These days it's nearly impossible to know what women are spending on the way they look. Someone with Instagram-flawless contouring might have honed her craft using the finest from the drugstore aisles, and the utterly makeup-free type might be spending thousands on laser treatments and serums. Enter our series What It Costs to Be Me, in which we're asking interesting women for radical transparency.
Next up? Alex Steinherr, beauty journalist, from London. The cost of her beauty routine? $18,598
Instagram is great for a multitude of beauty pursuits, but finding expert skin care and makeup advice from a grown woman, backed by serious research? Yeah, tricky. Which is what makes Alex Steinherr, the woman responsible for #AskAlex and #SundayFacial, such a unicorn. A veteran beauty journalist with 11 years under her belt as the former beauty director for British Glamour, Steinherr has seen (and tested) it all.
The cost of beauty is very much front of mind for Steinherr. “In my Sunday facials on Instagram, my readers were asking for more affordable alternatives," she says. "I struggled with that because I felt there weren’t enough skin care products in the affordable market that were actually good enough. I’m not saying there were none, but there weren’t enough at the level of efficacy that I wanted. I’ve never wanted to recommend something just because it’s cheap—if it doesn’t work, you’re still wasting that money, whether it’s $10 or $50.” That’s what led Steinherr to pair up last year with bargain retailer Primark (the U.K.’s answer to Walmart) to create her own certified cruelty-free skin care line of wildly popular serums, micellar cleansers, and face masks. Nothing costs over five pounds, and her products sell out near instantaneously after restocking.
As far as her personal beauty expenses, most of the products and services Steinherr uses are free (the totals you see here are what it would cost if she had to pay for everything). And while she admits it’s a very sweet perk, her job really is testing and reviewing beauty. “If I’m going to talk to people about the best vitamin C serum, I want to try it all,” explains Steinherr. “If I didn’t have the opportunity to test everything out, I think my opinion wouldn’t be informed.” Even so, that doesn’t mean there are no beauty expenses for her. Her beauty spending spikes dramatically whenever she travels (which is all the time): “When I’m in Japan, I go nuts, and in America too, because there are different products available there,” she says. “For a lot of us, the passion for product is what makes us want to be beauty editors, and that curiosity never goes away.” Read on for the products and services that make the cut for Steinherr—bargain, luxury, and everything in between.
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My favorite shower product of all time is Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Body Wash ($10). I want to stress that I buy it—I’m not getting this for free. I like the original, which has a very subtle scent. It just makes me happy. I rotate between that and L’Occitane Almond Oil Wash ($25). My skin is bone-dry, and in London we have super-hard water, so I need that serious moisture.
For shampoos and conditioners, I can’t even lie, I have about 20 of them. I don’t wash my hair every day—maybe twice a week, depending. Right now I’m using Kérastase Chronogiste {: rel=nofollow} ($36); I love the whole Chronologiste line. I also like Pureology Hydrating Shampoo ($30) and Conditioner ($32). And I’m obsessed with Color Wow Color Security Shampoo ($23). It’s a gentler, more modern version of a clarifying shampoo for people with colored hair, which I like because I get my hair styled a lot and use quite a bit of dry shampoo, which can build up.
As far as body scrubs, there’s a U.K. brand I like called Ameliorate (£17.50)—it’s a physical and chemical scrub with lactic acid for targeting the little bumps on the backs of arms—or Clarins Body Scrub ($38). Then right after the shower I use a body moisturizer. My favorite is L’Occitane Ultra-Rich Shea Butter Body Cream ($44); it’s the richest one they make, because, again, I’m bone-dry. Sometimes, when I want to be super fancy, I’ll use Sisley Body Cream ($155). But as I say, that’s fancy-shmancy.
My hair routine: $8,626
My hair and hair color are probably my biggest expenses. After the shower I spray in Philip B. Weightless Conditioning Water ($38). His line is beyond expensive, but it’s gorgeous and smells like orange flower. Then I’ll center-part my hair and work in a leave-in cream through the ends; because my hair is colored, I need some extra hydration there. I use either the Ouai Finishing Cream ($24) or Kérastase Aura Botanica Blow-Dry Milk ($37). Then I pull my hair into a low bun and let it air-dry like that. And to be fair, I get professional blow-dries about four times a month because I’m horrific at blow-drying my own hair.
