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 Olivia Singer [@oliviajsinger] and I live in London. I'm the Fashion Features Editor at AnOthermag.com, but I didn’t start out wanting to work in fashion—I went to university and studied English Literature, with a heavy slant on feminism, and then moved to Paris where I was involved in activism. I remember once leading a feminist rally and a woman having a go at me for wearing red lipstick and heels, saying that I was belittling the cause...it was a long time before I realized that beauty and feminism aren't mutually exclusive. As a result, I'm a die-hard feminist who hoards beauty products. I genuinely believe in looking good for myself rather than the patriarchy.
I’ve always been obsessed with beauty, and I have an archive of terrifyingly made-up photos from my childhood to prove it. I’ve been through my fair share of ropey, over-done phases, but these days I keep my makeup fairly low-key. Not because I’m low maintenance—I’m not—but because there is something modern about being able to see my skin instead of layering 50 different products on top of it. If it’s the daytime, I’ll apply Immunocologie’s Day Protection, which is a buffer against London pollution that also helps heal any blemishes I have going on. And then I am a diehard fan of Eve Lom Flawless Radiance Primer for day-to-day, and Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream if I’m going out at night to give my makeup a little longevity.
For coverage, I’ll layer on a few dots of Chanel Perfection Lumière in problem areas, and I use Diorskin Star Concealer under my eyes and dabs of Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer for blemishes. For blushers, I like things I can apply with my fingers because it gives a more natural finish— Shu Uemura’s Glow Blush in Vivid Orange is more peachy pink than orange, and is a dream to apply because it’s sort of spongy. Then, a vague contour with Nars Olympia and a few dabs of RMS Living Luminizer—the greatest illuminator in the world—to give a little bit of definition to my face.
My favorite makeup is lip color. I recently watched all of The Good Wife and, in honor of Alicia, have been wearing a lot of nude-y taupes like Chanel’s Rouge Coco Sheer Lipshine in Melancolie, YSL Rouge Pur Couture in Le Nu or Urban Decay Revolution Lipstick in Naked. But my fail-safe is MAC Diva for a dark, sultry red, or Laura Mercier’s Sienna with a MAC red lipliner underneath. When it comes to balm, I’m grossly extravagant...Sisley’s rather expensive Nutritive Lip Balm is my favorite, forever. It lasts for ages, and it costs enough for me to actually keep it until it runs out. I’ve also been trying to re-introduce lip gloss into my routine. Chanel’s Rouge Allure Gloss is a real winner, as is Laura Mercier’s Lip Glacé in Cosmic, because there is something amazingly modern about very little makeup with a heavily shiny lip.
For my eyebrows I try and keep it as natural as possible—I’m not a runway model and a heavy-set brow does not look good on me. I use a little angled brush with some Anastasia Powder for my eyebrows, and then L’Oréal’s Brow Artist Plumper sets them into place. Then, a few coats of mascara...I'm still searching for my daytime holy grail, but I always return to Maybelline Great Lash—and I’m good to go. For night, I'll use Charlotte Tilbury 5 Star or Le Volume De Chanel Mascara, because I like some evening drama, and I’ll add some color to my eyelids...I am a big fan of a slightly shiny eyelid and Chanel’s Illusion D’Ombre, MAC’s Paint Pots and RMS Eye Polishes are all fantastically blendable textures that give a great sheen without looking gloopy or sweaty.
To wash off a heavy eye, I’ll use a bit of micellar water from any brand before cleansing everything else, so I don’t smear it everywhere. For my face I devotedly cleanse with Joëlle Ciocco’s Lait Onctueux, which I first read about on Into The Gloss years ago. It's a cream that dissolves into an oil as you massage it into your face, so it’s the best of both worlds...plus, it forces me to do a bit of lymphatic massage. I am not that fussy when it comes to toners, as long as they're pH balancing. I've learned nothing more emphatically than not to be too harsh on my skin, no matter its condition—but I always like to swipe something around before I moisturize.
For haircare, it’s Davines, hands down. I lost a lot of my hair a few years ago and I swear it has changed my life. I make everyone I know buy it the Oi Shampoo and Conditioner, plus the hair milk, and they never turn back. But perfume is my truest beauty love. Le Labo is my favorite, I always get compliments when I'm wearing Santal 33, which I layer with their massage oil if I’m feeling special. Last week, I went to meet perfumier Azzi Glasser and she gave me the perfume that Tom Hardy wears, Sequoia Wood. It’s hard not to start spraying it on my pillows like a creep, it’s that sexy. In the summer, I go for the ambery Byredo Bal D’Afrique, or their Gypsy Water.
Work can be hard to switch off, so I like to take baths to unwind. I have a lot of bubble bath... Fig+Yarrow Mustard Soak if my dermatitis is playing up (chic!), Susanne Kaufmann Bath Oil if I want to treat myself, and Radox for the everyday. But watching Friday Night Lights in the tub, with my laptop balanced on the bin, is a pretty stellar option for me.”
—as told to ITG
Letters from editors: Daria Burkovarecommends wearing sunscreen to bed, Luciana Caramia layers serums for maximum repair and Pamela Katz endorses cannabis perfume oil in the #ITGTopShelfie.
