The below is from editor-in-chief Nikki Ogunnaike's weekly newsletter, Self Checkout. Subscribe here.
With close to 20 years in the fashion industry, I’ve not only seen it all—but also know how to parse through the endless sea of stuff. What’s worth buying? What’s not? In Self Checkout, you’ll find my highly specific recommendations with a few picks from my most knowledgeable, stylish friends.
I’m a creature of habit, especially when it comes to my makeup and skincare buys. So with Ulta and Sephora both throwing huge sales at the same time, I’m stocking up on my ultimate favorites. (Honestly, I’d re-buy these products whether they were on sale or not.)
Nikki Ogunnaike at Fashion Week.
I’m new to retinol, but have found that with every use of this oil my skin looks more even and glowy. So much so that my boyfriend (who sees me literally every day!) did a double take and told me my skin looked great. I prefer to use it at night and top it with a moisturizer to finish off my very simple evening skincare routine.
This lip gloss is a personal holy grail. Used with MAC’s Chesnut lip liner it creates the perfect ‘90s chocolate glossy lip.
This lip balm is a favorite, especially during the summer, so I’m stocking up now. One will live in my travel toiletry bag and a few others will be interspersed throughout my various purses.
Most face washes leave my skin stripped and dry, but this one (which was first an impulse buy, but is now a favorite) does not. Just a few pumps remove my makeup with ease.
This hair mask is expensive, but it works—it leaves my hair soft and bouncy after every use. I always come back to it, especially during the drier winter months.
I discovered this blush on a brand trip and it turned me into a Merit stan through and through. I love how smoothly it swipes on and the way the berry color pops on my cheeks.
Mascara is a key part of my makeup routine—I rarely go a day without wearing it—and I consider myself a bit of an expert in this category. This Buxom one is a new favorite. It makes my lashes look long and voluminous, but doesn’t clump. Even better, it’s easy to remove and doesn’t leave black residue behind.
When I’m stressed my hair breaks. It doesn’t fall out in clumps, but isn’t as full as it usually is. Last year, I tried these gummies for 3 months straight and found my hair stopped breaking and my nails become stronger, thanks to the biotin in these vitamins.
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When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes recommended by a MC writer or editor, or by an expert we've spoken to. Learn more about how we review products.
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