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, my name is Elizabeth Cappuccino (@elizabethcappuccino) and I’m an actor based in New York City. I graduated from NYU Tisch this past spring so I’ve been focusing on auditioning and finding my next gig. It’s been a blessing because auditioning while I was in school was total hell. When you’re in actor still in development you don’t really have a say in your schedule. Sometimes I’ll get an email at 9PM from my agents for an audition the next day at say, 2PM, and I’ll have an entire script and 11 pages of sides to perform for the series lead or something... No pressure, right? Every week is exciting and daunting because you don’t know what’s coming your way, and you have this bundle of nerves like, 'Oh is this the week where I get the part I’ve been waiting for?' The best part of my job is unquestionably that moment when I get the call from my reps saying I booked it. Then, actually working on the project is so rewarding and fun.
Without a doubt, my work affects the way I approach beauty. The way I do my hair, if my nails are painted, how much eye makeup I wear, if I wear any makeup at all...all those small details and decisions project something about the person I’m playing on camera. If I wear foundation but no eye makeup and pull my hair into a ponytail I’ll look A LOT younger. If I put waves in my hair and do my eye makeup subtly I’ll look like a 'girl next door.' If I get a period piece, that means learning how to set my curls, finding the right shade of red to wear in that audition, or doing winged eyes—truly my nightmare as I’m not good with liquid eyeliner. So as myself, I tend to keep things really neutral in my daily life. That is, unless I’m going out for the night. I love makeup, and I love doing my makeup. I just want my skin to be in good condition for when I book a job. When I’m not working I leave my skin and hair alone and strive to keep it primed and ready.
Recently I started meditating. It has been really helpful in terms of anxiety and being able to relax. It forces me to breathe, to check in with myself, to be kind to myself, and to set intentions. I use the app Headspace if anyone is curious about trying it out! Weather providing, I enjoy going for long walks in the city or wherever I am. When I’m walking and completely disconnected from my phone, I really take in my environment and feel grateful to be in such an amazingly diverse—albeit at times smelly—city. I’ll think about my relationships, friends, family, and job. It’s just really good 'me time.' Other than that, I love lighting candles or incense and hopping under my heated blanket to watch something on Filmstruck or Netflix.
I started experimenting with beauty in the 7th grade. I tried wearing eyeliner, and it looked horrible. I see those photos of myself in my awkward phase and I still cringe. Now, my approach is definitely 'less is more.' Don’t get me wrong, every now and then I’ll go for a full face, but for my day to day I want to look as natural as possible. I love the way French women have it down. I aspire to be so effortless. I don’t have a steadfast philosophy, but I do think beauty is more than which products you’re using. I believe that what you put in your body and what you put on your body are equally as important. Recently I’ve been focusing on gut-healthy foods and using food as medicine. I also switched to an all-natural pillow and bedding by Coco-Mat. My skin and neck are actually super sensitive so finding the right support in a pillow that would also allow my skin to breathe as I slept was crucial.
OK, now for the good stuff...Every morning when I wake up, I either just rinse my face with water depending what time I went to bed, or I use Aesop’s Fabulous Face Wash. I love this cleanser because it’s meant for sensitive skin, it is super gentle, natural, and smells really fresh. If I’m being really good, I’ll rinse my face with Avène’s Eau Thermale to get the cleanest slate. My absolute must must must next step is a spritz of Christine Chin's Hydrating Toner all over my face. It truly changed the quality of my skin because it helped my skin actually absorb the products I used. For the last two weeks I’ve been using a sample of May Lindstrom’s Blue Cocoon that I put on any little irritated spots before my day lotion, and I’m obsessed. It has a hefty price tag so I’m savoring every last bit of the sample before I take the plunge and purchase it. After Blue Cocoon I put on my lotion—I use Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Mega Moisturizer. It has SPF 15 and has been really great for my sensitive skin. It’s light and creamy so my skin feels and looks supple after I apply it. Then I put on La Roche Posay’s Tinted Anthelios Mineral Suncreen. I keep rebuying this. It has amazing coverage, it’s super light, has SPF 50, and my skin looks covered and incredibly dewy with it on.
For nighttime, before I shower I’ll remove my makeup with Bioderma Sensibio H20. Then I’ll dry brush. The only hair product that I rebuy time and time again is Aveda Damage Remedy Hair Mask. I’ve been able to really stretch time between haircuts with this product. After my shower, I put Thayer’s Rose Witch Hazel Toner all over my body and apply either Lubriderm or Jergens Natural Glow Lotion. I cannot get out of the shower and not apply lotion all over my body. I hate the feeling of dry skin, and can't sleep without this step.
Before my night cream twice a week I use Christine Chin Retinol Smoothing Fluid. It’s a really gentle retinol product—you can even use it under eye creams. I follow up Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentre as my night cream which smells amazing. It’s light, thick, and creamy all at the same time. I never wake up with dry skin when I'm using this product. I use La Mer The Eye Concentrate but I’m not 100% sold on it yet...it does works really well if I pair it with Patchology’s Night Restoring Eye Gels. Truly amazing. And my final step after brushing and flossing is to slather Aquaphor all over my lips. It’s the only product that keeps them hydrated and cures all my cracked lip problems by morning!
I apply foundation wherever the tone of my skin is uneven. I’ve used Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 5 for a while, and it's great, but I just switched to Marc Jacobs Beauty Shameless Foundation in R250. It matches my skin perfectly, feels super light but has slightly better coverage than the Armani, and contains SPF. The perfect red lip for me is Kevyn Aucoin’s The Matte Lip Color Stick in Everlasting. It makes me look and feel very Old Hollywood glam. I use it sparingly, but when I do it’s such a slam dunk. It’s matte which is a pro in photos, but a con in feeling. So, if I want to wear lipstick without my lips drying out I’ll wear one of my Marc Jacobs shades. Their lipsticks are so creamy, colorful, and never dry out my lips. For my eyebrows I’ll us Glossier Boy Brow. Done. Then I’ll apply a little Maybelline Great Lash in Brown on my lashes. Makeup is something I play with, but these are the products I’ve rebought time and time again!"
—as told to ITG