Recently David Gogoi at Hershesons has been blow-drying it (£65). If I have to blow-dry myself, I use the Dyson Airwrap ($500). But I don’t use it to make curls—there’s a brush it comes with for straightening, and it’s the easiest way to get a blow-dry. I look halfway decent at the end of it.
I get my hair colored at Larry King Salon in London by Amy Fish (£130). I’ve been gray since my midtwenties, and it’s the roots that bother me. I get them done usually every three and a half weeks, just the root retouch, and sometimes she’ll do a bit at the ends. I think that’s my biggest expense. These roots drive me bananas. The one product I would cry about if it were discontinued is the Color Wow Root Powder in Medium Brown ($35). I must keep them in business because I have one in every single bag. That thing has saved me so many times. My mom let her hair grow out gray, and it looks incredible on her now, but for me, the in-between...it’s hard.
For cuts I go to Luke Hercheson. He’s been cutting my hair for years. I don’t pay because he’s a friend, but those cuts are not cheap (£350). I have a lot of hair, but it’s fine. I’ve got that over-the-shoulder length, and I like my hair long, so I get it cut maybe three times a year, max. I think there’s that sweet spot after you get it freshly cut where four to six weeks later it’s gorgeous.
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My rotating morning skin routine: $1,007
To be honest, this changes quite a bit. I’m also a big believer in adapting your routine day to day. I think that’s especially true for someone like me who travels a lot—nothing stresses your skin more than changes in temperature. And flying is just awful. So I do change my regimen a lot, but I have certain constants. And the reality is, of course, I don’t use just my brand of skin care; I mix and match. This old-fashioned idea of a woman who buys only one brand—it just doesn’t happen these days. I’m a huge fan of the high-low mix, and I have a lot of stuff. I’m a real skin care girl and always have been. Even before I was a beauty editor, I would spend all my pocket money at pharmacies.
In the mornings I’ll do a quick cleanse—at the moment I use Galinée's Prebiotic Foaming Facial Cleanser ($17), or sometimes Collosol Eau de Lait ($18), which I pick up from a French pharmacy whenever I’m in France. I love mists, so I’ll mist all over with Sarah Chapman Skinesis Liquid Facial D-Stress ($56), and then while my skin is still damp, I massage on Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Serum ($100). I’m an ambassador for ANR because I’ve been using it for years and years—that’s the truth—and I talk about it all the time. I have genetically thirsty skin, and my skin loves the hyaluronic acid and hydration in that serum. I also use and love the ANR Eye Supercharged Complex ($65). I sometimes also use the C E Ferulic from Skinceuticals ($166), which is a classic vitamin C serum that's amazing—my dry skin loves the shine it gives me, and it makes me look super healthy. AlumierMD has a EverActive C & E Serum ($134) that’s really great too, so I’ll alternate between those two.
After serums I apply either the La Mer Soft Cream ($175) or the original, richer one ($175), depending on whether it’s summer or winter. Then I use the untinted AlumierMD Sheer Hydration SPF40 physical sunscreen ($36), and on days I don’t wear makeup, I use the tinted version ($36). It’s mineral, but it doesn’t make you look pasty at all. I also sometimes use the Heliocare Color Gelcream SPF50 ($29). I’m not someone who thinks chemical sunscreens are necessarily bad, but I do think a blend of chemical and mineral is good.
