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 Asia (@shmasia). I currently live in Bed Stuy, Brooklyn, where I split my time between a full-time job as a UX researcher and my side hustle, Redoux NYC. It’s a skincare line focused on sophisticated scents. My favorite thing about both of my jobs is being able to meet and learn from so many new people. It’s my responsibility to create great experiences for consumers, and the only way to do that is through asking people what they like! My work has taught me that beauty is its own language—to understand it, you need to listen more than speak. You may find overlap when discussing beauty with someone, but it’s most often completely unique to each individual. Can’t box it, can’t tame it: that’s the romance.

My dad introduced me to the importance of skincare. He thought it would help me, a mixed child growing up in the Atlanta suburbs, develop a healthy emotional relationship with my appearance. Every Friday from when I was around five years old, my parents and I would have a spa night with clay masks and cartoons. I remember him buying something from Kiehl’s and putting it in my hair—I hated it. Looking back at that now, my father’s keen eye and my total lack of awareness really makes me laugh. Now, I use beauty as a tool to come across a certain way without speaking. I am inspired by Eartha Kitt, Diana Ross, and post-2015 Rihanna—they all share an effortless, rhythmic elegance that I am constantly trying to capture.

I recently bought the Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks in Formentera and Las Salinas, which I wear together. The combination makes me look like I’ve gotten my healthy dose of vitamin D, and gives my face a little instant sass. But before I pulled the trigger, I was using the shade #11 from Canmake, which is really close to Formentera and only $12. I will continue to buy it—I love a great dupe. For highlighter, I use Glossier Haloscope in Quartz and then generously go over it with the $4 Elf Shimmer Highlighting Stick in Dewy, blending with my finger. My face looks dewy, glazed, and wet (in the best way) for hours. I’m dying to get my hands on the Chanel Baume Essentiel, but I’m still searching for a way to get a discount. If you do your research and exercise patience, you’ll never pay full price for beauty products. TJ Maxx and Marshalls are your best friends, and I always get a rush when I find something great. Past finds include a $10 Kevyn Aucoin The Volume Mascara, $20 Alterna Caviar shampoo and conditioner set, and a Bobbi Brown lip gloss in Buff that I snagged for just $7.

Lipstick and mascara are two things I will always spend more on, because I feel like you get what you pay for. Sorry to everyone who loves drugstore mascara! I searched far and wide for a mascara that would give me volume and length without clumping, and I never found exactly what I wanted. I shell out for Lancôme Monsieur Big mascara every time—I’m on my sixth tube. I also can’t go without a red lip. MAC Ruby Woo looks good on everyone, and I actually learned about it from an article I read about Justin Beiber’s music video for “Sorry” back in 2015. All the women in it are wearing the same shade of lipstick.

I love to date around with skincare, but I’ve been using the same Paula’s Choice Optimal Results Hydrating Cleanser for the last few years. I don’t see myself ever not having it in my routine. I used to buy a dupe of the Skinceuticals C E Ferulic Serum—from eBay, of all places!—but I stopped because I didn’t love the texture. More recently, I’ve fallen in love with the Peter Thomas Roth Potent-C Power Face Serum. It’s a stabilized form of vitamin C so I don’t have to worry about it oxidizing, and it isn’t sticky at all. I also wear at least SPF 50 every day, every season, even inside. It’s my best secret—but you already knew that.

I think of perfume as the estranged sister of makeup and skincare who always makes a lasting impression. I have a scent for every mood and situation. ‘Winter black tie event’ you shouldn’t smell the same as ‘springtime brunch with the girls’ you, or even ‘summer night out’ you. Changing your scent gives you something to be excited about and catches other people pleasantly off-guard. This past winter, I wore Tom Ford Black Orchid and Byredo Eleventh Hour on rotation. Now, I am transitioning to Le Labo Jasmin 17 with Tom Ford White Patchouli. And I will always wash my body with the Redoux Turmeric Botanical Bar—the spicy citrus scent reminds me of saucy summertime memories in New York.”

—as told to ITG

Photos via the author