Why less than one per year, you ask? It’s a great question. Its certainly not the easiest strategy in an industry that is capital-o Obsessed with newness, but we really set out to launch formulas that don’t exist in the market and we’ve done nothing, I feel, if not stay true to that.

The Backstory

Product development is by far one of the best parts of my job. Most of our product ideas have flowed pretty easily. Whether from a magical base formula my co-founders had been sitting on for some time, or the idea for Whipped Dream, which came to me in pregnancy, because I had both melasma and an inflammed barrier. The best.

Making a Lip Balm was harder and required chasing down a lot more ideas. A lip balm was actually the first thing I ever wanted to launch. We tested our first lip sample in 2018, I remember it perfectly: it came from Italy and was formulated to fill in fine lines for a smoothing effect. I was tempted to pursue it further, but I knew that the first lip product we put out needed to be about holistic relief of dry lips, not just one of the symptoms.

Over the course of development of Lipid Layer, we tested thousands of formulas across more than 20 countries, studying everything from clinical barrier creams to unearthed lipcare tips from the depths of reddit (this is a personal hobby of mine and not an R&D strategy, rest assured).

Some of the avenues we explored, to name a few:

• New takes on occlusive treatments, which are traditional formats like Aquaphor or wax based balms (All provided temporary relief with no real care)

• Exfoliating lip systems (I love this idea and we will do something here soon)

• Plumping formulas (incorporated into Lipid Layer)

• Tinted balms

• High-shine oils

• Barrier creams

A truly new lip balm has never been harder to make than it is today.

In our Peptide-lip crazed world, everyone has a balm (and it’s most likely shouting about peptides). Much respect to everyone, but I do find it a little hard not to go crazy that one brand after another has launched a peptide solution for dry lips.

The root cause of dry lips is barrier failure, not peptide deficiency. More on this below.

Why do lips actually get dry, you ask.

Lips are uniquely vulnerable skin. Unlike the face, they have no sebaceous glands, meaning they produce zero natural oils. They have an extremely thin outermost skin layer and they’re constantly being aggressed against by wind, sunlight, air, talking, eating, licking. You get the idea.

In simplest terms: Dry lips need structural repair. Structural repair comes in the form of lipids (i.e. Ceramides), which are what the lip skin itself is actually made of. Peptides are a signal-molecules that tell the skin to do things that might make it stronger over time, but they themselves won’t repair a genuinely dry and chapped lip.

Enter The Lipid Layer

Lipid Layer takes a skincare approach to chapped lips in two important ways, which together make up our Voluswell Technology, for repair and volume.

1. Ulta-Filling Spheres: Patented French plumping technology

Gently swells the lips by drawing water into the tissue, creating visible fullness while improving comfort.

2. Our Barrier-mimicking Lipid System

We created a lipid system designed to mimic the skin’s natural barrier, directly repairing the skin’s outer layer of defense.

It’s hard to pick your favorite child, but today mine is Lipid Layer. I loved bringing it to life and I hope that maybe you love her too <3

Consumer Research 🔬

A few other things I’ve loved lately:

I recently added Ebb Ocean Club Shampoo and Conditioner to my rotation (which already includes Roz and Crown Affair) and my hair has been in a great place. I follow it up with this Chris McMillan mousse and let it dry and viola.

Manifesting sunshine with these, these and honestly these.

I’m late to the game but I am obsessed with going to sleep with well moisturized hands and I have loved this scent forever (Thank you for the rec)

My new little sport is buying shirts for my boys from Etsy. Its weirdly addicting and very nostalgic.

More from my own personal book club: I just started reading the Clutch. Anyone else?? I finished the Strangers in about thirty seconds, and then really loved Marriage at Sea. Please send recs.

Its uncomfortable to ask for things in general - help, favors, support, attention - whatever the flavor may be. I find this to be acutely true for me. It actually took me a really long time to realize this revolutionary concept: its OK to ask for things. Maybe this is obvious, or maybe this is something you needed to read. I don’t know! Maybe you’re asking yourself what the point of this post is? Well, I guess its to say that however hard it is to make things, it’s even harder to promote them. Promise! But here I am conquering both things. And in this case - dare I say - proudly doing so.

The content that inspired this post is a series we do at Isla called Washing Faces with Friends. One thing about me is I’m sort of always washing my face with someone, on and off camera. This series is about capturing the essence of that facetime with your best friend that ends in the bathroom - moving from product review to that guy’s deep emotional short comings, right back to a retinol recommendation. It’s the rare sleepover where everyone ends up around one sink. It’s not all about the products, its about the hang.

In the latest, I got to Wash my Face with Chloe Fineman. I asked her ten different ways how she survives her late nights, we talked about what the big celebs use to depuff (spoiler: its cold stuff), we exchanged product ideas, shade recommendations, and interior design recommendations. And honestly, I think I made a friend?

A moment on Chloe before I get into the products. Of all the girls I’ve had the pleasure of washing with, Chloe is the person I knew the least well going into it, and also is quite famous and famously busy. I worked up the courage for weeks to ask her, and finally closed my eyes and pressed send on a rambling text. She came back with the easiest, breeziest yes, and an even easier approach to scheduling and filming. She showed up at my house ready to go — no makeup, no questions, and it was like hanging out with my oldest friend.

Ok, soul-baring preamble over. Now for the good stuff. I washed my face with Chloe and it was a fucking blast, and I picked up a ton of honest to god amazing product recommendations too. The most fun things I learned about her is that she has a savant-like knowledge of makeup shades and that she will do an impression of literally anyone on camera with no prep (yes we kept them in the edit). She’s just cool and so comfortable being herself. She is also serious about her products, and I spent much of filming trying to keep up with her.

So without further ado, Check out the full video here!

And fun fact, Chloe designed the t-shirt I’m wearing in the video. Renaissance woman.

And now for the product recap

Chloe’s Skincare Routine

Isla Day Melt Cleanser, of course

My Zombie Mask: Really fun to have on hand for a girl’s night. Really, really insane looking and debatably stupid in general. But we had some lols.

Elixir & Storm Serum (Chloe BYO’d)

Sophie Pavitt Mandelic Serum

Obagi 20% Vitamin C Serum (a very good recommendation!)

P-TIOX (peptide serum)

U Beauty Super Hydrator

Violette_Fr Boum-Boum Milk

Prescription Tretinoin (my non-perscription rec here) (my mini dissertation on retionids here)

Chloe’s Makeup

RMS Supernatural Radiance Serum Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen (Shade: Light Aura)

Victoria Beckham The Concealer Pen (her tip - buy a lighter shade and a darker shade and blend)

Kosas Revealer Concealer

Victoria Beckham BabyBlade Eyebrow Pencil

Bakeup Beauty Desert Road Trip - Micro Palm Neutral Eyeshadow Palette (which we realized is a great dupe for my beloved Mario palette)

Chanel Stylo Ombre et Contour (eyeshadow pen)

Fara Homidi Essential Bronzer Compact (Shade: Bois)

Fara Homidi Shader Brush

Rhode Peptide Lip Shape (shade: Lunge)

Isla L**** L****!!! (coming soon)

Goop Beauty Colorblur Glow Balm (shades: Slipper & Whiskey)

Kevyn Aucoin The Eyelash Curler

Armani Beauty Eyes to Kill Mascara

L’oreal Voluminous Waterproof Mascara

+ a few from me

Sara Creal concealers forever

Saie highlighter base thingy

The best blush brush

The people are clearly and rightfully confused about how to build a skincare routine. So today I am here to cover the very basic question of human existence: “How do I build a skincare routine?” The questions of what to use and in what order to use are inextricably linked and not straight forward, but let’s start by breaking down the ‘what’ which can help with the when.

This letter is titled The ABC’s because for all of the crazy new skin things (some real, most fake) coming online all the time, there’s one thing that every dermatologist, every chemist, every legit product maker will agree on: Vitamins A, B and C are non-negotiable ingredients for every single routine.

But first, the Prep

Before I get into the ABCs, let’s make sure its clear that you are always washing your face at least once / day - preferably twice - and always moisturizing. If you don’t already know that, I’m not sure I can help you.

