It’s one thing to have good style, but it’s another to be able to pass on your styling expertise to others. If you want to be able to craft up ensembles as well as the best of celebrity stylists, then look no further than Homa Zaryouni. Not only does she have one of the most impressive closets you could imagine, but she’s also the founder of the fashion subscription box 10 Wooster, which sends a monthly array of stylish, personally-curated picks straight to your door.
Though her fashion knowledge is endless, she, of course, has an impeccable beauty routine that we all need to take note on (think: drugstore and luxury necessities, a cult-favorite comb that will save your strands, and the one unconventional place you should store your entire beauty arsenal). Below, we chat with Zaryouni on her essential beauty routine.
COOLS: Shower at night, morning, or both?
Homa Zaryouni: “Both. Once in the morning and once in the evening if I do an evening workout.”
COOLS: Daily alarm time? How many times do you hit snooze?
HZ: “7:15 a.m. Once or twice. I usually just jump and press the coffee machine button, and give myself some time to sleep while it brews.”
COOLS: If you’re running late, what’s the one thing you have to do?
HZ: “Spray on perfume. Santal 33 by Le Labo, to be specific. Smelling good always makes me feel good – even if I didn’t have time to go through my whole routine.”
COOLS: Favorite breakfast?
HZ: “A fruit and bran muffin from the Oslo Coffee near my place. It doesn’t taste sweet at all and has fresh fruit inside. The fruit tastes like it was just a little baked, not cooked until dry like most fruit in pastries. They have peach, plum, blueberry, and blackberry, depending on the day.”
COOLS: Weirdest morning beauty habit?
HZ: “I keep a lot of products in the fridge — eye cream, sunscreen, nail polish, lipsticks, blushes that I don’t wear often. I didn’t think it was weird until I had friends over for a party and got teased a bit for that. So I guess my weird beauty habit would be opening the fridge to figure out what I’m going to put on my face that day.”
COOLS: What does your morning hair-care routine look like?
HZ: “When I wake up, my hair is very tangled so I comb it with the Yves Durif comb. I caved and bought the comb the last time I did my cut-and-color at their salon. To be honest, I bought it for the looks but quickly realized it’s different from the plastic combs I had used before. Unlike the other combs I used, this one does not create frizz or static and does not flatten curls and waves.”
“If I wash my hair in the morning, I use Korres Sunflower Mountain Tea Shampoo and Conditioner. I came across those two at a drugstore on vacation in Greece. I bought it just to use on the trip and my hair instantly turned shinier. I filled my suitcase with about six bottles of each before coming home. I can’t find this at any mainstream US beauty store, so I stock up whenever I go to Europe. If I run out, I order a few bottles on some shady e-commerce site and cross my fingers that the product gets here. ”
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COOLS: How much time do you spend on your skincare routine?
HZ: “In the morning, my skincare and makeup routine takes 20 minutes. I wash my face with Biore charcoal cleanser then spray my face with Avene thermal spring water. I have no idea what this water does scientifically, but my skin just behaves after using this – less redness and fewer breakouts. Once it dries, I use the Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer (in the fall and winter, I apply the Avene moisturizer before that step but skip it when it’s humid). I use Lumene eye cream around the eyes. I came across this Finnish brand in beauty box someone gifted me, and I love it! I finished the sample and tracked down the brand to buy more. It was only sold on Amazon by third parties when I discovered it, but now Target carries their line.”
“For blush, I use the Glossier Cloud Paint in Dusk and Puff mixed in equal parts. For lips, I use the Arrow Boost color enhancing lip balm. This was another great subscription box find. The formula comes in one color, but the particles react with your skin chemicals to create the ideal color for your lips. The concept is so futuristic I didn’t believe it! I read the packaging and thought, ‘Whatever, it will make a good lip balm.’ Then one day when I wore it I saw that the color of my lips had changed, and they looked better than they did with any lipstick. It really was the match for my skin tone.”
“I use Marc Jacobs mascara and Eyeko eyeliner and head out. I skip this last step and the blush step if I’m short on time. At night, I spend about 10 minutes on skincare. I clean off any makeup with Bioderma before washing my face with Biore charcoal soap. I put a couple of drops of Lumene Valo Glow Boost Essence on my skin after that followed by Avene moisturizer. The last thing is Shiseido brow and lash conditioner on my brows. “
COOLS: How long do you usually take to get ready for the day?
HZ: “Two hours, but one of those hours is work-related. I have been making it a point to wear one item from the 10 Wooster closet every day. For example, I get dressed as I normally would and decide to swap my normal white top with a print silk one that is a sample from the 10 Wooster closet. This process gives me an idea about how the pieces we place in our subscriber’s boxes look and feel throughout the day. Do they wrinkle by noon? Are they breathable? Can I move easily in them? What parts of the body do they cling to?”
“I also think about fit – like would this dress be better for a top-heavy or bottom-heavy person? How would the fit be different if I was taller or shorter? I want to think about all aspects of the clothing we send out through our subscription service and get a feel for what subscribers experience when they receive and wear items in their boxes. Forcing myself to pair 10 Wooster pieces with items in my closet pushes me to be creative, and think about styling tips we could give to subscribers.”
COOLS: What’s the one product you could never leave the house without putting on?
HZ: “The Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. It has sunscreen, moisturizes, and evens out skin tone.”
COOLS: The first word/thing that popped into your head this morning?
HZ: “I thought about the debates I watched last night, and who is going to win the democratic nomination.”
COOLS: What’s your favorite morning read?
HZ: “BBC news on my phone, followed by a few articles from the New York Times.”
COOLS: What’s on your nightstand right now?
HZ: “Three New Yorker magazines, open and laid flat where I plan to continue reading. The Yves Durif comb I just told you about. A bottle of Santal 26. A plate of small pieces of jewelry I rotate.”
COOLS: What’s the current ringtone on your alarm?
HZ: “Reflection, the default.”
COOLS: Coffee, tea, or go-to morning drink?
HZ: “Coffee. I like strong filtered coffee with a little bit of whole milk. In the summer, I switch to cold brew.”
COOLS: What’s the last thing you did before you headed out the door today?
HZ: “Grabbed my headphones and a pack of face blotting papers, because I have dinner plans after work and this weather means I need to blot. I rotate different brands but I’m using Tatcha now. It leaves makeup on, and the gold flakes make the gross act of removing sweat and oil feel glamorous.”