If you follow Hunter Harris on Twitter, you know she has a lot of strong opinions on everything from Martin Scorsese’s glasses to Bennifer. The writer and founder of the pop culture newsletter Hung Up doesn’t just have opinions on entertainment though; she has quite a few thoughts on beauty, too. “I’ve always been into beauty—my mom was an anchor for the ABC affiliate in my hometown,” she says. “She would do a full face of makeup every single day. I wanted to experiment with makeup myself but she’d always steer me in the right direction and keep me from looking like a clown.” Even though makeup was her entry point into beauty, Harris is more likely to experiment with skincare, slathering on serums and testing creams, rather than with makeup. (Her favorite man is Dr. Dennis Gross.) “Once I find something I like, I stick with it,” she says. “ I make fun of J.Lo for having the same nude lip for longer than I've been alive, but I also do the same face every time I put on makeup, so I can't really talk.”
Below, Harris shares all of the beauty products that have earned a top spot in her beauty regimen.
Enzyme Cleanser
“I usually don’t like physical exfoliants because I think they’re too harsh for a lot of people’s skin, but I accidentally bought this scrub cleanser from Dr. Barbara Sturm. This is the only really nice cleanser I’ve had in my regimen. It’s great to travel with because it’s a powder formula—you put some in your palm, get it a little wet, then rub it into your skin. I use it either once a week or every other week, if my skin feels congested. Otherwise, I’ll use an oil-free cleanser.”
Rich Cream
“I feel like this is such an obvious ‘woman who lives in Brooklyn’ recommendation, but the Bader Rich Cream is actually so nice. It’s one of those products where I was like, if it’s so good, then why had I never heard of it before this year? It cannot be as good as people say.
“One of my best friends, we always get each other very nice skincare gifts for our birthdays and she got me a set that included the Rich Cream. It is so luxurious. It feels like I’m putting a cashmere sweater on my skin. It’s so expensive but I’m hooked.”
High Frequency Acne
“I have super acne-prone skin, so I feel like high frequency technology really helps get rid of bacteria and reduces inflammation. I love using skincare tools—if I make a mistake, then whatever happens, happens—and I’ve been using this at home. I love brie and I love a charcuterie board, and whenever I eat cheese, the next week or so I’ll have a breakout. But the high frequency wand has made a big difference. I use it on a low to medium setting one or two nights a week, depending on how my skin is doing.”
Wand for Acne
“There's a LightStim wand for acne-prone skin and one for wrinkles; I use the acne one because I have acne-prone skin on my cheeks. I can use this tool while I’m sitting on my couch watching TV, reading a book, or just scrolling on the Internet. It’s not a great standalone treatment, but when it’s used in concert with other things, it really helps acne-prone skin.”
Aqua Foundation
“I know the girls on TikTok love a full coverage foundation, but I still like something that’s buildable. I was working on a project and the makeup artist used this foundation from Koh Gen Do. I love it—it’s very moisturizing and even though it comes in a small package, as my mom always says, a little dab will do you. It’s easy to apply and it doesn’t feel too cakey. I apply it either with my fingers or with a beauty blender.”
Instant Eyebrow Tint
“I’m obsessed with whatever I can do to minimize the time I spend on makeup day-to-day so I tint my eyebrows with this kit. I use a spoolie to apply the formula onto my brows about every other week. I love that I can wake up without feeling like I need to fill in my brows with a pencil or gel.”
Alluring Eyes Set
“I feel like all of my friends would post photos and I’d be like, oh my god, what mascara? And they all would say, oh, it’s just extensions. I finally got them for a wedding and I was obsessed. When I’m wearing eyelash extensions, I don’t feel the need to put on any other makeup. I already look flirty, dewy, and fun. My favorite person there is Jill; she’s so good and really fast.”
Multi-Stick Cream Blush + Highlighter + Lip Tint
“This is my favorite blush and I’ve been using it for a few years now. I use the shade Ladybird, which is very on the nose because that’s one of my favorite movies. But I swear I just tried this and saw the color name and thought, oh god, I’m a parody of myself.
“It’s the perfect dusty rose color and I love using it on my cheeks and lips. If I’m trying to do too much, then I’ll put a little on my eyelids.”
Liquid Glow
“I’ve tried other highlighters and always come back to this one. It’s so spreadable; I don't really like stick highlighters because I feel like the formula just rubs off. Whenever I wear this, even guys will be like, oh my god, you look so beautiful, and they never notice anything. But this is the kind of product that instantly zhuzhes up my look.”
Sturmglow Facial
“I feel like there are two types of facials. There’s the facial that’s a tutoring session. It’s very conversational and you’re asking questions like how do I manage my skin? What should I be doing more of? Then there are facials that are more a luxury experience; it’s a way to destress. My favorite luxurious facial is the Dr. Barbara Sturm Strumglow facial. It’s pricey but they make it worth the money.”
SPF Facial
“When I need a facial that’s more of a tutoring session, I go see [aesthetician] Sofie Pavitt. She’s so dedicated to clearing people’s skin. She’s helped me so much, especially when it comes to targeting acne. She also introduced me to [the ingredient] mandelic acid, which I had never used before, but my skin loves it. So I have her to thank.”
Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask
“I don’t do masks as often as I should but my favorite one is the Briogeo Don't Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask. I love it because it's not messy. It has lots of slip, so it's easy to go through my hair. I’ll apply it throughout my hair then throw on a heated cap and watch TV for an hour while it sinks in.”
Edge Control
“I love this edge control. It’s waxy but it never leaves behind a white residue like a lot of thick edge controls do. There was a time where I couldn’t find it anywhere; I think it was sold out. But I literally just found it again and bought four—three for my apartment and one for my boyfriend’s apartment. I also love their edge control brush. Growing up, my mom and I would just use an old toothbrush, but the actual edge control brush makes a huge difference.”
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