The #ITGTopShelfie series puts the focus on the lives and beauty routines of Into The Gloss's lovely, accomplished, and loyal community of readers. Show us your own Top Shelfie on Instagram—tag us @intothegloss, and include the hashtag #ITGTopShelfie.
'I'm Alyssa Reeder [@alyssareeder]. As long as I've lived in New York, I've worked as a writer and editor—contributing to Vanity Fair, The New York Times, and others, but in the past year I've also started consulting on digital media. Working at fashion magazines for so many years really changed the way I view beauty, mostly because you're meeting so many interesting people every day. You start to realize everyone approaches beauty differently and there's no wrong or right way. To me, it's about knowing that what you have to offer—your ideas and your energy—are invaluable and uniquely yours. The liberal arts school asshole inside of me used to think that beauty was vapid, but now I think it's all just a matter of perspective.
That said, I actually think college gave me a lot of great reference points for beautiful, smart women. I idolized Susan Sontag and Joan Didion—their big sweaters and stringy hair. They had this way of wearing makeup to make it look like they just came that way. Myself, I like to use Philosophy No Reason To Hide Tinted Moisturizer, Nars Illuminator in Orgasm, Clinique Chubby Stick Cheek Balm, and Glossier Brow Boy. Those things, along with my Anastasia Beverly Hills Precision Tweezers, are always in my makeup bag.
For eyes, I use Make Up For Ever Eyeliner in Dark Brown and Clé De Peau Mascara. I have really short eyelashes so this stuff is straight from God. I recently got into eyeshadow...usually natural colors that pull out the green in my eyes. I like Urban Decay's Naked Basics Palette—I use the lightest shade to highlight under my eyebrow, and the light beige for my lid, and the brown for my crease. I smudge it in so it looks like I naturally just have depth in my eyes. It's all a lie! Also, I use Natura Bisse Diamond White Makeup Remover, because it's the best...super gentle, smells good, and it pulls my mascara off quickly.
In my skincare, I look for products that keep me hydrated and even-toned. I use a really gentle cream cleanser from a Swiss brand called Alchimie Forever that's purifying, but keeps my skin hydrated. You can tell it's not stripping the skin. If my skin is dull, I'll follow with the Alchimie Forever Gentle Refining Scrub. It's all natural, gentle, and still scrubs off any dead skin. Then I'll use either Caudalie Overnight Detox Oil or the heavier Shiva Rose's Pure Rose Oil. At night I'll put the La Prairie Cellular Power Charge Night Serum on just around my eyes, on my forehead, and on my smile lines. When my skin is really dry, I'll wear the Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Mask and leave it on overnight. Then in the morning, I'll rinse my face with only water, put on the Tracie Martyn Absolute Purity Toner, and then Verso Day Cream.
There are a few things that I always have in my shower. Davines Momo Shampoo and Conditioner—and I always double shampoo because I don't like washing my hair very often. Also L'Occitane Bar Soap because it just seems like something a chic, simple French grandma would have in her bathroom. And a homemade scrub, which I make with essential rose oil, eucalyptus oil, coconut oil, grape seed oil, and sea salt. I also love a Fekkai Hair Masque, which I put on the tips of my hair after conditioner to get rid of split ends. When I get out of the shower I sometimes use Byredo Bal D'Afrique Bath Oil, but only if I've had a bad day because it makes everything better.
My nails are never not red. I always use Nails Inc in Tate or OPI Coca-Cola Red. It stays on and it's the perfect fire engine red. I hardly ever wear color on my face so I feel like I deserve red nails. As for fragrance, I wear Byredo Mojave Ghost, Margiela's Lazy Sunday Morning, or Oribe's Cote d'Azur which smells like you've just washed your hair. My boyfriend wears Margiela Jazz Club, because I force him to. If he ever stops, I'll just wear it myself. Everyone always says you need one defining fragrance, but I don't believe in fragrance monogamy.
Lately I've learned to calm the F down. Whenever I stress, I lose hair, I break out, I don't sleep. It's the worst. Find a way to stay calm no matter what, and rest if you need to. Also a great piece of advice—don't overdo it. Don't stay out just to be out. I think that whole YOLO mentality is bullshit. If you need a nap, take a nap. To unwind, I hole up in my room with a very big blanket and tell everyone I'm sick, and then I just try to work through all of the books stacked up on my floor. Right now, I'm reading Clarice Lispector's Near To The Wild Heart. And before that, which I highly recommend, While the Women Are Sleeping by Javier Marías. I realized quickly, I like books with plots driven by beautiful women.”
—as told to ITG
Weekend reading: Kate Rooney advises on which three shades of lipstick to carry at all times, Luciana Caramia makes bedhead work in her favor, and more #ITGTopShelfie tips.
