Welcome to Vanities!
Your weekly beauty newsletter with tips, tricks, and maybe a little tea from industry insiders
Hi, I’m Jessi Butterfield, a celebrity makeup artist based in New York City. I started my career working with fashion magazines and at fashion shows, and in more recent years have worked with top celebrities, preparing them for red carpet events, talk shows, magazine cover shoots, and other exciting events where they need to look their best.
In this newsletter, I’ll share with you the tips and tricks I’ve gathered from working on amazing sets around the world, whether backstage at New York Fashion Week, on an island off Portugal, or in a celebrity’s hotel room in LA before they walk the red carpet for a movie premiere or an awards show, because I believe everyone should have the tools to look their best and be their most confident selves.
Every Monday I’ll publish a new letter with additional techniques and principles, products I like, and insight from glam friends including models, fellow beauty experts, and clothing designers. Future letters will include in-depth interviews with other industry veterans, deep dives on key techniques, product spotlights, and more.
Welcome to Vanities!
MY BEAUTY PHILOSOPHY
Beauty doesn’t have to be complicated—25-step programs have their time and place, but I always aim to keep it simple and highlight a person’s unique features to help them feel their most confident and glamorous. Being the best version of oneself should never require painting over one’s face to create an entirely new one (though that can be fun sometimes, too), because, spoiler alert, there is nothing wrong with your face!
My process breaks down into six categories or steps, which will form the basis of our first six letters:
Skincare
Face
Eyes
Cheeks/Structure
Lips
Body
You should feel free to use any of the steps you’d like, but are not obligated to use them all. I think makeup should be fun and make you feel good, and if it doesn’t do both of those things, don’t do it!
Now let’s dive into Step 1: Skincare, and why I like to start there.
IN THE CHAIR
Behind the scenes techniques to enhance your makeup routine
Step 1: Skincare
Great makeup starts with great skin. As much as I’d like that not to be true (especially when I happen to be going through a rough skin patch), it is. Don’t worry, I’m not about to dive into a laborious process—I admire people brave enough to traverse a regime that is extremely complex and involved, I’m just not that girl. It’s so easy to become overly busy or tired and fall off the good skincare train, so I do everything I can to make the process easy and sustainable. Below are the key steps I make sure to do daily, with my recommended products (including links) in the “From the Kit” section below that.
Cleansing
Look, I know this step can be really annoying, but it’s gotta happen. I’ll spare you the gory details of what happens to your skin and the subsequent layer of makeup you apply should a proper cleansing fail to occur (this isn’t a horror movie), but make like it’s the ’90s and you’re the star of a certain fitness ad and just do it. I love micellar water for an easy, yet effective quick cleanse. It’s always my first step at work, and I keep some on my nightstand for days I can’t expend the energy to do a full nighttime cleanse (you know with like, soap). As a bonus, you don’t even need a mirror to use it—all you need is cotton (rounds or squares, choose your own adventure). I’d suggest gathering three or four of them, saturating each with a healthy amount of micellar water, and then rubbing! Go over your whole face with each cotton until nothing else comes off—today’s makeup, yesterday’s makeup, strange dirt that somehow got all over your face simply walking around the city, everything. Once done, you’ll feel delightfully refreshed and will be perfectly set up to win your makeup look.
Facial Spray
Next up, moisture part one a.k.a. facial spray. I love these—a good facial spray brings me joy and a drop of hydration I’ll seal in with cream later. I have an embarrassing amount of these. I take that back, I’m not embarrassed—I just have… moods, and a corresponding facial spray for each. A few things I look for when selecting my spritz du jour are the ingredients (keep it simple and make sure there’s nothing weird in it) and the scent. Scent can be powerful and transporting. My favorite sprays lift my mood and enliven the seconds in which they are applied, whether that be first thing in the morning, at night, or for an afternoon pick-me-up. I’m really into them and hope you will be too (and perhaps you’ll even start your own collection).
Serum
Yes, you need a serum. Just one. I know many overachieving ladies use more than one, but one is enough for me, especially at work. Beyond saving time, I limit the number of skincare steps to limit the chance of bad reactions by the skin and subsequent skincare or makeup (e.g. active ingredient overload and/or pilling—not everything plays together nicely, so limit layers). Back to serum. Consider the season and how you and your skin are feeling that day. Serum is not moisturizer—it’s a treatment product meant to serve a specific purpose (which can sometimes be to moisturize, but can also be to brighten, retexturize, detox, etc.), so choose your serum based on which of those things you’re trying to achieve. Next, you only need a little bit! A very small amount will usually do (be sure to check out the recommended dose on each product). For example, I’m currently using the Bioeffect EFG Serum, and the bottle says 2-4 drops. I was skeptical, but they were right! It seemed like a tiny amount, and it is, but more is definitely too much. (Yes, I tried it—sometimes you have to try and fail to learn life lessons, even of the skincare variety.)
