13 Beauty Products We Always Finish

"My expressive eyebrows are my livelihood."

Apr 04, 2025

Hi! How’s your week going? Today we’re excited to share beauty finds.

When I met my friend Gemma 13 years ago, one of our first friend dates was walking through Soho and ducking into makeup stores. “Let’s go play with pretty things,” she told me. Since then, we’ve done this a gazillion times. Once with her newborn baby…

…another time after having rösti potatoes and Champs for breakfast…

…once right before she flew back home to London!

(That moment felt like a rom-com:)

I’m very accustomed to exchanging texts with Gemma like this:

As a makeup genius with the skin of an angel, Gemma agreed to share her favorite products, and then I asked six more friends to reveal their beauty finds, too…

Gemma Burgess, screenwriter and showrunner

Iconic Underglow Blurring Primer. “In my 40s, I don’t want to look made up, but I really, really want my skin to be even. After putting on SPF, I splooge a drop of this primer on my cheeks and forehead, then smooth with my fingertips. It gives a flawless candlelit glow.”

Tula Cult Classic Purifying Face Cleanser. “This stuff removes every bit of makeup. But here’s the thing I realized about all cleansers: you need to wash your beautiful face and neck for 60 full seconds. Sing a song, count, whatever: just properly lather and let the cleanser do its job. Then rinse in lukewarm or cold water and pat dry. Your skin will be very happy.”

Ursa Major Golden Hour. “It’s my absolute favorite moisturizer OF ALL TIME — the best for bouncy glowing delicious skin. Every time I go back to NYC, I stock up.”

Then I asked a few more friends, and here’s what they said:

Hunter Harris, podcaster and writer of Hung Up newsletter

Sania’s Brow Bar Pencil. “My expressive eyebrows are my livelihood — I recently decided against Botox because I talk more with my brows than with actual words. My brows are thick but sparse, so I swear by this pencil, which is creamy and easy to apply.”

Patrick Ta Blush Duo. “This cream-blush combo — which went viral on TikTok — lasts me through a two-hour podcast recording, plus the commute to and from our Times Square studio. I have a few different colors, but the soft rose (“Not Too Much”) is so lady. It always makes me look 20% cheerier than I am.”

Joyce Lee, World of Crow designer and creative consultant and writer of Time Less

Ilia mascara. “Ilia mascara in ‘After Midnight’ is my go-to every morning. It lengthens lashes, but never flakes or smudges. It stays on all day and night for me — everyone who I've talked to about it also swears by it!”

Merit Sculpting Bronzer. “I love the bronzer in ‘Siene.’ It’s so easy to swipe on and blend in to create a sun-kissed look.”

Erika Veurink, writer of Long Live newsletter

Crown Affair Hair Towel. “I have multiple of these towels and use them religiously. (They also make very good gifts for sisters-in-law and the like.) After washing, I dry my hair 20% with a blow dryer and wrap my hair in this towel. Then my hair dries nicely and quickly, and my natural waves look so much better.”

Sofie Pavitt Omega Rich Moisturizer. “As someone who can break out, I need you to trust me when I say that Sofie Pavitt’s line is game-changing for skin — especially her moisturizer.”

Tembe Denton-Hurst, novelist and writer of Extracurricular newsletter

Rare Beauty Bronzing Stick. “I lost my toiletries bag a few years ago, and it made me immediately realize that my face didn’t look right without this bronzing stick. It’s buttery smooth and blends beautifully — and never looks patchy or streaky. I go with ‘Full of Life,’ a deep bronze with golden undertones, because it warms up my skin.”

Tower28 Lip + Cheek Cream Blush. “I'm a longtime Tower28 fan and love love their blush. I use the shade ‘Finest Hour,’ a beautiful pigmented red. It's the most moisturizing blush I've ever used, and contains aloe vera, green tea, and castor seed oil extracts, giving skin a very dewy finish. You can apply it with your fingers, so even if I’m in a rush, it always looks good.”

Joanna, writer of Big Salad and Anton, student, athlete, and fragrance lover, age 11

Westman Atelier’s Baby Cheeks Lip + Cheek Stick. Says Joanna: “My kids tease me for always saying I’m ‘panicky-tired,’ but my #1 makeup goal is to look more awake. These two products really do that: Westman Atelier’s Baby Cheeks Stick in ‘Petal’ for the loveliest pink flush, and Armani’s Silk Foundation, which makes my skin look even and fresh and somehow, magically, makes pores disappear.”

Y Eau de Parfum. Says Anton: “I have smelled a lot of colognes. I have a collection in my room. Two are hand-me-downs from my dad, and my mom gives me samples from work. I have smelled this one and it is really good. It is fresh and sweet but not too sweet. I know a lot about cologne if you have other questions.”

What products do you swear by??? I’m always looking for enthusiastic recs…

Our next Big Salad & Friends live stream airs this Tuesday at 12 p.m. EST with Hunter Harris. We’ll be chatting about TV shows, movies, and why she aspires to be a divorced woman. If you’d like to watch, please subscribe to Big Salad and download the Substack app. If there are any topics you’d like to discuss, please leave a comment below. Thanks so much, can’t wait.