CLEANSER:

Mornings usually requires a gentler cleanse, if at all. I bounce around, but I do often come home to Dr. Loretta. Its gentle and plain, but actually works. Sort of what Cerave wishes it was. Speaking of Cerave, if you need super simple, I much prefer Vanicream’s cleanser to Cerave or Cetaphil.

At night, its disgusting and important to note that you’re washing away the entire day of dirt, makeup, pollution, SPF, hair grease, etc. Even if you aren’t acne prone, your skin needs a thorough cleanse. This is when I use our Day Melt cleansing balm because of the tiny particles that attach to dirt and oil. And if it was a particularly long or sweaty day, or I’m breakout prone, I will follow up with one of the above cleansers just to make sure I got it all.

MOISTURIZERS AND SERUMS: General rule is that you should use these after each wash as a basic hydration step (think drinking water), unrelated to what you have going on with the A,B, C’s. I would really passionately argue that you need a hydrating prep step too before Serum, but another time.

Important note for your everyday serum: I’m talking a hydrating serum with things like hyaluronic acid, peptides and growth factors. Nothing that says “renewing” or “exfoliating” - more on those later.

The ABC’s - PT 1

Here’s the framework for building your routine. At night, you’re going to improve your skin (Vitamin A). You’re going to do your harshest work overnight. In the morning, you’re going to brighten your skin tone (Vitamin C). At both times - and any time you possibly can - you’re going to repair and nourish your skin barrier (Vitamin B), because without a good barrier, we’ve really got nothing.

I think it appropriate to start with “A”, and while I could write the deep dive on the mechanics of Retinoids, I don’t want to and you don’t want to read that. Here is all of the vital info.

Vitamin A (Retinoids) & The Night Routine

Retinoids - or ingredients derived from Vitamin A - are basically the single most powerful ingredients in topical skincare. They also make you extremely sun sensitive, which is why they can only be used at night. I repeat, only at night. And you really must wear sunscreen in the day!

The headline on Retinoids is anti-aging, firming and texture improvement by forcing skin turnover and stimulating collagen. Vitamin A retinoids come in many forms of varying strength and molecule type, hence the many names. Here they are - but all you need to know is they are listed from strongest to weakest:

• Retinoic Acid (aka Tretinoin aka Tret)

• Retinal / retinaldahyde

• Retinol

• Retinyl

  

How to pair in your routine

Avoid: Make sure you’re not pairing with anything that has a BHA or AHA’s in its key benefits. You’re looking out for: Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid most commonly. I wouldn’t worry about investigating ingredient lists, just check the bottle or website for the key call outs.

Use: The important thing here is to sooth and support your skin as much as you can. Look for gentle, nourishing ingredients like Hyaluronic Acid and Centella, Ceramides, and B Vitamins. Otherwise, keep your routine simple and use your other beloved products on other days or in the morning. Even if an ingredient is not harsh, sometimes the formula itself can ruin the way the Retinoid works.

Which to Buy

I used to be a prescription Tretinoin head, but now there are really great formulas for Retinal (strongest non prescription formula) that minimize irritation, and often add in other beneficial ingredients that are formulated stably. This is my current favorite mechanism of retinoid, because unlike Tret, it allows your skin to moderate how much Retinoid is making its way into your skin. Whether you’re new or seasoned, I highly recommend the MediK8 because of their graded intensity options.

If you want something towards the gentler end of the spectrum, I used and loved this encapsulated retinol formula for a long time, and highly recommend.

My Step by Step Retinoids Routine

If you’re new to Retinoids or trying a new version, start with once or twice a week. Wait a month or more until any irritation or flaking goes away, and then add more days.

Lots of people build up to retinol every night, but I like to do every other night. I like to exfoliate on one of the other nights and just do something super hydrating on the odd night.

My exact routine on Retinal nights: Wash my face with Day Melt, prep with Elixir to combat oncoming dryness from Ret, hydrate with Storm Serum, wait 5 minutes until face is totally dry, put on Retinal, wait another 5/10 minutes, put on a ton of moisturizer. I love the combo of the Niacinamide in Whipped Dream with Retinal, but it can be a little sensitive, so if I’m dry or irritated, I will use a plain, heavy moisturizer with my Retinal, like Cicaplast.

And that’s it. That’s the Retinol night routine. It can be a flakey, scary mess at the beginning - especially if you’re going straight to prescription Tret - but its worth it in the end. Swear.

Consumer Research 🔬

A few things capturing my heart and attention right now.

1. What else can I possibly think about in this climate besides coats?? This Nour Hammour number has been my surprise MVP of the winter. It’s warm but not too bulky. More importantly, its reversible so divide the price by two, obviously.

This yellow Sezane has been my go-to way to spruce up an otherwise boring outfit. And I continue to covet this windbreaker shape for spring.

2. I got the perfect leopard pump. I don’t really know what else there is to say.

3. My son’s snowsuit has gotten a lot of airtime since I posted him skiing last week. And now its on sale to buy for this season or next - something I’ve never managed to have the foresight to do.

Til next time! xo

I did however, intentionally take a break from my own personal norms of consumption, so if ‘Trend Predictions’ or whatever are done or cancelled or loser behavior and I missed that, then I’m sorry!

Here are the 5 things on my Trend Watch for 2026 — The things I think we’re all going to hear about ad nauseam this year online and in beauty, whether we want to or not. My attempt to break them down so you don’t have to :)

1. The Blurred Lip: Just when we all finished buying more lip liner than we can realistically use, it appears we’re not allowed to use it anymore. Or not allowed to use it anymore the way we all just learned to use it. Everyone is suddenly going crazy for Nina Park’s mystery lip method, because it seems to look good on literally everyone. Even though she hasn’t released a How To, its still the biggest trend we’ve got right now, and everyone’s trying to copy it. Basically instead of doing a normal lip liner application, you do a soft, blurred-edge application and use cream bronzer or contour (these products are both great to own in general) with a little brush around the lips. Everyone’s out here trying to figure it out, so watch some of these rather than listen to me. I personally love a ‘soft focus’ anything because its harder to mess up, so I was recently influenced to order this, this and this to dab onto my cupid’s bow when I’m feeling crazy. And while we’re on the topic of makeup: apparently Clean Girl aesthetic is out (again??) and white eye shadow is back. idk.

2. The Fat Transfers to the Face: Listen, I’m not the boss. But there’s a new thing that people started talking about online in 2025 and it caught my attention for two reasons. First, it can only be done by plastic surgeons, who I feel are generally good barometers for what actually works vs. what is a med spa phenomena. And second, rather than filler or botox, its appears to be a transfer of a tiny amount of fat from your thighs or stomach into your under eyes and possibly other areas of your face. Just like god intended. The main benefit is (I think) treating volume loss, but the internet tells me its both wonderful and terrible for treating volume loss. I will keep investigating, but its one of those things I predict we’re going to start hearing about a lot, whether we want to or not.

3. Microneedling Realness: I might have a personal bone to pick with Microneedling because I got this treatment once on my whole face. It was in the psychotic 6 months between having my son and getting married, and it was the most painful thing I’ve ever endured. And I had just given birth! Anyway, I was told that with multiple treatments it can boost collagen and blah blah blah, but when the immense swelling and subsequent horrible breakout cleared, I looked exactly the same. But with more trauma. I feel that because Microneedling can be performed by non-doctors, it was suddenly everywhere one day, but I’m not sure anyone has ever been able to convincingly articulate why its better than the many other ways you can spend your money. Anyway, the medical internet seems to be turning on microneedling and microneedling with radio frequency, and I’m here for it. That said, I have heard of people getting great results with more specific things like acne scarring, which makes sense to me given how microneedling works.

4. The Longevity Takeover Continues: There are so many little branches growing out of this tree, but for the purposes of 2026 I think the key takeaways of Longevity science as it relates to skincare are: NAD in skincare is a still a no; Peptides as a blanket concept: no; One specific peptide (Matrixyl 3000), well formulated: yes. At home LED and other tools: yes. Exosomes are still a no. The important thing to know here is that there are a lot of things that start getting traction in other areas such as food health or healthcare, and everyone wants to throw them into a skincare product. You’re usually better off investing in a great ceramide moisturizer and a really good retinol.

