I'm a Skincare Founder—This 5-Step IYKYK Routine Gives Me Dewy, Filter-Like Skin
The Lineup is a monthly series where we're giving you an inside peek at the beauty lineups of the most sought-after experts and tastemakers in the industry. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at all the can't-live-without products that make their worlds go 'round.
Not even exaggerating, I wanted to know all of Aly Korchemniy's secrets the second I met her. I already knew her as the founder of Anfisa Skin and the creator of Ân-Gloss ($45), the ultimate cool-girl lippie that my friends and fellow editors are obsessed with. And when I first met her at the Twenty Two New York hotel, I realized she was the living definition of effortlessly chic. She had the most glassy, radiant skin I'd ever seen, sported a low-key, sophisticated outfit accessorized with a maroon Birkin, and smelled divine. (She'll spill her compliment-inducing perfume rec below.) We chatted all things business and beauty over matcha lattes, and she's remained one of my top beauty muses and confidants since. Today, I got her to spill all her secrets, and she's also giving us the first look at the latest, deliciously nostalgic Ân-Gloss. You're in for a treat.
But first, let's start with her glassy skincare routine! "My nonnegotiable is Ân-Dew ($125) for that daily, gentle resurfacing," she tells me. "I follow that with Ân-Balm ($60), which I love to cocktail with a cream moisturizer. The absolute key is applying it to damp skin. My current fixation is the iS Clinical Copper Firming Mist ($45)," she says. "Then, my secret is to mix a dollop of the Ân-Balm into my foundation. I'm currently obsessed with M.ph Le Skin ($49). It creates this hyper-dewy, filtered veil, but you must apply with a damp beauty blender, not a brush."
Article continues belowAnd now, Korchemniy's magnum opus: Ân-Gloss. She joked that she's "unwell" because of how much she loves this "unicorn" formula, and honestly, I couldn't agree more. "Unlike most products, where you're just constantly reapplying to fix the dryness, this actually treats your lips while you wear it," she explains. "It's this ultra-emollient hybrid of a treatment and a high-refraction gloss, and it's packed with all five skin-identical ceramides and two plumping peptides that visibly volumize over time."
Just when I thought this product couldn't get any better, it did. Today, Anfisa Skin unveils its latest dessert-inspired lippie: Angel Food ($45). And Korchemniy confirmed that this gourmand delight smells exactly like the airy, sweet angel food cake mix we all know and love from our childhoods.
The frosty shimmer is nostalgic by design. "I wanted to capture that very specific '90s nostalgia: a pearlescent, cool-toned baby pink," she says. "I was borderline obsessed with the details of the sparkle. We custom blended different micron sizes of silver, gold, and violet pigments to create this multidimensional, 3D refraction that actually mimics the way light hits a diamond." Okay, talk about a couture lippie!
This formula goes beyond adding cushiony moisture and a glass-like finish to your lips. "I love dabbing it on my lids, the bridge of my nose, and the tops of my cheeks for that 'just stepped out of the cold' flush," Korchemniy shares. "It's the ultimate monochromatic staple for when you want that duality of looking put-together but completely undone." If you're as utterly obsessed as I am, keep scrolling to shop Korchemniy's complete beauty routine—from skincare to makeup to wellness and more.
Skincare
My hyper-edited skincare routine. The only products that keep my acne-prone skin clear and glassy without the drama.
Korchemniy
"My travel essential. The only way to double-cleanse on a plane without the drama. They're biodegradable, non-comedogenic, and swipe off makeup without leaving a filmy feeling."
"The only reason I'm basically breakout-free 99% of the time. A high-potency blend of azelaic acid that gently resurfaces the skin and tones down any redness. Two pumps morning and night, but I'll do three to four for that at-home flash facial before a shoot or whenever my skin needs a little pick-me-up."
"My literal midday pick-me-up. I'm obsessed with the fact that it actually has oil in the formula, unlike other mists, and it's the only thing that gives my skin that instant refresh between meetings or on the go."
"The secret weapon to my signature glassy skin glow! A high-potency concentrate that melts into your skin for an insane glow. It's non-greasy, acne-safe, and has literally 86 antioxidants working overtime to calm your skin. I always mix a dollop with foundation and apply with a damp beauty blender for that effortless 'your skin but better' finish."
