What Real Beauty Editors Actually Buy

We all know beauty editors are loaded up with freebies of all kinds, but have you ever wondered what they’re actually willing to spend their cash on? Hint: it’s not eccentric nail polish. [ slide show ]

I’ve been writing about beauty here and in major magazines for years (eight years, actually), and have been fortunate enough to gather oodles of beauty editor friends along the way (is it just me, or are the beauty girls the nicest?). While we all likely wear our eyeliner in different ways, there’s one unifying thread no matter our age, taste, or complexion — we get a lot of free beauty products to try. That means we seldom purchase certain items, like hand cream for example, because we know more of it will end up on our desks each week. There are certain products beauty editors really buy at drugstores, Sephora, Ulta, and all the mom and pops and big box retailers in between. I know this, because I’ve often found myself in line at the closest Duane Reade in Midtown, Manhattan stocking up on Dove deo (it’s just so smooth and velvety), Q-Tips, my preferred razor cartridges, and beauty tools and sponges.

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Here’s what some of the most influential beauty editors in the USA are actually buying on a regular basis with their cold, hard cash. It’s a slide show, so click through!