3. Product Pricing Pushback: Saved my favorite for last. I’ve been on my high horse about not overpaying for skincare for a long time, so I’m happy this is going mainstream. (I can also do a decent amount of time on why you might not want to underpay, either). The TLDR: you mostly don’t need that product that costs way more than you think it should, unless there is a CE Ferulic level of data out there to support it. One of the most interesting things that happened in skincare last year was that the patent for Skinceutical’s CE Ferulic Vitaminc C Serum expired, making the process and the ingredients public to everyone. This taught us two things. 1) Those ingredients themselves aren’t very expensive at all. And 2) Formulation technique matter a lot. The reason this is such big news is this product is not about the ingredients themselves, but how they are stabilized - something that is much harder to accomplish and unable to be known from the ingredient list. Sorry to toot my own horn, but this is basically the reason we started Isla. All chemistry is not created equal. If you care about products that work, you really need to understand who is formulating your products and what makes them work. Or don’t. Whatever! But if you want some product pricing clarity here is one of my favorite follows.

Some honorable mentions:

• Fatty drinks are back. I just know it. Mine’s a Mocha 💅

• I think 2026 is the year of the small water bottle. Why are we all dragging 32oz around with us all day when we’re always near a water source??

• Lola blankets for us. I don’t have a dog, but if I did she would get one too.

• In the personal 2026 category: the Windbreaker. Mine is $17 dollars from LL Bean and she’s perfect! But if I could I would also have her.

• Lastly, a real wildcard category from me. The band Geese. I feel that the world keeps telling me to care about them, and they will be ‘big’ and ‘cool’, but unclear if the music is actually good?? Someone can let me know.

Consumer Behavior 🔬:

Outside of the above, the most important purchases in my life right now continue to be my Carepod, my Sleep Crown and the new Leopard tote I got for the holidays.

Because so many of you messaged me after writing about Heart the Lover, I asked substack what to read when you only want to re-read Heart the Lover. This is what they said:

• The Conditions of Will

• The Sisters

• Notes on Infinity (for fans of Tomorrow Tomorrow Tomorrow)

• I Regret Almost Everything - the Keith McNally memoir, which is extremely high on my list too

See you guys next week! x

The following is my very sacred list of sleep-enhancing, life saving staples for going to bed, staying asleep and waking up fresh(ish).

For Bed

Eight Sleep Mattress Pad: Listen, this is a high investment, high pay off situation. If I could only hold on to one purchase from the last ten years - or possibly my whole life - it would be this mattress pad. This thing will add years to my life. My best description of it: A mattress cover hooked up to a Pod (think of a large sized humidifer) that circulates cool water (or hot water when I want to get to cozy) through un-detectable coils all night long. I could write an essay on this thing, but I will say it completely eliminated my nighttime wake ups, ends the inter-marital cold war about room temperature, and has so much scientific evidence to back up the benefits of sleeping on a cool mattress. Eight Sleep for president as far as I’m concerned.

The Sleep Crown: If Eight Sleep is my splurge recommendation, this is my gift to you. This pillow contraption rests a top your head as you sleep, is as soft and luxurious as anything you’ve ever touched, and is part sound muffler, part light blocker, and part weighted eye mask. It’s a recent addition to my life and it unlocked a new level of sleep I didn’t think possible. Be careful - its addicting! Unfortunately it’s sold out right now because Kim Kardashian recently posted, but they restock weekly (I know this because I can’t stop buying for people).

Carepod Humidifier: I wrote about this in my last letter and it deserves another mention. This thing works hard. My bedroom feels hydrating when you walk into it. It takes no time to clean, and it doesn’t look too bad. I just got the Mini for my office.

The Brick App Blocker: To stop me from doom scrolling in bed. A nifty little device that you tap your phone on and it blocks you out of certain apps until you tap again. I use it when I get in bed and then again in the morning for the first half hour of my day. Preserve the sanctity of the bedroom, they say.

Memory Foam Pillow for Side / Stomach Sleepers: It’s ugly but it’s worth it. I put mine in a regular white pillow case and hide it behind my normal looking pillow when making my bed. It’s everything for me - a person whose never once slept on her back.

Sheets: My best luxury for less find of the year are these Land’s End 400 thread count sheets. They are in rotation with my pre-existing Sferra bedding and I genuinely can’t tell the difference.

Bedtime Beauty

On winter nights, the last thing I put on my face is an extra large scoop of Whipped Dream, and I rub it in just enough to smooth it out. I let the rest soak in on its own while I get ready for bed. It’s exactly heavy enough to last all night.

The aptly named Crown Affair Overnight repair serum is a new must for me this winter. It makes an enormous difference in what my hair looks like in the morning.

Lastly, I am not a sleep-in-a-face-mask type of person, but I do put these Biodance masks on religiously when I’m getting into bed to read or watch something with an hour or so to kill. It’s soooo satisfying that they turn clear when you’re done.

Morning

I don’t have an Eight Sleep style silver bullet for the perfect morning, but here is what I’ve got:

Celluma Redlight: Theoretically, I do this every morning for ten minutes before I do anything. Realistically I do this as much as I can. In addition to improving your skin, red light in the morning has tons of actually scientific benefits. This is the only red light brand I trust, and because its a long strip, I can get most of my scalp and neck as well as my face in one go.

The Facetub: If you’re an ice-roller or ice-rolling curious, this is for you. The face shape plus nose plug combination let you stay in this thing for as long as you can. It’s a big upgrade from plunging your face into a bucket, and way more effective than an ice roller.

I’ve already mentioned my Creatine journey, and I know I’m annoying, but this is a good recommendation! I take 10mg first thing in the morning and my energy is a lot better throughout the day.

Consumer Research 🔬

It’s gift guide season, and my gift recommendations are not worthy, but here are some things I purchased or repurchased for myself this holiday season:

The puffer to end all puffers. A Canadian jacket company discovered via my mom of all of people. Let’s just say you’ve never felt warmth like this. This is not your Canada Goose or North Face, this is what you bring to the North Pole. Or New York in January.

The chokehold that these Flore Flore three-quarter and long sleeve tees have on me this season is insane. I think I wear one every day?

The best concealer brush I’ve used in a long time.

This sheer tinted eye brow gel by the LA-brow whisperer Kristie Streicher is

Last of all: The best book I’ve read this half of the year. Sharing here because my friends are sick of hearing me talk about it.

1. Three days into NY ‘winter’ and things started falling apart for me from a moisture standpoint. I polled instagram for the best humidifier - turns out people feel very strongly about this topic. The most recommended by far was Carepod. Honorable mention for one very passionate response about the Venta if you want to get more serious about it. The Canopy appears to be either beloved or hated, but I do have them for my kids’ rooms and have no issues (don’t @ me).

2. I screenshot interiors way more than I have any business doing, but I reallly love this Rose Uniacke skirt pendant and everything else in this photo, and I found this Giancarlo Valle photo that was a reference for my bedroom and reminded me that I found an amazing dupe of the green rug at cb2.

   

   

3. I get asked about products and treatments all day long and I swear I never get tired of talking about it, but sometimes I feel like a hater when I tell people that mostly what they’re wanting to try probably doesn’t work. I have a million variations on this theme in my screenshots, but this does a really good job summarizing some of the most popular things that are pure trend right now.

4. On a related note, a friend sent me this asking if she should get it and this slide made me laugh. Dermocosmetics is not a thing. Its a made up word. So is “medical grade skincare”, so is “Cosmeceuticals.” I can go on (see, Hater!) I’m not even saying that it doesn’t work, it may! But I docked them some points for using a completely made up world to sell their otherwise lovely seeming moisturizer.

5. You don’t need to read the whole caption below, but the TLDR is I’m on a creatine journey now (a passion point of my trainer and queen ). She says 5-10mg every single day, and it’s supposed to help women especially with brain function and sleep.