"I discovered this through Elizabeth at Ställe Studios, and I'm actually unwell with how much I love it. It's a medical-grade mānuka that calms any redness and itching. The texture is that perfect rich-but-light hybrid without that heavy film."
Makeup
The four ride-or-dies I never leave the house without. In fact, I have multiples on me at all times because God forbid I'm caught without my face on!
Korchemniy
"A '90s-nostalgic, baby-pink dream. It smells exactly like freshly baked angel food cake. It's that rare unicorn that actually hydrates and plumps without that gross, sticky, hair-stuck-to-your-face feeling. I even use it on my eyelids for a sheer wash of color. I'm never without one!"
"If you know anything about me, it's that I'm never without this. It's my literal do-it-all. I use it in the corners of my eyes to make them pop, as a lip liner, and as a freckle pencil. It's the perfect warm brown with that hint of a red undertone. I've probably purchased over 100 of these in my lifetime!"
"The perfect cool, pearlescent pink. I used to never be a pink-blush girl, but I had to do an all-baby-pink look for a shoot recently, and honestly, I've never gone back. This formula is so creamy but still has that perfect pigment."
"This literally needs no intro, but since my brow hairs basically have zero color, I'm never without it. I have dozens of these stashed in every nook, cranny, corner, bag, and pocket. Medium Brown is the perfect shade for me as a golden blonde."
Bodycare
My high-sensory ritual for the body that feels like silk and smells like a core memory. This is the rotation that actually makes me feel like a human at the end of a long day.
Korchemniy
"My post-shower holy grail. It gives the most insane bronze shimmer and glowy skin, even in the dead of winter! It's fast-absorbing, which is so important to me, and the scent is like a sea breeze tangled in heavy, sultry incense. I'm probably on bottle number twenty-four!"
"My signature fragrance. The duality of a sticky-sweet sugar high wrapped in a vintage leather coat. It always has people stopping me on the streets! I'm on my eighth bottle."
"The wash I always come back to. It's so creamy and skin-softening—so important for my parched, raisin-dry winter skin! It's coconuty and woody, with faintness of leather. I'm so obsessed."
Haircare
I have frizzy, wavy, and processed hair, so I'm very particular about what I use to keep it intact.
Korchemniy
"The lightest hair oil that's ever touched my hair, and trust me—a lot have! It smooths all my frizzies and gives the luster without the weight so my blowouts don't fall flat in .02 seconds."
"Needs no introduction, but my hair is actually unwell whenever I travel. My hair literally throws a tantrum the second it touches unfiltered hotel water! Call me a diva, but truly, it's the only thing keeping my hair intact."
Supplements
The daily protocol I usually gatekeep. The internal-to-external alchemy makes everything else work.
Korchemniy
"We all know peptides are the moment, but my doctor actually recommended this liposomal version as a much, much safer alternative to injections. GHK-CU is essentially the beauty peptide, and if you aren't on it yet, you're probably wondering why everyone else is looking so hot lately. I swear this has made me prettier. I can't explain it, but it gives this insane glow from within, like my eyes are just brighter. Thank me later."
"You're probably not a hot girl if you don't have tummy issues—kidding! My friend Veronica, who takes research to an Excel spreadsheet level, put me onto this, and I swear, it's the first thing that's provided actual, immediate help to my poor little gut."
"The other thing that apparently everyone is doing now is drinking olive oil. I was so intrigued that I had to try it—but don't start chugging the stuff from your pantry. You have to find a high-phenolic, cold-processed version like this one from Zoefull. I swear it's contributing to such a glow from within that my friend literally texted me the other day demanding a linked list of everything I'm taking. We're obsessed."
Wellness
The non-negotiables that keep me regulated and snatched.
Korchemniy
"I'm so obsessed. The only thing that actually soothes my chronic tummy issues and kills the bloat. I'm never without it. I have a bag in my purse, my travel bag, my desk, and every cupboard."
"Completely under the radar, but I'm literally going through two to three packets a day. I'm obsessed with adding it to my ground meat bowls. It's so, so delicious, and I love sipping on it as a snack."
"The only reason I still have abs after a trip. I'm never without a resistance band in my suitcase, but when I'm actually in the city, Tera is my first stop. The classes are brutal in the best way. I genuinely can't get enough."
