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.
“Hi! I’m Natalia Chavarín-Velazco. You might already know me from my posts on Into The Gloss: The Group. I was born and raised in Mexico but just moved to Paris! It's super exciting. Here, I help foreign students acclimate to this beautiful city by helping them find living accommodations, assisting with paperwork, and immersing them into Parisian culture. I first came here as a student, so it is very exciting for me to be able to help foreign students that are in the same position I was once in.
My surroundings are my main beauty influences. When I was very young, my mom introduced my sister and I to self-care as a way to bond with us. My fondest memories include spa nights with them. My mom has always been a very busy businesswoman, but she always loved making time for us in that intimate way. She would give us massages, manicures and pedicures, and end the night with a face mask. I would always look forward to those nights together. She instilled in us the importance of self-care, and it is something I am very grateful for.
My approach to beauty is very simple. I have dry, sensitive skin, so my main focus is to keep it hydrated. And once I find a product that my skin likes, I stay loyal. However, the pharmacies in Paris are amazing and since moving here I love going to them and buying tons of stuff. One of the most important products that I use is Bioderma’s Micellar Water. I love it because it cleans my skin without drying it. I also love that it’s so easy to use, very practical. Another product that helps with extra hydration when the weather is too cold is A-derma’s Repairing Cream. I started using it after an allergic reaction to a product and now I always keep it in my cabinet. It’s very thick and extra hydrating. And I always have a little jar with Vaseline and sugar on hand to scrub my lips whenever they’re dry or need a little pick-me-up.
When it comes to makeup, I believe that less is more—I keep things simple and natural. I don’t really wear foundation, and instead, just use concealer wherever I need it. I really like Glossier’s Stretch Concealer because of its creamy and hydrating consistency. For blush, I like using Glossier’s Cloud Paint in Dusk—I love its brownish tone. Overall, I almost never use brushes, so any makeup product that is cream-based and that I can apply with my fingers is a win for me.
I have very long eyelashes, but they are straight, so curling my eyelashes is a very important step for me—it opens my eyes. After they’re curled I use L’Oreal’s Telescopic Mascara—I love how it makes my eyelashes look very long and natural without clumping them. For lips I am loving Nars’ Dolce Vita and Cruella. Dolce Vita is a beautiful light and natural color I like using on the day-to-day. My lips are pretty pale, and this color gives them the color I wish I had. I also love using Cruella whenever I want a bold lip. What I like about these lipsticks is that even though they are matte, they are not drying. The formula is velvety on my lips.
I used to wash my hair every day and am just starting the process to change that because it was starting to fall out. It’s a slow process, but I informed myself a lot on the subject and I think I have it under control. Now I wash it twice or three times a week with Klorane’s Shampooing à la Capucine for dandruff, and I really massage my scalp to make sure it’s very clean and free of hair products. I even bought a scalp brush to really go deep, and as a bonus it’s like a nice massage. On days I don’t wash it, I use Klorane’s Ultra Gentle Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk for brown hair. It works very well for my hair, and I like that it has a brownish hue, so it's easier to blend. And twice in the winter I put olive oil on my scalp before bed and wash it out in the morning. It feels amazing and leaves your hair looking beautiful. I learned it from my mom.”
—as told to ITG
Photos via the author.