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My daytime makeup: $763
For me it’s all about skin—skin, skin, skin. I believe in prehighlighting with skin care, and I don’t like anything heavy on my skin at all. I start with a luminizer like By Terry Cellularose Brightening Lumi-Serum in Immaculate Light ($91). I have an insane number of foundations, and it’s all about the tone—I want to look warmer and a little bit tan even though I never go in the sun, so I wear a shade that’s a touch darker than my skin. And I only ever wear a sheer foundation, because when it’s sheer, you can go a little darker. I’m liking Laura Mercier’s new Flawless Lumière Radiance-Perfecting Foundation ($48) right now—she does the most amazing formulas. I sheer it out, apply with my fingers and massage it into my skin and down my neck. I don’t use a Beautyblender; I don’t really get it. Maybe it’s a European thing, but I want people to be really close to me and not be able to see my foundation. I want people to see my skin, and I feel like the warmth of my fingers helps to sheer it out when I’m applying it. The only exception is when my skin’s really ropy, and I use Hourglass Vanish Foundation Stick ($46); if I’m doing that, I’ll use the brush that goes with it ($46).
In general, I believe less is more for concealer, even if you think you have “bad” skin. Often putting on more just highlights whatever you’re trying to conceal. A thick concealer for undereyes is a no; you want it to be sheer. When you put too much under your eyes, it settles in lines, it drops, it melts—it’s just too much. It’s about using the right product. I also work with YSL, and their new Touche Éclat High Cover ($36) is seriously phenomenal—I’m obsessed with it, and I use their peachy 2.5 shade for under my eyes. And then my real secret to undereye concealer is that I set it with Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder in #1 ($28)—it’s so great. It really makes your concealer stay put, and it’s the only one I’ve found that doesn’t accentuate lines. Plus, you need so little that it could honestly last you 10 years.
Next I do a little bit of a sculpting situation. I use Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer Stick in Bake ($24) to sculpt—I want it to be imperceptible, just a bit of a shadowy effect. Then my cream blush is Makeup Forever Second Skin Cream Blush in 225 ($26); I’ve been a fan of pinky, peachy blush tones for ages. My friend Benjamin Puckey just did a color wheel for Ben Nye, their Creme Rouge Natural Glow ($20)—it’s a professional makeup wheel with creamy peachy shades, and it’s a dream for cheeks and lips.
And bronzer! I love bronzer. Nars Laguna ($40) is my favorite. It just makes me look good, and makes me happy.
I’m not the most adventurous when it comes to my eyes. I’ll do a brown pencil, always; Giorgio Armani Smooth Silk Eye Pencil in #2 ($30) or Nars Mambo ($24) are both pretty, smudgy browns. When I want to be a little fancier, I’ll use shadow—I’m currently using a Bobbi Brown nudes eyeshadow palette ($59) I just got, and I also use Charlotte Tilbury Exagger-eyes ($53), which has more of a sculpt-y effect. But I use my brown pencil—that’s my staple. The only liquid eyeliner I ever use is by Troy Surratt ($42), but even then I end up fixing it with cotton buds—it goes so quickly from a cat eye into this massive Amy Winehouse situation. For mascara, I like YSL False Lash Effect ($32), which is quite nice. I also like IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara ($24)—it gives great volume.
For brows, I use Bare Minerals The Brow Master Sculpting Pencil in Coffee ($22)—it’s got the spoolie on one end, which is important for blending and brushing the hairs into place. I’m not drawing on the brow, really; I’m just filling in the little gaps.
After I’ve done my makeup, I’ll mist it to take off the edge. I use Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist ($48) or the Sara Chapman D-Stress—I want to look like I’m dewy. I don’t really use powder because my skin doesn’t have much moisture, but I do keep Fenty Invisimatte Blotting Powder ($24) with me in case I get hot as the day goes on, and blot it on any hot spots. I think Rihanna did an amazing job with it.
My going-out makeup look: $164
It’s got to be quick. I struggle with bright lipstick in general, but when I have to spruce things up at night, I do my YSL red lipstick in shade #1. ($38). I use that because it’s satiny, and I like that sort of finish. If I don’t do a red lip, I do a really smoked-out eye. A smoky eye is usually easier for me because, unlike a lipstick, it stays put throughout the night. I’ll often do an elongated cat shape in a shimmer. For me, the best shadows are by Chanel—their powders don’t drop down. Makeup artist Lucia Pica did these great single eyeshadow shades ($32 each), and I love those and have so many. I’ll often use a minky hue or something plummy, because I have brown eyes. Occasionally I’ll use a shadow with a bit of red, but the base is always brown. So it’s either that sort of smoky eye, or more of a red lip. I also use the Hoola Matte Bronzer by Benefit ($30) if I want more sculpting in the evening, and I sometimes put a bit on my eyelids too. And a little more mascara at the very end—and done.
