All great love stories have a great beginning. Mine began with an email. Except, it’s not the kind of love story you’re thinking about. Mine is of great friendship with my best friend, Daniela Morosini, who you might know from her reporting at The Business of Beauty. The year was 2019, and I was working at New York’s The Cut as a social media editor and moonlighting as a beauty writer. Kathleen Hou, my then editor and now the Beauty Director at Elle, passed along Daniela’s name for Why Is Your Skin So Good, my column devoted to uncovering people’s skincare secrets. On October 8, I wrote to Daniela, “Hope you’re well. Could you tell me more about your skincare routine + beauty philosophy for consideration? Would love a list of the products that you use and how you got into skincare.” (It was only last year that I learned that she thought I was being passive aggressive from the tone of my email.) Little did I know that one short message would spark a years-long friendship that’s transcended an ocean—3,470 miles to be exact.
You see, I live in New York City and Daniela lives in London, where she grew up. That means maintaining our relationship requires a bit more work than your average friendship. There’s the meticulously scheduled FaceTimes and phone calls, the surprising care packages and snail mail, and most recently, Locket, an iPhone widget that lets you share live photos directly on a person’s homescreen. It’s always a bright spot in my day when I unlock my phone and see that she left behind a silly little selfie or encouraging note. And of course, because we’re both beauty-obsessed girls, we’ve left each other plenty of product recs and reviews, albeit short ones (Locket only lets you leave a note under 25 characters!), along the way. Ahead of Galentine’s Day this year, we wrote each other letters expanding our thoughts on the ones we can’t stop gushing over. I hope they inspire you to write your own best friend a sweet note, too, beauty products included or not.
Dear Daniela, light of my life,
It’s another cold, windy day in New York without you—dramatic or not dramatic enough? I can’t wait for the day that you move here and we can grab coffee and talk endlessly without having to worry about the five-hour time difference. In the meantime, I need to catch you up on a few things. You already know that I fell down the huge flight of stairs in my building the other day (I’m bruised but fine!), but what I really want to tell you is that I think I might have a problem? I opened my purse yesterday and found that I had not one, not two, but 12 (!!) lippies inside. The Fara Homidi liner you gave me in LA last June was in there. You nailed it when you picked Minky for me. It pairs so beautifully with just about any one of my lip glosses, but lately, I’ve been topping it off with Eadem Le Chouchou in Burnt Malai or Ami Colé lip oil in Excellence. You know I’m a sucker for dusty rose shades and those two perfectly fit the bill. And by the way, I’m still obsessed with the Lily-Rose Depp combo of Chanel lip liner in Nude Brun and Rouge Coco Flash in Boy. But when I want something a teensy bit brighter (don’t laugh, you know I’m afraid of color!), I go for the Westman Atelier Squeaky Clean balm in Petal or the U Beauty lip compound in Rom Com, which I swear I manifested into the world; it’s wonderfully pink with the perfect amount of shimmer. I have one waiting for you in my apartment.
By the way, every single part of my body is dry as a husk right now—sexy, I know—and the same goes for my lips. Keeping them moisturized and flake-free has been a process. But I have my arsenal: Dr. Dennis Gross’s lip treatment (which gives me a beautiful plump, too!), Anifsa’s Ân-Gloss (I have one in every single purse), Glossier’s Balm Dotcom (in Black Cherry obviously) and Retrouvé’s serum (it’s always first in my multi-step lip routine). This is what they meant when they said it takes a village, right? Meanwhile, I’ve been dry brushing my body like crazy with my Tronque brush, and if I’m feeling extra motivated or I’m not freezing before jumping into the shower, I’ll exfoliate with the Lilis Instant Peel. The true cherry on top is Kate McLeod’s daily body stone though. It’s incredibly buttery and leaves my skin so, so soft. I want a never-ending supply. I can go through them pretty quickly, so in order to make them last, Neutrogena’s light sesame oil is my girl. I keep a bottle in my shower and pat it on while my skin is still wet on the days I give my stones a rest.
Keeping my face and hands moisturized is another story. I’ve been exfoliating with Danucera’s D22 Tonic every morning and night since I got a facial with Danuta at Rescue Spa—you have to go!—and that’s made a huge difference in the way my creams sit (and how my skin feels and looks). So the order goes: toner, face mist (I finished bottles of S’Eau Prima’s and La Prairie’s), eye cream (I ran out of my Bioeffect EGF power cream and opened my Augustinus Bader rich one), and moisturizer (I know you like the SkinFix Barrier+ cream, too). And then you know you got me hooked on Ultra Violette Supreme Screen years ago—I can’t count how many bottles I’ve gone through or that you’ve sent me across the pond. And for my hands? Generous layers of Koba’s hand cream and Dr. Dana’s cuticle oil—or Essies’ apricot roller when I want a little fragrance. I love that the oil comes in a roller because I’ve spilled so many dropper bottles before.
Oh and don’t be alarmed, but I’m changing… You know how I used to hate perfumes on the sweeter side? Turns out I had just never found ones that resonated with me. I still wear Victoria Beckham’s Suite 302 for dates—it’s sultry and smoky after all—but for everyday, I’ve been loving Guidance 46 by Amouage, Ambra by Santa Maria Novella, and The Apartment by Abel, all mixed with my signature Vanilj by Maya Njie—Amber Grimes told me you have to confuse people with your scent and I took that to heart. None of them are cloyingly sweet, only cozy and warm, and with Vanilj? Ugh, I’m obsessed. BTW: I know you love Guidance 46; I think of you every time I wear it. Also! I know every beauty writer always says they get sooo many compliments when they wear a certain perfume, but that’s really the case here. I promise!
