The #ITGTopShelfie interview series focuses on the beauty routines of Into The Gloss' lovely, accomplished, and loyal community of readers. Submit your own on Instagram—post your Top Shelfie (tag us @intothegloss!) and include the hashtag #ITGTopShelfie for a chance to be featured on ITG.
"Hey, what's up! My name is Ryan (@cinnamonryan). I'm a native New Yorker currently living in Brooklyn, where I work as a social media editor and digital designer at La Mer. Before I worked in beauty, I wanted to—so badly! The fact that I work for one of my favorite brands is still so surreal. I’ve been experimenting with beauty for as long ago as I can remember. Maybe since I was five or six years old? I wasn't allowed to start wearing makeup until well into high school. I wasn't even allowed to shave. I would try to get creative. My friends had lip gloss, so I would try to layer my cherry chapstick until it resembled something like a gloss. But I still believe that beauty is more than just vanity. Beauty can get this stereotypical reputation—that it’s just all nail polish and fluff. But what do you have to lose taking care of the only face you will get in life? I believe in taking care of myself, and that beauty and health are one in the same.
When it comes to skincare, I think a brand’s products will almost always work better together, so I like to find brands I can really buy into as a whole. I like Aesop's Fabulous Face Wash in the morning. It's effective, yet doesn't make my face feel tight. If I am finishing a workout, it's Glossier Milky Jelly because it smells great, and is the only product I would trust to wash my face more than twice a day. A few days a week, I’ll do a mask. I've been rotating between a few—La Mer Brilliance Brightening Mask makes my face feel so silky, and my favorite right now is Farmacy's Honey Potion Mask… Bruh. This make your skin glow! After cleansing I use Tatcha's Essence. I didn't find essences important until I noticed my skin was dramatically clearer after adding SKII's Facial Treatment Essence into my routine. The Tatcha one gives a similar effect. After that, I use La Mer's Treatment Lotion. It's lightweight, preps my skin for makeup and just TWO drops is all I need to see effects. My skin isn't acne-prone, but it does love to surprise me with a pimple in the middle of my face every now and then. That's significantly changed since I started using Glossier Super Pure. It's decreased even those cystic, hormonal zits. Next is the eye area—I know some people don't think eye creams work, but I myself was recently converted by a new combination. First, I apply one drop of La Mer's Lifting Eye Serum on each eye with my ring finger, and let that set in. Then I grab La Mer's Eye Concentrate out my fridge—I keep a section there for sheet masks, face mists and eye creams. My husband thinks it's very strange. This is the first time I've seen any eye product make a difference in my skin. My eyes are less red and totally de-puffed. I also think how you treat your eyes in your 20s will make all the difference in how they look later on. I just want to be mindful of it now. My face moisturizer is next, and it's pretty much always Crème de la Mer. Please don't @ me! All I can say is, personally, it's changed my life. If I'm washing my face at the gym, I'll use the Matte Lotion for a different finish. And, finally, SPF. I use La Mer Broad Spectrum SPF 50.
With makeup, I love to try new eyeshadow colors or lipsticks. I don't wear any foundation because I don't like to clog my pores. Even if I’m breaking out, I won't cover it. I will wear concealer under my eyes because I suffer from resting you-know-what face. I’ve used the classic Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Amande for years now. On my brows, I only use Glossier Boy Brow in Clear. I don't wax, pluck, or microblade. My brows are pretty thicc and dark on their own and I love them, I just want them to look groomed. My two favorite eye shadow palettes are Morphe(https://shop-links.co/1620332184136421089). The Kat Von D one is super pigmented—a little goes a long way. The Morphe palette gives me all the options I could want—there's a shimmery shade in the bottom right corner that makes me feel like a unicorn. I put Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner over that. For contouring, I've been using the Fenty Beauty Match-Stix Trio in Deep. I'm obsessed with the Sinamon highlighter and am here for all the drama it brings. I've also been using Philosophy's Glow Drops on a daily basis. I put just one drop on each cheek and the bridge of my nose and blend in for a very natural highlight. Or, I like Becca's Rose Gold Pressed Highlighter. Basically, I have a highlighter for all my personalities. I also like to have a lot of fun with lips. I wear Kylie's Matte Liquid Lipstick in Brown Sugar daily with Glossier Balm Dotcom under it because the Kylie dries my lips. It's a great nude for brown skin otherwise. I just got this Hourglass Lipstick in You Are My. It's a brownish pink that I like to pair with lipgloss for a natural-but-sweet look. And Anastasia Beverly Hills' Liquid Lipstick in Sarafine is my go-to red right now. It's an intense red that doesn't dry my lips out. I'm trying to get my hands on Pat McGrath in Elson, and also just trying to get Pat to adopt me. I don’t have many needs. To keep any shine off, I'll finish with Glossier's Wowder in Deep/Dark.
I have very curly hair, and above everything else, it needs tons of moisture. I mostly use As I Am products—their Coconut Co-Wash, the Leave-In Conditioner, and their Double Butter Cream. I wash and detangle my hair in the shower and then condition. Before bed I will section my hair into four parts. I repeat that moisture routine in the morning before styling in braids or curls. Putting my hair up in a bun is my go-to safe style. I also use Aesop's Shine Oil for some extra love, or I use Olive Oil Edge Control to lay down my edges because I’m a black girl who believes in keeping my edges on point—if I didn’t, I would get edge-shamed by my friends or my hairdresser. That’s real!
Showering is probably my favorite part of my day. Everyone who knows me knows I love Aesop body products. Their scents are sophisticated and therapeutic. My two favorites are Geranium Leaf Body Wash and, recently, Coriander Seed Body Wash. It has this peppery-fresh scent. I wear a ton of Byredo—my favorites are Rose Noir and Gypsy Water. And I've been wearing Glossier You every day since I got it. It has this hint of masculinity that makes me tingle. It's so perfect.
At home, I start to unwind with a hot shower and candles. After, I'll pop on a mask and either run my Muji humidifier with ‘Relax’ oil or Aesop Isotros Room Spray. If I need to unload stress, I go to the gym and sweat it out. Other than skincare, the biggest part of my beauty routine is fitness. I've come to realize how much better I feel when I'm at my physical best. I started boxing last year at Work Train Fight, and would take class six days a week. Now I train with a personal trainer about five times a week. It's so therapeutic and satisfying to learn a new skill. Plus, all the sweating is really great for your skin.
My fondest beauty memories are the times I went against popular opinion and just owned something I wanted to do. Families often have their own beauty standards and in mine, it's having long, straight hair. I remember the first time I cut my hair all off into a pixie, my family freaked out. They would ask me if I felt like a boy or ask why I cut off all my ‘long pretty hair.’ I remember feeling so proud that I didn't need their approval and how much I loved my hair the way it was. I just love being able to laugh and own who I am!"
—as told to ITG
