Welcome to I Swear by This, an interview series where we chat with our favorite fashion and beauty insiders about the beauty products they use down to the last drop. This week, we asked Jessica Matlin, longtime beauty editor, co-host of the Fat Mascara podcast, and most recently named the director of beauty at Moda Operandi, to share all the products she’s loving right now.
If there was a beauty editor hall of fame, Jessica Matlin would have earned her spot years ago. There are few people with her knowledge, experience, and intuition in the industry. So it came as no surprise when Matlin was appointed director of beauty at Moda Operandi and tasked with launching their new beauty vertical. Her time working at publications such as Cosmopolitan, Teen Vogue, and Harper’s Bazaar and hosting one of the top beauty podcasts, Fat Mascara, gives the e-commerce site an undeniable advantage against its competitors. “What Moda does brilliantly with fashion, home, and jewelry is pick the best of the best,” she explains. “I say with Moda you’re not gonna find everything, but you’re gonna find the best of everything. I think that there is a client who wants that and I think they certainly want that with beauty.”
Matlin was challenged with leading the curation process ahead of the launch. While narrowing down the final product list was a familiar experience, it required a slightly different approach. She was strategic when picking out the heroes and hidden gems that could stand on their own. “What’s very clear is that brands are not being positioned in the way that they might necessarily want to be at retailers. They want their stories told in a different way. They are amongst 650 other brands online so they want to be in a place where they’re shining, whether it’s the copy written about them, the way they’re shot, or simply who they’re next to,” she explains. “Moda was co-founded by a former Vogue editor so there’s a real editorial spirit there. It’s been really exciting to see how Moda can serve these brands in a way that’s quite different in the marketplace.”
Although the initial assortment of haircare, skincare, makeup, fragrance, and body is currently live on the Moda Operandi website, Matlin notes that this is only the beginning. “We will be adding much more in 2023. So expect devices, wellness, and for us to go much deeper into the categories we already have,” she teases.
So how exactly do brands make Matlin’s list? “When it comes to newer brands, I look for a creator who really cares about what they’re doing and it doesn’t feel like they’ve just hopped on a trend,” she says. “I look for a founder or brand that has credibility. Why are they in this space? Are they passionate about it? And if I’m testing a product, I use it consistently before I suggest it to our clients.”
Having witnessed the many ebbs and flows of the beauty space, I asked Matlin her thoughts on where the industry stands today. “I’ve probably seen over a million products cross my desk and I don’t necessarily think more is more. We’re kind of at peak beauty right now; there is so much out there,” she says. “It’s very crowded in terms of product, and there’s a whole lot to choose from. I don’t think there is this one particular look; it’s very experimental. I’m personally not a fan of chasing one trend and going with it. I’m more about doing what works for you and giving people options.”
Below, Matlin shares a few of her favorite products within the Moda Operandi selection. She details the iconic products exclusive to the luxury retailer, the fragrance her team is obsessed with, and the face mask that has traveled with her through many seasons of life.
Leather Petals Eau de Parfum
“This isn’t something that goes in my makeup bag but it is on my desk at work and I also have a bottle at home. The name of the fragrance is so evocative. I think a lot of leather fragrances can almost smell too leathery. This is balanced out by floral notes, it’s got a little spice, and there’s a soapiness to it. I had it out on the desk where our beauty team sits and whenever we spray it people would come by and go, what is that?”
Régime Les Fleurs
Secret Sauce
“Iván Pol is [the facialist behind] The Beauty Sandwich and he created something called The Sauce which Moda has the exclusive on. He is a big skincare guru and works with everybody including our co-founder Lauren Santo Domingo. What I loved about working with him is that when he explained The Sauce to us, he’s like, it’s not a serum, it’s not an oil, it’s a sauce. And I was like, okay great but like what is it? He said, no, it’s a sauce. It’s a completely new category in skincare. I love that kind of innovation. It hydrates, gives your skin nutrients, but it also gives you a glow. Everyone who leaves his facial bed has this incredible glow and now it’s in a bottle.”
The Beauty Sandwich
Universal Triple Action Daily Peel
“I use the BeautyStat Triple Action Daily Peel all the time. [The brand founder] Ron Robinson is somebody I’ve been interviewing for years. He is a great cosmetic chemist, super smart, and I trust anything he does. The peels are gentle and immediately leave your skin feeling softer and smoother. They’re awesome for somebody who is just starting to get into peels but they’re also just as great for skincare die-hards.”
BeautyStat
Enzyme Exfoliant Mask
“I don’t know how many masks I’ve tried in my life or how many have crossed my desk, but I will always have a place for Tracie Martyn Enzyme Exfoliant. Your skin will definitely have a brighter, smoother glow, your pores are less noticeable, and your face feels cleaner. You want to see results now? Here you go, use this. And if you choose to wear makeup, it’ll make it go on smoother.”
Tracie Martyn
Wild Star Pressed Pigment Palette
“Isamaya is definitely one of my favorite makeup artists and I think there’s so much creativity to her collection. She’s a visionary. Everything she does is theatrical and each collection is a concept from start to finish, which I admire. Every element feels so considered and you’ll never mistake her products for anybody else’s.
“The Wild Star Palette has really cool metallic colors and is inspired by a diamond rodeo. It’s very showy, but it’s supposed to be glamorous and tongue in cheek. People are very comfortable wearing neutrals right now. This Wild Star Palette is not casual. It’s kind of like a kick in the pants to get out of your neutrals rut, however you wanna use it. You don’t have to go all out and put the hot pink shimmer all over your lid. But what if you just dabbed it on the inner corners? Life’s too short.”
Isamaya
The Hand Exfoliant
“I wouldn’t be surprised if this product becomes an essential. I think you’re only supposed to use it once a day, but I am naughty and I use it several times. It inspires you to want to take care of yourself a little bit. I also like that there is a kindness to the product. [The founder] was inspired by how her grandmother took care of herself and had super soft hands. It’s almost like love is in the product which made me feel really happy.”
Sidia
The Shampoo
“I know [the brand] is known for skincare, but I will say that the shampoo leaves my hair feeling lighter, cleaner, and shinier. [After I tried it] I understood what the hype was about.”
Augustinus Bader
Heel Renaissance Feet Mask
“Bastien is a medical pedicurist who is based in Paris. He is the most fabulous French man. He travels all over the world to do people’s feet. This [foot mask] has the ingredient urea [in its formula] and it’s incredible for getting those really tough calluses on the skin.”
Révérence de Bastien
Luminescent Eye Shade
“I think Chantecaille is great at sophisticated shimmer. They put just the right amount where you could wear the eyeshadows every day and still feel polished. It’s almost impossible to overdo it.”
Chantecaille
Rosa Novella Bath Gel
“One of the easiest ways to make your bathroom feel nice is to dress it up with beautiful products. Santa Maria Novella has the most incredible packaging and the fragrances are incredible. This is a brand that’s over 800 years old—talk about credibility. Also, if you wanna get somebody something, nothing is more impressive than showing up with a Santa Maria Novella soap.”
Santa Maria Novella
The Renewal Mask
“I don’t like hair masks that you have to wear for very long because who has the time? I put this on for a few minutes then I’m good. It definitely makes a difference because my hair can be quite frizzy. [This formula] is not very thick; you can comb it through and rinse it out very quickly and it’s very easy to use.”
Crown Affair
