This week’s muse is Didi Gluck. I hate to admit how long I’ve known Didi because it makes me feel old, but maybe it’s been 18 years? We first met when my former partners and I were introducing Three Custom Color Specialists to the beauty press. Didi was the beauty director at one of the many mags where she held that title. For the brand newbie that I was back then, beauty directors could be pretty intimidating, but not Didi. She was (and is) warm and welcoming.
Didi was most recently the Deputy Editor, beauty, of More—the sadly-defunct magazine of style and substance for women over 40. Prior to joining More, she served as the beauty director of Real Simple, Shape, Marie Claire, and Redbook. She lives in New York City with her husband and two children, and is fluent in Spanish and passionate about music.
Here are Didi’s beauty secrets:
- “The older I get, the more that I believe that while real beauty starts from within, having the right makeup is vitally important to ensuring that your outsides match your insides. To that end, I’m a big believer in eye makeup. I just don’t feel polished without it. Bobbi Brown taught me to layer eye pencil over liquid liner. The liquid provides longevity—tracing over it with pencil allows you to smooth out any bumps or smudges in your line. Although I’m not partial to any pencil, I love YSL Eyeliner Baby Doll in Chocolate Reflections. The brush tip offers superior control.
- While I’m not a big lipstick wearer in general, I do think that a hydrated lip is a full-looking lip.I always use La Mer The Lip Balm before bed. It’s slightly more indulgent financially than, say, Chapstick, but I’ve had the same little jar for years—a little goes a long way and it really works.
- A dietary change I’ve made in the last year is giving up caffeine. I found it had more of an impact on my system than alcohol! I did an elimination diet and when I reintroduced caffeine, it triggered a migraine. I used to get migraines at least once a month, but without caffeine, it’s more like once every two or three months, which I see as progress–plus my under-eye circles are no longer as prominent, which makes me feel like I look less tired and younger.”
Follow Didi!
Twitter and Instagram @didigluck
