31 Beauty Products The Pros Swear By

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  A commonly used phrase among the makeup pros backstage is "concealer where needed," or its counterpart, "we're just evening out the skin tone." To do that, artists generally rely on a concealer with a satin finish...but, the formula also needs to be buildable in order to cover tricky dark circles and blemishes. "In my own personal life and at work, I cannot live without this concealer pen. It's magic," says makeup expert Romy Soleimani, who's been a backstage expert for years. "I always try other things, and I still go back to it."

  By Terry Touch-Expert Advanced Multi-Corrective Concealer Brush, $46.50, available at Birchbox.
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  "If you want to achieve the perfect nude lip, this is how to do it. Think of it as the modern-day MAC Spice — it glides perfectly, and it has a nice rosy undertone so it's flattering to the skin," Soleimani says. "Add a balm on top for the prettiest take on nude, ever."

  Kevyn Aucoin The Flesh Tone Lip Pencil in Medium, $25, available at Nordstrom.
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  Deborah Lippmann named her signature nude nail lacquer accordingly: "It's called 'Fashion' for a reason," she says. "Designers love a chic, nude nail. This is my classic."

  Deborah Lippmann Nail Polish in 'Fashion', $18, available at Deborah Lippmann.
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  Giving Deborah a run for her money is Jin Soon's MVP nude — the right amount of pink goes into it, making it flattering on most skin tones. "I always have it with me at any of the tests for the shows," she says.

  Jin Soon Nail Polish in Nostalgia, $18, available at JinSoon.
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  Bumble and bumble sponsors a lot of shows at Fashion Week, but you can safely bet that your interview with the lead stylist will consist of two words: Thickening spray. This cult item has a signature smell that's immediately detectable in the early hours backstage at the shows — when sprayed on damp hair, it adds volume and texture to your blowdry, allowing your strands to be more pliable and easier to style.

  Bumble and bumble Thickening Hairspray, $29, available at Sephora.
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  "This will be in my kit forever," spills makeup artist Alice Lane, who was tending to the faces backstage at Suno. "It fills in and it has coverage, but it's not heavy. I even use it to perfect lip colors for a nice crisp shape."

  Charlotte Tilbury The Retoucher Conceal & Treat Stick, $35, available at Nordstrom.
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  Stylist Paul Hanlon uses a lot of Bumble products throughout Fashion Week, but he counts this one as his favorite — it's an oil-based styling cream that adds separation and shine to lived-in looks (a.k.a., his specialty).

  Bumble and bumble Brilliantine, $24, available at Sephora.
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  This guy is essential for manicurist Michelle Saunders, who uses it mostly because it conceals imperfections on the nail beds and allows for quick and even lacquer application when the models have had multiple polish changes throughout the day. But, backstage at Proenza Schouler, this little basecoat took on a new meaning: "When you put it on top of your color, it acts as a filter," she explains. "It softens the shade and gives you the most perfect nail bed you could ever get."

  Essie Ridge Filling Base Coat, $8.50, available at Ulta.
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  It's impossible to deny: Embryolisse is a mainstay of Fashion Week. But, why, you ask? Well, it's a super-rich moisturizer that also manages to be ultra-gentle, so it allows for a dewy, luminous base without clogging the models' pores. Diane Kendal used it last season at Proenza in place of, well, any sort of makeup at all. This season, she used it to add a sweaty glow (which looks a lot prettier than it sounds) to the models backstage at Opening Ceremony.

  Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre, $16, available at Birchbox.
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  You know how models always have ultra-glossy eyelids? This is how.

  Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant, $21, available at Macy's.
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  Fashion has been rejoicing in the revival of John Frieda's Beach Blonde Salt Spray...mostly because it really is that easy to use. While most products of this type tend to leave a gritty, matte finish, this one lightly conditions and adds gentle, piece-y separation. Odile Gilbert misted it over freshly curled sections of hair at Rodarte "to destroy the waves" and make them look more natural. Take note.

  John Frieda Beach Blonde Sea Waves Sea Salt Spray, $8.99, available at Target.
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  It's only hearsay, sure, but let's just say a little (well-informed) birdie told us that a very special, very famous makeup artist has been using this concealer palette for years. Said birdie also recommends applying foundation first, and then feathering this into the skin.

  Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage, $34, available at Sephora.
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  Makeup artist Troi Ollivierre used this iconic drugstore formula backstage at J.Crew for perfect, evenly separated eyelashes.

  Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara, $5.99, available at Drugstore.com.
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  We spotted Soleimani and fellow makeup guru Lucia Pieroni with bottles of Caudalie's Beauty Elixir backstage. "It's nice, because you can use it to sheer out face products," Soleimani says. "Just mist it a few times over the face, and then press into the skin with the fingers. It will make everything look more natural."

  Caudalie Beauty Elixir, $49, available at Caudalie.
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  We already told you that this stuff is the best. Ollivierre agrees — in fact, he uses it consistently to achieve the now-famous J.Crew model glow.

