'I'm Megan Parry [@megan.r.parry], and I’m a freelance writer in Fredericksburg, Virginia, and co-owner of a consignment and vintage store called Forage. My business partner and I opened the shop in October 2012, but we both owned separate shops previously for a few years before that. Being self-employed and a vintage dealer means I'm absolutely free in my style, hair, and makeup. I haven’t had to give a second thought on dying my hair purple, getting a new tattoo, or going to work with chipped nail polish—though I’m not proud of that last one.

That said, my beauty philosophy is all about being low-maintenance and natural. I just don’t feel like myself with a lot of makeup on. I do love skincare, though, and try and use organic, paraben-free, and sulfate-free products as often as I can. Lately, I’ve been digging the Boots Botanics line as it's affordable and effective. I use the Softening Cleanser to wash my face at night, the Organic Facial Oil as a nighttime moisturizer, and the Organic Hydrating Day Cream before I put on my makeup in the mornings. I use regular coconut oil as a makeup remover—what can’t you use coconut oil for, honestly? I also exfoliate one a week with Vasanti's Brighten Up Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator because it's like getting a $100 facial right in your morning shower. The exfoliation is so fine and intense that my skin glows for days after I use it.

Soap & Glory's Make Yourself Youthful Rejuvenating Eye Cream is the only product I’ve used that actually makes my under-eye circles and bags diminish. The brand is great for moisturizing products. The Smoothie Star Lightly Whipped Body Buttercream is the best body lotion I’ve ever used. It’s got a delicately sweet and nutty scent from vanilla, sweet almond, and pistachios. It's especially thick and creamy, which makes it feel super luxe.

I don’t use foundation or any BB or CC creams. The ingredients in most freak me out and my skin is naturally even enough that it doesn’t feel necessary. During the day, I’ll wear NYX Cosmetics HD Photogenic Concealer to cancel out some of the darkness under my eyes. Then I like to add a little bronzer with Lorac's Tantalizer Baked Bronzer and e.l.f. Studio Blush in Pink Passion for color on my cheeks. I fill in my eyebrows with Rimmel's Professional Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel 002 . I honestly love drugstore makeup. I’ve tried lots of high-end mascaras, but the Almay Intense I-Color Volumizing Mascara in Plum is my all-time favorite. It’s gentle, easy to remove, lengthening, and defining. Then I'll rub a little bit of Josie Maran's Argan Creamy Concealer Crayon in Light 1 over my eyelids in place of eyeshadow and swipe on Malin+Goetz's Mojito Lip Balm. I always finish off my makeup with Caudalíe's Beauty Elixir. I like my skin looking dewy almost to the point of oily, so I’ll take any extra spritz of moisture. Plus, it smells like science—like it’s really doing something.

I am a perfume junkie. I want to be the person who's constantly on the receiving end of 'You smell so good!' Right now, I’m obsessed with Malin+Goetz Dark Rum Perfume Oil. It’s so rich and spicy, it’s almost intoxicating. My mom recently bought me Tom Ford's Black Orchid—that one in particular is perfect for nighttime. I feel like a grown-ass woman when I wear it! I bought the C.O. Bigelow Perfume Oil in Musk after reading on ITG that Liv Tyler wears it. It’s a nice base for other perfumes. I especially like layering it with Lavanila Vanilla Summer. That’s my go-to warm-weather scent. It smells like being on the beach with a cocktail in hand. I’ve been told it’s my signature scent, and that might be the best compliment I’ve ever received, actually.

For my hair, I'm a Bumble and bumble devotee. I use their Hairdresser's Invisible Oil, Styling Creme, Texture Undressing Creme, Prêt-à-Powder, and Semisumo pomade. For waves, I use the Victoria’s Secret Hair Beach Wave Spray because it’s more moisturizing than others I've tried. I’m into lots of texture—maybe it’s holdover from my perm days. I started getting them at 8 years old. I had the perm and the feathered bangs—you know, the kind where one layer was curled back and one layer was curled under? I lived the '80s and '90s as hard as I could. Anyway, now I only wash my hair every four or five days, and I like to use the L’Oréal Total Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm as conditioner since I wash my hair so infrequently. For a cheap drugstore hair mask, it’s super nourishing.

Recently, I read an article where Deborah Lippmann gave the best manicure advice. It's a practice in the art of patience, but it's actually really important to let your first coat of nail polish dry completely before applying a second coat. If not, it'll smudge. That was such a revelation to me—not to mention the solution to some deep-seated emotional traumas.”

—as told to ITG

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