I've Been Observing for 8 Weeks—These Are the Beauty Products It Girls Are Secretly Using Right Now
From Vaseline to luxury lip gloss.
I have a micro-fascination with playing detective. Maybe it’s the true crime podcasts I listen to while cooking dinner or the CIA-level sleuthing skills women seem to be born with, but I am particularly skilled at ID’ing the beauty products celebrities secretly use. Whether it’s the nondescript bottle left in the frame of a dressing room selfie or the half-concealed, label-free perfume hiding in a bathroom shot, I often use my overstuffed beauty brain to identify the skillfully disguised products (labels turned away, bottles half-cropped) from the packaging alone. (Because honestly, it’s usually the stuff celebs don’t push with a brand deal that they use most frequently.)
You see, celebrities and internet It girls are skilled in the art of disguise, knowing that an accidental snap of the products they keep on hand that aren’t the ones they campaign for can get them in hot water. But some stars don’t care—or maybe they’re just real—and post the occasional unpaid, non-sponsored product pic that reminds us that stars are just like us. Take, for example, the exact shade of Barbie-pink blush that Olandria Carthen used most recently, found only on her makeup artist’s page, and my recent favourite: the Sol de Janeiro body cream stocked in Tyla and Zara Larsson’s shared sprinter van over Coachella weekend.
It doesn’t stop there. Keep reading for the fruits of my detective work.
8 Products It Girls Have Been Using for Weeks
Singers Tyla and Larsson didn't just make headlines for their buzzy Coachella weekend filled with surprise cameos (PinkPantheress brought out Larsson during her weekend two set, who debuted a brand-new version of "Midnight Sun"), but also for their well-documented girls trip showcasing a real-life friendship, which included gems like this shot of Tyla. Once my attention left the singer's bedazzled lower back "tattoo," I quickly spied Sol de Janeiro's gorgeously scented Rosa Charmosa Dewy Body Cream behind her. Because let's face it—the desert is dry!
All eyes were on actress (and yes, the great-granddaughter of Ernest) Dree Hemingway as FX's American Love Story began its rollout, but my attention was on the chic fashion-lover's Instagram. She sported a pair of Dior's cooling under-eye patches while getting ready for an event to hydrate and caffeinate the under-eyes. You'll see lots of celebrities wearing eye patches as accessories nowadays, but none look as chic as this designer set.
Larsson is known for many things: her viral bedazzled glam, an ultraviolet tour wardrobe to fit her beach siren aesthetic, and for being candid online. An Instagram dump from two weeks ago shows a typical look into her busy tour life, from pictures napping to hotel hangouts with friends, but what caught my eye was a shot of Vaseline's Cocoa Butter Petroleum Jelly (after registering the clementine and burning incense stick, of course). It may be a drugstore purchase, but this snap proves that basics work for everyone—even touring celebrities.
If you've ever wondered what pink blush Carthen uses to achieve her signature bubblegum-pink cheeks… same! That was, until I stumbled across her makeup artist, Kimora Milan's, post from a recent Barbie activation at Coachella, where she shared via an Instagram caption that the bright pink look was courtesy of Anastasia Beverly Hills' Magic Touch Blush Trio in Pink. These cream blushes are supremely easy to blend and build for customizable coverage, making a pigmented look like Carthen's a breeze.
Hemingway is proving herself to be quite the beauty gal thanks to an Instagram reel showing off her minimal, yet sophisticated Paris Fashion Week glam routine—accomplished solely with Saie beauty products. Her first move was to layer the viral Glowy Super Gel over clean skin, which not only acts as a refreshing hydrator but also blesses the complexion with glitter-free radiance. You can use it all over the skin like Hemingway or spot-treat for a concentrated glow.
In a now-deleted post by Jenner, the model snapped a picture of her open handbag with the Laneige Lip Glowy Balm in Berry flipped label-side down. That said, I couldn't miss this bright-pink packaging if I tried. Laneige is beloved by more editors and celebs than I can count, with this glossy lip balm taking the cake for its portable packaging, supremely hydrating formula, and glassy finish. It's no wonder the star keeps a rosy tube close.
Okay, I know Dua Lipa is a YSL Beauty ambassador. But still, does this rosy monochromatic lip and cheek moment on the "Levitating" singer not make you want to be a copycat? Just a few swipes of this slick, nourishing stick offer a wash of buildable colour and noticeable hydration. Complete the look with the matching YSL Beauty blush, which I theorise is the new rosy-brown hue Honeymoon.
Carthen, too, shared the love for YSL Beauty on her Instagram (and frequently partners with the brand as well), but I was happy to discover the palette responsible for her subtle smoky eyes via this Instagram dump. The Love Island alum's looks oscillate between charcoal smoky looks and hazy neutral tones, so I'd bet she switches between the evening-ready Over Noir palette and warm Over Brun compact.
Yes, okay, another ambassador! But trust me when I say that Jenner's lip liner of choice, the L'Oréal Blurfiller Blurring Lip Contour, is not one to miss. I've been using this chubby liner to mimic Nina Park's red carpet technique for fuller lips, and it does the job in record time. We wrote out a six-step tutorial for achieving Park's look, but this lip liner condenses them into one.
