There's no denying that beauty editors know a thing or two about solving tricky issues that disrupt our otherwise seamless routines. When we're not writing, we're getting our hands on products and exchanging our takes on them, from enthusing over the non-sticky textures of our favorite lip gloss to recommending the haircare lines that cater to every type and texture without fail. Once a month, we even test and review our standouts, so it should be no surprise we do the exact same thing in and out of the office. We're not ones for gatekeeping.
We know all too well that you sometimes need a little help from your friends, so we volunteer to be your crew and share the best hacks and the products we keep on hand as solutions for our biggest beauty struggles. Below, four Who What Wear beauty editors spill their tips, tricks, and products for the beauty obstacles that may be slowing you down. Give them a try and then thank us later!
Skincare and Hygiene
"Keep your lips moisturized overnight with the help of a ultra-hydrating lip mask. That way, you can wake up with healthy, makeup-ready lips and cut down the time on your morning routine. I love applying a couple of layers of Laneige's viral lip mask in Vanilla since it uses a rich blend of antioxidants, vitamin C, shea butter, and more to nourish my lips and protect them from external aggressors." — Maya Thomas, assistant beauty editor
"Last year, I finally retired my loofah for an exfoliating washcloth, and I haven't looked back. Its rough texture removes dead skin cells and stimulates blood circulation, making my skin incredibly glowy and smooth. This one by Kitsch is extra-large, so it's perfect for getting to hard-to-reach areas and glides over my skin with ease. It also features a pocket that I can pop my favorite bar soap into." — Thomas
"My skin has always been prone to dehydration. In other words, it lacks water, not oil, and I need to supplement my skincare routine with lots of hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe. While I love a good sheet mask for this reason, I don't always have one on hand. If that's the case, I take toner pads (like these ones from Amazon) and soak them with my favorite hydrating toner. Lately, I've been loving the Renée Rouleau Elderberry Soothing Toner and the Dassai Oil in Moisturizing Lotion. I then stick them on my face to create a DIY sheet mask. It's a trick I picked up from a Korean skincare expert, and it's a brilliant way to hydrate the skin. It's also more budget-friendly than using sheet masks all the time." — Kaitlyn McLintock, associate beauty editor
"The amount of girl math it takes to perfectly time your weekly everything shower, especially when you have multiple special events in one week, is astronomical. That's why I stick to a strict cadence of once a week on Tuesdays to exfoliate, shave, self-tan, and whiten my teeth. This way, I feel groomed throughout the week, and my self-tan still looks fresh for the weekend. Plus, no more girl math." — Emma Hughes, associate social media editor
Haircare
"I have super-dry, coarse, curly hair that can be hard to manage if I don't use the right products. One tip I received from a stylist a few months ago was to try washing with only conditioner a few times a week. I won't lie to you. At first, I thought she was misleading me, and I assumed my hair would get greasy or just wouldn't be clean. However, that's not the case! I wash my hair using a lighter conditioner (or co-wash) a few times a week, and it really helps keep my strands frizz-free and moisturized. If you have a similar hair type, I would definitely suggest trying it." — Shawna Hudson, associate beauty editor
"My toxic trait? I want to wash my hair every single night. I have straight, relatively fine hair that tends to get oily fast, especially when I add a hot yoga session into the mix. After years of hairstylists telling me that my highlighted hair will be healthier if I limit the number of hair washes per week, I've finally found the perfect solution for me. Every other night, I'll do a full hair wash, and on the off nights when my hair still feels icky, I'll rinse it in the shower without shampoo and apply a nourishing hair mask as a conditioner." — Hughes
"You may want to avoid silicones. I only recently learned that silicones can be bad for some folks with curly hair, and I'm so glad I did. My hair was getting so dry and brittle after a while when I used products with dimethicone or other types of silicones, and I didn't understand why that was. Now that I've gone silicone-free, my curls are so much happier and healthier, and they retain their natural shape much easier." — Hudson
Makeup
"If you tend to have dry lips like I do and struggle applying your favorite lip products smoothly and evenly, I would recommend investing in a good lip scrub that can prepare them for makeup application. I've found that the best ones use nonstripping micro-crystals to give your lips that pillowy, plush look and bring out their natural color without causing any discomfort or long-term abrasion. My favorite one by IS Clinical keeps them supple and hydrated while gently removing dry skin for a softer texture." — Thomas
"You know that feeling when you realize you've left a crucial lip product at home? I hate that. To solve this, I now keep three lip products with me at all times: Aquaphor, a goes-with-everything lip liner, and a sheer, baby-pink lip gloss. I'm completely covered if I want hydration, color, and definition or a simple glossy lip." — Hughes
Shop More of Our Favorite Beauty Products
Thomas loves using this ultra-rich yet fast-absorbing body butter to nourish her skin after her weekly everything shower. Clinically proved to hydrate the skin for 72 hours, this nutrient-rich formula includes undaria seaweed, whipped shea butter, and ceramides to transform the skin. Its high-performing ingredients also address signs of aging.
One of McLintock's top picks, the Dassai Oil in Moisturizing Lotion eliminates dullness and dryness while brightening dark spots and moisturizing the skin for the TikTok-viral "glass skin" effect. It's formulated with 16 natural amino acids, sake kasu extract, glycyrrhizin acid, and niacinamide to deliver the perfect balance of oil and water to the skin while stimulating its natural regeneration.
Every beauty editor has a collection of cotton pads in their arsenal. McLintock's favorites are these premium non-woven cotton pads from Amazon, which can be used around the eyes as well as on the skin and nails. Tidily packaged in a plastic box, the cotton pads are lint-free, fast-absorbing, and extremely soft.
Hudson swears by this moisturizing and detangling co-wash to keep her curls hydrated and smooth throughout her wash day and styling routine. Crafted from a blend of shea butter, jojoba oil, aloe vera, and vitamin E, Maria Nila's cleanser conditions the scalp while gently and effectively detangling the strands.
Hudson wrote an entire story about the dangers of using hair products with silicone as one of their main ingredients and shared a few of her favorite silicone-free choices. One of her favorites, Bread Beauty Supply's Hair Oil Everyday Gloss is enriched with Kakadu plum oil and safflower oil for better scalp health and bouncy curls.
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