifer’s hair. I’ve been using daily sunscreen since I was in my mid-20s, something lots of women do now, but it was considered rather extreme then. But I do believe it’s paid off. Needless to say, I’ve used lots of different ones over the years, so I know from whence I speak. JLo’s feels light, and it doesn’t take hardly any to cover your whole face. Usually with these, you either get the protection, or you get a nice, good moisturizer. This is both, and it even has ingredients to brighten (licorice root) and protect from the blue light of digital devices (marine bamboo.) It also brings hyaluronic acid to the party to plump.
I’m nearly as charmed by a SoCal rocker falling for a country crooner from Oklahoma as I am by Bennifer deux. Her and Blake Shelton are so stinkin cute together. And in almost every picture I see of them, her gorgeous lips catch my eye. The fiery and dramatic shades that work so well on her are not really my thing. What I lean on is a lipstick that, in formula and hue, can be put on very quickly without a mirror. This, in L-U-V Sheer Soft Pink, is exactly that. She’s calling it a balm, which is fair given the ingredients and the barely-there feel. To me a balm is what you use before bed, and so it can’t have color. Tomayto, tomahto.
This line, courtesy of America’s sweetheart Drew Barrymore, has been beloved for a few years. Her under-the-radar liquid eyeshadow is my favorite thing in my makeup bag. I don’t know how it has managed to stay under the radar, actually, because it is minimal effort, maximum effect. The soft applicator makes it easy to apply a sheer, pretty wash of pastel color that doesn’t fade. I use Stellar Wash as a thick eyeliner on my upper lids for the perfect flattering pop.
Jessica Alba’s Honest Beauty is one of the most popular celeb beauty brands, and that’s not for no good reason. Her philosophy of clean, safe, environmentally-conscious products that live up to their promises and don’t cost a fortune resonates, unsurprisingly, with many people. Her Creme Cheek Blush comes in seven punchy colors, and is, in my opinion, goof-proof. I was never a big blush user, but when I did use it, I’d only use powder. Cream blush seemed tricky. But turns out it’s actually less tricky than powder–if you have the right one. It goes on light and sheer so you can build up the color until it looks just right. Honest Beauty Creme Cheek Blush is also billed as lip color, and from what I can tell, legions of fans use it for both, quite happily. I’ve never used it on my lips, but I can tell you as a blush, it’s pretty great.