Beauty Editor Confessions: The Products I Actually Use

If you have ever wondered what beauty editors actually use day-to-day, after the cameras are off and the press lunches are over, the honest answer is: shockingly little.

Five things I have repurchased every year for the last five years:

1. An aluminum-free deodorant that actually works (Native, the lavender one).
2. A lip balm without sunscreen that I trust the formulation of (Aquaphor).
3. A drugstore mascara that does not flake (L'Oréal Telescopic).
4. A high-end shampoo that justifies the price (Olaplex No. 4).
5. A nail polish brand that lasts a week without chipping (Essie Gel Couture).

Everything else rotates. The five things above are the load-bearing items.

The lesson, if there is one: most product loyalty is marketing. The five things you genuinely cannot replace are smaller in number than the industry would like you to believe.