For a lit-from-within glow.
I’m a notoriously nosy person when it comes to products. I want to know whether you double cleanse at night, and if so which cleansers you use. I want to know if there’s some special hair contraption or pair of tweezers that have (hyperbole warranted) changed your life. I want to know what curl definer you use and which lip balm you swear by.
Want to snoop inside the beauty regimes of other creatives? Head here.
But my interest in products doesn’t just pertain to the world of beauty – I’m always eager to hear about an air fryer that someone loves so much they’ve convinced their entire extended family to get one, or a laptop stand that’s corrected their posture and improved their quality of life by at least 25 per cent.
In short, I adore products. This is why I’ve asked some of our favourite Australian beauty and skincare influencers for their top three products, AKA the products they simply cannot live without. The scope is broad – it can genuinely be any three products, as long as they’re the three they value the most.
Joining us this week is Fashion Journal’s Editor, Cait Emma Burke. As a long-time beauty lover and a writer who often waxes lyrical about her top makeup and skincare tips, narrowing down her top three products was no easy feat. But after trying so many of the products that come across the FJ desk, Cait has her beauty routine down to a (glowy) science. Here are her all-time favourites.
Product one: Dr Lipps’s Original Nipple Balm for Lips
As any other Roaccutane girlies out there will know, when you’re taking the acne-eradicating medication, your lips literally become drier than the Sahara desert. I firmly believe that even years later, your lips never fully return to their pre-acne medication state. This means I’m someone who has to have lip balm on me at all times, and pre discovering the wonder that is Dr Lipps’s Original Nipple Balm for Lips, I was reapplying like an absolute madwoman (read: every 10 minutes).
This is the only lip balm I’ve ever found that truly keeps my lips hydrated for long periods of time. It’s 100 per cent pure medical-grade lanolin, which forms a protective barrier on the skin and keeps moisture in. The best part is that it’s multi-use – I use it on dry elbows, cuticles and cracked heels, and have even used it as a highlighter and gloss over eyeshadow.
Product two: Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer
This is a cult-favourite concealer for good reason. It brightens, corrects and lasts all day long and it’s super buildable. I’ve been a religious wearer for over 10 years, and have got many friends onto it. I no longer wear foundation, in part thanks to my shit-hot skincare regime but also due to how impressive this product is.
Whether you’re wearing a tiny bit or a lot, it just sits so gorgeously on the skin and never feels cakey or cracks. This would absolutely be coming to a desert island with me (even though makeup might seem like a last priority if you’re stranded somewhere remote, I just wouldn’t feel right without this concealer on hand).
Product three: Raaie Yellow Moonbeam Retinal Elixir
I can’t overstate how important this product is to me. I credit New Zealand beauty brand Raaie with genuinely transforming my skin and eradicating my pesky cystic acne. It’s in large parts thanks to the brand’s hero product, Yellow Moonbeam Retinal Elixir. A long-time lover of retinol, I was growing tired of the pesky side effects (redness and dry patches), but retinal provides all the benefits and more without the downsides.
A next-generation version of retinol, this product also contains bakuchiol to supercharge cellular turnover, revealing glowy, baby-smooth skin. I’ve written at length about my experience with the product here, but don’t just take my word for it – it’s won a bucketload of awards. It’s also refillable (the packaging is to die for), vegan and cruelty-free. To say I’m obsessed is an understatement: I genuinely cannot live without this product.
You can follow Cait here.