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.
“My name is Devan Díaz (@devan_diaz) and I’m a writer. I worked in an office for two years, which was long enough to know that I couldn't drop anchor at a desk. Now I work at home in Woodside, Queens—three subway stops away from where I was born. On a bad day there’s gross amounts of procrastination, and it doesn't help that my boyfriend is also a writer who works from home. But a good day starts with yoga before 10AM, and a plan designed to anticipate my distractions. I get regular manicures because I feel more inclined towards productivity if, when I’m typing, my hands look beautiful. Usually they’re red, and almond shaped, like in an old cigarette ad. I go to Create & Bloom Studio, which is filled with pink decor and heavy Catholic imagery. It’s owned by a mother and daughter who sit outside when it’s warm.
A good day starts with yoga before 10AM, and a plan designed to anticipate my distractions.
Being beautiful has always been a huge source of both anxiety and motivation for me. I think maybe a lot of women feel that way. My grandmother raised me with the belief that you dress up to fly on an airplane, and that it’s never too early to start wearing perfume. She was a very glamorous woman—the only person I saw outside of movies who owned a vanity. In high school, my mother would give me twenty dollars every Monday for lunch, which I'd pocket instead. After a few weeks, I'd visit a makeup counter for some eyeliner. When I first started writing professionally, a lot of my work was about playing with beauty, and sometimes I'd spend my last $80 on makeup. Recently I’ve tried to prioritize how things feel over how they look—playing really bitchy music and luxuriating in a ritual. I stick to what has worked for me for years, and realized I don’t like experimentation. I want to think about things other than beauty and keeping things the same helps me do that.
I've been rubbing a kohl pencil around my eyes since I was about 13. I'll always pick an eye over a lip. There isn't a reason to spend a ton of money on eyeliner as long as it’s waterproof. I currently use Revlon Colorstay Sharp Line with L'Oréal Telescopic Mascara on just my top lashes. An instant lift! I don't like to take long on my complexion, and Dr. Jart's BB cream is foolproof. I can put it on without looking. I use MAC's Powder Kiss lipstick in Stay Curious because it stays in place through all of the kissing, eating and smoking. I use it on my cheeks too, straight from the bullet, which is something my grandmother always did. The reddish tint makes me look flushed. The only balm that sits on my lips comfortably is Smith & Cult's CBD lip balm. I'm currently working up the nerve to tweeze my eyebrows pin-thin. I think it really opens up the face, and gives you more room for make-up. I want things to be messier.
Recently I’ve tried to prioritize how things feel over how they look.
For my skin, it's always a balm cleanser—anything that foams makes me feel as though I've stripped my skin. Erborian’s Solid Cleansing Oil removes makeup and leaves me feeling plump. After cleansing I follow up with an oil, usually Omorovicza's Miracle Facial Oil. The bottle is luxe, and it gives my skin such beautiful shine. Once a week I'll use a chemical exfoliant, and Alpha-H's Liquid Gold has been the one for years. I love trying it with people when they sleep over because the results are instantaneous. It's pricey, but less money than regular facials. I’ll also exfoliate with a scrub sometimes. I worked for Lush when I was younger and have since been attached to their Angels on Bare Skin—it gets rid of dry patches so well, and reminds me of a very sweet time that has only just started to feel like a long time ago.
I have bangs because a hairstylist gave them to me in 2013, without asking, and it worked. I love when things work. But my can be temperamental, and she usually prefers to be left alone. I use Lush's solid shampoo bar in Soak and Float, which also comes in handy as a body soap when I’m traveling, and whatever conditioner is in the shower. Davines products have totally transformed my hair. Specifically the Curl Building Serum and MOMO Hair Potion—I use them when my hair is still damp, and air dry. June’s Cards and Such has a really good selection of scrunchies and hair clips, which I've dipped into, plus Sanrio stuff and notebooks and glitter gel pens. I wish more stores like this still existed.
I have bangs because a hairstylist gave them to me in 2013, without asking, and it worked. I love when things work.
I just got a boob job and am currently in the process of fading scars. Mederma Advanced Scar Gel is really hitting. I've only recently began looking after the skin on my body, and I can thank my partner for that. Through the scam of writing, he gets sent so many beauty products to try and potentially review. I'm grateful to reap the benefits. Through this I've discovered Bathing Culture's Cathedral Grove body wash, which lathers up and smells so fresh. I love smelling good. For perfume, I use a cheap Nag Champa oil you can buy at most witchy stores that sell incense and plants. An uncle gifted me with Guerlain's Shalimar, which has such a delightfully powdery smell—some would say it reminds them of their grandma, but those are the most boring people. My boyfriend's mother recently gifted me with D.S. & Durga's Amber Kiso, a smoky fragrance that lingers long after being sprayed. I was surviving on samples of it for months, and I was so touched to find it under the Christmas tree. This one is for special occasions only.
My boyfriend and I have turned our home into our favorite place to hang out. We're really lucky to have three south-facing windows in our apartment, which means that in the mornings we are doused in light. It's extremely helpful for when Seasonal Affective Disorder rears its ugly head. We have a large vintage magazine collection scattered all over the apartment. For alone time, we take turns preparing meals in our full sized kitchen, the sole reason we've stayed out of the city and Brooklyn. Plus I live with a trusted editor—and we always have the option to have sex in the afternoon.”
—as told to ITG
Photos via the author
