Jessie Loves: A Low-Key Beauty Routine

My favorite products and tips for a less-is-more look

Here’s my beauty philosophy in a nutshell: I think less is more. I’d rather see someone’s natural beauty shine through than be covered up by a lot of products. I think there’s a lot of junk out there that does absolutely nothing! But also, I say do whatever makes you happy and feel your best.

Me with very natural makeup done professionally by Tomomi.

I’m very low-key when it comes to beauty — I don’t even really wash my face that much (except occasionally in the shower, and most often just with water). But I am feeling OLD these days. I’ll be turning 49 next week (!) The aging that has happened in the last 3 years has been a huge bummer for me. I’m trying to make the best of what I’ve got going. Here are a few of my favorite products and tips:

Sunscreen:

I know everyone says it all the time. But listen — I especially noticed how important it is in the last five years. As I’ve gotten older, my skin can get darker in certain areas if I’m not careful. And I am out in the sun a lot playing tennis. I always wear a hat and my go-to sunscreen is EltaMD UV Clear Tinted Broad-Spectrum SPF 46.

I use it every single day, winter or summer, almost like a foundation. It’s a sunscreen I want to put on because it evens out my skin tone. I love the texture. All my friends wear it too. I used to only be able to find it at my dermatologist’s office but I recently saw it at a high-end pharmacy. I much prefer to buy it in person than online or at the doctors. For body sunscreen I use Supergoop in the giant bottle.

Me and my friend Sara Beltran playing tennis with no makeup, just sunscreen. (I took this photo with a filter…more on that later).

Moisturizer:

I swear by Biossance Squalane + Omega Repair Cream. I think this is the one Reese Witherspoon made go viral? It is the best moisturizer I’ve ever found and I have tried a lot of them! I used to use a more expensive one that didn’t work as well. I thought to myself, “I cannot afford to be spending over $100 on face moisturizer a month!” This one has a very nice price — $60 for a giant tub of it.

One disclaimer — it smells fairly gross. Like, it smells kind of disgusting. I am so sensitive to smell. But I’ve gotten over it. I am able to stand it somehow and it doesn’t bother me anymore. The best-smelling face moisturizer is Tata Harper. But it’s twice as expensive and makes my face red. Any other face moisturizers you love?

Love our cosmetic pouches

Makeup:

I have dark circles under my eyes. I use NARS’s Radiant Creamy Concealer more than any other product. It has a great consistency and pats on easily. I use my ring finger just the way the Mary Kay lady taught my Girl Scout Troop to do it way back when.

But I’ve realized that no matter how much I try to learn how, I’m not great at putting on makeup. I’m too impatient, I rush all the steps and I don’t know what I’m doing. I’ve realized that for work stuff if I’m going to be on camera or speaking at an event, it’s just worth it to have my makeup professionally done. I have a small group of makeup artists I love because they are meticulous, nice and they make me feel like I’m not even wearing makeup. They get it when I say I want to look super natural. I also think it’s worth it to hire a makeup artist for important photos, like Christmas card photos.

It’s a great idea to send a few reference photos ahead of time. This helps SO much. I have a little PDF showing the way I like my make-up and my hair to look (middle part, straight). I’m able to really emphasize that I do not want to look “done.” I simply want to look polished and my best. This saves a lot of time and prevents misunderstandings.

Another big tip I have is: ask the makeup artist what products they are using on your face. I keep a note in my Notes app with the exact products and colors the artist used. This way I can order them. And also if I’m ever in Sephora I can just pull up the list and know the exact brand and shade. Makeup artists are usually super happy to put this list together, so ask.

Look at this amazing chart Tomomi made for me!! It is the sweetest and most useful thing ever.

Hair:

I’ve been going to the Snip N Sip for close to 20 years. It’s the cutest 1950s-themed salon in the West Village. A lot of fashion and media girls go there. Ricky, the owner, is the best and most hilarious! And I love Ash who colors my hair. I rave about these two all the time. The best!

My favorite Ricky quote is from when I was about to turn 40 and was so bummed about it. Ricky said “Listen, honey, someday you’re going to be WISHING you were turning 40.” How right he was! (He also gives really good life advice. The amount of times I have said to my husband, “Well, Ricky says…”) Also Ricky used to be a model and he was in a Pepsi commercial with Luke Perry!

