The Best Beauty Advice We've Heard This Year | Into The Gloss
The Best Beauty Advice We've Heard This Year
By Into The Gloss
In today’s ever-evolving beauty landscape, each one of us has become the CEO of our own personal beauty startup. The journey of discovering a routine that truly works is often filled with trial, error, and valuable lessons learned through experience. What should you budget for? Where is it worth splurging? How can you get this product to perform like that, or simply make your routine run more smoothly? There is a whole language to master, countless techniques to familiarize yourself with, and at the very beginning, nobody really knows what they are doing. That’s why networking and learning from others is essential. Through The Top Shelf, we continuously gain new insights and tips to successfully navigate the world of beauty — think of the interviewees as mentors, and you, the eager and inspired student. Beyond mere product recommendations, this year’s cohort of beauty insiders has shared so many nuggets of wisdom that made us pause and say, “Ohhh.” Here are some of our favorite highlights, expanded and detailed for your benefit:
Beauty, at Its Best, Should Help You Feel More Like Yourself
True beauty is not about masking who you are but enhancing your natural self and feeling confident in your own skin. Many makeup artists and beauty experts emphasize the importance of simplicity and personalization in creating a daily beauty routine that resonates with your identity.
“One of the best tips a makeup artist ever gave me was to decide on three things in your routine that matter the most to you, and make them a part of your consistent, casual look. My three things are mascara, lip gloss, and eyebrows, for sure.” — Poppy, Musician
Taking this advice to heart, many find that focusing on a few key elements rather than overwhelming themselves with countless products results in a more manageable and authentic daily routine. Mascara enhances the eyes with subtle definition, lip gloss adds a fresh touch of shine and color, and well-groomed eyebrows frame the face to bring everything together harmoniously.
Similarly, Athena Calderone, an acclaimed interior designer, author, and chef, shares her preference for a matte face paired with bold lips. “When I wear a red lip, I can’t wear any cheek color. I like my face to feel very matte, almost like a blend between the dramatic Gwen Stefani look and Snow White. If I don’t wear red lipstick, I only use balm on my lips, and then I’ll do a more flushed cheek.” This approach highlights how understanding your features and preferences can help you tailor your look to express your mood or occasion perfectly.
Breaking conventional rules, writer Zeba Blay recalls how her mother once cautioned her against wearing red lipstick because it might look garish on dark skin. Instead of deterring her, this advice fueled her passion to experiment boldly with bright and dark lip colors. “Lipstick has always been my way of feeling put together, especially because I didn’t know what else to do makeup-wise,” she says. This story is a testament to how personal and cultural perceptions influence beauty choices, and how defying norms can lead to empowerment.
Beauty Doesn’t Have to Be Expensive
One of the biggest misconceptions in the beauty world is that higher price tags guarantee better quality. While some luxury products offer exceptional formulations, many affordable options deliver impressive results without breaking the bank.
“I think people always want to think they got a steal, but just because two creams are good doesn’t mean they’re dupes! It just shows you that cheaper formulations can be excellent.” — Charlotte Palermino, Founder, Dieux Skin
Charlotte’s insight reminds us that budget-friendly skincare and makeup products can hold their own against pricier counterparts. The trick lies in identifying formulas that suit your skin type and lifestyle, rather than just focusing on the brand or price.
Molly Goddard, Co-Founder of Desmond & Dempsey, reveals her secret to affordable beauty shopping: “The Body Shop is my small secret. If I want to buy beauty products and don’t want to go broke, I go there — everything is so affordable and so good.”
In addition to accessible shopping, many beauty veterans swear by simple but effective products for cleansing and removing makeup. Toni Ko, founder of Nyx Cosmetics, shares her routine: “I alternate between using a makeup wipe or Pond’s Cold Cream to take off my foundation. Pond’s you can buy for just a few dollars, and it’s amazing. I wash my face with the original Dove Beauty Bar, which contains 25% moisturizer, so it cleanses while protecting the moisture barrier of your skin.”
