Celebrity Skincare Experts Trot Out Go-To Products
Before makeup artist Molly R. Stern makes up the famous faces of clients including Maya Rudolph and Amy Poehler, she spends considerable time on skincare prep.
“By stimulating your skin with great products and generating blood flow, you end up not needing as much makeup, which always feels good,” she says.
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Stern does a lot of product layering and massage. “Natura Bisse’s Diamond Instant Glow kit lifts and firms in 10 minutes. It’s a luxurious choice for a big game day.”
Next, she’ll massage in a serum, such as Kat Burki’s Rose Hip Revitalizing Face Serum, which “feels like it’s quenching the skin,” or Saint Jane’s Luxury Beauty Serum with CBD — “this is great day or night for a calming glow.”
Then she’ll apply an emollient moisturizer, such as Epicuren’s Ultra Rose Treat Enzyme Moisturizer or Augustinus Bader’s the Rich Cream, and utilize a tool. “Pause Well-Aging Fascia Stimulating Tool is a medical-grade tool that rejuvenates the skin. Using it gives a serious glow.” She also loves Jillian Dempsey’s Gold Bar. “This vibrating bar wakes up the complexion and feels amazing.”
Makeup artist Jamie Greenberg revitalizes client Kaley Cuoco’s skin with CurrentBody Skin’s LED Light Therapy Mask. This at-home, anti-aging mask sends red and infrared light waves into the skin to boost cell productivity.
“The first time you use it, your skin actually starts to glow, so it’s good for a special moment,” says Greenberg, who’s had firmer skin and fewer fine lines since using it herself. She’s also a fan of NuFace’s microcurrent device for tightening. “If you use it every day, it’s like going to the gym — everything stays taut.”
To hydrate and plump, Green-berg likes Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream, and she says Clarins Total Eye Lift “firms and takes away fine lines for the night and over time.” “I also love Jamie Makeup’s Blighlighter to give the cheek some luminosity.”
For Greenberg, virtual events warrant “finding that perfect balance with lighting so you can look like a goddess onscreen.”
“It’s really about dimension,” she says. “You don’t want to be completely matte or completely dewy.”
A new skincare concern in these times is maskne, or mask acne.
“We’ve all experienced maskne during the pandemic due to the mask-wearing leading to clogged pores and a compromised skin barrier,” says skincare guru Kate Somerville. Her Maskne-Clearing Kit features her overnight EradiKate Acne Treatment and DeliKate Recovery Cream, to treat blemishes and rebuild healthy skin.
Somerville has bottled her most popular treatments for those who can’t make it into her clinic on Melrose Place. “Take a hot shower or bath and let the steam open your pores, then use ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment for a great at-home facial experience,” she says.
The DermalQuench Liquid Lift was inspired by the clinic’s oxygen and hyaluronic acid-infused treatment. “It’s so important to hydrate skin, especially spending time indoors with the heater.”
This month, she’s launching KateCeuticals Resurfacing Overnight Peel, which is “amazing for red-carpet prep when used the night before.” She says, “Our formula of glycolic and retinol works to accelerate surface skin turnover without any downtime.”
Eczema sufferers may benefit from casting director-cum-product inventor Yasmin Gharib Wade’s organic Yassi’s Butta.
“I’m a Persian German married to a Black French Canadian, and we gave birth to two children with very different hair and skin needs,” says Gharib Wade, who heads up LA- and NYC-based Jane Doe Casting. The moisturizing product she created has improved her daughter’s eczema as well as her son’s acne and dry hair. She recommends using it under makeup for a glow, or to tame hair frizz.
“It’s a multi-purpose product for everyone, regardless of ethnicity, gender or age.”
For quick solutions to skin problems, online platform Musely connects patients with dermatologists who can recommend prescription skincare treatments delivered to their doors.
“For a last-minute event, the spot peel can do wonders in one week,” says founder and CEO Jack Jia. “If you have skin conditions like melasma, sun spots, age spots and other hyperpigmentation, the Spot Cream is a must.”
For skin irritated by mask wearing, Jia suggests applying the night cream to alleviate redness and give skin a makeover overnight.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made Musely’s telemedicine platform for skincare transform a dream accessed only by the few elites into a normal reality that can be afforded by everyone.”
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