Welcome to What I Buy From My Own Brand—a special series spotlighting our favorite CEOs and beauty bosses. Here, they'll provide context regarding what they look for and value while shopping for top-notch beauty products in addition to providing a list of the formulas they purchase from their own brands. Up next, Jessica Alba, founder of The Honest Company and Honest Beauty. Enjoy!
Clean beauty has been a focus of mine since before it became a mainstream term—even when I first launched Honest back in 2012 and no one was really talking about safe ingredients. I have very sensitive skin, and I have allergies, so I knew I wanted to create products that were safe for sensitive skin but actually worked.
My makeup routine always starts with skincare. I really believe that good makeup starts with a great, smooth canvas. I always start with a gentle cleanser, like Honest Beauty Gentle Gel Cleanser ($13), which is great for all skin types. Then I apply our Vitamin C Radiance Serum ($25) for a little glow, followed by our Hydrogel Cream ($20) to lock it all in.
For makeup, I don’t always have a lot of time in the mornings, but I like to tap Magic Beauty Balm ($5) around my eyes, high points, and Cupid's bow. Lashes are a must for me, so I always curl my lashes and apply Extreme Length Mascara + Lash Primer ($17). Then I like to do just a little Crème Cheek Blush ($13) on my cheeks and add a lip color. (I love to tap on our Liquid Lipstick, $15, with my finger for a blurry lip-stain look.)
I’ve had so many looks over the years, but now I really love classic, feminine looks that are all about accentuating your natural beauty. I do like to get playful with my makeup sometimes, but I think it’s all about keeping the look balanced. So if I do a more dramatic eye look, I’ll wear a more neutral lip so it’s not too overpowering.
Here are the top 14 products I’d buy from my own brand and why Iove them.
A great mascara really opens your eyes and makes you look more awake (even when you didn’t get enough sleep the night before). Our Honest Beauty one is really the best because it has a primer on one side and mascara on the other. Both work together to build amazing length and lift. It’s also safe for sensitive eyes and won’t flake off throughout the day.
I’m so excited to share this launch with everyone. It’s clean, it’s vegan, and it’s got no synthetic film formers or isododecane. We really wanted to create a variety of shades that work for all skin tones. One of my favorites is the shade BFF, which is a dusty rose. They go on with a shine but dry down matte, and you can wear it all day without reapplying. It’s really buildable so you can wear it as a tint or full color.
For days when I want to go full glam, I love Honest Beauty Liquid Eyeliner. It’s so pigmented and easy to apply with the flexible felt tip. It’s the perfect liner for creating a cat eye.
Daniel Martin, our creative color consultant, helped to create this super-versatile palette. It has a great mix of mattes and shimmers that are perfect for everyday wear. You can create so many different looks with it. I love to do a smudgy cat eye for an easy glam that works day to night.
I think blush really brightens the face and highlights the cheekbones without making it look unnatural. Our Crème Cheek Blush is so easy to apply. You just tap a bit onto the apples of your cheeks with your fingers and blend out. It’s great for when you only have a few minutes to get out the door but still want to look put-together.
I’m never without our Magic Beauty Balm. I bring it everywhere! It has so many uses, from creating a dewy highlight to taming flyways and softening cuticles. We also created a stick form that has mica in it if you want a little more glow.
This oil is the BEST for dry skin. I love how lightweight it is, so it absorbs quickly, but it’s still hydrating and packed with a blend of pure seed and fruit oils, including organic avocado oil, cold-pressed organic chia seed oil, and organic apricot kernel oil.
Our Vitamin C Radiance Serum is my go-to for brightening my skin. I use it right before my moisturizer. It has an amazing blend of artichoke and clover extracts, plus a bit of mica for an instant glow.
When I couldn’t find a clean moisturizer that gave me firmer, smoother skin, I made it. I love the Hydrogel Cream because it’s oil-free with advanced moisture-release technology and two types of hyaluronic acid. There are no synthetic fragrances, and it leaves your skin super hydrated and smooth.
I love the scent of rose water, and this daily cleanser smells heavenly. I use Honest Beauty’s Makeup Remover Wipes to take off my makeup at night, but this cleanser really helps get all the makeup and dirt out of my pores with the help of pink kaolin clay.
Whenever I have a tough day or the kids are driving me up the wall, a bubble bath is all I need to relax. The dreamy lavender scent helps me wind down and clear my mind. It’s also great for the kiddos!
This sweet-almond scent is amazing, and it’s made with naturally derived ingredients. I love that it moisturizes for 24 hours and that I can use it on my kids too.
I’ve dealt with eczema symptoms, dermatitis, and sensitive, patchy skin my whole life. My kids also experience different levels of eczema flare-ups and dry patches. That’s really why I created this line—there aren’t many natural options available to treat eczema without using steroids. This balm is perfect for targeting those flare-ups and dry patches, and we used naturally derived colloidal oatmeal instead of steroids.
Anyone who’s dealt with eczema knows that flare-ups can be caused by any number of things—your environment, diet, or the products you use on a daily basis. This body wash is for anyone with eczema-prone skin to promote good bacteria growth and a healthy skin biome without drying out the skin. It also has naturally derived colloidal oatmeal and is safe for the whole family.
Up next: What Versed Founder Katherine Power Would Buy From Her Own Brand
This article was originally published at an earlier date and has been updated.
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