Beauty experts and enthusiasts list the products they swear by

Five individuals let us in on the skincare, haircare and make-up they are fiercely loyal towards

In the recent past, the beauty industry’s intense, much-lauded growth comes with an endless barrage of launches, more and more products and brands vye for our attention, and seemingly every celebrity–in India and abroad–is launching their own beauty brand. 

Beyond traditional advertising, we also have to contend with the non-stop churn of direct and indirect digital advertising pushing newer must-haves, inciting us to buy more of the same stuff.

In the quest for a slight pause from the barrage of options, we ask five individuals what their most preferred beauty products are. Better equipped to cut through the fluff, or some fickle first-flush glow, it follows that if they restock a given product, it’s likely to be solid. 

 Across skincare, haircare and make-up, here are the most dependable products on their shelves. The only caveat: They’ve had to have these constants in their beauty arsenal for a good five years, or more.

EDWARD LALREMPUIA, Fashion Stylist and Beauty Enthusiast 

I came to beauty accidently, a decade ago, watching my friend follow Clinique’s famous 3-Step Routine. I think I got into skincare because I wanted to keep my face away from invasive treatments for as long as I could. So, I bought the same 3-Step the very next day; I’d hardly used even moisturiser daily until then. And today, I still use the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion. 

One of my favourite discoveries is the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence, as it had made a huge difference to my glow. I’ve experimented with so many other essence waters, but always return to this one. 

While I don’t have many skin concerns, I do have pigmentation, for which I consult my dermatologist regularly. The one product that has really helped is Allies of Skin Retinol & Peptides Repair Night Cream. I also love Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Serum, which I use regularly. It isn’t drastic but it’s consistent and reliable. 

Sunscreen is non-negotiable in any solid skincare routine, and I’ve tried many over the years. Most sunscreens will make your skin too oily (adding onto my already oily T-zone) or they leave a white cast. So, my go-to is Murad’s Oil and Pore Control Mattifier Broad Spectrum SPF 45 sunscreen.

KOMAL BASITH, Beauty Influencer and Journalist

I’ve never had a skincare ritual even though I've had a skincare routine since I was in my mid-teens. To me, skincare is more a habit, less a ritual. I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've gone to bed without cleansing my face or putting at least some moisturiser on before bed.

 To me, beauty is liking what you see in the mirror. It's both having a clear conscience but it's also far more superficial. I've always had what some would call problematic skin; prone to acne, prone to scarring–and I know what it's like to regard your reflection with a certain sadness. I don't mean to be vain when I say this, but what is wrong with vanity anyway.

So, for clearer skin without having to worry about it, I like La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo. When I’m feeling congested or am breaking out, I slap some on for a few nights and my skin clears up. I credit Paula's Choice BHA Liquid Exfoliant to finally feeling confident enough in my skin to go make-up-free. It refines pores, gets rids of blackheads, and minimises future breakouts. It's liquid gold in a bottle to me.

I've lost count of the number of times I've bought Kama’s Rose and Jasmine Cleanser. It's mild, doesn't foam, and is devoid of sulphates (I don't mind them on my hair, but don't like them on my skin). It never strips my skin, and doesn’t leave a film either. 

I've loved Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair since I was in my 20s, but Lancome’s Genifique gives me slightly more bang for my buck. I always take it along whilst travelling, particularly if I know I'm going to be going somewhere where the weather (humid, dry) or conditions (indoor heating, sleeping in the AC) might aggravate my skin. 

 I've used a bunch of hairsprays; the Boots Hair Spray is reasonably priced and most effective. I come back to it every time–it holds a style, doesn't make hair crunchy. And when I don’t use Kerastase Elixir Ultime before blow-drying, I see a difference. It makes my hair feel softer.

Since I like a nice, curled lash–especially since my natural ones are poker straight and stick out at 90 degrees–the Shu Uemura eyelash curler gives them a little something before mascara. I doubt there's another pencil liner like the Dior Le Khol. I use it until it's down to a stub and then buy another one, rinse and repeat over the last six-odd years. It's pigmented, it doesn't drag the skin, and  blends out or stays crisp, depending on how you wear it.

MITESH RAJANI, Make-Up Artist

For me, beauty is something that must be a little imperfect, it must have that little unfinished finish, if you know what I mean. I don’t like perfectly finished images, or perfectly finished beauty, or hair.

My relationship with beauty goes back to when as a child, I’d steal lipsticks from the women in my family, try them on, use them as a blush. I never had the courage to wear it in front of others, lest someone saw me, as I’d be told off for acting like a girl. In my family, dressing up like a girl was considered inappropriate or entirely dismissed. I loved wearing girl’s clothes as a child, and putting on make-up made me feel good about myself. I loved putting gajra in my mum’s hair or helping her drape her sari. And still, dressing up women makes me feel very happy and content. 

While I do buy new products, I always return to my classics. One of these is the Givenchy Volume Disturbia Mascara. They discontinued my favourite spiky ball brush, but their mascara formula remains the same–not too thick, not too watery, neither overpowering, nor clumpy. 

