You know the #ITGTopShelfie—our interview series that shares the beauty routines of Into The Gloss' lovely, accomplished, and loyal community of readers. Now we're taking you into the bathrooms, cabinets, and makeup bags of some of Glossier’s own. These folks work in beauty, and they bring to the table lots of capital-t Thoughts about it. Submit yours on Instagram—post your Top Shelfie (tag us @intothegloss!) and include the hashtag #ITGTopShelfie for a chance to be featured on ITG.

“Hi everyone, my name is Dave (@davejohannes), and I’m the Head of Product Design and Research at Glossier. My team sets the digital strategy for Glossier.com. That includes things like working alongside the creative team to design a brand campaign, improving the shopping experience through better navigation, or helping customers make online purchase decisions with tools like our shade comparison chart. I want the website to not only be a great place to shop, but also a place to connect, discover, and talk about beauty.

I'm not a total beauty noob—I’ve always used some products. Skincare feels like a practical solution to a problem, and it’s also a nice bookend to my day. Since working at Glossier, I’ve become more particular about what I use and why. I’ve definitely been digging into the pros and cons of ingredients, and how they work for different people with different skin types. I’ve also started experimenting a lot more with new products. I’ll try something new that seems like it might help with some of my skincare concerns (like reducing redness, or evening out my skin tone), and see how my skin reacts. Finding drugstore versions of branded products I like, or even private label versions from Amazon, feels exciting to me. I’ve amassed a real mix of products in my routine now.

In the morning, I use Glossier’s Milky Jelly Cleanser, followed by Solution to exfoliate. I love how gentle both of these products are—many facial cleansers have dried out my skin in the past. Then, I use The Ordinary’s Niacinamide and Zinc serum. I’ve found that niacinamide helps even out any pigmentation, and I like the potency of that one. I have facial hair that ranges from a little bit of stubble to a defined beard, and to treat it, I use The Ordinary’s rosehip oil, which adds some shine and smoothness and also helps out the skin underneath. I moisturize with Glossier Priming Moisturizer, and finish off with Drunk Elephant Umbra Tinte sunscreen. A more affordable alternative is CeraVe’s Tinted Sunscreen. I have darker skin, so SPF with a little bit of a tint is key. That way, I don’t look like a ghost when I want to protect my face from the sun. At night, I’ll cleanse with Milky Jelly again and then use Differin Adapalene Gel. Then, I’ll use the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream for more intense hydration throughout the night.

I actually swear by that Moisturizing Cream, and it’s just as good on my body. I also like that it’s unscented. I use Aesop’s A Rose By Any Other Name body wash, which smells subtle and natural, and then I put on a fragrance that I know won't clash. My go-to is Le Labo Thé Noir, but I’ll also sub in Tom Ford’s Oud Wood when I want to change it up. Both have a level of spice and earthiness to them which I really like.

I only wash my hair every two weeks—maybe once a month. When I do, I use Goop G.Tox Himalayan Salt Scalp Scrub Shampoo, which I like because it’s really granular and cleanses my scalp well. I still use conditioner daily, which is really important because my hair is thick and dry. I like Le Labo’s Basil and Avocado conditioner the best. To style, I either use the Ouai Finishing Crème or Fatboy Sea Salt Pomade, depending on the look I’m going for. I like the Ouai for a smoother and shinier look, and the pomade when I want something more textural.

The biggest beauty lesson I’ve learned is with my hair—always see a professional for color changes! A few summers ago I went blond (as we all do). I knew I needed to get it done professionally since my hair is super dark and I wanted it to be as light as possible. I went to a salon to get it bleached and it looked great—I went back for touch-ups every so often and kept the blond for a while. But eventually I wanted to go back to black. I didn’t want to wait for all the blond to grow out, so I decided to color it myself! How hard could going darker be? I went to Duane Reade, got a box of dye that I thought matched my natural color, and had a friend help me dye it one evening. That night, I thought it looked good. And then… the next day… when I was able to see it in the daylight… my hair was actually blue! Turns out going darker isn’t actually easier than going lighter. I learned my lesson after that.

To relax, I love to cook. My boyfriend and I ping pong between Indonesian and Italian food, and now that we've been spending more time indoors, we’ve been cooking even more. It can be a lot of fun to find creative ways to utilize everything we get in our weekly produce delivery box from Misfits Market. They deliver the ‘ugly’ produce that’s sometimes harder to sell in stores. I’ve found that it’s a great value and a testament to never judge a book by its cover. Everything is still delicious and nutritious. I also really love photography. My dad gave me a manual Nikon SLR camera when I was a teenager, and I’ve loved taking photos ever since. With my iPhone, I have a camera everywhere I go now. I’m always shooting things I find beautiful, and that hasn’t stopped [because of the quarantine]. Now I just take them at home, or on my walks through the city.”

—as told to ITG

Photos via the author