19 Products a Beauty Editor Swears By
Jen Baden Howard's essentials for an “inside-out” happy glow, including French-girl-chic lips, a summer retinol alternative, and a down-to-earth celebrity beauty secret!
One morning last weekend, after a very late night partying post-high school graduation, my 18-year-old daughter and her friends gathered in our kitchen, laughing and reminiscing about the fun they’d had. I tried to keep up with their conversation, but was distracted by the miracle of young skin: their faces showed no evidence of lack of sleep or overindulgence, unlike the puffiness, dark circles, blotchy redness, and bloodshot eyes guaranteed to greet me after a big night!
Would I trade my hard-earned wisdom for smooth skin? No! But while it’s futile to attempt to regain the natural, healthy glow of youth, I do want to look my best, which is why I admire the approach of today’s guest, Jen Baden Howard, whose lighthearted and fun approach to beauty is tempered with an understanding that what matters is beyond the surface.
Jen writes the wonderfully chatty newsletter, That’s beautiful!, and is the former beauty editor of the Style pages of the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph. She has interviewed countless Hollywood actresses and models for publications, including The Times, Saturday Telegraph, Elle, Vogue, and Marie Claire, but her Italian grandmother embodies her beauty ideal: the joyful sparkle in her eyes, and the stories of life and love told in the lines of her beautiful, olive skin.
As Jen says, it’s all about “inside-out beauty.”
Here’s Jen with the down-to-earth celebrity beauty advice she lives by and her go-to products and rituals for a happy glow!
I’ve never forgotten Penelope Cruz once telling me at the Cannes Film Festival that she loves to spend time with her family and friends lingering over long, lazy meals involving bread, cheese, and really good olive oil. That’s a happiness-boosting beauty and wellness hack I can get on board with!
In all seriousness, with all the research emerging about Blue Zones, we’re all becoming aware of the game-changing difference lifestyle habits—being part of a community, eating nutritious food, moving our bodies daily, and so on—can make.
My skin has always been on the dry side, and has become more so since peri- and now, post-menopause, which is typical. I’ve noticed a difference in radiance and loss of firmness. I need creamy, hydrating skin care and nourishing face oils. I also get hormonally triggered blemishes—often when I’m feeling extra stressed, or haven’t slept or eaten well—which I treat with a dab of a deep-cleansing face mask overnight to draw out oil and impurities.
Cleanser. I’m always trying different products, but my mainstays are a balm cleanser, something you can spend a few minutes massaging in, and remove with a hot muslin cloth or flannel—and a nourishing facial oil. Right now, I’m using the recently launched Liz Earle Superskin Advanced Nourishing Cleansing Balm. I’m a repeat-purchaser of The Ordinary’s Rose Hip Seed Oil. In the mornings, I reach for a facial cleansing wash in the shower—I love one by Balance Me, it smells of essential oils!
Foundation. I’ve always loved sheer, glowing makeup, and anything I can apply quickly with my fingertips. My Lancôme brush, which has a foundation/base brush on one end and a concealer brush on the other, is genius.
Tinted moisturizer. As I’ve gotten older, the balmier the texture, the better. I love Jones Road’s What The Foundation—and, honestly, anything Jones Road. Bobbi Brown is truly brilliant: she believes in letting each woman’s unique beauty shine through, at every age and stage of life, and I love her philosophy as much as her products.
Highlighter. My Twitter bio used to read, “Never knowingly underbronzed,” and I apply Jones Road’s Miracle Balm in Sunkissed (it’s a nourishing, sheer skin tint, blush, or highlighter) daily. I love cream blushes and highlighter sticks, such as Chanel’s Le Baume and Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks. Stila’s Convertible Color, dabbed onto cheeks, is AMAZING. A tip I learned from Bobbi Brown: layer a rose-colored blush (powder or cream) on top of bronzer to create a just-back-from-the-beach glow!
Eyebrow Pencil. I always define my brows, using Laura Mercier’s Eyebrow Pencil in Ash Blonde. I’ve found this to be game-changing, especially since mine have become sparser in midlife.
Lip gloss. I like Clarins’ Lip Oil, and Glossier’s Balm Dotcom—the strawberry is delicious, and is a lovely, soft pinky-red on the lips. Ooh, and I love VIOLETTE_FR’s Bisou Jelly, a lovely lip tint/balm hybrid. It’s very French girl-chic!
Concealer. I LOVE Lisa Eldridge’s super-precise Pinpoint Concealer for covering midlife hormonal blemishes, it’s so clever. Since I steer clear of powders of any kind, I often need to touch up my makeup during the day, so I take my Jones Road Miracle Balm everywhere, along with a lip gloss.
