We have a treat this week! My friend Dawn Spinner Davis and I have been beauty writer friends for nearly two decades, which means we've collectively tested enough products to fill a Sephora. I asked me to share what she’s been buying with her own American dollars lately, and she was happy to oblige.
A little context: Dawn is now a content strategist and beauty expert who moved from the city to the North Fork of Long Island during Covid and never looked back. The slower pace has been a gift. The sun exposure has been... a negotiation.
As a beauty editor, she held roles at Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, Lucky, and POPSUGAR. Her brand clients range from L'Oréal to the New York Stock Exchange. These days, Dawn helps brands stay relevant as audience behavior shifts.
Before we get into what's in her cart, in her words, I want to share my 3 vacation MVPs from last week.
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My 3 vacation MVPs
Having a full kitchenette in our room meant I could bring and eat my own go-to breakfast, which is Cocojune Unsweetened yogurt these days. I love that they’re single-serve and packed with 8 grams of pea protein. I add sugar-free jam and it’s delish.
After my Jersey shore birthday vacation last week, I’m on a mission to address any sun damage. The forecast was mid-60s, and it remained, yet somehow in Wildwood Crest, it felt like 80. So I slathered on the sunscreen, but there were many long boardwalk walks in the heat and I forgot my hat (I KNOW). So now I’m in restore-my-skin-to-tabula-rasa mode. For me, that’s putting on this Cellcosmet Brightener-XT rightening lotion. After too much sun (for beauty writers, that’s any sun), it evens out my skin tone without the irritation that a lot of brightening products bring. It layers beautifully under SPF, absorbs quickly, and over time my complexion looks clearer and more uniform. The clinical results back up what I was seeing in the mirror: 86% of users reported more even skin and 82% saw reduced discoloration.
Speaking of sunscreen, this was my unsung hero the whole trip for getting my son and husband — two reluctant skincare users — to protect their skin on our daily 15K-step days. It looks like nothing; it feels like nothing. This is a win when it comes to two- and 52-year olds.
One hazard of this job is getting distracted from your mainstays. I absolutely love these hair capsules to the tune of repurchasing them four times. But somehow, in testing products, they fell out of my styling routine and my hair is very much the worse for it. They’re back in town and my hair is glossier, much more moisturized, less frizzy, and it doesn’t get that gross dry/crackly ends situation when it’s time to wash it.
Since moving out to the North Fork during Covid, I've reconnected with my horse-girl younger self, which means I spend a lot more time in the sun. As a sun-phobic, this petrifies me, but it's also very much worth it...as long as I'm protected under many layers of SPF. This Mineral SPF 50 is incredibly sheer, hydrating enough to double as a moisturizer during warmer months, and is reasonably priced enough that I don't feel compelled to ration it. I still layer a BB cream with SPF and an SPF powder on top, and I wear a sun visor on my helmet, but this is a great place to start. I also recently added the brand's Vitamin C serum (a SkinC dupe!) to my lineup, and I'm equally obsessed.
My natural lip color is somewhere between "barely there" and "cadaver" (I still regret never trying lip blushing), so I spent years chasing the elusive "my lips but better" shade in a formula that was both moisturizing and lasted more than 5 minutes. When I finally found Kosas Lip Fuel in Rush, I knew the search was over. It's a moisturizing balm, but the color actually sticks around. And it's precisely the shade I need to look alive but not like I'm trying. The only problem: I use it up fast. I've started buying a few at a time so I always have a stash.
Beauty editors may happily rotate through new blushes and perfumes, but concealer is different. When you find one that works, you stay loyal. This has been mine for years, and I've gone through more tubes than I can count. It's the perfect balance of creamy without creasing, brightening without being too light, and full coverage without being heavy.
My friend Laney created Saie and has launched dozens of amazing products, but her very first one — Mascara 101 — is still my favorite. It has a rubbery brush, which I love, and a buildable formula that never gets too thick or clumpy. It gives just enough definition to make my eyes pop on a Zoom call, and it washes off with just a little face wash. It's the perfect everyday mascara. She'd probably be annoyed if she knew I was buying it, but she's been impossible to pin down for dinner these days, so I have no choice. I'd be buying it even if we hadn't been friends for 20+ years.
In-office time with Christina DeMartino, PA-C, founder of North Fork Skin and Laser
One of the first friends I made when I moved out to the North Fork happened to work in dermatology — and not just small-town dermatology. Christina DeMartino trained under one of the big-name NYC derms we all love and respect, and let me tell you, she has stories. Naturally, we hit it off. She's a genius with a laser and a syringe so any time I need a little tune-up beyond my skin-care routine, I give her a call. We did a PRP undereye treatment a couple of years ago that still has me looking like I sleep well even though good sleep in your 40's doesn't seem to be a thing.
Thanks, Dawn!
In case you missed it:
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