By Jane Larkworthy
When I reached the age where I was allowed to wear makeup, I quickly saw it as an inconvenience, and a daunting one at that. Cosmetics weren’t cheap, applying them was time consuming, and, with no artistic skills to speak of, I was pretty helpless at using them. A fish out of water. That would aptly describe yours truly when I landed my first job as the new assistant at Glamour magazine’s beauty department. It was 1984, decades before the tricks of highlighting, contouring, and strobing hit the makeup vernacular. Nevertheless, I was still clueless, barely able to differentiate a mascara wand from a straightening iron.
One of my jobs was tidying up the beauty closet. Cue “Pure Imagination” from Willy Wonka—just replace the chocolate waterfalls with mountains of powders, shampoos, serums, and fragrances. With this gift of basically having every beauty product at my disposal, I was going to figure out “the natural look.” Funnily enough, beauty editors have traditionally not worn much makeup. Given my lack of talent at product application, it was a no-brainer to keep things simple. And thanks to tinted moisturizers offering a sheerer alternative to cakey foundation, and silicone serums that smoothed out my frizz, the future was clear: beauty was becoming more transparent all around. No longer was its motto to cover and conceal, or tame into submission. It was, to borrow from Nice’n Easy, “You. Only better.”
So long as I got my weekly blowouts and my skin was slathered in lotions, serums, and plenty of occlusive moisturizers, the cat eye and the lip liner and the glittery shadow and the other superfluous steps could be skipped. By the time the pandemic hit, I was living in the Berkshires and, along with packing the Louboutins and uncomfortable dresses in storage, I scaled my beauty routine back even more, ditching the blow dryer and encouraging the gray to come out and meet everybody. After all, what better background for a salt and pepper ponytail than a muddy hike? And that wasn’t even the best part; bolts of yellowy-white blond spread out over and under the gray, making my hair appear lighter than it had ever been. Go figure. Maybe I was on to something.
Scanning the rows and rows of anti-aging bottles and jars and tubes, it was time to reassess the lineup. I kept what seemed to work (calming the redness, bestowing a little suppleness, protecting from the sun) and shared the remains with friends. I felt…lighter, not to mention more expedient in getting out the door. But that doesn’t mean I care less about what goes on my face. I care more—I’m not relying on them to keep up appearances but to make my face (and hair and body) feel protected and well hydrated. Dare I say glowing? Now, excuse me. I’ve got a trail to hike.
LIGHTEN UP!
These trusty goods should both decrease and improve your beauty routine.
- Glossier Cloud Paint Blush – The tiniest dab’ll get your cheeks looking like you’ve just ripped through the bumps at Catamount, even if sipping cocoa in the lodge is more your speed
$22 | glossier.com - Blu Green Daily Shampoo – Like Razzles (remember Razzles?), but for your hair, each tablet melts in your palm with a little water, then produces a hearty lather with no sulfates, much less a plastic bottle
$32 | bluandgreen.com - Oak Essentials Cloud Foaming Bath Oil – The newest member of founder Jenni Kayne’s skin care offshoot, this oil transforms into calming lavender and sage scented bubbles
$52 | oakessentials.com - Sarah Creal Back of the Cab Volumizing Longwear Tubing Mascara – It’s sleek, easy-to-use thin wand warrants its name, while delivering clean, subtly longer lashes
$40 | sarahcrealbeauty.com - Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm – Softening and with a hint of color, this hydrating balm is for the staunch anti-lipstick camp
$24 | summerfridays.com - Iris & Romeo Skin Cocoon Barrier Glow Serum – Every product this brand creates is clean and efficient, including this softening liquid that preps skin for moisturizer
$58 | irisandromeo.com - ILIA Beauty Barrier Build Skin Protectant Cream – This whipped formula calms, protects, and reinforces skin’s barrier function—massaging it in is what I imagine liquid cashmere feels like if there were such a thing
$64 | iliabeauty.com
Jane Larkworthy was a renowned beauty editor in New York City for decades—and, more recently, a renowned resident of the Berkshires, a friend, wife, stepmother, giver, and writer. She passed away from breast cancer on June 4, 2025. The B was fortunate to have Jane’s witty and engaging voice in her column, “On a Lark,” in most of our issues—she wrote about her love of hiking, gardening, Birkenstocks, and her dog, Remy, among other topics. She is missed.
