Beyond the Vanity: Get To Know These AB Staffers With a Quickfire Beauty Q&A

Updated:

01 Oct 2024

Jas is the former Senior Content Specialist at Adore Beauty. A beauty admirer turned certified addict, she brings a sharp editorial eye and pop-culture pulse to everything she creates. Her words have appeared in The Age, Sydney Morning Herald, and Broadsheet. When she’s not producing viral content or podcasting about skincare, you’ll find her thrifting for vintage treasures or binging Bravo (strictly for research, of course).

Some may say beauty is vain, but I couldn’t disagree more.

For me, there’s an unrivalled joy in that initial sweep of a Face Halo effortlessly erasing my makeup, like putting a period at the end of a long day.

A feeling second only to slipping into fresh, crisp sheets–a little treat in tow–just in time for the latest ep of The Real Housewives.

But it’s not all beauty and Bravo.

Our regimes are our daily rituals, a part of our lives that extends beyond simply looking good to feeling good, too.

They’re about self-care, self-expression, and, sometimes, even self-discovery.

Forever curious about what puts the ‘Adore’ in our team’s ‘Beauty’ (sorry, I couldn’t help myself), I decided to delve deeper beyond the “vanity” to uncover the products, stories and wisdom hidden within the folds of their routines.

Jas, Beauty Editor.

My beauty routine has evolved from...to...

Stealing whatever skincare my sisters used to a multi-step routine tailored to my skin's specific needs that nearly costs as much as my rent (RIP bank account).

The first beauty product that stole my heart was the...

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse Foundation (!!). To say it had me in a chokehold is the understatement of the century. I was OBSESSED, even though its whippy texture looked like dried-up cake batter on my skin.

If I were stranded on a desert island, my non-negotiable beauty products (that aren’t SPF) would be...

My trusty Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask 20g , because let's face it, desert island or not, windburn is a thing, and chapped lips are not a vibe.

I'd also want my Weleda Skin Food - 75ml on hand, it's like the Swiss Army knife of skincare that hydrates and soothes.

Last but not least, I'd be lost without a boar-bristle brush to tackle the tangled mess my hair will inevitably become!

At the top of my beauty wish list right now is...

The MAKE UP FOR EVER HD Skin Sculpting Palette for full-glam looks now that the weather is warming up!

I've also got my eye on the BDK Pas Ce Soir EDP 100ml for a spendy fragrance splurge.

The beauty products I repurchase the most are...

Brow products! Pencils, gels, brushes; you name it, I've bought it. My current combo is the Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil and Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze.

In close second is SPF, because, repeat after me: there's nothing healthy about a tan. I'm loving the Ultra Violette Fave Fluid SPF50+ Ultralight SKINSCREEN 75ml for a lightweight, glowy formula.

Finally, of course, my holy grail moisturiser, Aspect Phytostat 9.

Sadaf, Senior Beauty Editor.

My beauty routine has evolved from...to...

"Not wearing SPF because I thought I didn’t need to on my olive skin tone and using makeup wipes to double cleansing and applying SPF every day (yes, even on cloudy days)."

The first beauty product that stole my heart was...

"After lip smackers (core memory), M.A.C Cosmetics Strobe Cream."

If I were stranded on a desert island, my non-negotiable beauty products (that aren’t SPF) would be...

"My Clinique Even Better Concealer, Cicaplast B5+ Supersize, and you know what? I’m going to go throw in my DIOR 999 lipstick in case I see a hot desert man stranded there too, gotta look cute."

At the top of my beauty wish list right now is...

"Aesop Eidesis Eau de Parfum. It’s been at the top for awhile now, I need to just hit ‘place order’ already."

The beauty products I repurchase the most are...

"Cleansers (mostly CeraVe Foaming Oil Cleanser and the Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Cleansing Oil), SPF (currently rotating between Dewy-C, Anthelios and Queen Screen) and full coverage concealers."

Chloe, Brand Partnerships Coordinator.

My beauty routine has evolved from...to...

"Using an ordinary bar of soap as a cleanser, relying on the unexpected magic of baby wipes to remove makeup, and even venturing into the realm of unconventional spot treatments with toothpaste to a full routine tailored to how my skin’s feeling on the day.

Notably, a lot of glycolic acids (the king of AHAs, in my opinion)."

The first beauty product that stole my heart was...

"A drugstore BB Cream in the shade medium, a beautiful orangey shade that was incredibly on-trend at the time.

Being completely devoured by the matte makeup look back then, I would douse my face in powder and then use hairspray to lock in my makeup.

I’m cringing at the thought of it now and promise to never hairspray my face again."

If I were stranded on a desert island, my non-negotiable beauty products (that aren’t SPF) would be...

"Easily the Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask 20g. I have about three of these opened scattered throughout my house.

My lips are naturally incredibly dry and it has always been that way. Having these sprinkled around reminds me to constantly use them."

At the top of my beauty wish list right now is...

"Definitely the SkinCeuticals Hyaluronic Acid Intensifier. Now I know you’re reading this and probably thinking I’m just trying to sell you a $169 hyaluronic serum, but hear me out.

I’ve always been very big on anti-ageing, prevention is key so you have to start early and be consistent.

The Skinceuticals HA Intensifier isn’t JUST a HA serum, it’s a multifunctional serum that is actually proven to amplify and maintain the skin’s hyaluronic acid levels.

The beauty products I repurchase the most are...

"The Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask 20g, my partner and I both use it. Not only is it a great lip mask before bed, but it’s also fantastic for glossifying any of my lip products.

The L'Oreal Paris True Match Nude Plumping Tinted Serum is also *chef's kiss*. It has perfect coverage, it’s affordable, lasts well on the skin and I honestly think it works well on any skin type.

Lucky last, the Clinique Even Better All-Over Concealer + Eraser. I can’t thank our Senior Beauty Editor, Sadaf, enough for recommending this product. I’ve pretty much recommended it to all the makeup wearers around me.

Medium coverage but buildable, easy to apply, so light and looks great even when you don’t have foundation on - I really can’t fault it."

Ally, Social & Content Coordinator.

My beauty routine has evolved from...to...

"Washing my face with a bar of soap (cue the *gasp*) to a 5-step skincare routine that even includes a toner - Who am I?"

The first beauty product that stole my heart was...

"That cult chocolate bar eyeshadow palette that everyone owned. After being influenced by the Beauty YouTubers of the 2010s, I saved up every cent from my part-time job at McDonalds for this. I still have her to this day (yes it’s expired and yes I still use it - don’t judge me)."

If I were stranded on a desert island, my non-negotiable beauty products (that aren’t SPF) would be...

"My Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask 20g (preferably in Pink Lemonade), La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 (in the supersize thanks) and a hair tie (because who wants their hair out when they’re hot, sweaty and trying to escape a desert island?)."

At the top of my beauty wish list right now is...

"The Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scalp Scrub. They (I’m not exactly sure who they are) keep saying that scalp care is the new skincare, and boy, my scalp needs some TLC."