For shampoo I’ve been using Living Proof Perfect Hair Day. I LOVE their dry shampoo. Get the travel size bottles so they don’t chuck them out at airport security (I learned this the hard way). This is the dry shampoo that I think works the best and smells nice.

Botox:

Ok I gave in and started doing it at age 40. I think it’s helpful. My body seems to metabolize it very quickly (i.e. immediately) which is incredibly annoying. It doesn’t really work for me and it’s so frigging expensive it drives me crazy. But I get really deep 11 lines between my eyes and I feel better when they are a tiny bit diminished.

Other Interventions:

I haven’t done fillers and I don’t think I will do fillers. It freaks me out. I am not opposed to plastic surgery though. I am thinking about a tune up in a little while. I keep a saved Instagram file of doctors. I probably will try to go with Dr. Hidalgo because his work is so subtle and natural. I went to him once for a consult and he refused to do any work on me. And that impressed me a lot. He told me to come back in a few years.

He’s also an artist in his free time. This is a pencil drawing of his — look at that detail! I want someone with that level of precision if I ever take the leap and do something surgical (which I am a total wimp and, let’s be honest, probably won’t). Do you have a doctor you think is amazing?

& My Best Beauty Trick:

Use a filter when you take photos. This is probably 99.99% of why people think I have good skin (combined with me never smoking and the fact that I sleep an abnormal amount). Also, my teenage son Casper informed me that selfie camera mode blends and smooths the face. So I love to take a group photo in selfie mode. Someone will inevitably volunteer, “Do you want me to take a picture of you guys?” And I’m always like “NOOOOOO!”

Lightning Round:

Most random product I love: And Other Stories Dimple Peach Cheek and Lip Tint

Bath soap: Aesop

Hand wash: Verden

Lip mask: La Neige Sleeping Mask (I use it for daytime)

Lip gloss: Charlotte Tilbury in Pillow Talk

Best red lipstick: Gucci Odalie (also makes a cute gift)

Eyebrow stuff: Glossier Boy Brow in Blond

Go-to nail polish: Essie Geranium (the best red!)

Cutest make up pouch: LR Frances Pouch

Best foundation: Armani Luminous Silk Foundation

Favorite beauty quote: “My favorite photographer is the one with the biggest retouching budget.” - John Waters

What must-have products did I miss?

And now on to some recs from friends!

Beautiful Poonam.

I asked Poonam Khanna who designs our LR retail stores for her beauty secrets because she is literally one of the most naturally gorgeous people I have ever met. She is STUNNING! Here’s her routine:

1. Human Race Rice Powder Cleanser. This is similar to Japanese rice powder cleansers that are super gentle and don’t dry out your skin, but also make it feel super clean and bright

2. Nature Republic Aloe Vera. Got this tip from an Asian friend and have been hooked every since. Apply after cleanser to get a great dose of moisturizer & the anti bacterial benefits (i.e. zits heal much faster!).

3. Ursa Major Golden Recover Cream (+ Vitamin C Serum). Love what this feels like and does for my skin. Super rich and full of good stuff, I use the cream in mornings and add Vitamin C serum at night.

P.S.: I use to use Trentinoin on my acne-prone skin and I’m starting it up again for the aging benefits in terms of collagen and skin renewal/growth. Also helps with hyper pigmentation, which we all have more of as we age.

A must-have pick from the girls at The Perfect, one of whom is my super chic friend Aaron:

RMS's Master Radiance Base cream. It makes you look like you've chugged gallons of water, had the best night sleep of your life and have just spent a sunny day skiing in the Alps. We can't live without it. It's a very light whipped cream made of organic jojoba oil and this magical rose gold incandescence that blurs imperfections with its reflective properties and gives you a very dewey glow. We've been mixing it with our favorite face moisturizer and have basically stopped using all other makeup besides a little mascara.

And one thing I hate:

Two things:

1. I’ve gotten so used to seeing myself with a filter or in a retouched photo that I have a literal jump scare every time I see myself IRL.

2. I really don’t like the most recent Botox doctor I went to. She sort of shamed me for how much Botox was needed for my face and threw up her hands saying Botox must not work for me (something to do with a protein in my body or something?) And charged me a fortune. Ugh.