(Image credit: Future)
The Lineup is a monthly series where we’re giving you an inside peek at the beauty lineups of cool fashion people, editors, makeup artists, hairstylists, and estheticians—all the people we trust the most. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at all the can’t-live-without products that make their worlds go ’round.
I wish summer would last forever. I want endless golden sunshine and tropical temperatures, and for my beachy glow to last long after the season draws to a close. Who better to show me how to get that coveted radiance than Wende Zomnir, the founder of Caliray. (You might also know her as the founder of the mega-successful beauty brand Urban Decay, AKA the creator of the OG Naked Palette.)
“Caliray embodies my obsession with the intersection of beauty and wellness,” she tells me. “We’re one of only three Planet Aware makeup brands at Sephora, so we’re serious about this. I just [took] my personal philosophies and brought them to life in a beauty brand.” Zomnir’s magic touch can be seen in the brand’s skincare-first approach, innovative clean formulas, and sustainable packaging. Oh, and not to mention the cheeky product names—yet another reason it’s a standout in the sea of beauty brands.
Given Zomnir’s 25+ years of beauty expertise, I asked her to share some tips on how to get an effortless, sun-drenched look. Her first tip surprised me. “The easiest way to create a beachy look is to use a light hand with application so you look lit from within,” she explained. And what about the next steps for this golden-hour glow? “I get the best glow when I dermaplane my skin first. DermaFlash and Michael Todd make good dermaplaning devices. Then I add on my vitamin C serum and top that off with a mix of [Caliray’s] primer and bronzer. This combo creates the smoothest blurry glow on the skin.”
The cherry on top of this routine is a brand-new, one-of-a-kind blush: Blurry Blush, the latest addition to Caliray’s lineup. “I love it because it blends like an airy dream,” Zomnir gushes. “I can use it sheer, build up the color for a brighter pop, or even use two shades for a dimensional effect.” I’m a blush connoisseur myself, and all I can say is, I’m in love. It comes in five flattering shades ranging from cool-orchid pink to peachy nude to soft berry. I used it on my cheeks, nose, and even my lips, and got compliments immediately. You can shop the blush starting on September 2, and in the meantime, keep scrolling to hear Zomnir’s beauty tips and see her trusted lineup of skincare, makeup, and haircare products.
“The long-wearing formula won’t quit, and we infused it with Kaolin clay to make pores seem to disappear. Whether I tap it in with my fingers or buff it on with a brush, I love the gorgeous blurry effect.”
The Route
The Pink Peptide Boost
“This is exactly the right amount of hydration for my skin pre-makeup, and it floods my skin with plumping peptides. One of my besties (and The Route co-founder) Courtney [Baber] told me it’s pink because that’s the color of the peptide in this formula, and it’s at such a high dose, the product turned a pretty shade of pink.”
caliray
Come Hell or High Water Tubing Mascara
“Okay, I made this and it’s my dream mascara. I’m active (including surfing), and can also be a crier, so the mascara-smudging struggle is real for me. Waterproof [mascara] is too harsh on lashes, so I created a tubing formulation that lasts through real life, is easy to remove, and unlike other tubing formulas, it delivers volume and length.”
BeautyStat Cosmetics
Peptide Wrinkle Relaxing Moisturizer
“My friend Ron [Robinson] cooked this up! He’s a cosmetic chemist and came over to show it to me. I instantly fell in love with the feeling of a super-drenched complexion, and it’s full of peptides that soften those little fine lines I’m fighting every day. It gives the results of an occlusive formula but with a breezy, dreamy texture.”
Kérastase
Blond Absolu Hydrating Illuminating Shampoo
“I love this shampoo, it [looks] so chic in my shower! It pairs a clear purple tint with a hyaluronic acid–infused formula to hydrate and tone bottle-blonde strands.”