  RMS Beauty Living Luminizer, $38, available at RMS Beauty.
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  James Pecis is rarely spotted backstage without a bottle of this in hand. In fact, looking back at transcriptions, he's mentioned it during every single show he worked on this season. Spraying it on damp hair before a blowdry allows for texture and volume, and rough-drying with fingers allows for moldable looks like braids and mohawks. (Oh, and it smells really nice, too.)

  Phyto Phytovolume Actif Volumizing Spray, $29, available at Sephora.
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  "It's just the best," says Madeline Poole backstage at Adam Selman of the little red bottle. "If you've used it, it needs no explanation."

  Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Anti-Chip Top Coat, $4.39, available at Drugstore.com.
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  These little cult lipsticks have often been attributed to J.Crew, but that wasn't how we first heard about them. Backstage at Suno, Lane pulled out an entire bag of them, and even slipped one in this editor's pocket. "These are matte, but they're hydrating and thick and they have a wonderful texture, so when you wear it, you don't get that yucky lipstick ring around your mouth," she says. "Troi is a makeup artist who actually likes women. These are proof."

  Troi Ollivierre Lipstick in George, $28, available at Troi Ollivierre Beauty.
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  For the precise, lined nail art at Prabal Gurung, manicurist Jin Soon Choi needed a striper brush. But, no ordinary striper would do: "We cut it in half, so it was easier to use," she says. "That way, you have more control over the lines you make."

  Sally Hansen I Heart Nail Art Striper, $3.19, available at Drugstore.com.
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  This little tube is on many stations backstage — including Soleimani's and Lane's. If you ever want to look fresh and dewy without makeup, just tap it onto the tops of your cheekbones for a humectant glow that will last all day. (Oh, and it works wonders on dry hands, too.)

  Weleda Skin Food, $19, available at Weleda.
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  Speaking of dry hands, Choi swears by this stuff backstage. "It's very moisturizing, which is important in the wintertime," she says.

  Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv Intensive Smoothing Hand Creme, $60, available at Nordstrom.
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  For her husband David Neville's rag & bone show, makeup guru Gucci Westman called in the big guns. She politely asked one of her new favorite skin brands, Omorovicza, to show support for the show. The artists were applying loads of Blue Diamond Super-Cream to the models' tired (and freezing-cold!) faces backstage, prepping them for an immaculate base.

  Omorovicza Blue Diamond Super-Cream, $390, available at Omorovicza.
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  Okay, so this one is a little gross, but maybe helpful? Manicurist Katie Jane Hughes told us backstage at Creatures of the Wind that if the models come in with dirty or discolored toenails, she uses this product. "It has a white base that basically acts like a primer with silicone," she explains.

  Butter London Nail 999 Rescue System, $40, available at Ulta.
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  "Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner is a very fast and effective cleanser that removes every last bit of product from your brushes, dries instantly, and contains citrus extract, which makes your brushes smell divine," explains Benjamin Puckey, who was backstage at Yigal Azrouël.

  Parian Spirit Parian Spirit Brush Cleaner, $18, available at Alcone Company.
• "This is really my must-have backstage at Fashion Week this season," says hair god Guido Palau. "It gives the hair a bit of airy texture, so it doesn't feel too blowdried or done — it sort of ages the hair. It creates this very sexy, but very easy hair.”
  
  Redken Windblown 05, $22, Redken for salons.
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  Puckey also loves this loose powder for its super-fine, barely detectable finish, which sets makeup without causing caking.

  NARS Light Reflecting Loose Setting Powder, $36, available at Sephora.
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  Being backstage during the winter only means one thing: chapped lips. This was, of course, a problem, considering that lip colors were kind of having a moment. Ollivierre and his team kept these little jars backstage, buffing the lips before applying balm so they could keep the matte stains looking velvety and beautiful throughout the presentation.

  Fresh Sugar Lip Polish, $22.50, available at Sephora.
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  If there was gel liner backstage, the odds were pretty damn good that it was this stuff. Dick Page was using it at Michael Kors, Val Garland pretty much always has it on standby, and so does Kabuki — one makeup artist once described it as "the American Express of eyeliners."

  MAC Fluidline in Blacktrack, $16, available at MAC.
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  You could spot sock diffusers at just about every show, but they were especially prominent at Jeremy Scott, Thom Browne, and rag & bone, where the hair needed to lay very flat on the head. It's ideal for up-styles and for taming the top of the head when ponytails and buns are involved — plus, YS Park is just about the cultiest hair brand there is, so you know you're getting good stuff.

  YS Park Ion Diffuser, $24.95, available at HairBrained Pro.
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  Spotted: this texture powder in the hands of Orlando Pita backstage at Michael Kors, for perfectly undone, bedhead-y texture.

  OSIS+ Dust It Texture Mattifying Powder, $23.50, available at Ulta.