The Lineup is a monthly series where we’re giving you an inside peek at the beauty lineups of cool fashion people, editors, makeup artists, hairstylists, and estheticians—all the people we trust the most. Get ready for a behind-the-scenes look at all the can’t-live-without products that make their worlds go round.
“The best thing you can do for your skin is to stay the f*ck out of the sun,” says makeup artist Nam Vo. (Yes, the Nam Vo who coined the hashtag #dewydumplings—a nod to the glorious sheen of a dumpling—and has been blessing people with her glowy secrets ever since.) “I think the sun is the skin’s worst enemy. When it comes to my face, which is my moneymaker, I have a Darth Vadar–like visor, and I’ll do anything it takes to avoid the sun.”
Vo, who has been obsessed with the power of beauty since she was a kid, truly believes that beautiful makeup starts with beautiful skin. “I think I’m so high maintenance about my skin because my mother traumatized me, and I was scared of getting discoloration like she did.” The three main things Vo prioritizes for a good glowy complexion? Minimal sun exposure, really good products, and useful tools. “We can work out our arms, work toward a six-pack, and tone up our bodies because it’s easier to target those muscles, but there are a lot of muscles in the face that can be tightened,” explains Vo. “The microcurrent NuFace Trinity Facial Toning Device ($325) does help tone and lift muscles, so your whole face basically gets lifted to the heavens.”
Even if you don’t have $325 to spend on a fancy tool, you can still find amazing products that actually work and bring you some joy, too. “When I was a kid, if I couldn’t afford a dress or something fancy, I would go to the drugstore and buy myself an eyeliner or lipstick. They were little pieces of luxury to me,” says Vo, who still gets as excited about trying new products now as she did back then.
Want to know what’s currently in Vo’s makeup rotation? Keep scrolling to see her lineup of must-haves for feeling her best on a daily basis and getting the ultimate summer glow.
“I love this because it’s so moist, dewy, and glassy, and it just looks super glowy on the skin. It doesn’t matter if you have oily or dehydrated skin, it just makes your skin look like it had a drink of water.”
“I love this because the texture is moist and velvety, and the coverage is sheer and looks super dewy without being too oily.”
“I love this because it feels like a soft focus on the skin and it sets makeup without looking pancake-y. It’s super sheer and fine, and I feel like it has a brightening quality.”
“This blush gives skin more of that wet dewy look. Since it’s in a champagne-gold color, it doesn’t matter if you have mature skin or flawless skin, it gives your complexion a healthy glow.”
“I feel like this can either be a bronzer or almost like a sculpting contour. It’s the perfect shade of bronze; it’s not orange or ashy; it’s just the perfect bronzy look.”
“I call this my Barbie pink. I think for summer it’s so pretty to have that fresh, radiant glowy look, and it’s the prettiest Doll-like shade.”
“This is so pretty. It’s super pigmented; it’s the perfect pale nude with a bluish undertone. It’s my favorite nude lip liner.”
“It’s kinda peachy, kinda nude, flattering on all skin tones, and not too pale.”
“It’s such an interesting hyper-matte texture, and it’s almost neon but not neon. It’s a fresh burst of color and the texture is beautiful.”
“This is an iconic product. I have short, stubby nonexistent eyelashes, and I have flatter Asian eyes, so it’s hard for me to get in there and grip my small little eyelashes, but this gets the job done.”
“Again I have short, stubby eyelashes, but this brush really grabs every single eyelash, and it holds the curl all day long.”
“I love this because it gives the eye a nice pop of metallic color and the formula is so soft, buttery, and smooth.”
“Burgundy is such a pretty shade on all eye colors. If you have brown eyes, it makes them look brighter; if you have green eyes, it makes them look greener. It’s the perfect shade of burgundy wine.”
“For five minutes a day, it’s like you’re getting a mini facelift. It works the muscles in your skin, tightens it, and lifts everything toward the heavens. It’s just a nice workout for your face. It’s a definite winner.”