   

6. Very big beauty world news — next year is going to be a big year in sunscreen with a new filter finally being approved. Soon you can pay a little less attention to that one millionth french pharmacy haul tiktok. BEMT or Tinosorb is used around the world and should be legal in the US in 2026 and this is very exciting. In the meantime, I still standby these two FDA approved favorites.

   

7. Lastly, a moment of appreciation for this screenshot of the Isla feed circa holiday 2020. I love my first baby! And a light PSA that our VIP sale is ending today and we are low in stock on my very favorite Whipped Dream - use code CloseFriends35 at check out <3

   

   Consumer Research 🔬

   A few things I am buying and enjoying at this very moment.

   • A variety of black skirts: namely her (pictured) and her.

   

   • A lip combo that my friends won’t shut up about: the Huda Lip Stain in Nude and the Fara Homidi lip smudge in minky.

   • To read: The Irish Goodbye. The perfect read for this weekend if you love a family drama and want to read about one unfolding over Thanksgiving while you’re at Thanksgiving. There’s also a special place in my heart for books set on Long Island.

   • To watch: I haven’t stopped thinking about All Her Fault (on Peacock) since I finished. Disclaimer: its about a kid who goes missing but I googled the ending to make sure I could stomach it and it didn’t ruin a thing for me. Especially recommend if you want to see a show that’s mostly about roasting dads.

My All Time Favorites (Sephora or otherwise):

Beauty of Joseon Day Dew SPF: Very excited that this longtime favorite is now available at Sephora. This K-Beauty staple was presumably reformulated for the US market, so you are not getting any special Korea sunscreen filters that you can’t find here, but the formula feels more like skincare than sunscreen, making it perfect for every day use.

Biodance Sheet Masks (Variety Pack): In a sheet mask world, these still reign supreme for me. My favorite is the OG Bio Collagen one (pink), but people rave about all of the variations, so I’m very into this variety pack option.

Tower 28 SOS Spray: You’ve no doubt heard of it, but if you’re struggling with breakouts and especially if you’re working out or sweating often, this is your sign to try the SOS Spray for acne and fungal acne. It’s gentle enough to use often and really effective at killing bacteria.

Innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask: A no-nonsense pore clearing clay mask for regular use or occasional use when your skin is dull and clogged. I always have one in my medicine cabinet.

The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% Cream for Redness and Blemish-Prone Skin: Azeliac Acid is a holy-grail ingredient for redness, rosesca and acne. 10% is a pretty hefty dose, so start slowly, but this definitely delivers some bang for your buck.

Clarins V-Facial Instant Depuffing Face Mask: This product feels like a throw back luxury department store beauty counter product in the best way— its thick and ice cold and juicy and the results are seriously impressive. I use this in the morning or whenever I’m puffy and you can really see the results on your jawline.

MAKEUP BY MARIO F4 Dual-Ended Foundation and Face Brush: The brush that I reach for more than any other. I officially use it blend my blush, but I frequently use it for foundation, liquid bronzer and concealer blending as well. If you’ve seen me recently with traces of blush where my concealer should be, no you didn’t. The shape and two sizes are kind of unbeatable.

MAKEUP BY MARIO SoftSculpt Transforming Skin Enhancer®: I still don’t know exactly what this is — I want to say a soft, blendable bronzer? But I love to use this all around the outside of my face to give it a little warmth and color.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Mini Artist Color Lip Pencils Set: Still the best lipliners around but now in a mini variety pack which is exactly what I wish I had when I ordered all 4 of these shades in full size.

Saie Glowy Super Gel Lightweight Dewy Multipurpose Illuminator: Easily one of my most used items on this list. I put this on after my skincare whether or not I’m wearing make up. Its a powerful brightening highlighter but subtle enough to put all over your face. And it looks really good under any make up.

Saie Dew Bronze Soft-Focus Sculpting Liquid Bronzer: Another winner from Saie. I have more bronzing and contour products than I’ll ever be able to use, but I always find myself digging around for this little bottle. The applicator and liquid formula make it so easy to put on, and it blends more seamlessly than a stick.

ONE/SIZE by Patrick Starrr Ultimate Blurring Setting Powder: This product made me see powders in a totally different way. I use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to put it under my eyes, in the middle of my forehead and around my nose and chin and it totally changes what my face looks like (for the better). The blur effect really delivers.

NuFACE TRINITY+ Microcurrent Facial Toning Device Starter Kit: I’m so happy to be squarely back in the era of performance skincare. The NuFace isn’t particularly new, but instead of trying 4 new serums to change the look of your skin, just buy this. I’m finally trading in my ten year old model.

Time to Try

Throughout the year, I save all kinds of things to cart that I want to try but don’t exactly want to buy at the moment. It gets a pretty heavy edit at Sale time, and here are my survivors. It’s a pretty good list!

Biodance Collagen Gel Toner Pads for Pore Minimizing & Firming Care: I love that you leave these on your face and let them absorb instead of swiping them around. This is like a DIY mini sheet mask for when you don’t have time for the full thing.

Danessa Myricks Beauty Yummy Skin Liquid Blurring Balm Mattifying Setting Spray: Depending how deep you are on the beauty internet, this may or may not have crossed over into your mainstream, but this is my most buzzed about product of this half of the year. The words ‘literally incredible’ and ‘miracle product for oily skin’ have been thrown around.

Huda Beauty Lip Contour Stain: As much as I love my Makeup Forever liners, the buzz on these intrigues me, as does the “stain” element. I have only heard great things. I’m buying Soft Nude.

m.ph by Mary Phillips Underpainting Face Highlight & Contour Palette: This little infographic says it all. All of these products come in the one palette.

m.ph by Mary Phillips Lip Ciggy Sheer Lipstick Balm: No matter how many luxury lipsticks I buy, I always prefer a lipliner + balm combo, but I can’t stand sticky tinted lip balms. I can just tell these are good.

Crown Affair Overnight Repair Serum: I’m a diehard fan of Crown Affair’s Air Dry Mousse, and I don’t know what’s taken me so long to get here. My hair and skin are suddenly a lot more dry than they were a month ago, and its time to get serious.

The Sephora Savings Event ends tonight 11/10 at Midnight.

3 Beauty Purchases I Keep Coming Back To:

1. Hear me out… the Facetub: Guys, this is important. Full disclosure, this wasn’t a purchase, but a gift. And its the type of gift that is truly perfect because unless you’re a committed ice bath person, it seems silly to order this for yourself. But its not. It’s *not*. First of all, it’s face shaped for a better submerging angle than a kitchen bowl. Importantly, there’s also a mouth contraption for breathing and a cute little nose pincher, so you can stay down there forever. This is one of those things that I enjoy making time to do because it feels instantly and visibly effective, and the benefits are actually well documented.. for once!

   

2. Concealer: Last time I linked these I got tons of happy follow up messages, so if you haven’t tried them this may be your sign. I use shade 2 under my eyes and around my nose, and shade 3 on the rest of my face.

3. Brightening Eyeliner: The definition of something I keep coming back to. This is not an eyeliner, but a waterline brightener, and it’s magic for making you look awake and well rested. I use this everyday, even when nothing else makes it onto my poor face.

3 Things I Use Every Day: My dirty little secret is that even though I live in a product world, I just like a simple little routine sometimes. When I’m in a hurry or just can’t be bothered, here are my three go-to’s (no surprises here that they are all Isla).

1. Day Melt Cleansing Balm: I go through these faster than I’d like to admit. Morning, night, when I get home from work - I just love the feeling of a freshly washed face, but need something gentle enough to keep the skin barrier happy.

2. The Elixir: I am not me unless I’ve used the Elixir twice a day. I’m a tight-skinned, dull face version of me.

3. Whipped Dream Moisturizer: Ideally you’ll put on a serum before, but at a very minimum you can never wash and skip your moisturizer. This is my tried and true for both hydration and brightening in one.