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My nighttime skin care routine: $302
My skin philosophy has always been about protecting the skin barrier, your skin’s acid mantle. I’m not about being aggressive—because once that barrier is damaged, it’s hard to get it back on track. Then you’re trying to find other products to fix that skin irritation, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
I remove my eye makeup with La Roche Posay Respectissime Eye Makeup Remover ($16). A lot of the dual-phase oil eye makeup removers leave a film that irritates my eyes, but this one changed everything for me. It’s the easiest way to dissolve eye makeup. Then I use the Primark Maximum Moisture Micellar Cleansing Gel (£5) to remove the rest of my makeup—I made it a gel because I wanted something that would be really conditioning, and I could put more hydrating actives in it in a gel form. So I use that, then rinse it off as well. Then I do a second wash, a foaming one. I love Organic Pharmacy’s classic Rose Facial Cleansing Gel ($85), which isn’t drying at all.
Because I do a Sunday facial every week, that’s usually where a lot of the acids come in. But I’ve just brought out presoaked lactic acid and PHA pads with my Primark line (£5). So if I do use an acid on a regular night, that’s what I’ve been using lately. The reason I put those two acids together is because I find glycolic really aggressive, and they also hydrate as they exfoliate. On the evenings I do those pads, I won’t use a niacinamide afterward. You can use niacinimide after acids, but you’d have to wait 20 minutes, and I don’t have that time. Then I’ll do my Estée Lauder ANR Serum again, the ANR Eye, my La Mer, and then finish with Indie Lee Squalane Oil ($34). I love that oil—it’s so fine, isn’t heavy at all, and is super, super nourishing for your skin. On my nonacid nights, I also use Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster ($44). It's gentle, and it works on mild discoloration. But again, I won’t mix it with the acid.
I’m also in love with Marie Veronique Barrier Repair Serum ($110) whenever my skin is acting up—I’m genuinely blown away by Marie-Veronique’s collaborations with Kristina Holey. I spend a fortune on that serum. When I go to New York, I buy it at Credo Beauty.
My wellness supplements: $222
As far as my vitamins, I take vitamin D ($20) and a lot of magnesium citrate supplements (€22) that I get at a shop back home in Austria called VivaMayr. I go there twice a year, and they have all the stuff I need there. I take 5-HTP ($19) to balance my moods too, because lack of sleep makes me quite irritable. And I take Votary’s Super Seed oil supplement ($48)—the oils are all cold-pressed, and I really believe in the benefits of taking lots of oils for your skin. I also take Viviscal for hair health ($50)—it’s a classic; so many models take it—and the Goopglow powder ($60), because it’s got zinc and vitamin C, and I get bored with drinking water. I’ll mix it with water to give it a nice orange flavor. My biggest vice is probably black coffee; I wish I could say I just drink green tea, but I’m not quite there yet. But I also don’t drink alcohol, and I don’t smoke, and that helps with your skin. And it saves money.
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My fragrances: $631
I believe in seasonal fragrances. I think certain perfumes work better with sweaters, and others work well with bare skin. When it’s colder, I wear Chanel Coromandel ($350). I also like Cartier Carat ($145) or Jo Malone Red Roses ($136). But to be honest, I can be easily convinced. I like to try out new scents.
My crucial #SundayFacial: $279
My main ritual is my Sunday facial. It’s something I’ve done since my teenage years, and I recently started doing them on Instagram Live. I like to take a half-hour or an hour to do it. As women we never put ourselves first—whether it’s our partner, our children, or our boss, there’s always someone else we’re putting before ourselves. Often the only time we’re ever really in tune with ourselves is when we’re in front of the mirror doing our skin care or brushing our teeth.
