Beauty Products Celebs Actually Love and Do not Just Endorse

Truth be told, celebrity guidance has weaved its way into various aspects of my life. Before you judge me, know that celebrities have lives outside of the public eye, too. They fight, they love, they drive, they eat— you know, a normal human life. The things they know from constant societal pressure and longer years lived than me, come in handy for this regular gal. From Bette Davis advising me what road I should take to get to Hollywood or Rihanna telling me to “enjoy all that YOU are" after a heartbreak, I feel like I can trust them.

My trust wavers in one category, though: beauty. More often than not, I come across a celeb raving about a line or product only to find out they're a sponsor with no real personal connection to it. It becomes a delicate path to traverse where I don't know if the product is as quality as they say or if they're just trying to generate revenue. No shame to the hustle of these ladies, but I'd rather know what they genuinely use—and love—to achieve their envy-worthy glow and glam.

It took a little digging, but I found 11 lovely ladies who may promote products, but also share others they use simply because they love them. From skin care to hair necessities, these products are now at the top of my list (I mean who doesn't want to have Adriana Lima's skin?). Take a look for yourself and know these celebs actually love the products which means you'll love them, too.

Teyana Taylor and Urban Skin RX Purifying Pumpkin Pore Mask
Taylor posted on Instagram a photo of herself using the product and said "loving my pumpkin purifying pore mask, this shit is the best and its self warming, keep ah bish skin feeling all nice & shit.

Shay Mitchell and Kelley Baker Brows Brow Defining Pencil
In a coordinated post with Byrdie, Mitchell raved about Kelley Baker Brows and said, "Her products are my absolute favorite. They come in cool colors and you have really good brush to brush them out." Weirdly enough, she also uses it to enhance her mole.

Gabrielle Union and Mirigal High Voltage Oil
She once told Racked, "And for day, I just started using Mirigal oil. I put it under my makeup, and it's amazing." It's an all over elixir that helps with scars and spots while also giving you a fresh glow.

January Jones and Shani Darden Resurface Retinol Reform
Jones once explained to InStyle, "I have sensitive skin, and this retinol product doesn't irritate it at all. It gets rid of blemishes and wrinkles. It's been a game changer in my skin care routine."

Mila Kunis and Frederic Malle Editions de Parfums Carnal Flower
In an interview with Style Craze, Kunis said her weakness is fragrances, with her favorite being Frederic Malle Editions de Parfums Carnal Flower. The main scents are a powerful mix of tuberose and white musk.

Olivia Culpo and Sorme Lip Liner
Revealing her five must-haves, Culpo shared with Byrdie her need for lip liner: "Lip liner for me is a staple in my beauty kit. Right now I'm loving this Sorme pencil liner in Tease. I also use coconut oil with my lip liner sometimes to create a really natural long-lasting stain."

6 Editors Share Their Favorite Selfie-Editing Apps

To say that selfies have taken over our lives and our iPhone screens would be an understatement—and, whether or not that's questionable for our mental health, it's true. I'm also not going to argue that in order to be a positive, self-loving person you have to completely rid yourself of apps that help brighten, sharpen, and smooth your photos. If having a well-edited image will make you feel good, so be it. That being said, I'm not on board with the overly airbrushed, unrealistic cyborg-like selfies that have very little basis in reality.

So there has to be a middle ground, right? A way to keep your photos well-lit and still look like you. I asked a few women around the office to give up their best selfie app secrets, ones that don't take things too overboard. Below, find their best tips.

Aemilia Madden, fashion editor at Who What Wear
"When it comes to selfies (and Instagram in general), my favorite editing app is VSCO. It allows me to adjust the brightness and general tone of my photos so that they have some uniformity. I try not to go too crazy with editing, because at the end of the day, I want internet me to look like me IRL."

Faith Xue, editorial director at Byrdie
"I hate to say it, but nothing beats Facetune. The blur tool has smoothed out my shiny forehead on many an occasion, and I also love the whiten tool to make the whites of my eyes brighter (I'm crazy, I know). The detail tool is a more subtle way to bring out features than contrast, so that's a feature I love as well. Snapseed is also great for adjusting lighting—the ambiance feature is great for lowering yellow tones and upping contrast."

Hallie Gould, senior editor at Byrdie
"To be honest, I only recently learned how to take a good selfie. I was against them for a while in favor of pictures taken by other people (it felt more effortless, I guess). But I'm not embarrassed to admit I've changed my tune. Sometimes there's nothing better than a good selfie. I don't do much to my face, I really do like to make sure everything remains true to reality, but in the case of an annoying breakout or weird discoloration, I'll patch it out using Facetune. I think pores and lines are necessary to keep your face looking like you. Why would you want people to be disappointed when they see you in real life? That's an insecurity-inducing thought for me, and I'll keep my under-eye circles and forehead creases to avoid it. Other than that, I use Snapseed to work with contrast and brightness and VSCO to help add warmth if the light wasn't great. The best answer? Natural light and knowing your angles. Those two things are better than an app will ever be."

