MY BEAUTY ESSENTIALS
The products and habits shaping my rituals right now
Wearstlerworld,
A quick one today – but with a special guest. I have really loved Isamaya Ffrench for a long time, especially since the launch over her beauty line (ISAMAYA) three and a half years ago. She’s been such a force pushing that industry forward.
We became fast friends on IG a few years back, and I finally met her at the Business of Fashion Gala in Paris, and she was exactly as expected – bold, unapologetic, and incredibly sharp. In her career she’s worked with YSL Beauty and Tom Ford Beauty, on runway shows for Thom Browne and Vivienne Westwood, as creative director at Byredo and for Dazed’s beauty vertical – always as an amazing provocateur.
Isamaya, the person and the product, are all about play and confidence and a very thought-through version of simplicity. And a lot of that is sort of my underlying ambition as well. (I use a lot of her products, and they’re almost always displayed, because the packaging is so, so good!)
And, I want to share some of my routine right now because, though it’s consistent as ever in some ways, I have also been experimenting and trying to land on some new staples recently. (I would love to hear your experiences with these products too, if you’ve tried them!)
I think about skincare the same way I think about my body and movement. I like to surprise it. Every few months, I shift things, introduce something new, and recalibrate. Just like exercise, skin responds to change, intention, and consistency over time.
One thing I’ve done consistently for years is use prescription Retin-A at night, five days a week. I apply it before bed and pair it with red light therapy, which I do in the morning—it’s non-negotiable for me, and I truly believe it’s one of the most effective skincare steps out there. Another constant is movement. I truly believe it’s one of the most effective beauty regimens there is. Exercise changes your skin and your energy.
So, the major contenders to become part of my new essentials:
Face
The Foundation Drops with TFC8® — Victoria Beckham Beauty x Augustinus Bader — Gives my skin the perfect bit of glow.
The Cell Rejuvenating Illuminator — Victoria Beckham Beauty x Augustinus Bader — Lit from within… I saw the difference in a week.
Auto Correct Brightening + Depuffing Eye Cream — Sunday Riley — Awake eyes…
Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 — SkinCeuticals — Do not walk out of the door without this on.
Glazing Milk Ceramide Facial Essence — Rhode — Glass skin prep... I use every morning before I apply my tinted sunscreen.
Lightshift Weightless Silky Cream Highlighter — ILIA — Soft focus glow.
Celestial Black Diamond Eye Mask — 111SKIN — Instant reset.
Cold Fusion Intense Moisture — CARASOIN — This product is by Lena, an A-list facialist here in LA whom I absolutely love. I use it for slugging as the final step in my nighttime routine.
Ormus Myst — ISUN — Clean, clam skin.
Amuse Bouche Facial Mist — The Beauty Sandwich — Instant reset. I mist throughout the day.
Exoso-Metic Eye Serum — DR. BARBARA STURM — Bright, rested eyes. I see it immediately.
Génifique Ultimate Recovery Serum — Lancome — The best serum I’ve found for repairing my skin barrier
Cool Gloss — Jones Road — Easy shine for all day at the studio.
Lip Ciggy — Mary Phillips — The perfect neutral.
The Overliner — Mary Philips — Modern definition… love the way it feels on... it is really special.
Skin Enhancing Duo — Isamaya — I use this to subtly sculpt and define—it’s intuitive, fast, and adds dimension without feeling overdone.
Hyalurolip — Isamaya — This is my go-to for hydrated, healthy lips—it smooths, plumps, and makes everything else look better.
TheraFace Depuffing Wand — Therabody — I use this every morning to depuff and wake up my face.
Eyes
Unlocked Instant Extensions Mascara — Hourglass — Lengthening but not too intense at the same time.
Les 9 Ombres Eyeshadow Palette — Chanel — The most gorgeous shimmers with both everyday and bolder options.
Longwear Waterproof Precision Gel Eyeliner — Hung Vanngo Beauty — The matte finish makes it the perfect balance of subtle and sharp.
Nails
Dior Vernis (206 Gris Dior) — Dior — A sexy warm tone I keep opting for when I can’t decide.
Le Vernis 131 Cavalier Seul — Chanel — Feels like the perfect cool January shade.
Body / Ritual
Beauté Vitalis Body Brush — Altesse Studio — Keeps my skin smooth and alive.
Body Cream — Sisley — So, so hydrating especially after a dry brush session.
Hair
The Towel — Crown Affair — The perfect size, comes in black and white so it matches my robe or eye patch.
The Smoothing Air Dry Cream — Crown Affair — Texture without the crunch. So important for my wavy hair.
Hair Brush — La Bonne Brosse — Such a beautiful object, makes my hair ritual feel so luxurious.
Milk hair serum — ROZ — Brings the softness and shine back to my hair.
7 Seconds detangler — Unite — Usually heat protectants leave a weird feel on my hair, but this one is light and holds well.
Nourishing shampoo and conditioner — Najeau
Burdock hair growth oil — Bur Bur — My nighttime scalp ritual on non-hair-wash days.
Derma Roller — Bur Bur — Pairs perfectly with the hair oil.
