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.
"My name is Bennett Bistline [@bennettbistline] and I live in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn. I work for the Egg Collective, which is a made-to-order furniture workshop in Soho. It's great to work with and support the designers whose work I admire, and I love my job. I went to school for design, and for awhile felt really stuck after graduating, like I had to find a job that was technically 'creative.' But working for a small company requires a lot of problem solving, which is creative in its own way—and I work on creative projects outside of my job, too.
I try not to rely too heavily on a routine or beat myself up when a routine doesn't stick. Self care is important and it's nice to plan things out, but in the long run, I think being open to change will have been time well spent in my 20s. But the number one thing in the morning is always make the bed and a drink cup of coffee. Once a week, before showering I use the Mio Dry Body Brush, which feels like it wakes my skin up and is great for circulation. In the shower I use an exfoliating glove and Dr. Bronner's Pure Lavender Castile Liquid Soap daily. Then, Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Pore Scrub on my face which is very gentle, and if I want to feel squeaky clean, I use a tiny bit of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Gel.
Before I get out of the shower I turn the water as cold as I can stand for as long as I can stand. That lasts about 15 seconds. Then I put on Midnight Honey Bath and Beauty Oil from Farmaesthetics, which is a great skincare company from my hometown in Rhode Island that makes everything 100% all natural. Like for real all natural, which some companies say when isn't really true. I also use the Glossier Priming Moisturizer on my face in the mornings. It's the only moisturizer I've used that doesn't leave me feeling greasy later on.
When I wear makeup, I use a little Bare Minerals Medium Beige Matte Foundation Powder. It just lessens that redness in the cheeks. I recently also tried the Glossier Perfecting Skin Tint in Medium which has the same effect. I'll mix that with my moisturizer, usually. For bronzer I like Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder in Bronze 02. It just makes you look sun-kissed as opposed to glittery, which I really hate. I can get pretty pale in winter, and then become instantly tan in the sun. This shade is nice because it's true to my skin tone and looks really natural.
When I want to make more of a statement with my makeup, I do a bold lip. I swear by Nars' Velvet Matte Lip Pencils, and I rotate between four shades. I use Red Square when I want to feel cute, Cruella when I want to feel mature, and Train Bleu, a vampy dark purple, when I want to wreak havoc. I also have Dolce Vita which is very close to my natural lip color when I want to enhance my lips. Nars will stay on all day. You could eat a Philly cheesesteak and it would still look flawless. I don't like having to worry about what's on my face. Color ups the ante as far as maintenance, but I don't even think about it when I'm wearing Nars. In general I love Nuxe Rêve de Miel Ultra‑Nourishing Lip Balm when I need to moisturize my lips. I have so many of them floating around...on my nightstand, in my desk drawer, in about five different bags. I've tried a lot of lip balms over the years and this is the softest, yummiest, best by far.
Hair is the routine I've got down pat. I have naturally very curly hair. Not just a few waves—like, straight-up Little Orphan Annie style. I usually switch up which shampoo I use when I run out, but lately I've been using Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner and it makes my hair feel great and also makes it smell really nice. I'll towel dry, and then rub a quarter-size squeeze of Kérastase Nutritive Creme Oléo-Relax Slim in and run a wide tooth comb through. I've gone through phases of being addicted to Drybar but I can't justify spending that money on a regular basis, so I've tried to be very observant and pick up tricks when I do go. I blow dry with medium heat on low power so I have more control. Then, when my hair is dry, I'll go over it with a ghd Flat Iron, and I'll continue to touch it up as needed over the next few days. In the summer, I'll let it get wavy and big.
People always tell me I should wear my hair with my natural curl, and sometimes I will. But the truth is that I feel great with my hair straight, and I actually enjoy the routine of doing it. Something I've learned over time is that you are never alone with your beauty woes. As soon as you're honest with your friends, you'll find out that many of them have experienced the same thing. Unwanted hair in places is a great example of that—mention a rogue hair on a bachelorette weekend and suddenly you've got 10 women with variations of the same problem and 10 different solutions and a lot of funny stories to go around. It's always comforting to know you're not the only one."
—as told to ITG
Discover more beauty tips (from readers like you!) in the #ITGTopShelfie, like how illustrator Anna Gurowsky masters the highlight, or why product stylist Diana del Río recommends sleeping in a satin cap.