3(ish) Things I keep Wearing: I am very much in that stage of Fall where I don’t know what any of my clothes are or how to wear them, but getting to wear some heavier things this week is bringing me back to life. These were my most-used in Sept and Oct so far:

1. I got a Dezso by Sara Beltran necklace at the very end of summer and it has became an unexpected fall accessory. I love the little bit of color and the shell with more wintery clothing. I plan to switch out the cord for a new color soon, and I think they look particularly cute atop a chunky sweater.

   

2. If you’ve been reading each week you know I could do a whole La Ligne section, but if I had to pick just one its the Colby. They are an office pant, a plane pant, a dinner pant and even a sweatpant somehow. And now they have a Chocolate color. Be still my heart.

3. The best wide leg baggy-ish but not too baggy jean that I wear with everything. I’ve never met anyone who didn’t like these.

   

4. Honorable mention for the variety of Flore Flore tee’s and 3 quarter shirts a friend told me to order in Sept. I don’t remember what T shirts I wore before these??

5. + One for the kids. My boys are Miu Miu inspired this Fall with a giant assortment of layered tees and long sleeves in stripes. For little kids and bigger kids.

3 Things That I Covet:

1. The way its not Fall or Winter without a black flat row boot.

   

2. I never thought I would say I just need a leather bomber jacket in my life but here we are.

3. This Alison Lou lab grown diamond necklace on a cord will be mine.

3 Things I’m Watching:

1. Task: My absolute favorite crime show since Mare of Eastown, which also happens to be by the same creator.

2. English Teacher: Very much switching vibes, this is just 25 minutes of lols. I can’t recommend the first episode of season 2 enough, where the student’s do a play about Covid.

3. The Pitt: Rewatching this until the new season comes back. I watched season 1 in exactly 1 day.

3 Things I’ve Read Recently:

1. The Names by Florence Knapp: I’m a sucker for a sweeping family drama. I loved the set up of this book and was so sad when it ended.

2. I’m half way through Heartwood and I can’t put it down. It’s a disappearance-in-the-woods mystery and I have no idea where its going.

3. Say Nothing: For a historical non-fiction that completely transports you. I loved the book as much as I loved the TV adaption.

I am skipping Consumer Behavior this week because this was plenty of consumption options for one week, but I will be back with some regularly scheduled programming next week!

As a formerly pregnant person (fun fact: I was pregnant from June 2021 until September 2023, with a 7 month break in between, which equals approximately 400 months of pregnancy), I still feel visceral angst over the confusion and the constant questioning of what is and is not allowed. While I can’t solve that great affliction of the pregnant condition, I do feel uniquely positioned to make this little cheat sheet for anyone currently questioning all their products.

Almost all of the pregnancy related skin questions I get boil down to basically these three things:

1. What can I use on this new found acne/dermatitis/eczema??

2. What is safe to put on my skin?

3. What do I do about my melasma?

Here is how I would best summarize your options:

Safe to use (yay!):

• Azeliac Acid for acne, redness and dark spots, which is probably the thing your doctor would prescribe for any of those things anyway. It should have 5 - 10% concentration of Azeliac to work (see this Shani Darden option)

• Lactic or Mandelic Acid for the same issues: Both of these are gentle exfoliating AHA’s that can help reduce clogged pores, and also have a general brightening effect. I would definitely recommend the beloved Sofie Pavitt Mandelic Clearing Serum to anyone. Pregnant skin can be extra sensitive, so make sure that if you’re new to AHA’s start slowly.

• Niacinamide for acne and melasma. Between my first and second pregnancies we developed and launched Isla’s Whipped Dream with 5% Niacinamide, and the difference between my melasma in those two pregnancies was a drastic improvement. I love something with 5% Niacinamide for pregnant and non pregnant people alike.

• Vitamin C and/or Tranexamic Acid for dark spots and melasma: Two safe and effective brightening ingredients that you should have in your routine during and after pregnany.

• Cicaplast Balm B5+: Something I highly recommend pregnant women keep around because its safe and gentle and one of the best treatments for dry skin patches and Eczema flare ups, which often pop up in pregnancy.

Maybe Don’t Use:

Here’s my hot take that no one asked for: the personal care related ‘safety’ discourse in pregnancy (and regular life) is extremely overblown.

With pregnancy, a lot of stuff can’t be tested on pregnant women, so its avoided but that doesn’t mean the same thing as fatal. The importance of that distinction often gets lost. In general, you are more likely to give yourself a reaction to something because your skin is different in pregnnacy than you are to really pose a threat to Baby with the skincare ingredients most commonly used.

These are the two swaps I made:

• Chemical Sunscreen (sunscreen with Avobenzone and/or Oxybenzone as the active ingredient) Even though there isn’t research that definitively says you can’t use a chemical sunscreen when you’re pregnant, the general consensus safer bet is to use a Mineral Sunscreen with a Zinc Oxide or Titanium Oxide key ingredient. Another hot tip is to avoid aerosol sunscreen sprays, because you end up ingesting some of the spray particles (I believe this is definitely a good ‘avoid’ even when not pregnant). My pregnancy go-to was Elta MD, but my current pick would be my fave Good Weather Skin. Any mineral sunscreen for your body should do the trick.

• Parabens and Phthalates: Because they are considered possible endocrine disruptors with long term use, its a nice-to-have switch you can make in pregnancy, but probably not the most serious. Look for “paraben and phthalate free” on labels or websites.

Dont use:

As a rule of thumb, its probably easier to know what to avoid. These are the most common things that you might need to cut from your routine.

• Retinol and other Vitamin A derivatives. If you’re doing an ingredient scan and you see Vitamin A, its a retinol product. Even though oral Vitamin A at high doses is the real concern, they are really unable to test the safety of retinol creams in pregnancy. Because of the association, its definitely recommended to avoid in pregnancy. You can use Bakuchiol in place of Retinol - its not the same, but its not nothing??

• Hydroquinone: Possibly something you were prescribed for melasma pre-pregnancy and now have to give up for a while :(

• Salicylic Acid: Sometimes allowed, sometimes not - its an ask your doctor one.

Some non-skin related pregnancy advice:

• This isn’t really advice, but starting a Dawson’s Creek rewatch the day I got home from the hospital with my second baby made breastfeeding 10000x more enjoyable. I was almost excited to wake up in the middle of the night and watch while we cuddled and fed.

• If someone asks you what you need, answer them! Or make a registry. Otherwise you may get ten baby blankets when you could’ve had one crib mattress.

• Having a loose plan for what you’re going to eat when you and baby get home from the hospital is really helpful. I don’t mean a meal plan, but I mean a physical idea of where your meals might come from - drop off services, frozen, etc. The last thing I wanted to do those first 2 weeks was unhappily scroll through a delivery app when I could barely remember my name? This is obviously a person preference, not a rule!

• Doula’s can be sooooo helpful, especially if you don’t know your doctor that well. Mine was magic.

• If you think dressing yourself in pregnancy is hard, just wait until after the baby comes. I would buy some things you like at the end of pregnancy that you would want to wear after, instead of waiting it out. I reallyy wished I had!

• This is not my advice, but I got it from someone else and it helped me in a lot of hard moments —

  In the newborn phase, there is always a problem. That’s pretty much the only constant. The baby isn’t sleeping, the baby has gas, the baby won’t take a bottle, etc. When you’re in it, it can feel like forever, but in a few days you will likely be moved on and have a new problem to worry about :) Somehow the baby and you make it through!

Consumer Behavior:

A few of my best shopping ideas for pregnant and pregnant adjacent women

My go to baby gift

• LL Bean Monogram tote. I use these every single time we go on a trip, no matter where or how far. Size large or XL and the zip top is important.

Two things I couldn’t have lived without:

• The Nanit - Also an incredibly thoughtful gift to give to someone because its expensive enough and just SO important

• The Doona - City centric, but this is so important for the first year. Its the only way I know of to safely and conveniently get around a city without your own car?

A few great gifts I received:

• A cutie mongrammed pillow that really somehow becomes useful (thank you )

• Kid luggage! I wrote about this before but its a great gift because no one thinks to buy it for themselves and everyone needs one at some point.

• LoveEvery play kits: If someone doesn’t buy this for you, buy it for yourself! One day your newborn is suddenly awake and expects to be entertained!

