Her Top 11: Elcie Cosmetics Founder and Instagram Star, Lilit Caradanian

In this series, Top 11, influential people with share 11 ways they take care of themselves including beauty, skincare, and aesthetics. Knowledge is power!

While impressive, it’s not uncommon to see a beauty blogger with over one million Instagram followers these days. What is unique: having that vast of a social media presence and also owning your own multi-million dollar cosmetics brand. Lilit Caradanian has succeeded at both.

Caradanian is one of the originals — she started her blog 15 years ago! The former makeup artist (she retired a few years ago to pursue her own line) gained followers by sharing everything from foundation-application tips to sweet moments with her daughter. Now she runs a makeup school in California while running Elcie Cosmetics^SM. (In case you were wondering, the name “Elcie” is inspired by the phonetic pronunciation of her initiations).

On the subject of face coverage, her Micro Silk Foundation was the hero product that put Elcie on the map. Now, the brand has everything from concealers to highlighters and pigmented eye shadows. A Spotlyte favorite is the Hydra Enhancer — a jasmine-scented facial mist and setting spray.

“Skincare plays a big part my cosmetics line,” Caradanian says. “I started the line with the ‘flawless skin’ look in mind. Many people want coverage but they don’t want to look like they have much on. I created a foundation that lets your skin breathe and looks natural on your skin with beneficial ingredients such as vitamins A,C, and E; as well as white and green tea extracts.”

When it comes to her own skincare routine, we have a lot of questions. Just looking at her photo, it’s clear that Caradanian knows the secrets to achieving a bright, glowing complexion. “I am a big believer that skincare comes first before makeup, but I learned that not everyone is as loyal to their skincare as they are to their makeup.”

Here, she shares 11 ways she takes care of her skin.

Facials: “I get a facial once every four to six months. Facials can vary from getting extractions to collagen and vitamin infusion to HydraFacials and glycolic peels. For my glycolic peels, I go to Aina at Dr. Rubinstein’s Dermatology and Laser Centre.”

Kopari© Coconut Cleansing Oil ($32):   “I use this to remove my makeup. I spritz one or two pumps in the palm of my hand, and rub it all over the face to remove my makeup from the day. The coconut oil beads up on the face, which starts to separate the makeup from the actual skin. This literally melts off every drop of makeup.”

Glytone^® Mild Gel Cleanser ($32): “I love to use a cleanser after a cleansing oil. My favorite cleanser right now is this Glytone one. After the cleansing oil, the cleanser removes the impurities versus just removing the makeup. The cleanser refreshes my skin while gently exfoliating the surface. I love this because I am confident in the removal of dirt and oil from my face so I feel super clean.”

Elcie^® Cosmetics Glow Enhancer ($94): “I use this every morning! This product has some of the richest oils for your skin including jojoba oil, rosehip oil, and meadowfoam oil, which are perfect to help with anti-aging, nourishing and controlling the sebum in your skin. It’s also the perfect dry oil to help prep the skin for makeup.

Drunk Elephant^TM TLC Glycolic Night Serum ($90): “I like to use this serum before bed. It has 12 percent AHA/BHA which helps refine the skin and minimize pore. It leaves my skin feeling and appearing smoother.”

Belif© The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb ($46): “When my skin is feeling extra dry, or it needs a bit of a boost, I use this cream. I use it at night because it is a little too heavy to use in the daytime for me. It’s a super intense hydrating moisturizer, which I use to give my skin the suppleness it needs.”

Lapcos Sheet Mask^® ($34): “I love any and all sheet masks! I like to experiment with masks from various brands with different ingredients. I love the Lapcos face masks! Depending on what my skin needs that day, I will switch between moisturizing, hydrating, pore cleansing, brightening, etc. I use sheet masks about twice a week.”

Thayers© Witch Hazel ($9) “I find that when you wash your skin, the water leaves it super dry; so the serums and moisturizers you apply after washing have a hard time absorbing into the skin. Using a toner, such as this one, not only controls the pH balance of your skin, but is the perfect way to prep the skin. I like to add this to masks sometimes. I will also use it to make sure I have removed all makeup in hard to clean areas like around the hairline.”

Dr. Rubinstein Skin Renewal Pads ($60): “These pads are like a facial in a jar! I like to use them twice a week. To use, I apply one pad all over my skin and let sit for 15 minutes before washing off. It leaves my skin feeling brighter, exfoliated and it reduces the appearance of pores!”

SkinMedica^® Lytera^® 2.0 Pigment Correcting Serum ($154): “During the summer, it is common to experience hyperpigmentation from increased sun exposure. I like to use this serum daily for about a month. I notice spots right after I am in the sun, so I use it immediately after. This can vary depending on one’s sensitivity to the sun.”

Murad^® Retinol Youth Renewal Eye Serum ($85): “In the evenings, I like to use this eye serum. It’s a potent formula that helps diminish the look of fine lines and wrinkles, while helping with puffiness and dark circles.”