What Works: Lisa Sugar
One benefit of working in the beauty industry for so many years is that I've encountered dozens of smart, savvy professionals (beauty company CEOs, product development VPs, power publicists, colorists, stylists, makeup artists, etc.) who've tried thousands of products and treatments, and, thus, have uber-informed beauty regimens. I've certainly swiped tips and recs from them—and now so can you. As part of a regular series, I’ll be asking inspiring, in-the-know women (all 40+, of course) to share their best tips and favorite products. The point? As always, to find out what works.
Today’s Insider: Lisa Sugar, Founder and President of POPSUGAR Inc.
Lisa with her three adorable daughters (left to right): Juliet, Elle and Katie
In 2005, Lisa Sugar, a self-described pop-culture fanatic, created popsugar.com, a website devoted to beauty, fashion, fitness and celebrity culture. Over the ensuing decade, her little site exploded into POPSUGAR Inc., a media behemoth that now employs more than 500 people. To learn more about Lisa’s professional journey, check out her recently-published book Power Your Happy.
To find out how Lisa looks polished while balancing being a San Francisco-based media mogul—and busy mom of three—keep reading. Here, for Lisa, what works:
3 products she can’t live without “My first pick is Matrix Vavoom Forming Gel. I’ve been using this since I was 13! I live for it and dread the day it gets discontinued. It is the perfect gel for my curly hair, and I travel with it wherever I go. Second is Prada’s Lip Balm…which has been discontinued for years. I stockpiled [while it was still in stores], and I continue to purchase it off eBay whenever I find it. It is hands down the best balm. It goes on well, stays on, makes my lips feel perfectly moisturized, has SPF, and comes in a mini size, so every bag and jacket pocket has one. Third is Charlotte Tilbury Full Fat Mascara in Glossy Black. I love all [Charlotte’s] makeup, but when I need to make my eyes really pop, I know I can count on her products to make me look and feel my best.”
Lisa with fellow media maven, Arianna Huffington
Her skincare strategy “I try to get facials, if I’m lucky, every other month. I especially love micro-current treatments from Shamara Bondaroff at SB Skin in NYC. As for products, I have to regularly test new brands for POPSUGAR, but I tend to come back to these: Luzern Labs skincare because it's so clean, smells amazing, and actually works. I am currently using their AV Serum Absolut and the Overnight Mask. I also love Clarins Double Serum, the face cleanser from Goldfaden, and Lancer Polish, for when I want serious exfoliating.”
Best beauty advice she ever got “Never cut bangs [if you have curly hair] and moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. I had a friend in high school who would lather herself in lotion every night. I thought it was so intense and a bit overdone for someone so young. But she said her mom said lotion everywhere was the best way to keep her skin youthful. I was a skeptic, but now her skin is amazing.”
Lisa, last year, at a POPSUGAR event
Her curly-hair how-tos “I brush my hair in the shower with a Wet Brush and towel-dry. Then I apply three products: Biologe Foaming Styler, followed by a generous amount of Matrix Vavoom Forming Gel, I top it off with TIGI Bed Head Control Freak Gel. After putting in all my products, I throw my hair up into a bun for a minimum of two hours to set it and keep the frizz away while it dries.”
Quick makeup picks “These are my go-to, everyday favorites; they enable me to get ready fast: Paul and Joe #2 Eyebrow Pencil; Dr. Perricone’s No-Makeup Makeup Concealer; Charlotte Tilbury Mascara; Becca Highlighter Eye Shadow; and Fenty Gloss Bomb Lip Luminizer [glossy swipe, shown above]."
Her approach to aging “I care how I look, but I don’t try to overthink it. I think there are too many of us worried about lines and wrinkles when we should really enjoy our time with friends and family. It’s important to take care of yourself and be healthy, but my philosophy is to each her own on what you want to do with the skin you're in.”