Over the years, I’ve tried all kinds of foundation but I love going back to the Chantecaille Future Skin Gel Foundation and their HD Perfecting Powder. The formula is so light and luminous, it gives me exactly the kind of skin I want. I also keep going back to the Chanel Les Beiges Bronzer, making sure to refill it in my kit–its creamy consistency is nicer than powders. 

Each time I’m on set and the skin is feeling dry, or the foundation is looking too heavy, like maybe we over-powdered it, I take two dots of the French pharmacy classic Homeoplasmine, and buff it on the face, especially around the mouth and cheeks. It’s like thick pomade so you have to use very little. I use it over foundation without having to restart. 

I love the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder for Under Eyes. Nothing really curtails under-eye creasing, to be honest, but I like that there is no baking or layering of this powder so the under eye doesn’t feel heavy, it stays well. 

The YSL Touche Éclat formula is just perfect for brightening or luminous coverage, for lit-from-within skin. All the peaches from the Bobbi Brown Corrector also work really well across Indian skin tones; it’s an absolute gem. 

VASUDHA RAI, Author, Columnist and Influencer 

Beauty products really make me feel good. A beauty routine is my way of calming myself—in the evening it helps me wind down and, in the morning, it helps me prepare for the day. It goes beyond a quick fix for me. For instance, if I’m going to a party, it’s really not about the make-up but more about the application, and then I’m already thinking of taking it all off with an amazing balm after. I enjoy the whole process. 

I look for hydrating, calming or soothing, and lately, tightening products as my skin dries tending towards redness and sensitivity. Amongst the products I always go back to is Biologique Recherche Lotion P50. I use it whenever my skin is clogged and feeling a bit dull. It smoothes texture and adds that bit of lift. I’ll use it over a month or so as a kind of prep so I can go back to Retinol or Vitamin C. 

What I’ve also gone back to, over the years, , cyclically, is prescription-strength Retinol. I’ll use it for six months, maybe a year, then I’ll stop, use some skin-soothing ingredients, and return to it after a while. Once you use prescription-strength Retinol you don’t need to use anything else on your face; it lifts and smoothens the skin. Personally, if I had to use something long-term, and had to choose between retinol or the P50, I’d choose the former because it gives a velvety matte finish as compared to the latter which makes skin super shiny. 

I love my cleansers—I’m a total cleansing junkie. A beautiful cleansing regime is transformative for one’s skin. One of my favourite cleansers is the Emma Hardie Moringa Balm and return to it over and over. My skin becomes calm and smooth, and non-problematic. 

I also love hair oil and keep going back to the Kama Ayurveda Bringadi Intensive Hair Treatment Oil. It’s wonderful, it makes my hair grow super-fast, and is good for my scalp health. I try all kinds of oils, including my own recipe, but find myself returning to this oil. For years together, I’ve been using the Clinic Plus Strong & Long Health Shampoo. It works beautifully with the Kama hair oil. I don’t believe in spending a lot of money on shampoo but I do spend money on conditioner. 

As I prefer bronzer over blush, my all-time-favourite  is the Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder. Its powder is very sophisticated and just gives your skin a slight lift. I love that it makes skin glow but it doesn't enhance texture unlike other illuminating products which tend to make pores more visible. In fact, this one has a beautiful blurring effect on the skin.

IVA DIXIT, Writer and Editor, New York Times Magazine 

For the first 20 years or so of my life, beauty was tied up with surveillance.  This is because caring for your skin or indulging in anything appearance-related when you’re a young girl earned you the reputation of being flighty while also being expected to look and behave exactly as mandated. For the next decade or so, my relationship with beauty has teetered from fulfilment to obsession to disgust, and in between, I made my peace with it as something I enjoy occasionally but don’t feel compelled to hurtle into. 

One of the great luxuries of age has been that my time and my convenience are now far more important than the momentary temptation of whatever new seduction is being sold to me. Another luxury is knowing exactly what works for my face and my complexion, and having enough sentimental attachment and long-term comfort with things that I know won’t leave me in a bind. 

I bought a ridiculously expensive Serge Lutens l'Etoffe du matM3 lipstick when I first started earning at 22 and wear the same colour even today at 31. Nothing goes on my lashes except the Eyeko Black Magic Mascara Drama & Curl recommended by the woman I see for my eyebrows. I have remained faithful to it since the day I discovered that Surratt Beauty Artistique Blush in Grisaille, a muddy grey powder, gives me cheekbones that even my genes could not. 

Three years ago, I gave up my entire arsenal of acids, humectants and occlusives for an uncomplicated life of 0.1% tretinoin at night and the same PA++++ sunscreen during the day, which has now given me a far greater luxury—that of being able to sleep in longer in the mornings because I’m not furiously rubbing gels and liquids into my face before going to work.

Also Read: With beauty products available online, why are brands still investing in physical stores?

Also Read: Consider these beauty products recommended by experts before your next shopping spree

Also Read: 5 make-up artists share what ignited their passion for their profession