According to my For You page, were experiencing a collective personal style crisis.
Microtrends areout, and personal style isinthats the sentiment.
Even our glistening cover star Emma Chamberlain has chased the elusive, intangible, and esoteric concept.
But a la Carrie Bradshaw, I couldnt help but wonderwas I stuck on the proverbialbeautyhamster wheel?
Courtesy of Derek Deng / Byrdie
The answer was yesand for far longer than I cared to acknowledge.
There was no last drop of essence or hitting pan on a powder blush.
Courtesy of Derek Deng / Byrdie
Could simplifying the ritual, eliminating the excess, and prioritizing intention rebuild my relationship with beauty and hyperconsumerism?
For one week, I challenged myself to seek the answer and stick to a strict capsule makeup routine.
I realized my relationship with beauty products had evolved into a full-on situationship."
Courtesy of Derek Deng / Byrdie
Narrowing it down wasnt a smooth process.
How could I choose justonelip gloss from my shrine of peachy pink, peptide-infused, vanilla-scented lip glosses?
(I definitely tried my share of food-inspired blush combinations in 2024.)
What began as a dreaded science experiment soon became somewhat manageable and wonderfully straightforward.
What began as a dreaded science experiment soon became somewhat manageableand wonderfully straightforward."
How are you supposed to narrow down your vibe when you have every vibe?
Ironically enough, using fewer beauty products made me a better beauty editor.
For brands, that means creating with purposenot just for the sake of newness.