Maya Allen, assistant editor at Byrdie
"Nowadays everyone's on this whole 'natural' wave when it comes to photos, which I fully support. But I'm also not against bumping up a photo for my personal satisfaction. The trick is to edit your photos in a way that looks like you didn't do a thing. I found VSCO in college, and it's been my go-to editing app ever since. A little goes a long way with this app—the key is to brighten, sharpen, and contrast a tad to enhance your features even more. The filters are so quality and not grainy—it legitimately makes your photo look like it was taken on an expensive camera."

Erin Jahns, assistant editor at Byrdie
"I actually just got Facetune for the first time a month ago. To be honest, I much prefer to play with brightness and filters to create a more vibrant and luminous photo. However, if I've been running on less sleep or just am having a not-so-great makeup day (happens to the best of us, right?), I love how easy it is to blur makeup creases, dark circles, or an annoying pimple with just one light swipe. Again, I'm not a huge proponent for editing photos, but this is for those emergency situations when I just don't feel like staring at my pimple on social media in addition to the bathroom mirror."

Lindsey Metrus, managing editor at Byrdie
"While unconventional, I love using the Instagram Story filters as my 'selfie-editing app.' Jessica Alba once said in an interview that her trick is to use the 'pretty filter' (the one with the little diamonds around the face) with the flash on for the most flattering pictures (even when the camera is turned around). I've now started to use this filter as often as possible but personally prefer to take a picture facing a window for natural light. I find that this smooths out my under-eyes, makes my eyes look greener, and my teeth whiter."

5 New Beauty Supplements That Will Help You Look and Feel Better

It's 2017—and while kombucha, bone broth, and medicinal mushroom tonics are currently as common as a morning latte, there's one throwback wellness staple that's making a cool comeback. A new wave of nutritional beauty supplements is taking the market by storm, targeting skin health, hair sheen, and even eye strength. And although they may rely on science-backed ingredients and high-quality extracts, they look nothing like their clinical predecessors. Instead, they arrive in sleek glossy packs that are more likely to be stocked at a discerning beauty boutique—where you can shop them alongside your favorite lipsticks or lash-volumizing mascaras—than the local health food store.

"Everyone wants to look better faster," says New York City nutritionist Robin Barrie Kaiden, M.S., R.D. of the desire to pop a single pill that can fast-track results. And while she cautions that "there is no quick fix"—supplements should be part of a 360 degree approach to a healthy diet and lifestyle, and taken under the supervision of a doctor—there are research-tested ingredients that may contribute to the big picture. Here, five of our favorite supplement blends for the months ahead.

THE AGE-DEFYING SKIN FIX
German molecular scientist and celebrity dermatologist Barbara Sturm's Skin Food is designed specifically to combat the visible signs of skin aging, thanks to one hero ingredient. Purslane, a superfood compound developed in collaboration with doctors at the University of Miami, helps fight inflammation while activating the body's own "youth enzymes." Additional ingredients like glucosamine (which boosts hyaluronic acid production), Japanese Knotweed Root Extract (which is packed with anti-aging Resveratrol), and high-quality antioxidants round out the complex, which promotes the skin's ability to maintain its best elasticity, texture and tone.

THE STRESS-BUSTING BLEND
Gwyneth Paltrow's buzzy line of Goop vitamins, formulated in conjunction with Clean Program founder Dr. Alejandro Junger, have cheeky names. But the ingredients in the wellness brand's "Why Am I So Effing Tired?" formula are no joke. The mix aims to combat adrenal fatigue, increase energy levels, and diminish stress with a combination of Vitamin B, Omega 3's (derived from anchovy, sardine, and mackerel) a Viviscal nd ancient Ayurvedic herbs like bacopa, amla, and holy basil.

THE SCREEN-VISION SAVER
Surfing Net-A-Porter, scheduling catch-up time with friends, and ordering dinner in a matter of minutes from your Smartphone makes for efficient multi-tasking, but it may also contribute to screen-strained vision. With the average person spending up to ten hours a day in front of a screen, opthamologists have seen a surge of complaints ranging from blurred vision to light sensitivity. In an effort to combat the damaging free radicals that lead to macular degeneration, Occugard's Blutein Protection supplement combines antioxidants like lutein, which helps to filter high-energy blue light, and vitamin A to boost allover eye health. Kaiden also suggests clients turn off electronics an hour before bedtime to let the eyes rest from a day of technological stress.

THE GOOD HAIR DAY GUARANTEE
The hair growth supplement Viviscal is as common backstage as lash-plumping mascara these days, thanks to legions of supermodel testimonials. Now, celebrity hairstylist Jen Atkin, whose clients include Bella Hadid and Kim Kardashian West, is launching a Hollywood-bound supplement for dry, brittle, or thinning hair. Ouai's Dry Hair pack promotes shine, hydration, and prevents breakage with a mix of vitamin E, amino acids, and biotin. Arriving in a compact silver foil sheet, they're sure to fit into even the tiniest of It-Girl clutches.

THE NEW SLEEPING PILL
While there are a few dietary modifications that may help you get a good night's rest, Perricone MD's Sleep Booster aims to distill sleep maximizing vitamins into a single pill. "Magnesium and melatonin can promote relaxation," explains Kaiden of the supplement's key ingredients. Also in each little ampoule: Extracts of ashwagandha, an adaptogen that has shown promise in helping the body cope with anxiety.