Similarly, Lala Kent credits affordable classics like Pond’s and Vaseline for keeping her skin and eyes youthful. She also loves soaking in a warm bath with Johnson & Johnson baby oil to deeply hydrate her skin, proving that effective self-care doesn't require lavish spending.
Investing in Your Skin: The Real Secret Behind Celebrity Glow
Many people overlook one crucial fact: quality skincare and beauty maintenance often require a financial investment, and consistent care over time is the real key to radiant skin.
“I’d never really invested in my skin until last year — I didn’t even know where to start. You know, let’s be real, these things are expensive. You have to have a certain level of income, which I felt privileged to have. Everyone’s like, ‘What’s the celebrity’s secret?’ It’s money! Really, it’s money.” — Peyton Dix, Social Media Strategist
This candid statement highlights the reality that financial means often play a significant role in beauty routines, but that doesn’t mean great care and beautiful results are inaccessible. Smart choices, budgeting, and prioritizing can make a difference.
There’s Always Something New to Learn in Beauty
The beauty industry evolves rapidly, with new techniques and products emerging constantly. Staying open to learning can dramatically improve your routine and results.
“The best tip I’ve gotten from a makeup artist on set was to wet my Beautyblender with warm water, not cold water. It makes such a difference in the way it distributes product.” — Tabria Majors, Model
Simple changes like this one—using warm instead of cold water—can elevate how makeup applies and lasts throughout the day.
Stylist and creative Michelle Li recounts a charming story about her time on a Manuka honey farm in New Zealand. After a serious sunburn, the farm owner advised her to apply fresh honey nightly to soothe and heal her skin. This natural remedy became a key part of her skincare routine, showing that traditional and natural products can have powerful benefits.
On the jewelry care front, Joanna Gong, a Private Sales Director at Sotheby’s, warns about protecting precious stones like pearls, coral, and turquoise from oils and alcohols that can dull their appearance. She advises removing these pieces before applying hand creams, while noting that more durable gemstones like diamonds and sapphires do not require this extra care.
Solutions to Persistent Beauty Challenges
Beauty challenges like seborrheic dermatitis, particularly common among Black women, often go undiagnosed or improperly treated. Comedian and writer Rinny Perkins shares her journey learning about ketoconazole foam, which can be sprayed directly on the scalp—even with braids—to effectively treat the condition, unlike typical shampoos not designed for textured hair.
Colorist and salon owner Tracey Cunningham explains her expert technique for achieving long-lasting blonde highlights without frequent root touch-ups, using ammonia-free color on the roots and toning mid-lengths, while leaving ends raw for a natural, low-maintenance finish.
For skin exfoliation and improving texture, Diarrha N'Diaye-Mbaye, founder of Ami Colé, swears by dry brushing every two weeks to clear flaky skin and boost circulation, demonstrating the power of simple habits.
And when it comes to taming baby hairs and slicking back hair effortlessly, Mistress Iris, a dominatrix and beauty enthusiast, shares her secret weapon: V76 by Vaughn Molding Paste. She applies a small amount to stubborn hairs around her part, pressing them down firmly before smoothing with a comb for a hold stronger than hairspray.
Breaking the Rules: When Beauty Hacks Defy Convention
Sometimes, the best beauty hacks come from breaking the rules and experimenting. Julie Fagerholt, Head of Design at H2OFagerholt, applies Milky Jelly Cleanser before showering and leaves it on for several minutes to balance her skin. She even applies it overnight on small spots, finding that they vanish by morning.
Emily DiDonato, model and founder of Covey, demonstrates how a simple hair straightening technique—taking a small section, flipping it away from the face, and gliding the straightener down—creates perfect corkscrew curls that add a unique dimension to her style.
Charlotte Palermino incorporates The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution not just on her face but on the backs of her arms, and uses their AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution to remove calluses from her feet, showing the versatility of some products beyond conventional use.
Youri Park, Co-Founder and CTO of Newness, enjoys experimenting with multipurpose products like RMS Beauty Eye Polish applied on cheeks and Givenchy Ombre Couture Waterproof Cream, which doubles as both eye and cheek color, maximizing efficiency and minimizing clutter.
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