Lansinoh
Lanolin Nipple Cream
“I’ve been obsessed with this stuff since I got it as a baby shower present. I didn’t like it for nursing so I started using it as lip balm, and now I won’t go anywhere without it. It’s more natural than a petroleum-based product but stays on all night. I even use it on my cuticles. All of the men in my house now use it too, and have nipple cream in their must-have product stash.”
Bausch + Lomb
Lumify Redness Reliever Eye Drops
“These reduce the redness in your eyes like no other. There’s one in [each of my] bags and in the center console of my car. Unlike other eye drops that combat redness, your eyes don’t get addicted to Lumify (according to my eye doc), so you can use it on the regular. Nothing drags down a look more than tired, bloodshot eyes, so I lean on these to keep me looking fresh and vibrant even when I’m exhausted.”
Crown Affair
The Hair Oil
“My bleached-out ends can get dry on the daily, and this lightweight oil quenches my thirsty strands. I can apply it daily for hydration, and sometimes I’ll use a bit more if I want to create a piecey look.”
Saint Jane Beauty
Luxury Sun Ritual Pore Smoothing Face Sunscreen SPF 30
“I thank Casey [Georgeson] at Saint Jane for this reef-safe mineral sunscreen that doesn’t leave me shiny. The nature of sunscreen filters makes it a challenge to formulate a natural skin finish, but this doesn’t make my makeup shiny and doesn’t amplify my pores.”
Crown Affair
The Hair Clips
“I love to air dry because wielding a blow-dryer makes me grumpy and my schedule is too chaotic to have a regular blowout scheduled. Enter these clips with two sets of teeth so they don’t slide out! I let my hair dry about 85%, then gently twist my hair and clip it up. The result is a pretty, beachy bend in my hair that looks like I spent time on it. The twisting also smoothes my hair so that it has a refined finish.”
Crown Affair
The Leave-In Conditioner Cream
“Okay, more Crown Affair—I know! I was skeptical about leave-in conditioner, but this is actually my favorite air dry product of all time (and I have tested every single one). It’s also a multitasker—I use one pump mixed with a drop of the oil on dry hair from my mid-lengths to my ends to create a finished look and a boost of moisture on second or third-day hair (or when the Santa Ana winds are sucking all moisture out of the SoCal air.)”
Artist Couture
Supreme Nudes Palette
“My friend Angel [Merino] (you probably know him as @mac_daddyy) is an incredible MUA and created this gorgeous palette. The matte shades are my go-tos. I love how I can put together warm and cool eye looks, and that the soft, blendable shades all mix together beautifully.”
Urban Decay
24/7 Moondust Eyeshadow
“I created these sparkly shadows over 12 years ago, and they’re still best sellers at Urban Decay. I love to use them wet for maximum micro-sparkle effect. You won’t find this packaging anymore, but you can still get my original formula, which uses slurry technology and diamond-like sparkle. Try it on the center of your upper lid and the inside corners of your eyes to light them up.”
Caliray
Hideaway Brightening + Hydrating Under Eye Color Corrector Concealer
“I always love the bright, lifted look you get when using concealer under the eyes. But it always looked too heavy on me IRL, and it inevitably ended up creasing. I wanted an under-eye solution that gave that same lifted look, but without [being able to] see the makeup and [while] adding hydration. This serum product is infused with hyaluronic acid, so it won’t settle or cake. I call it the Caliray three-way because it delivers lightweight color correcting, a bit of concealing, and a dose of functional pearls that illuminate without looking shiny.”
Maison Louis Marie
No.04 Bois De Balincourt Perfume Oil
“This smells amazing and it’s reasonably priced! It’s a sexy sandalwood fragrance and I love the roll-on oil version. I also like that the perfume oil format travels easily, so I never have to leave my scent behind.”
Urban Decay
All Nighter Waterproof Setting Powder
“Another one of my UD creations that’s still going strong! I love this powder because it transparently mattifies and sets makeup with zero caking. It’s also waterproof. I’m a bit oily, and even with regular touch-ups throughout the day to keep me from looking too glowy, there’s no buildup of product—just clean, smooth skin.”