Gifts for Mom matter too:

Because being Mom means always needing several bags at any time and she deserves something not pregnancy or breastfeeding oriented - this DeMeric dopkit/pouch is soooo pretty.

One final honorable mention that has nothing to do with babies at all: This stunner of a coat from La Ligne. Have you ever! I have a more expensive / less exciting black pony hair Toteme from last fall and it was my best purchase of the year.

One of my core beliefs is that for certain people, acne isn’t a condition, its a mindset. The theory is that if you had really bad acne at just the right time in your life, for just the right number of years too long, then no matter how good your skin looks on any given day the first thing you think about when standing face to face with someone is how much they must be thinking about your acne. Obviously for many, many reasons (including the squint test, s/o ) this is a form of personal insanity, but I’m living, breathing proof that no matter how many doctors you see or skincare companies you start, the mindset lives on. However, you’re not alone.

For me, acne started at summer camp when I was no more than 12 years old. I went away a pristine faced little girl, and came back… different. And despite what they all said, it just… never went away. This sent me on a frenzied path of topical treatments, branded treatments, multiple courses of Accutane, some desperate moments that are too private to share, and years and years of wasted brain power on something that felt completely out of my control. This is a huge reason why I started Isla, but that’s for a different newsletter.

In the year of our lord 2025 when you can change almost anything about you with some cash in your pocket and a little bit of vision, its still surprisingly hard and confusing to cure what I like to call ‘breakouts and redness’ because acne means so many different things to different people. What’s worse is that if you leave your 20’s - which, I totally haven’t yet, but I hear it happens - with acne, you more often than not end up with a confluence of conditions. Any combination of acne, rosacea, fungal acne and the most evil of them all: dermatitis. If you’re me, you get them all.

This may come as a surprise, but I’m not a doctor, so I’m not going to go into the What’s and Why’s of all of those conditions. Google it for god’s sake! But as someone who has more than two decades’ experience of trying everything one possibly can, here are a few things that I have actually found helpful. On a personal pet peeve note, I have read what must be millions of guides for acne prone skin and they almost always focus on products, which definitely help, but there’s usually more that can be done - see list.

A Turning Point:

Before I get into the longer list, I share this personal anecdote with people who ask me about breakouts, which I have actually confirmed with medical professionals and aestheticians. Somewhere around 2015 I got hooked on Biologique Recherche’s P-50, along with the rest of the world. At first, the results were amazing - I loved how I could literally feel the tingle of it working on my skin. But over time, it stopped helping my breakouts, and my skin was constantly inflamed and uneven. I only broke this cycle when my co-founder and I were exploring starting Isla, and developed what would become the Elixir. The product was a new take on using a daily toner, inspired by different Asian beauty routines and developed in Australia. The belief was that instead of stripping your skin each morning and night, you actually need to replenish it with something it needs most: antioxidants that help it repair itself and hydration that penetrates deeper than a moisturizing cream. While Elixir isn’t an acne cure, it’s a skin calming agent, and it turns out that’s exactly what my skin needed. It did heal a lot of the breakouts that I didn’t realize were coming from inflammation. I share this because more often that not, just repairing your skin is going to make everything look and feel better.

A comprehensive list of stuff that either works or just doesn’t, IMO (again not a doctor):

Low Dose Accuatane (10/10): This is possibly controversial, but a year or two ago I found out that doctors prescribe something called a ‘Hollywood dose’ of Accutane to keep different types of acne and redness at bay. Basically, its a low dose of Accutane a few times a week. My understanding (said with disclaimers) is that its low enough that most of the side effects of the medicine are less of a concern, but it definitely clears up acne and even some kinds of rosacea. There is also always the option of taking a full-dose course for more results, but I did the low dose route for a while as an adult and can confirm it was the best. And the results last for a good while even after you stop taking it.

Doxycycline, etc (3/10): I’ve been put on doxycycline for either dermatits or acne more times than I can count. I absolutely know that it works for some people, but for me the results were always very temporary. I would take it for a few months, get some relief, go off, and then whatever it was would return worse than before.

Pimple Patches (3/10): I’m not that much of a pimple patch girl - I still get more diffuse, small breakouts than large pimples, but many people I trust swear by these (see ’s Due Diligence last week). Sidenote, has anyone discovered a pimple patch that you can use makeup over? Or should Isla make one??

Red and Blue Light LED (4/10): I believe that LED lights are incredible, but most of the at-home ones are of questionable efficacy. The in-office ones are amazing, but its hard to go consistently enough to see a result. Exception to my at-home rule is the Celluma, but its more of a holistic skin and aging treatment than an acne treatment.

Double Cleansing (8/10): No matter what the source of your breakout is, usually being more diligent about cleansing can really help. Double cleansing is especially something to do after you’ve been wearing makeup or sunscreen or sweating a lot. The oil cleanser first step breaks down other oils, and the gel/cream cleanser second step makes sure any leftover bacteria is washed away. I religiously use Day Melt as either step 1 of a double cleanse, or as the only step if my skin isn’t particularly dirty. Like exfoliation, there is also such a thing as over-cleansing, and it can be bad.

Aerolase Laser (10/10): This is pretty recent discovery, but I tried this one time and the results were unbelievable. Its a no-downtime laser and takes about 10 minutes in office. I’ve tried other lasers before that were supposed to help with acne and was never impressed, but this so far is a winner.

Quitting Flouride Toothpase (6/10): This is for the perioral dermatits people. My doctor told me to try this when I kept getting redness from underneath my nose that went down to around my mouth. Flouride toothpaste is apparently at least partially to blame sometimes, but I did find that it helped to switch when I was having a particularly bad flare up. Later however, my dentist told me I absolutely need flouride toothpaste. So I’m not really sure where that leaves us.

Skipping Hot Workouts (7/10): No one wants to hear this, but sweating that much is never good for acne skin - no matter what the source. It took me a lot of time to come to terms with the fact that heated room workouts just weren’t good for me, and when I quit my breakouts became a lot more manageable. At the very least, bring face wash and wash your face right away!

Retinol (7/10): I am constantly talking to people against their will about why they need to be on retinol. If you have acne, this could help. Retinol helps your skin turnover, which can ultimately help with acne, but you have to see it through what will likely be a rough start with dry and red skin for a few weeks.

Questioning your Vitamin C Serum (8/10): Big Vitamin C has a chokehold on the skincare market, and for pretty good reason. There is pretty irrefutable evidence that it works. But if you have sensitive or breakout prone skin, your Vitamin C could be partially to blame. Some formulations of Vitamin C is the commonly used L-ascorbic acid (aka Pure Vitamin C) , which can cause a number of new issues for already inflamed skin. You can try to find Sodium or Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Versions. But I’ve had the most luck with switching all together to equally as strong but less talked about brightening ingredients - namely Niacinamide (see Whipped Dream) and Tranexamic Acid.

Consumer Behavior:

This section is quick this week because the world was especially chaotic last week, enough that it dampened my consumerism instincts pretty badly. However, here are a few noteworthy mentions from the past week.

A shirt I haven’t taken off since I got it. I wish I got more colors.

The perfect book by that gave me the exact escape from reality that I needed.

Two strong beauty launches from makeup artists that I love: I am obsessed with this underpainting kit from m.pH beauty and this eyeshadow palatte from Hung Vanngo Beauty

Our first guest is the fabulous Daise Bedolla, editor of Into The Gloss and author of . She’s a true skincare expert and excellent journalist—kind of our dream girl. She and I share a fear of over-exfoliation and an appreciation of the ice and red light combo. Let’s get into the interview.

Whose recommendations do you take every single time?

My squad of facialists: Elizabeth Grace Hand, Danuta Mieloch, and Sofie Pavitt. They've all helped my skin throughout different periods and I trust them with my life—if they told me to put dirt on my face, I would do it.

What do you consider a good skincare investment?

Monthly facials! My skin gets congested easily, and by week three, I'm ready for extractions. I've semi-jokingly asked Elizabeth to teach me how to use a lancet, but knowing my lack of control, that's a very bad idea—leave it to the experts! Beyond investing in facials, finding one that you really trust really pays off as that person sees your skin through different seasons and phases of life and really gets to know—and help prevent—your skin's triggers.

