Hollywood Costume Designers’ Self-Care Must-Haves from Cult-Fave Lipsticks to CBD Drops

We asked Hollywood style pros, including Mank's Trish Summerville and Hamilton's Paul Tazwell, for their favorite products that have earned rightful spots in their on-set beauty kits.

By Fawnia Soo Hoo, Danielle Directo-Meston

April 12, 2021 10:10am

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Best Hollywood-Approved Makeup and Skincare

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While Hollywood makeup artists know a thing or two (or dozens) about the best beauty tricks to keep up one’s sleeve, they aren’t the only insiders who’ve honed their on-the-job hacks. Costume designers are also experts in long-lasting skincare and cosmetics products that work as hard as they do on and off the set.

Ahead of this year’s April 13 Costume Designer Guild Awards, we asked some of this year’s awards-nominated film and television style experts to share the products that they always keep in their makeup and self-care bags. From the one-swipe lipsticks that stay put all day and roll-on serums that soothe exhausted eyes to CBD-infused tinctures for keeping calm, check out the must-haves below, recommended by the pros behind the looks seen in Westworld, Emily in Paris, Da 5 Bloods, Wonder Woman 1984, The Prom, Mank, Mulan, Hamilton, Emma, Snowpiercer and Judas and the Black Messiah.

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1. MAC Cosmetics Ruby Woo Retro Matte Lipstick

“A good red lipstick” is always in CDG-nominated Westworld costume designer Shay Cunliffe’s makeup bag. “MAC’s Ruby Woo Retro Matte lipstick lasts all day and has a vintage vibe. I’ll often put a bit of glossier lipstick underneath in a softer shade to soften the overall effect,” she says of the cult-favorite shade.

MAC Cosmetics Ruby Woo Retro Matte Lipstick, $19, at MAC

2. Nature’s Way Hydraplenish with MSM

Emily in Paris costume designer Patricia Field says she reaches for these capsules by Nature’s Way to help keep her skin, hair, and nails hydrated. These Hydraplenish caplets contain a patented BioCell Collagen complex with a boost of methylsulfonylmethane (studies show it can alleviate joint pain and reduce inflammation).

Nature’s Way Hydraplenish with MSM (60 caplets), $16, at Amazon

3. Clinique All About Eyes Serum Depuffing Roll-On

Da 5 Bloods costume designer Donna Berwick says she always keeps Clinique’s under-eye soothing serum on hand because it “depuffs and feels good,” thanks to energizing ingredients such as caffeine and nourishing antioxidants.

Clinique All About Eyes Serum Depuffing Roll-On, $26, at Amazon

4. Aesop Fabulous Face Cleanser

For wiping off the day’s sweat and grime, Wonder Woman 1984 costume designer Lindy Hemming (nominated for excellence in sci-fi/fantasy at the upcoming CDG awards) is a fan of Australian apothecary brand Aesop’s Fabulous Face Cleanser. This mild oil-based cleanser is made with hydrating and gentle botanical ingredients such as bergamot rind, chamomile bud, and rosemary leaf that won’t strip skin.

Aesop Fabulous Face Cleanser, $33+, at Aesop

5. Papa & Barkley Releaf Drops

The Prom costume designer Lou Eyrich (a CDG nominee for excellence in contemporary film) keeps Papa & Barkley’s CBD-infused Releaf Drops in her on-set emergency kit for when she needs “calm and focus.”

Papa & Barkley Releaf Drops, $35, at Papa & Barkley

6. Yves Saint Laurent Touché Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen

Eyrich’s makeup must-haves “now that we wear masks and shields all day at work [include] a good mascara, eyeliner, and Yves Saint Laurent Touché Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen for under the eyes.”

Yves Saint Laurent Touché Éclat All-Over Brightening Concealer Pen, $38, at Sephora

7. Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum

Mank costume designer Trish Summerville, nominated for an Academy Award for best costume design and for a CDG award for excellence in period film, relies on Vintner’s Daughter’s Active Botanical Serum, especially on cold and windy days in Toronto. “It’s so great for your face,” she says.

The clean beauty label’s luxe face oil is packed with 22 nutrient-rich botanicals that address a range of skin concerns. Ingredients such as phytoceramides; vitamins; antioxidants; Omegas 3, 6, 7 and 9; and more work together to calm and brighten, boost cellular renewal, alleviate irritation from environmental stressors, and balance dehydrated skin.

Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum, $185, at Nordstrom

8. Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment

Another Summerville favorite is a red lipstick, and she favors Nars’ Powermatte Lip Pigment to do the job. The vibrant matte liquid lipstick promises all-day, weightless color that dries instantly and applies perfectly with just one swipe.

Nars Powermatte Lip Pigment, $26, at Sephora

9. Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil

Clarins’ Lotus Face Treatment Oil is a skincare staple for Academy Award- and CDG-nominated Mulan costume designer Bina Daigeler. The essential oils-infused formula balances, hydrates, and tones skin, especially combination and oily types. It’s also free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, mineral oil, and silicone.

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil, $62, at Nordstrom

10. Dr. Hauschka Hydrating Hand Cream

For keeping her busy hands hydrated, Daigeler uses Dr. Hauschka’s fast-absorbing moisturizer. It’s especially suited for dry and cold environments and won’t leave a greasy residue, so you won’t need to worry about slippery fingers.

Dr. Hauschka Hydrating Hand Cream, $25, at Amazon

11. Yadain Cultural Solutions Shea Butter

“My hands get so dry between the more frequent handwashing and handling fabrics, garment bags, and hangers,” says Judas and the Black Messiah costume designer Charlese Antoinette Jones (nominated for a CDG award for best period film). That’s why she says Yadain Cultural Solutions’ deeply nourishing shea butter is one of her essential tools on the job.

Yadain Cultural Solutions Specialty Whipped Shea Butter, $18, at Yadain

12. Dr. Hauschka Lip Balm

Emma costume designer Alexandra Byrne, nominated for a CDG award for excellence in period film and an Academy Award for best costume design, keeps this soothing lip balm by Dr. Hauschka on hand. The cruelty-, fragrance-, and preservative-free brand’s organic and natural formula uses cocoa butter and beeswax to provide intensive and soothing care for chapped, dry lips, and works great for smoothing fine lines and wrinkles around the mouth.

Dr. Hauschka Lip Balm, $17, at Amazon

13. True Botanicals Calm Nutrient Face Mist

Clean beauty company True Botanicals’ Calm Nutrient Face Mist is a skincare mainstay for Snowpiercer costume designer Cynthia Summers. It contains anti-inflammatory ingredients such as blue chamomile and neroli flower, as well as vitamin- and antioxidants-rich algae extract. A spritz or two will help soothe and hydrate skin that’s irritated, dry, or sensitive.

True Botanicals Nutrient Mist, $28, at True Botanicals

14. Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Balm

Hamilton costume designer Paul Tazewell says he loves Aesop’s Geranium Leaf Body Balm, a concoction of skin-nourishing nut oils and botanical extracts (including the namesake ingredient as well as mandarin and bergamot rinds) that are great for hydrating the elbows, knees, feet, and other dryness-prone areas.

Aesop Geranium Leaf Body Balm, $97, at Neiman Marcus

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