Thanks for listening to Radio ITG—if you’re only just tuning in, you’ve missed quite a few bangers. A year’s worth, actually. On The Top Shelf, writers, interior designers, chefs, beauty professionals, and more shared their favorite tips and recommendations… Music to our ears! And because we know that you want all the hits and nothing but the hits, let’s take a trip down memory lane to count down the 10 Top Shelves you loved most. Ready to go? Let’s start at the top.
Come for the… skincare routine where every product cost less than 20 bucks.
Stay for the… bathroom library and realistic take on wellness: “I could get massages all the time and buy all the products in the world, but if I didn’t have my sleep and exercise preferences figured out, I wouldn’t feel good.”
Come for the… dreamy local beauty stores and a new way to use your favorite cleanser.
Stay for the… realization that everyone wants to look like they’re from someplace else (while we’re trying to look Scandi-cool, Julie’s dreaming of New Yorkers with bouncy blowouts—who knew?!)
8. Desmond & Dempsey Co-Founder Molly Goddard, Co-Founder’s The Body Shop miracle worker
Come for the… international product recommendations and beachy-all-year makeup routine.
Stay for the… funny beauty anecdotes, like the time her mom copied her signature scent (but sneakily hid her bottle so Molly wouldn’t see) or when her husband discovered the joy of tinted SPF.
Come for the… photos, plus low-key hair and three-dollar-sign skin treatments.
Stay for the… beauty treatment schedule (pilates during lunch, manicures, pedicures, haircuts, color, and waxing during meetings), and discourse in the comments.
Come for the… insanely luxe apartment tour and fascinating personal journey.
Stay for the… beauty product joie de vivre, demonstrated by her high tech tool collection and love of fancy body glitter.
5. Emily DiDonato’s favorite tips picked up from nearly 15 years of beauty modeling
Come for the… tips on nailing beach waves with a straightening iron—her claim to fame!
Stay for the… bottom shelf staples (Q-tips and T Gel!) and a take on which Maybelline products are worth it from someone who’s tried them all.
Come for the… thoughtful balance between drugstore brands (Neutrogena, Bliss, Lip Bar) and worth-it splurges (Skinceuticals, microcurrent).
Stay for the… six different SPF options and Charlotte’s signature no-BS beauty advice.
3. A look into Instagram’s favorite bathroom, c/o interior designer and cookbook author Athena Calderone
Come for the… pink marble shower.
Stay for the… perfect bath recipe (CBD salt + bergamot body wash + a culinary Loewe candle and ‘90s music playlist = an ideal winter night in).
2. Mistress Iris’s take on a high-endurance makeup routine, informed by her career as a Dominatrix
Come for the… chance to learn about a career you might not know anything about.
Stay for the… Japanese drugstore recs you can buy in the states, most waterproof eyeliner, and how to master a slicked-back hairstyle.
1. Interior Designer Leanne Ford’s lotions and potions, which she (admittedly) buys with aesthetics in mind
Come for the… “warm but cool” home inspiration and ’20s-meets-’60s beauty look.
Stay for the… Chapstick tube upgrade and refreshing take on aging: “When I look in the mirror, I try to remind myself that I like imperfect things. I like old cars. I like old houses. I’m going to like being old.”
Photo via ITG