Michelle Lee's Favorites: Everything Allure's Former Editor-in-Chief and K-Beauty Extraordinaire Uses on the Daily

“As a WFH person, I spend most of my days only seen from the décolletage up, so I’m a big earring lover. I always say you can instantly look pulled together on Zoom with two items: a bold lip and earrings. 

This set comes with four pieces for each ear, including multiple studs, chains, and ear jackets, so you can mix and match them into multiple earring ‘recipes.’ Threading some of the pieces together takes a little getting used to but once I got it, I became obsessed. I have my favorite recipes, but I love having so many customizable options. I’m seriously considering more piercings just so I can wear more of these.”

“I love Korean skin care so much. I’m a big believer in their philosophy of layering highly effective, largely clean, natural ingredients to hydrate and nourish your skin. I’m ALSO a big fan of products that make the whole process more enjoyable. 

I mean, who wouldn’t fall in love with this cute, chunky roller pen? You can’t tell in the pictures, but it’s big and feels reminiscent of a giant highlighter or marker from childhood. You pump out some of the cream using the clicker on the end, then there’s a cooling metal roller on the end to massage the cream around your eyes. Even when I’m feeling lazy, it makes the process of applying eye cream really fun.”

“I have been a devotee of this buttery, gorgeous foundation for years and have turned many friends and acquaintances on to it. Yes, it’s on the pricier side—$285 for a jar. But once you try it, you’ll never want to use anything else again. AND a little truly goes a long way. 

I know that a lot of other foundations claim that they’re skin care / makeup hybrids, but this one truly lives up to it. The light, creamy texture is unlike any other foundation I’ve ever tried. And when it’s on your skin, it just melts in and provides the exact right amount of medium coverage while making you look like you have the dewiest, loveliest complexion ever. Can’t say enough good things.”

“Unfortunately, my eyesight is only getting worse. But thankfully there are so many great frames now. I’m typically a Warby Parker girl, but heard about Jins, which are especially great for low-bridge, Asian fits. I also had been wanting prescription sunglasses for a while.

I can’t believe I used to think transition lenses (the ones that instantly darken in the sun to become sunglasses) were dorky. How wrong I was! I LOVE my new glasses so much and it’s saved me money since I get eyeglasses and sunglasses in one pair.

One note: Jins is based in Japan, so shipping can take forever—especially if they need to special-order any lenses. Still worth it though.”

“When someone mentions that my skin looks great, I typically credit my skincare and treatments, BUT I also give credit to my makeup. Between a nice dewy foundation (see above) and highlighter, you can really make skin look dewy and plump. 

This has been my go-to highlighter for years. It’s a really smooth liquid formula that squeezes out of the bottle like liquid gold. I kid you not: I dot a little on the high points of my cheeks and people ALWAYS say, ‘wow your skin looks amazing.’ It reads as a natural glow rather than a reflective stripe of powder. I felt incredibly “seen” years ago when iconic makeup artist Daniel Martin told me it’s one of his favorites too.”

“I love a find that takes you by surprise. For as long as I can remember, I’ve told people that I prefer clean and citrus scents. So when I first smelled this new Aesop fragrance, I actually had a negative gut reaction. I was like, ‘Eww, I would never wear this.’ But within a few minutes of dry-down, my nose was plastered to my wrist and I couldn’t get enough. 

It dried down to a more powdery, spa-like scent that tickled that part of my brain and made me crave more. I haven’t stopped talking about it and wearing it since then.”

“My mom has the ultimate green thumb. Her orchids flower year-round! It’s truly like witchcraft. Me, on the other hand….I’m a notorious plant killer. One year, she sent me a trio of plants from Easyplant, which come in self-watering planters. Fill the reservoir with water once a month and that’s it. 

After living with faux botanicals around our house, it’s so nice to have real greenery around that I know (with near-certainty) I won’t kill. From a decor perspective, it’s really helped to zhuzh up the place.”

“As I mentioned, I work from home. In my past life as an Editor-in-Chief, I did my makeup and hair and dressed nicely every day. Now, I’m all about comfort and ease. 

That being said, I’ve found myself slipping into daily sweatpants life, and I’m trying to pull myself back from the abyss because I do think that I feel better about myself when I look at least slightly pulled together. So I’ve been on a mission to find cute, comfy clothes—like plain tees—that can be dressed up or down.”

“Korean skincare brands really know what they’re doing when it comes to hydration. These big, round pads are super-soaked with a niacinamide serum. You could just take one and sweep it around your face. But really, they’re intended as daily masks. 

I slap one on each cheek then fold or cut one in half for my forehead (I have limited space up there; definitely not a five-head). If I’m feeling particularly dehydrated, I’ll splash some other toners or essences (mugwort, bifida, etc.)  on each pad to DIY my own masks to get multiple benefits.”

My house is a graveyard of unloved fitness equipment: a spinning bike, a rowing machine, the walk-pad I was sure I’d use with my standing desk while I worked. But one piece of equipment that is getting consistent use is my little trampoline from The Ness.

It’s so fun! I have it set up downstairs in front of the TV as a good reminder to hop on whenever I’m watching a show. The best workouts are the ones you’ll actually do. And, at the moment, this one is a real winner.”

“After working in beauty for many years, people often ask me about the products that make the biggest impact. I’m big on treatments and services since, sometimes, OTC topicals alone may not lead to the fast, visible results that people are hoping for. But besides lasers, microneedling, and other pro treatments, one of the most proven, impactful ingredients is tretinoin. Even skincare beginners have probably heard about the benefits of retinol, but prescription-only tretinoin truly takes it to the next level.

But getting an appointment with a dermatologist and dealing with the cost can be daunting depending on where you live. So I love that Musely makes it easy to get Rx formulas custom-mixed for you. I’ve been using their Anti-Aging Cream for a while—its core ingredient is tretinoin (which helps to speed up cell turnover) and it’s less irritating than other formulas.”

“As I mentioned, my current fashion mission is cute + comfy. I’ve loved Reformation dresses for many years, but recently discovered that I also adore their denim. I’ve tried on high-rise jeans before and absolutely hated them. They were so unflattering and turned me instantly into a Minion, so I was beyond pleased when I found these intensely flattering Bex jeans. They hugged and slimmed in all the right places and made my legs look soooo long. And most importantly, they have a little stretch woven into the fabric so they’re extremely comfortable.”

“I’ve been traveling a lot, so I’ve grown to appreciate travel sizes of products. In fact, I’ve started stockpiling minis. I got this kit from luxury Korean skincare brand THE WHOO, and brought the trio with me on a trip to Asia. The serum + cream + eye cream lasted me the whole trip and my skin was GLOWING. 

One of the key ingredients is a rare wild ginseng that grows in the wild for decades before it can be harvested for use. My skin absolutely loves the  thick, rich Imperial Youth Cream in particular.”