Hairbrush. I’ve rediscovered the invigorating benefits of a good hairbrush that massages your scalp. I invested in the (madly expensive) handmade French La Bonne Brosse—it’s good for scalp (and, in turn, your hair), and your spirits!1
Retinol replacement. I'll often use a retinol serum at night, although in the summer months, I switch to bakuchiol oil, a natural alternative, as it doesn’t make the skin so sun-sensitive (you need to be scrupulous about high SPF protection when you’re using retinol). I use both Balance Me Bakuchiol Smoothing Serum and Victoria Health’s Bakuchiol Serum by DoSe.2
Scented body oil. Fragrance is the ultimate happiness booster—I love the citrusy scents of summer, and adore Nuxe’s shimmering golden dry oil, which smells like holiday sunshine, bottled.
Morning routines. Making time for both movement and stillness makes the world of difference, especially if I can get in some exercise and quiet time first thing in the morning. I’ve had back problems since I was a pre-teen, so Pilates has been wonderful for me. I also love doing Caroline’s Circuits live online classes for all-important midlife strength training. I stand taller and feel calmer when I’ve made time for that, and am better able to handle whatever the day brings. Likewise, I like to start my day listening to a guided meditation with a prayer app, Pray-As-You-Go, which is based on Ignatian meditations, prayers, and contemplative practices. When I miss either, or both, I really notice it.
Supplements. I take Vitamin D, B12, Vitamin C, and omega-3s daily, along with a handful of nuts and a cube (or three) of dark chocolate!
Self-tan. I always feel happier when I have a tan, so I’m a fan of self-tanning drops, which I mix with serum or face oil, morning and/or night. Any brand will do, and I will even use a dash of facial self-tanning cream or gel, mixed with my night or day cream, in a pinch.
Shower ritual. I’m all about beauty that’s mood-boosting—those little daily rituals that make you feel good. A shower and bath oil with aromatherapy oils—I adore Aromatherapy Associates’ blends—followed by morning dry body brushing, which is a circulation-boosting and spirit-lifting whisk-over. It takes less than a minute, and I don’t feel ready to face the day without a quick body brush.
Thank you so much, Jen, for sharing your insider tips with us!
For more of Jen’s beauty advice, you can subscribe to That’s beautiful!, follow her on Instagram, or her more personal blog, Tesoro, where she explores her experience being adopted as a baby, and setting out to find, and eventually, meet, her brave and beautiful first mother, and Italian birth father, in her twenties.
Questions for Jen? Is there a beauty product or hack you swear by? Let us know in the comments!
It’s always a fun surprise to find out what you’re most interested in! Here are the most clicked links from last week’s issue on my Summer MVPs.
Fittingly for this week’s topic, the most popular link was to the incredible skin-tone-matching Intellishade Tinted Moisturizer I’m obsessed with. I know several of you purchased it: I want to hear what you think!
Next up: the adorable cotton-linen striped, embroidered mini dress with patch pockets.
Closely followed by this airy Old Navy cotton short-sleeved swing dress that comes in striped or plain, and has pockets, of course!
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The Morning Routine I Can't Stop Thinking About. Journalist and personal finance expert, Lindsey Stanberry, on happiness, money well spent, and how to start each day well!
Solving Every Travel Problem! 27 tips for packing, long-haul flights, hotel rooms, and souvenir shopping.
A helpful insider tip for avid NY Times Mini Crossword competitors…
…and a hilarious brainstorm on potential Connections topics, like “people I hated in high school,” “college towns in Luxembourg,” and “things you could buy on Amazon. I mean, that could be anything!” 🤯
If you enjoy Happy on Purpose, there are several ways to let me know: click the ❤️ button at the top or bottom of this email, leave a comment, forward it to a friend, upgrade to a Paid Subscription, or hit reply and email me. I reply to every message and comment. See you next week!
Note: I only recommend products I genuinely like and have often bought for myself. I may earn a small affiliate commission if you buy something I recommend.
Amelia here: I LOVE my La Bonne Brosse hairbrush, too!
Amelia again! I stop using retinol in the summer due to sun sensitivity, and am thrilled to learn about an alternative!
Amelia, no words for what a thrill it was that you asked me to talk beauty with you, and of course, you've made it all look so gorgeous and uplifting - thank you, thank you, I LOVE Happy On Purpose, and I am truly honoured. I am so with you on your approach to midlife beauty, too, and now I need to compare French hairbrushing notes!! (AND I want to find your SPF base!!). All the thank yous, and wishing you a wonderful weekend. 💗🌞
So fun that you interviewed my dear friend, Jen!