Caliray
Surfproof Hydrating Setting Spray
“My first setting spray created the category, so I thought I should make another one that’s even better, plus make it a clean formula! This one comes in a 100% recycled bottle, and delivers a fine mist (that smells like vacation) over your finished makeup to set it. It also contains seawater minerals and transdermal magnesium to help with skin recovery. It sets makeup so well you could take off a white T-shirt [without staining it]. It also works as a hydrating refresher for skin throughout the day.”
Dae
Stargloss Shine Hair Gloss Treatment
“There was a girl in one of my college writing classes with the shiniest hair, and I’ve been chasing glossy locks ever since. It was not meant to be until I soaked my hair in this nourishing mask. It definitely gives an instant result. I also apply this generously before I go surfing.”
Caliray
So Blown Blurring & Hydrating Primer
“This is one of the best things I’ve ever made! It’s a collagen peptide-infused blurring primer that virtually erases pores and fine lines. Primers like that are usually the texture of spackle, but this one is lightweight and hydrating! It’s clear, but complexion-perfecting. My college-aged sons use it to minimize the look of acne and redness, so it works for everyone.”
Musely
The Anti-Aging Cream
“This is the good stuff if you are looking for resurfacing, illuminating, and brightening. Retin-A is so much more effective for me than most retinol products. But, it was really expensive to source until I discovered an online compounding pharmacy that would do a virtual doc visit and then compound an Rx-level cream for me. I use this on the regular to keep my skin looking fresh and line-free. If I know it’s going to be a day in the sun, I’ll skip it the night before.”
K18 Biomimetic Hairscience
Leave-In Molecular Repair Hair Mask
“Suveen [Sahib] and Britta [Cox] from K18 sent me some of this hair mask right after they launched it. To be honest, I thought it was nice, but nothing special. Then I decided to go blonde, and I understood. I work a pump of this magic mask in my palms until it turns white, then run it through my hair. With stressed hair, the results are obvious—don’t bleach without it!”
SkinCeuticals
A.G.E Advanced Eye Cream
“I love this for hydration around my eyes at night, and the formula also works to minimize glycation, which is what contributes to those fine lines. It also seems to tamp down puffiness. Not too greasy, not too thin—just right!”
Bumble and bumble
Thickening Dryspun Volume Texture Spray
“This is my go-to texturizing spray, and I buy it in both the giant bottle for home and the travel size for on the road. It delivers incredible texture, just the right amount of volume, and a touchable feel so my beachy waves look even more mermaid-like. I also love that I can brush it out, and use it again the next day without excess buildup.”
R+Co
Death Valley Dry Shampoo
“I’ve tried lots of dry shampoos, but I keep going back to this one because I like how fresh it makes my head feel, plus how effective it is at absorbing oil and keeping my blowout going strong. My blonde is balayage, so the roots are dark, but this never looks powdery or leaves a white cast.”
RANAVAT
Radiant Rani Saffron Brightening Serum
“This is aromatherapy plus skin love in a bottle. It’s my go-to face oil for when my skin is feeling stressed or sensitive. I warm it up, press it in, and it sinks right in for a glowy, hydrated feeling. The golden color is intoxicating, and my friend Michelle [Ranavat] made this with the most luxurious blend of oils.”
SkinCeuticals
C E Ferulic Serum
“This has been my morning go-to antioxidant treatment for years. This vitamin C feels potent, and I love the liquid texture that weightlessly hydrates my skin. The past few years, I’ve been going through it faster as I keep applying further down my neck and décolleté.”
Kapa Nui Nails
Hau’oli Starter Set
“I have thin, weak nails, and using acetone-based removers makes them peel. I searched for a true non-toxic polish after discovering lacquers that claimed to be natural were basically vegetable-derived versions of the chemicals in standard polish. Enter Kapa Nui—it’s made in Hawaii by a former doctor. It’s not as shiny or thick as regular polish, but I love it when I want a finished-looking mani or pedi. You have to use their remover, but it’s non-toxic, too.”