The Lineup is a monthly series where we’re giving you an inside peek at the beauty lineups of cool fashion people, editors, makeup artists, hairstylists, and aestheticians—all the people we trust the most. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at all the can’t-live-without products that make their worlds go ’round.
I covet all pretty things for my home, wardrobe, and even my vanity. So when I find a product that meshes it all together such as Otherland Candles, I can’t contain my joy. (Have you seen the Instagrammable packaging?) Since I’m a total fan girl, I was so excited to chat with the founder and CEO, Abigail Cook Stone, to talk about everything, including her perfectly curated beauty routine.
Stone’s love of candles runs deep. They’ve been a key component in her self-care routine for years because they create a cozy, familiar atmosphere that makes everything more enjoyable. After burning through so many candles, Stone recognized a gap in the market. “The candles with the fresh scents I preferred were often too expensive while budget-friendly options had ultra-sweet fragrances and lackluster design,” she says. Stone took this opportunity to found a candle brand that combines clean ingredients, nuanced scents, and artistic aesthetics to create a beautiful experience that sparks joy in your home and self-care routine.
Stone takes a multifaceted approach to her self-care routine, starting with prioritizing sleep and light therapy. A beauty lover, Stone says her skincare routine is another essential step. Her lineup includes researched and science-backed products that have the same high-quality standards as her candles. “I prefer to buy from brands with big research behind them—whether or not the molecules are natural, synthetic, or both, I want to know they’ve been thoroughly developed and tested in a laboratory setting,” she explains. One of those products is prescription Tretinoin, which she touts as the most effective, well-studied, scientifically proven topical antiaging product. Thankfully for us, she shared the other clean beauty gems that are a part of her routine. Keep scrolling for 18 of Stone’s favorite beauty products.
“This cleanser checks all the boxes. I firmly believe that you don’t need to spend all your money on cleanser—you wash it off, after all! Spending a lot on something you wash off your face seems crazy to me! I’d rather save my pennies for treatments at my dermatologist’s office. (I just got Fraxel!) I love this cleanser because it has just the right amount of cleansing power (the milky Hydrating Facial Cleanser is too gentle for my combination skin), is fragrance-free, affordable, and dermatologist approved.”
“Another recommendation from my dermatologist. I consider this more of a treatment than a cleanser given the glycolic acid, and I use it one to two times a week depending on how dry my skin is and my tretinoin usage. When I use it, I do so on days when I do not plan to use tretinoin since both can be harsh on my skin. It smooths the texture of my skin and helps with the dreaded tretinoin peeling!”
“As I learned from my dermatologist, vitamin C is essential for any skincare routine. I love that this serum packs a punch with an excellent formulation but is less expensive than some of the other serums with similar active ingredients. The packaging blocks light to help protect oxidation-prone vitamin C so I can get the biggest bang for my buck. Every morning, I apply this and then go make my bed, allowing the serum to fully penetrate my skin before moving on to other skincare steps. (I’ve heard this pause is essential!)”
“Oh, tretinoin! A longterm love-hate relationship. The adjustment period of flaking, scaly skin literally took me years (not months!), but once I got there, I can see that it has clearly made a difference. (This prescription-only retinol has the data to back up its superpowers!) After that initial adjustment to .025%, I’ve slowly built up to .1% applied every other night on my face and neck.”
“Okay, I maybe would have picked a different name for this serum, but the product itself is a legend. Every time I share it on Instagram, about 20 people DM me to say how this is also their favorite product ever. It’s a potent serum of hyaluronic acid, peptides, and ceramides. Highly recommend!”
“I should probably just use tap water and a spray bottle, but for now, my skin is loving this mist sprayed after the Needle-less Serum so the hyaluronic acid can hook onto water molecules and hydrate my skin. I let this air-dry while I brush my teeth.”
“I have a lot of freckles—in fact, my AOL screen name in the ’90s was Freckle55555. As I’ve gotten older, they’ve started to darken and spread out—they’ve morphed from the cute freckles of my youth to dreaded age spots. To combat this, I love the Major Fade line by PillowtalkDerm (aka Dr. Shereene Idriss), which has helped even out my complexion. I use this more as a spot treatment in targeted areas as opposed to all over my face.”
“This product is pure luxury. The silky oil helps my skin stay glowy no matter what part of the tretinoin peel cycle I’m in. It smells heavenly: a robust, fragrant saffron that I cannot get enough of. I gently pat it into my face, taking deep breaths to enrobe in its divine aroma.”
“A classic! I love the airtight packaging and formulation for max efficacy. They recently started making a larger size, which I was thrilled to stock up on.”
“In the winter, I find my beloved Protini to be a bit too light for the cold, dry air and my committed tretinoin use, so I layer a bit of this rich Lala Retro cream onto my drier areas.”
“What a lovely eye cream! I naturally have darker, purple under-eyes, so I love Tatcha’s silk-infused eye cream as a base for my concealer. It has little reflective particles in it that help brighten and lighten everything up.”
“Drmtlgy also makes great sunscreen! The formulas rub in easily without leaving a cast and don’t pill under makeup.”
“An oldie but goodie. I apply to my lips nightly, around my nose in the winter, and an occasional slug under my eyes when I’m feeling parched or worn down and want to really lock in the actives from my earlier skincare steps. PS: You need the giant tube!”
“I have a few scars I’m proud of and a few I’d like to just go away. This silicone scar gel is the latest and greatest drugstore buy to help unwanted scars disappear.”
“I’ve tried every pimple patch out there and with full conviction declare Rael’s as the best! Their absorption and sticking power is far superior to other brands. I like to have some of these on hand always.”
“Virtue makes my favorite hair products! As I’ve gotten older, my hair is finer and more prone to damage, so I’m drawn to Virtue’s innovative formulas to protect my tresses. I use a few drops of the healing oil on the ends of my locks daily.”
“Given how I worship tretinoin on my face, it should come as absolutely no surprise that I also use retinol on my body. I appreciate the airtight pump and packaging on this so the formula stays fresh, unoxidized, and high-efficacy! Great for things like stretch marks, bumpy skin, and general skin antiaging.”
“From our Carefree 1990s collection! With notes of wild freesia, juicy tangerine, and plush plumeria, it’s an ode to my memories of growing up in my favorite decade. I love to reuse my empty candle jars for makeup brushes, dermaplane razors, skinny product tubes, etc.”
Next up: A Sexologist Says If You Hate V-Day, These 18 Products Are Great for Self-Love
