Certain beauty products — think NARS blush in Orgasm or Clinique's Black Honey lipstick — are so good, they're practically famous and have devoted, loyal followings. While we love many of these, we've been wondering why others have been quietly flying under the radar. With that in mind, meet our series, Cult Classics, in which we'll introduce you to the products you should really, truly know about (and try, like, right now). They're not brand-new, but trust us: They've got staying power.
Here’s how lazy I am about skin care and how committed I am to that laziness: 70% of the time, I’ll skip makeup altogether — so that I can justify not washing my face before bed. And that’s saying something, because I love makeup. I understand that it's not good to sleep in your makeup, so I weighed the options and figured I’d settle for living the majority of my life without a beauty routine. But on days when I decided to take the makeup plunge, I would end up irritating my skin by tugging and rubbing at it with makeup remover, to the point where my undereyes were painful and flaky. I had actually accepted this lose-lose fate when Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser was recommended by my editor. On the first use, I immediately noticed its texture. I’m so used to foams and scrubs that I was taken aback by its lotion-like consistency. It comes out of the tube smoothly and gently lathers without abrasive microbeads, artificial fragrances, or chemical tingling. After 30 seconds of washing and rinsing, my skin was baby soft; and after patting dry, every pore looked tighter and my complexion was noticeably even. No need for a toner (Shorter routine! Ta-da!) and no residual skin flakes or peeling — there were actual, visible results. It also totally solved the problem of painful scrubbing with makeup remover. On those aforementioned makeup days, I've been leaning toward water-resistant eye products, because the winter wind on the East Coast makes my eyes tear up. With the ExfoliKate Cleanser, I was surprised to find that it effortlessly took care of mascara remnants from two days worth of application and removal. Like, I didn’t even know there was still anything there until the stuff had worked its magic. No raccoon eyes to speak of and nothing hurt, not even a little bit. And I know what all you beauty junkies are wondering: How does it work with the classic Kate Somerville exfoliator? If there was ever a time for the words "dream team," this is it. When used in tandem, the cleanser acts as a first defense against dirt, dryness, and splotchy skin tone and the OG treatment comes in and kicks acne ass...and has also done an awesome job on those tiny, pesky bumps that camp out on my forehead. To sum it up: It’s been a total win. So, while I’m not ready to say that I look forward to my pre-bedtime process, I will say that Kate Somerville has been the only product that's been worth delaying sleep for — especially during those extra 30 seconds when I'm admiring my own complexion. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser, $38, available at Kate Somerville.
Here’s how lazy I am about skin care and how committed I am to that laziness: 70% of the time, I’ll skip makeup altogether — so that I can justify not washing my face before bed. And that’s saying something, because I love makeup. I understand that it's not good to sleep in your makeup, so I weighed the options and figured I’d settle for living the majority of my life without a beauty routine. But on days when I decided to take the makeup plunge, I would end up irritating my skin by tugging and rubbing at it with makeup remover, to the point where my undereyes were painful and flaky. I had actually accepted this lose-lose fate when Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser was recommended by my editor. On the first use, I immediately noticed its texture. I’m so used to foams and scrubs that I was taken aback by its lotion-like consistency. It comes out of the tube smoothly and gently lathers without abrasive microbeads, artificial fragrances, or chemical tingling. After 30 seconds of washing and rinsing, my skin was baby soft; and after patting dry, every pore looked tighter and my complexion was noticeably even. No need for a toner (Shorter routine! Ta-da!) and no residual skin flakes or peeling — there were actual, visible results. It also totally solved the problem of painful scrubbing with makeup remover. On those aforementioned makeup days, I've been leaning toward water-resistant eye products, because the winter wind on the East Coast makes my eyes tear up. With the ExfoliKate Cleanser, I was surprised to find that it effortlessly took care of mascara remnants from two days worth of application and removal. Like, I didn’t even know there was still anything there until the stuff had worked its magic. No raccoon eyes to speak of and nothing hurt, not even a little bit. And I know what all you beauty junkies are wondering: How does it work with the classic Kate Somerville exfoliator? If there was ever a time for the words "dream team," this is it. When used in tandem, the cleanser acts as a first defense against dirt, dryness, and splotchy skin tone and the OG treatment comes in and kicks acne ass...and has also done an awesome job on those tiny, pesky bumps that camp out on my forehead. To sum it up: It’s been a total win. So, while I’m not ready to say that I look forward to my pre-bedtime process, I will say that Kate Somerville has been the only product that's been worth delaying sleep for — especially during those extra 30 seconds when I'm admiring my own complexion. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser, $38, available at Kate Somerville.