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When you're on the road as much as Keri Hilson is, you need to rely on products you can find anywhere. So Hilson has perfected a beauty routine where almost every single product can be found at your local CVS. "I'm a really simple person," says Hilson. "I live on the road. I like to have a very small toiletry bag and I pack very smart." We spoke to the Wilhelmina-represented musician about her beauty routine, how she takes care of her braids, and why water is the "ultimate beauty hack."
What are your favorite skin-care products? "I wash my face with Clean & Clear Daily Pore Cleanser in the morning and at night. Clean & Clear is one of my favorite lines for face washes because at night, it's the only thing that I really need to get all my makeup off. I only have to use it once. It's very gentle and it cuts all the grease from my mascara. Sometimes in the morning I'll exfoliate with St. Ives Fresh Skin Apricot Scrub. I love it because it comes in travel size and you don't need to use a lot it. I moisturize in the morning with Olay Age Defying Classic Daily Renewal Cream.
Do you always make sure to take off all your makeup at night? "Sometimes I just use Pond's Evening Soothe Wet Cleansing Towelettes at night. My favorite is the lavender-scented one. With these wipes, I don't have to wash my face. I use two for good measure and to make sure I'm getting all the residue of the day off."
What's your usual daytime makeup look? "I don't like to wear a whole lot of makeup. If I'm going to the studio or the grocery store, I just put on concealer, foundation, a little mascara, and gloss. I use Cinema Secrets Ultimate Foundation Palette—it has your concealer, your foundation, and your contour all on a palette. My favorite mascara is Laura Mercier Faux Lash Mascara. Occasionally, I'll do my brows if they're grown out pretty badly. I'll tame them with my Damone Roberts Brow Powder. My favorite gloss right now is a cross between Butter London Lippy Shimmer Lip Gloss in Swish and Chanel Lèvres Scintillantes Glossimer in 297 Sweet Beige. The Chanel one has a little more shimmer. At night, I switch my gloss to Tabbycat Cosmetics in Cocoa Puff."
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Do you have any contouring tips? "I don't contour every day, but if I'm going to a brunch and I know I'll be outside, contouring is a must. I love popping out my cheekbones by placing the contour from Cinema Secrets in the dent between my cheekbone and my jawbone. I prefer bronzer over highlighters because it's something I can wear any day, especially if I'm outside. My favorite bronzer isLaura Mercier Shimmer Bloc.
I see you have braids right now. How do you take care of them? "For braids, you need to have an oil sheen to keep your hair shiny and moisturized. I usually choose mine based on how good it smells. I've been using Ampro Style Protein Styling Gel for my edges ever since I was in high school. When my hair is in braids, my edges are basically on my face, so I don't want my face to look greasy. The Ampro gel dries pretty matte. The other product I love is Avlon Keracare Edge Tamer for when my edges are going back off of my face."
What's your best beauty tip? "My favorite beauty secret is water—it's the ultimate beauty hack. Just drinking enough of it can fix so many things. I like to drink one to two gallons a day. I don't like bottles because they're hard to keep up with. I go to the store and I buy a bunch of them—they are lined up in my kitchen. I grab one every morning. I just drag the gallon around with me all day. I don't always finish the second one, but I make sure that I finish the first. I really believe that is the key to my good skin, because the more water I drink the fewer products I have to use. If I know I'm on point with my water intake, sometimes at night I can just use the Pond's wipes and I know my skin already has the moisture that it needs."
How do you train your bladder to drink two gallons of water a day? "It only takes about three days to train your bladder. After the third day, you won't have to pee as much. When you first start drinking the gallon, you're going like every 30 minutes, But after that, it's like every couple of hours."
Who's your beauty icon? "I've said my mom all these years, but now I think it'sJennifer Lopez. She has amazing skin, an amazing body, and she's really maintaining her hair and skin well. I would really love to be J.Lo when I'm 46—especially after twins."
What kind of beauty tips did your mom teach you? "My mom was a model forEbony, and she taught me all my first beauty tips. I remember her helping me with my makeup for prom. My favorite mom beauty hack is using conditioner when you don't have shaving cream. It works amazingly—it actually might even get closer than some shaving creams and gels."
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