Don’t worry, I’m not changing too much. I got a mani-pedi at Jin Soon in Tribeca this week—we’ll go when you’re here, my treat—and still got the classic Daise combo: Catbird Baby Pearl (I want pearl everything, always) on my hands and Jin Soon Crush (my replacement for Essie’s Clambake, RIP) on my toes. Some things will just never change, like my love for you.
ILY, IMY,
x Daise
P.S. You were absolutely right about the Rhode pocket blushes. They really do live up to the hype. I’m newly obsessed with Piggy and Freckle. They leave behind the most perfect flush. What’s your favorite shade?
My sweet baby Daise,
This week I’ve spoken about you so much that one of my colleagues told me, and I quote, “I can tell how much you love her because of how you smile when you speak about her.” We are never beating the wifey allegations, and I’m OK with that. It’s just as grim in London as it is in New York—sludgy, aggressive rain and damp air that has made my sweater stick to my back even while I’m shivering.
I spent all this week rattling around alone in my apartment binge-watching Law and Order: SVU before Netflix takes it offline in a few days here. I realize that when we’re not physically together, there are few other folks who I want to really spend that much time with. This is an issue to such an extent that my therapist told me I need to “find more Daises” (don’t worry; I fired him.)
BUT talking to you is a ray of sunshine, especially when we’re gabbing all things beauty, our shared language, our starting point, our North Star. As you know, I just got back from a long trip to Melbourne, and packing for a trip is a great test of what beauty products you actually love. Here’s what I learned: There are many good conditioners on the market, including the eye-poppingly expensive Sisley Restructuring conditioner ($90!), which does make my hair feel like cashmere. But the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Glycolic Gloss conditioner is so good, too, and when I failed to pack enough for a three-week trip (because Cathay Pacific have some bizarro rule about three-ton vats in your checked bag), I was able to grab another in Chemist Warehouse and enjoy the same silky soft hair. I love it! Other things for my hair I couldn’t quit: Oribe’s Gold Lust mask, for extra TLC. But also! In Australia I rediscovered Kevin Murphy. Did you ever get into this brand? It was in the UK for a hot minute but seems to have disappeared, but as an Aussie brand, it’s thankfully still around Down Under. It’s… amazing?? Every product feels so pro, smells amazing and just WORKS. The Ever Bounce blow dry spray is my favorite right now.
Now you know I’m a makeup girlie. One of the many things we have in common is a love of stuffing our purses so full of lip oils, balms, and tints that we are technically carrying a semi-lethal weapon. Right now, I think we both love our Summer Fridays lip balms—Iced Coffee is my go-to—but have you gotten into the Dream lip oils? They’re a holy grail for me. They give you color and shine but no stickiness. Blush Dreams and Pink Cloud are to die for. Also, I know we’ve both been swatching the Rhode Peptide Lip Shapes. I like Lift and Bend smudged together with balm in the middle. Try it! I also think the new Celine Le Rouge lipsticks are just really, really good. They clunk shut with a satisfying, just-closed-the-Benz plunk, have a chic gold tube, and a gorgeous, satin-y color payoff. I’ve been wearing Le 16 and La Peau Nue the most. Oh, and we’re still coordinating our Rhode Pocket blushes too, right? Toasted Teddy is my fave. It’s also good on your lips. (Speaking of pockets, please tell me you’ve tried the Chanel Le Lift hand cream now? It’s so adorably pocket-sized.)
If you were staying at mine this weekend, here’s where we’d be right now: We’d be standing in front of my fridge, pulling out a bottle of wine and some chocolate covered fruit (I know you love that), and I’d be getting you to pick a sheet mask or two out of my cooler. My friend Ramòn stocked me up last week, so I have loads that he got in Korea: CosRx, Dr. Jart+, JM Solution… I would for sure let you use my La Mer Soft Cream—no one else though. Even if you said your elbows were dry, I’d offer you it. That’s how special you are! I would also let you use my Poems From The Lab Future Focus, which I get shipped from Canada. It is the best vitamin C, and Stephen Ko, who made it, is a genius. No weird smell, no oxidizing, just gorgeous, glowy, plump skin.
Also, while I was in Australia, Alex Padgett, the founder of Educated Mess, gave me a bunch of her products. Freeze Frame is incredible. I feel so snatched after using it—you know I love a peptide… or eight. She’d just gotten her clinical trials back while we had lunch, and I could tell from how visibly emotional she was that they were good. I have lost count of how many toners/essences/milks I’m rocking with, but it’s pretty much Rhode Glazing Milk or the La Mer essence. For some reason, I have to apply lip balm while I do this? Any flavor of Laneige sleeping mask will do but ideally Vanilla.
Finally, fragrance. You know that I love a naughty but nice scent: sweet but then not; feminine but then sharp; come closer and then step back. Right now, the one that’s doing it for me is Guerlain L’Art & La Matiere Tobacco Honey. It’s totally irresistible. But I also will never turn my back on Attrape-Rêves from Louis Vuitton, which smells like our trip to LA last year and you braiding my hair and us re-upping our sunscreen in Erewhon and and and and–––––
Yours always,
x Daniela
P.S. Paddington says hi.
Photos via Daise Bedolla and Daniela Morosini