Fragrance
OUD DUKHAN — Regime des Fleurs — Obsessed. Not too feminine, but doesn’t border on cologne either.
THE FRENCH KISS
A rapid fire with Isamaya actually taught me and inspired me a lot. She’s definitely clear about where she wants to play and where she is serious as ever.
Something in your kit that might shock me?
I never use a primer and I never use a fixing spray. Other than my microbial gel which acts as a primer and feeds the skins good bacteria, I’ve never found them to be effective.
Over-designed products, and under-designed ones?
Such a great question – I think all makeup could be designed better. Makeup has such high markups compared to the ‘cost of goods’ used to create the product that brands don’t usually like to spend much money tooling a product. They prefer to get a pre-designed ‘off the shelf’ product and put a sticker on it. I cant bear anything that isn’t rigorously designed.
You have five minutes, what are you reaching for?
Eye gloss and lip gloss! They always elevate the face.
Current texture obsession?
I love metallic lips – metallics are so beautiful and the right shade can feel so expensive and elegant. Metallic pigment is often very drying so I put a huge amount of vitamin E and emollients into my metallic lip balms to make them feel really creamy.
Something I never really play with (beauty-wise), but I should!… and a finish obsession?
High gloss.
What is over-optimized in beauty right now?
Just using too many products in general and damaging the skin barrier.
What would you want to design for the vanity that’s not a makeup product?
I love my face gua-shas and brought one out last year in chrome that does face and scalp!
This is something I love about ISAMAYA – that the product almost feels collectible. Why do you think that is?
Custom, thoughtful and elegant design – and generally in a non synthetic material.
And so, what do you think should live out in the open, and not in a cabinet?
I love my alien chic Gezeiten skincare, my Ormaie fragrances with their graphic wooden lids and my brutalist Aesop mouthwash! All beautiful packaging with a strong point of view.
Trick to keeping makeup feel alive and fresh?
I will forever stand by the concept that makeup only does half the job, the other half is the energy and confidence you bring to wearing the makeup. Makeup that’s lived in is just as beautiful and meaningful as a perfectly executed face.
Dimensional skin without shimmer – tell me!
Sculpting with contour and using lighter concealers to bring dimension to the high points of the face, cupids bow and cheekbones.
Fingers, brushes, or sponges?
Everything all at once!
I am on top of what products needs to keep cold for best use. What needs to be warm?
Actually, if the skin’s warm thats the best for makeup application, which is why makeup artists always massage the face first. Generally things that separate (liquids) are better served warm to the face.
What you’ll never compromise on.
Good lighting! It’s everything...
I definitely agree with that!
VANITY RULES
STORE THINGS WITH CURIOSITY
As in my broader design work, I approach beauty storage with the same sense of intention and curiosity: what’s visible should feel sculptural and considered. What’s hidden should be effortless.
I use an assortment of small trays, cups, and shallow bowls on the surface, with dividers inside drawers so everything has a rhythm.
A TIME FOR “SHALLOW”
I designed a beauty closet for my bathroom that’s only four inches deep, with mirrors that line the back, and thick glass shelves so it feels less like storage and more like a private atelier. It’s totally a ritual-driven space, where presentation subtly shapes behavior. (I design beauty environments this way for all of our clients, and they always respond well to it.) When things are thoughtfully arranged, a routine slows down, and the everyday starts to feel more intentional.
LIGHT IT RIGHT
When designing for both our hospitality and residential projects, lighting and mirrors are never, never an afterthought. The goal is always the same: everyone should feel comfortable, confident, and beautiful. So, lighting is carefully considered from every angle – from where sconces are placed, to how mirrors help capture and reflect natural light. Makeup mirrors are always lit and thoughtfully positioned so that they truly work, not just visually but functionally.THREE-WAYS ONLY
I always insist on a three-way mirror in the bathroom. It’s something I’ve incorporated across our projects for years, and clients love it. These mirrors can be seamlessly camouflaged within millwork, wrapped in timber or stone so they disappear into the architecture, or they can become a special moment on their own, designed as a loose mirror (that is, still, three way). The ability to see yourself from multiple angles changes everything.
That said, there are a few mirrors I love and use regularly that aren’t three-way but are incredibly effective. The first is the Simplehuman hardwired wall-mounted sensor mirror. This is the one I use in my own bathroom, and it’s something we also specify across our hotel projects. I personally use the 5× magnification, and the light quality is excellent—clean, accurate, and flattering. They also make a great vanity-mounted version with an automatic flip, which allows you to easily adjust magnification and lighting depending on the moment.
The second is the RIKI Hollywood mirror. An incredible makeup artist I work with always brings it along, and I love that I can see the makeup being applied in real time. It turns the process into a learning moment… not just an end result.
Beauty and makeup (and bathrooms and vanities) are really not about doing everything and doing the most. It’s about the right foundations (and by that I mean, skincare, and SPF, and all that) and being super considerate about what you add to it. Isamaya is really so good at this, and it’s completely a design philosophy for me.
See you next week.
We need now the travel edition !
Could not love this post more. 💚