Eye Cream
This may be controversial, but I love to apply eye cream before face cream. The opposite order is of course fine as well, but I prefer eye cream first as it’s generally a heavier formula than face cream, so it gives it time to sink in. Bonus points if you have a minute for some depuffing massage (we’ll have a letter on my favorite tools and techniques for this later, but for now, think of massaging lightly from the outside corner of your eye to the inside corner of your eye, toward your tear ducts, and then sweeping up over your lid and back to the outside corner in a circular motion)—the skin around your eyes is super delicate, so invest in those peepers! For extra credit, use your ring finger to apply your eye cream—this is your weakest finger so it will help you not overpull the skin in this delicate area.
Face Cream
Main event time. A great cream is something I never leave the house without. If I were to give one piece of beauty advice it would be to wear a great cream every day no matter what. It doesn’t need to be expensive—there are lots of great ones at the drug store—but wear one. Additionally, it takes about three seconds to apply to your neck (okay maybe it takes five, but you have that time). Do it. Massage is a bonus round here too—I’m terrible at doing a nighttime massage, but I always do even a little one before doing my own makeup and always at work. Taking the time to massage your cream in is important not only for depuffing and waking up the skin; I like to also use it as valuable planning time. Think: How am I feeling today? What will I be wearing? What do I feel like glam-wise? Which features are inspiring me? Basically, which face am I bringing to the world today?!
Lips
Don’t forget lip balm. Not only are your lips luscious and in need of love—especially in winter—they also greatly benefit from proper prep time. Add lip balm along with the rest of your skincare so that by the time you get to your lipstick, tint, colored lip balm, stain, etc., your lips will be smooth and ready to make that color shine! Choose a heavy one and don’t be scared. Think of it more like a mask, even—you can always tissue it off before it’s time to add color.
And with that, you will be ready for Step 2: Face, which we’ll cover next week!
FROM THE KIT
The products and trends worth knowing about now
My Skincare Essentials
Cleansing: Bioeffect Micellar Cleansing Water
Makeup removal superhero. Great for an added boost of cleansing moisture at the beginning or end of your day.
Facial Spray: Chantecaille Orange Flower Water
My favorite first step to skin prep. I also love this in the afternoon to add some pep to my step. Smells different than you think, in a good way (think blossom, not orange).
Serum: Bioeffect EGF Serum
Clean beauty that works. You only need four drops for lasting hydration and bright, bouncy skin.
Eye Cream: Retrouvé Classique Revitalizing Eye Concentrate
Powerful water-free eye cream. Only the good stuff is in here. It’s a must have. It is spendy, but you only need a little bit, and it lasts a long time. Packaging is also triple airless for extended shelf life.
Face Cream: Embryolisse Lait-Crème Sensitive
It's developed for infants, so if you're really sensitive, don't worry, you can use this! Great for face and body (we love multitasking).
Lips: Lano The Original 101 Ointment
Love this for lips. It’s thick and brings instant relief to dry, cracked lips. Great especially as an overnight treatment. Can also be used on cuticles, under eyes, or elbows—anywhere that needs extra love.
To Hold it All: WellInsulated Performance Beauty Case
Keep your skincare protected and shelf stable longer in these ultra-chic insulated bags. I can’t live without mine.
PHONE A FRIEND
Insight and beauty inspiration from my favorite people in the industry
BB Jean, Model (@bbjeanofficial)
How did you develop your look (hair and makeup)?
I would like to believe that my look grows and develops into who I feel I become the more experienced and mature I get. For my hair look I like to keep it natural. After having short red, black, and very bleached blonde hair I found that going back to my natural roots, color, and texture made me feel the most comfortable in my body and with my look (not to mention the easy upkeep). I like to do trims every few months for a fresh look and let my hair get some sun when possible to get some sun-kissed natural highlights.
My make-up look has been an evolution of learning new tricks throughout my career. It's funny because I grew up dancing and doing my make-up since I was pretty young with a red lipstick and blue eyeshadow. However, it was not until I signed up with a local talent agency when I was about 14 that I took my first make-up class and learned how makeup really works. I am still thankful for this class today! Now my obsession is a subtle little winged eyeliner that starts mid-eye and a nice neutral pink lip that makes me feel polished and put together, yet not overdone! I love watching YouTube videos and asking makeup artists I work with for new tricks, tips, and product recommendations!
Who’s your beauty inspiration?
This is a hard one! However, I would have to say Angelina Jolie. She is so naturally beautiful and when she gets glammed up she has what I like to call a mix of ’90s supermodel glam and an "old money" look. Through years of modeling, it was hard to find my own real aesthetic and what I liked when so many people around me were telling me how I should look and be. However, over time I discovered this is the vibe that I like and aspire to.
What are some beauty products you can’t live without?
Covergirl Perfect Point Plus Eye Pencil in Black Onyx
It is definitely very basic but for my waterline I love it. It also doesn't irritate my contacts—it’s great!
Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 20
I love that it doesn't have oxybenzone like some others do.
Rare Beauty Lip Soufflé Matte Cream Lipstick in Courage
My current lip obsession.