There are so many possible facials I might do, and what I use changes every week, but here’s an example: a double cleanse, then a light chemical exfoliation, a face mask, an eye mask—I love an eye mask—then a bunch of serums, moisturizers, and an oil. I’m a mask-crazy person. Aside from my Primark ones, I adore Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque ($59)—that’s an oldie but goodie—and the Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Clay Mask ($55) is amazing before makeup. I thought I wouldn’t like it because it’s fragrant, but it’s great. Then there’s QMS Medicosmetics Hydro Foam Mask (£46). It’s a German brand and the packaging is truly frightening, but it’s a foam mask that’s like marshmallow on your skin—it’s deeply nourishing and softening.
For eye masks, I like Kat Burki Eye Recovery Masks ($90) and the Primark Sleep Spa Every Night Eye Mask (£4) in my collection—it’s light enough you can leave it on overnight, and you can put it on your eyelids. It’s soothing and temporarily tightening. Everyone who’s used it is like, “This is unreal.”
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My every-so-often treatments: $5,089
I have a nail partnership with DryBy salon—it’s a gorgeous, chic spot that’s so cute. I used to go there as a client and would post my nails on my Instagram. The thing is, I’m not actually really into nail art, so I was getting nail art for people who don’t like nail art. At some point the owner of DryBy said, “Why don’t you design a collection?” so I said, “OK!” We’ve done three collections so far, including bridal—with bridal nail art, I never thought anything was minimalistic enough.
I get shellac when I do my nails, which lasts about two weeks on me. So I probably get them done twice a month, and unless I’m trying out a new design for a collection, my color is bare and pinky. Because it’s shellac, it’s not cheap—it’s about £70. But my payment for my partnership is that I get my nails done there for free.
I get my brows threaded at Blink Brow Bar. I have big brows and want them to be bushy—I don’t want them neat. I think it looks more natural to let them grow in, so I go maybe every two months, and it’s about £30.
Sometimes I get lash extensions for a summer holiday or when I know I’ve got a lot of events, because it makes it so much easier to get ready. I see Daxita Vaghela—she does the best lashes called Russian Lashes (£325). Extensions are wonderful, but usually after about a week they start to bother me. The maintenance of these lashes is crazy. They look phenomenal but the upkeep is a lot. Also you can’t swim. And they’re bloody expensive.
I’m obsessed with LED lights for your face. I think they really do make a difference. I go to this place called The Light Salon in London. I go for an LED boost for 15 to 20 minutes, and they’ll also do a cleanse beforehand too (£35 per session). They also just created an LED for at-home use (£395). I’m in love with it, because I travel so much that I can’t keep up the in-salon treatments. I’m also excited that The Light Salon is going to do a full-body version in their salons soon, and I can’t wait to do that. I definitely look after my face more than my body.
I’m not a huge fan of invasive treatments. The most I ever do is get a laser called ClearLift (approximately $300) now and again. People think I get fillers in my lips, but I don’t. But who knows? Someday I might do it. I’m a beauty editor, and I didn’t miraculously gain immunity from aging. I’m not against any of it. What I’m against is people going to the wrong places. Especially in the U.K., treatments are very unregulated, so you have to do your research. When it comes to your face, you have to research and find the same sort of high-quality medical care that you would for the rest of your body.
I do also like a spray tan when I want to feel better about myself. My philosophy is: Eat all the chocolate, then get Vita Liberata organic spray tans. My friend does it for me, so I don’t pay—she’ll come over and we’ll have a girls’ night and do a tan, and it makes me feel so much better.
My exercise regimen: $1,100
I fucking hate the gym. I wish I loved it—I just don’t. But I walk a lot, and I love hot yoga. There’s a place around the corner where I go called Hotpod Yoga, and each session is about £12, which is great, because it’s not too expensive. The biggest issue for me is time, because doing hot yoga takes three hours—after a class you have to shower and wash your hair and blow-dry and do the whole shebang. When I travel, I hardly ever do yoga—the time investment is just too much—but when I’m home in London, I try to go maybe three times a week. I go at 6:00 A.M., since that’s the only time I can go. But I do love it; it’s like a moving meditation. It’s terrible for my skin, but it’s good for the soul, so it’s a trade-off. I need it, so I don’t turn into a nightmare.