What’s the step you’ll never skip?

I ice my face every single night when I get out of the shower. I've seen a huge difference in inflammation since I've started doing this. You can definitely buy an ice roller, but an ice cube wrapped in a paper towel does the trick—easy and free!

What’s your most popular non-skincare recommendation?

I was a horrible nail biter for almost two decades. I worked hard to stop that habit and currently have the best nails of my life. Olive & June's nail strengthener was the game-changer. It's not technically a nail hardener, but it does make your nails stronger—but without the glossy polish look of traditional hardeners.

When to splurge? When to save?

Save: Moisturizers and sunscreens can be basic in my book. I get all of my actives from my other products so their one job is to moisturize and protect respectively—I don't even wear moisturizer during summer days. And excellent (read: sheer and weightless) sunscreens aren't hard to come by anymore—just look at the Korean formulations! This summer, I've gone through multiple tubes of Beauty of Joseon's Day Dew SPF 50 and Roundlab Birch Juice SPF 45+—they give me that perfectly glow finish I like. Neutrogena also makes a great Hydro Boost SPF 50 you can usually find for just over $10 in drugstores.

Splurge: There are a ton of LED masks on the market, but not all are made equally. The red light has to be emitted in specific wavelengths to actually and effectively penetrate your skin. My dream is owning a Celluma panel.

What skincare product have you been loyal to the longest?

I discovered Hero Cosmetics's pimple patches when I worked at The Cut in 2017 and someone left a pack on the “free table.” I've been a fan since. I especially love the Micropoint patches.

What are the Biggest beauty mistake you see people making:

Overexfoliating! I know we all want smooth, glowy skin, but people are mixing too many acids and exfoliating way too often

What’s the best laser you've ever tried?

I'm wary of lasers because I'm very prone to hyperpigmentation. But I had Laser Genesis done once when I was having a serious bout of breakouts and it really helped—the laser kills bacteria while promoting collagen promotion and reducing redness.

Beauty propaganda you're not failing for:

That sunscreen is bad for you!

Favorite beauty follow: @intothegloss ;)

🔬 Market Research is a weekly Substack from Isla co-founder, Tracy Dubb. You can follow along on Instagram here.

From there it was done. A few weeks in, I’m grateful to her for pushing me to do this - while finding a few hours per week to write is depressingly hard, it’s a little bit cathartic too. This week, I wanted to share a bit about the making of a substack launch dinner, and how it came together.

We threw the dinner at Raf’s in the dregs of August and unexpectedly, people showed up! For the guest list, I started with a few friends who also had Substacks (more below), but it was mainly people I’d never met before but who’s work I’d been reading for a while. They were predominately not beauty writers, but people who’s newsletters I love precisely because they broaden my horizons a little bit when I often find myself thinking about the business of beauty from sunup to sundown. Highly recommend a few subscriptions outside of your normal consumption algorithm.

A little bit of BTS from dinner and the day of:

One of my best friends dressed me for the event - she’s not a stylist, just a very talented individual whom I am forever indebted to. She provided the clothes, the idea and the reference

.

Anyway, now to the point of this letter. A complete list of attendees and the letters you should follow.

The Guest List

Welcome to the Chaos by — The most organized and well researched mom in the world, who now writes about her learnings, and also happens to be my best friend - lucky me.

Following Up by —inside baseball for all things marketing and influencer

The Cereal Aisle by — You already know, but the best fashion follow.

Mom Friend by —real mom advice and outfit inspo straight from BK

I Just Wanna Talk by —from ITG’s editor and beauty authority

Plant Based by —wellness bible, including my Into The Fridge

Goblin Hour by — A deeply funny and insightful look into Nell’s life running Hill House and beyond.

Somstack by —design genius behind Alex Mill

Extracurricular by —book recs and in-depth interviews

Angel Cake by —your intrusive thought, as a well-written essay

Cool Stuff NYC by —best of NYC guide week over week

The Rose Period by —art history for fashion girls

Consumer Behavior

I was at a wedding in Paris over the weekend and when I unpacked, I realized I’d forgotten all of my makeup in New York. Cue Sephora Paris and an opportunity to buy with a little bit of reckless abandon (panic?). I had been eyeing a bunch of Makeup by Mario for a long time, and wow did it deliver. A few of my standouts from the weekend here:

• The Skin Enhancer and Skin Perfector (both in color Medium): I can’t exactly explain what these do or what they are, but they make your skin look air brushed on, without any traces of powder. The skin enhancer is sort of like a powder/liquid bronzer + contour that melts into your skin, and you put it around the outside of your face and right on your cheek bones. The skin perfector is like a creamy powder that blends and highlights, so I used that just on the perimeter of all the places I used the Enhancer, and a little extra where I would use highlighter.

• The Original Eye Shadow Palette: This is the exact kind of idiot proof texture and color palette that I needed to feel like I could do my own eye makeup. They’re also not quite a powder and not quite a cream, but something perfectly in between. Pick three colors, use the lightest all over the lid and under the brow bone, the middle on the outer half of the lid, and the darkest to fill in the outer crease and line the eye. I promise its almost that easy!

• I’m not normally an expensive brush proponent, but this for F1 brush for the skin enhancer (or any foundation) and this F4 brush for blush and powders feel almost more important that the products I just recommended. Everything goes on so smooth and seamless

Three other important pieces of live market research were two old favorites - the Anywhere Caffeine and Endless Cacao lip liners from Makeup Forever, which I normally smudge around but liked having an excuse to use the way they were intended: the darker Endless Cacao shade right under the center of my lower lip and above my cupids bow to contour, and the lighter Anywhere Caffeine around the lip itself and a bit directly on the lip to blend.

And a new fav - oddly also by Makeup Forever - is this powder that instantly changes the way your makeup looks. I didn’t discover powder until later in life and now I know that to do your makeup (especially for a long night out) and not powder is a sin.

Lastly, an unexpected find that everyone should know about. I slept at a friend’s place in the most luxurious sheets and duvet cover I’ve felt in a long time. And I’m a bedding snob! I almost didn’t ask her what they were because I didn’t want to feel compelled to buy yet another set, but it turns out they are Land’s End! The 400 thread count set. They’re on sale and not just in the reject colors - even white is included!

🔬 Market Research is a weekly Substack from Isla co-founder, Tracy Dubb. You can follow along on Instagram here.

I have a personal theory about the annual calendar and it goes like this: Once it’s 4th of July, summer’s over. And once it’s August, it’s Christmas.

Summer time passes in the craziest of ways. Obviously most of that too-quick passage of time is because life is better in the summer, but a small piece of me dies each time I have to hype myself up to pack for even the simplest trip.

I actually found this photo of myself mid-pack and wondered if anyone has ever looked sadder! This was for a week long Euro trip, so I can assure you I wasn’t doing well.

Somehow, this list organized into four categories that give equal weight to luggage and my children. My biggest lesson for smoother packing is that you (I) should pick day-to-night items, not outfits, and find some hits to keep wearing until you know its time to move on. Here goes:

1. Bags, Assorted

I’m going to say this once, slowly. This Away Tote is scientifically the biggest TSA approved carry on tote in the world somehow. And it’s absolutely cute. Use it with a carry-on sized roller bag, stuff it to the brim, and roll it through the airport and you basically have checked luggage.

Next is a mention that sparked literal joy every time I picked it up this summer. I’m biased, but this new travel case we’re launching next week is just perfect to me. It’s stands vertically, which means fewer forced error spills, and it fits every kind of bottle, brush and gadget. We haven’t officially launched it yet, but you can early shop it here :)

2. Beauty

I’m going to keep this very short or else it will be way too long. There are so many things in my toiletry bag at all times, mostly because I always have samples to try, in addition to the stuff I already use. So in order to not lose my mind, I really only bring the things I know I’m gonna use. In this case:

• Skin: It’s a bit more involved at home, but this is all I need for a few days away: Day Melt, Elixir but poured into a small metal spray bottle, sometimes put in the fridge! (you can do this with whatever your favorite hydrating toner happens to be) and Whipped Dream (if I’m feeling more dry) or Face Base (if I’m looking for a dewy finish). Something with mandelic acid to help with a breakout, and sunscreen.

