Beauty

CAKES Body and the Quiet Art of Dressing Without a Bra

CAKES Body was started by twin sisters Taylor Capuano and Casey Sarai, who built silicone nipple covers for wearing under clothes. Here is how I think about their covers, tape and lift pieces, plus a few other brands for the days a different shape or fit suits you better.

The Make Up Bag Edit: Soft Pouches, Clear Cases and What Goes Inside

A make up bag should fit what you actually carry and make every piece easy to find. Here are soft pouches, clear cases and vanity bags in every size, plus the sticks and balms that earn a spot inside.

A Makeup Tutorial for People Who Own Too Many Brushes

This makeup tutorial goes in the order I actually apply things: skin prep and base, then cream cheeks and eyes, then the brushes and sponges that blend it all out. It is a friendly, low-drama route to everyday makeup looks.

Press-On Manicure Notes: Living With Glamnetic Nails

Glamnetic nails began as a small idea in a Los Angeles apartment and grew into one of the best-known press-on brands around. Here are four of its shades I keep reaching for, other press-on sets worth trying, and the cuticle oils that keep the whole manicure looking good.

In the Stars Bath and Body Works, and the Amber and Sandalwood Scents Around It

In the Stars Bath and Body Works is a sugared tangelo, starflower and sandalwood scent that launched for holiday 2018, and it now comes in everything from body wash to eau de parfum. Here is how I build it, the warm scents that sit next to it, and the sandalwood perfumes from other houses I reach for next.

Hygiene Hero: Michelle Yeh's Quiet Case for Bikini-Line Care

Hygiene Hero is Michelle Yeh's brand of intimate skincare, and this edit follows it from the oils and serum to the mists, deodorant and private bars. It ends with bikini-line and ingrown hair care from other brands.

Curling Wand vs Curling Iron: What to Reach For

A curling wand has no clamp, and that one difference changes how your curls look and how you hold the tool. Here are the wands I would look at, the clamp irons that do the opposite job, and the sprays that belong underneath.

Pony Hair Bag: A Buying Guide

Buying Pony Hair Bag comes down to a few checks you can do from the product page. Everything else is preference.

Fara Homidi: How The Cream Formulas Actually Wear

Fara Homidi's cream formulas should be judged the way any cream product should be, by how they blend and how long they hold, not by how the compact looks under counter light. This edit starts with the lip and bronzer pieces, then the face, lip and eye compacts, plus the brushes that make them easier to use.

The Everyday Skincare Shelf

An everyday skincare shelf only needs a handful of things that do their jobs well: a gentle cleanser, something hydrating, one treatment, a moisturizer and sunscreen. This is how to build one you will actually use.

Anti Aging Skin Care Sets

Anti-aging sets make the most sense when they cover the few steps that actually matter: a retinoid at night, sunscreen in the morning and something gentle in between. Here is how to choose one.

A Makeup Edit For Lips, Eyes, and Skin

Buying makeup for lips, eyes, and skin comes down to a few checks you can do from the product page. Everything else is preference.

Skin That Doesn't Need Makeup

Skincare-First Beauty

EM Cosmetics: From Michelle Phan’s YouTube Tutorials to a New York Boutique

EM Cosmetics traces Michelle Phan’s YouTube-to-brand story through lip color, artist-led eye makeup, sculpted brows, and soft-focus face products. I’m taking the slow route: a lip tint first, then the smallest edit that changes the face.

French makeup: Red Lips, Skin Tints, and the French Pharmacy

French makeup, from a decisive red lip and sheer complexion to soft eyes, blush, and French pharmacy skincare. I like the history as much as the lipstick, and I would keep the rest of the face spare.

Wow Hair Products for the Whole Wash Day

Wow hair products from COLOR WOW, laid out as a full wash day from the pre-shampoo step to the finishing spray.

Hair Wax, Pomade or Clay: Which Hold Belongs on Your Shelf

Hair wax, pomade, clay and paste all promise hold, but they finish very differently. Here are the light waxes I start with, the shiny pomades, and the matte clays and pastes for texture.

Baccarat Rouge 540 Dupe: Saffron and Amber Alternatives for Fall

A Baccarat Rouge 540 dupe edit covering saffron and amber eau de parfums, sweet airy ambers, mists, oils and amber candles from other labels. I would start with the notes, then pick the format that fits how I actually wear scent.

Tom Ford Perfume Dupe: Cherry, Tobacco, Jasmine and Dark Florals From Other Houses

This Tom Ford perfume dupe edit gathers look-alike fragrances from other houses in five families: cherry, tobacco vanilla, leather, jasmine and dark florals. I wrote it for anyone who loves the original's moods and wants to find their own version.

Diptyque Candle Dupe: The Oval-Label Look in Fig, Rose and Wood

This Diptyque candle dupe edit covers fig, berry and rose, and woody candles, plus room sprays and reed diffusers from other labels that share the oval-label look. I would start with one fig candle and build the shelf from there.

Creed Aventus Dupe: Pineapple, Birch and the Search for a Look-Alike

This Creed Aventus dupe edit gathers pineapple, patchouli and citrus-wood perfumes, plus hair mists and travel sprays, from other labels that share the original's defining notes. I would start with a sample size and judge the dry-down before anything else.

The Creamy White Floral: Tuberose, Jasmine and Soft Skin Scents

This edit gathers tuberose, jasmine and other white-floral perfumes, plus body mists and rollerballs. I would start with a creamy tuberose and let it settle on my skin before deciding.

The Lavender-Orange Blossom Perfume: Warm Florals for Fall

This edit gathers lavender, orange blossom, vanilla and musk perfumes, mists and rollerballs for a warm floral scent wardrobe. I picked easy ways to layer them through October.

Byredo Perfume Dupe: Soft Woods and Neroli From Other Labels

This Byredo perfume dupe edit gathers sandalwood, incense, neroli, mists and rollerballs from other labels that share the soft woody musk of Byredo's best sellers. I built it for the scent family first, then the format.