• Makeup: This is such a freeing little routine for either travel or kind of just everyday:

  1. Concealer: Sara Creal in Shade 2 for under eyes and 3 for everywhere else (Shayna Goldberg taught me that, like she teaches me everything)

  2. Highlighter: I feel strongly that everything must be a stick for easy application, so right now, it’s this from Westman.

  3. Lip Liner (important!): These are truly idiot proof and perfect for daytime smudged around with some clear lip balm (keep your eyes peeled 👀) or less smudged for night. They also can’t seem to make a bad color really, but i have Balance, Bend and Twist.

  4. Blush: I want it liquid-y and spread-y, like this.

3. Clothing & Things

On review of photos and memories, the things I packed again and again were kind of insane but also made perfect sense.

• A sporty tee for the plane or the beach or walking around. A sporty pant for the same reason.

• And a teeny tiny tee (like so) for wearing with skirts or jeans or something for night.

• And on two opposite ends of the spectrum: A primary color bikini (I seem to exclusively have purple, green, pink, orange and blue on rotation in different versions) and a pop of color transitional jacket, which brought me into summer and seems to be taking me out!

• Maybe most important of all: the lightest little sweaters in stripes and solids, which you can pack by the handful and will work even better in fall.

  

  4. Child Related

Perhaps nothing has been more important to my family’s happiness this summer than these ridable kiddie suitcases. When we walk through the airport, we are literally mobbed by people who are mind blown at this innovation. I have actually never traveled without these (with my kids), but people sure seem to wish they had had them when they had small kids. Because of these, I’ve never had to deal with gate checking a stroller or carrying a toddler through a giant terminal, which I think is pretty lucky! I use this for my older boy, and a similar version with a built in strap for my little guy.

Consumer Behavior

One skincare thing that stuck with me this week: A comprehensive study of the top ingredients in skincare that work. No surprise to me what these were! Hint: we have lots of them at Isla, in large concentrations :)

Three reads here on Substack:

1. is kind of like human mushroom chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna get or how its gonna hit, but its always fun and a little dangerous. I love his Substack - you just kind of have to go read one to see.

2. If you’re an astrology person this is for you, and if not then look away.

3. ’s Substack if you have a perverse little obsession with youth culture, like me.

Lastly, a tik tok that you or someone in your life desperately need.

🔬 Market Research is a weekly Substack from Isla co-founder, Tracy Dubb. You can follow along on Instagram here.

To be clear, it’s also a business, one that I ultimately started because I had real struggles and one that I happen to wake up (just about) every single day so excited to be running. But Isla is this culmination of so many things that have shaped me: my life as a VC, my life as a woman - the ultimate blank slate of fear-based marketing, the trauma - and I mean trauma - of never quite fitting into one skin type, and the all encompassing joy of helping someone feel just a little bit better about themselves.

In the years leading up to launching Isla, I met hundreds of founders as an investor and got ‘in the weeds’ as they say in the biz on thousands of companies united in the idea that we all want and need to feel like we are improving ourselves at every turn. My biggest learnings? (1) Optimization culture might be our great downfall and (2) great product rises to the top, every time. Thus, Isla was born - a weird, irreverent, unlikely, but also totally natural expression of a belief that perfection does not have to be the end goal, but that the industry can do better for all of us. Truth, quality, uniqueness, excitement and creating something that does good for the sake of doing good are the foundations of Isla and the motivations of its other half, yours truly.

Back to being a content creator. I think anyone who’s done it would tell you that the greatest joy of working in beauty is connecting with people. In fact, the name Isla came from the idea that we wanted to be the friend in the group who usually has the answers. Should I buy this new thing? Unfortunately, yes its great. Should I use this or this under my makeup? Neither, sweetie, just use this.

My absolute highest highs of this whole experience are getting texts or DMs from someone about how a product has changed their life (they mean their skin, but I get it). But the biggest challenge has also been that I never wanted to be a content creator. I don’t want to talk to my camera alone in my bathroom or push products all day long. Even when they’re my own! I don’t want to learn how to use TikTok and do voiceovers with the Gen Z’s in my office. Ok I do a little, but I haven’t so far.

@islabeauty___It’s all so confusing. Cleo Wade in the bathroom, coming soooon

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When I’m not working, I want to be a mom, I want to cook something new for dinner and hang out with my friends, I want to travel and not feel bad that my camera roll is 99.9% my kids, or at least feel bad about that for different reasons. And even though its my life’s work, I mostly want to spend as little time on my own routine as humanly possible. Which is exactly what drives every product decision I make over at Isla. Let’s maximize impact with minimal bullshit. Real skincare helps people get real results. It’s also supposed to be fun. And helpful! It’s not supposed to be a lifelong journey of feeling like you’re one TikTok Shop purchase away from being your best self. So while I don’t wish to dance on camera, I do have thoughts. Lots of them.

So what is all this? Well, when I stopped believing everything I saw on the internet and started paying attention to the hard facts about the products and brands I was buying from, my skin changed but so did my life. So in that way, Isla is a gift I hope to share with whoever wants to buy it. And the gift that Isla has been to me has been the craziest, most intense and trying experience of my life – a bit of Market Research, if you will, on how to run a company while becoming a mom 2x, move approximately 100 times, furnish a house, get myself dressed in the morning, and, always, learn more about actually effective skincare. Market Research is going to be a little bit of all of that – the most helpful thing I learned that week, the best or worst thing I tried, some advice from friends, and whatever I’m into at that moment.

In that spirit, here are four things that I feel everyone needs to know about, for no particular reason other than JOY and EASE, and in no particular order.

Consumer Behavior

Red Light Masks: This is my most frequently asked question, and for good reason! I personally believe that LED lights are The Cure™, but the problem with LED lights is that most of the at home ones don’t have the power or wavelengths to make them worth it. You need multiple wave lengths to penetrate different tissue depths, and need at least Red, Blue and Near Infrared light to make it worthwhile. My main issue with most of the at home masks (and yes, I probably have owned the one you’re eying at some point) is they mostly focus on red light. The Celluma is my most recommended LED light brand for good reason - it has the widest range of FDA approvals for a variety of treatments, and can be used on different parts of the body. I don’t use it for this (yet), but the data for LED treatment of hair loss and thinning is amazing, and some of these are also FDA approved for that. They have an entry level price point of $299 with the Pod (currently back ordered), and I personally own the Face.

Book: Not to be the girl who reads a book and has to make content out of it, but I read All the Colors of the Dark earlier this summer and I haven’t stopped thinking about it. It was the best reading experience I’ve had in years. Beautifully written, heartbreaking and impossible to put down.

Clothing: These are already famous on Substack, but as someone who isn’t making a dollar off of this, I’m telling you to run to buy these La Ligne Colby Pants. I have them in red, black and white, somehow in multiple fabrics, and they are everything from my favorite put together sweatpants and airplane pant to the perfect work pant. They look perfectly new every time you put them on. I just spent a week in Fiji and while much of it was pant-less, every time I had to get fully dressed I ended up in these.

Skin: My holy-grail product also happens to be the first product we ever made. When I say the Elixir changed my skin from this acne tormented, red and angry mess to a mostly smooth, clear palate that I can totally work with, I am not exaggerating. The change was two-fold.

One, I finally quit the P-50 toner and a myriad of other harsh, acid-based products that I used far too often, and my skin could finally breathe. My skin stopped being so sensitive, and everything no longer broke me out. It turns out less actually might be more. The second change replenishing it daily with this deeply penetrating antioxidant mix, that gives it more of what it needs to repair itself. My pro-tip is to try this if you’re looking for brighter skin. I have found it way more effective for overall brightening than Vitamin C, and its probably half the price!

🔬 Market Research is a weekly Substack from Isla co-founder, Tracy Dubb. You can follow along on Instagram here.