213DELI X GLOSS ANGELES 2023 BEST IN BEAUTY
I’ve been a beauty junkie since I was reading Seventeen Magazine in my bedroom in junior high
school in 1990. When “new media” (ahem, social media) began to reign supreme, I started
joking that I was single handedly keeping the print magazines in business because I was the
last person paying for their subscriptions. And now I love my beauty podcasts as much as I
loved those glossy mags when I was growing up.
One of my all time fav pods is Gloss Angeles. It’s co-hosted by gal pals and fellow beauty
experts Sara Tan and Kirbie Johnson who are fun, funny and super knowledgeable about
beauty because they’re just as passionate as I am.
In 2019 Kirbie and Sara decided to put all of their DMs, emails and text messages out into the
world as a podcast, and Gloss Angeles was born. They met in 2017 and have spent a majority of their time together since attending events, master classes, press trips, and over-the-top
launch parties for beauty brands, giving them plenty of stories and secrets to share.
Before that, Kirbie spent 8 years at POPSUGAR testing beauty products and building their
beauty video vertical, which touched millions of consumers. She has tested thousands of beauty
products and produced over 500 beauty segments and interviewed everyone from Jennifer
Aniston and Viola Davis to Kim Kardashian West and Machine Gun Kelly. Kirbie is a die-hard
beauty junkie and has been a featured host on Freeform and an expert on The Today Show,
The Doctors and the BBC. She’s also one of the most fun girls in beauty and has thus emceed
events for Create & Cultivate, DragCon, Tarte Cosmetics, VidCon, Ulta Beauty and more.
Kirbie’s a freelance beauty editor who has written for everyone that matters including Allure,
Elle, Glamour, The Hollywood Reporter, The Cut, Byrdie and more. She was just featured in
Vogue.com for her utterly epic Halloween costume inspired by Doja Cat’s Schiaparelli look by
Pat McGrath.
Sara Tan became the Beauty Director at Refinery29 after spending seven years as the Senior Fashion and Beauty editor at Bustle. She’s a beauty junkie and writer who has contributed to all of the women’s and lifestyle publications that matter including Allure, InStyle, People, Parents, Coveteur, BRIDES, and Women’s Health and more.
She spends most of her time searching for the latest skincare, makeup, and style trends, interviewing celebrities and experts on their favorite products and routines, and reporting on the newest launches you should know about.
Gloss Angeles is an “edu-tainment” podcast, combining their passion for beauty with their love of Los Angeles and celebrity culture. Amen.
For the first time ever, Kirbie and Sara are making their famous holiday gift guide shoppable
exclusively via 213Deli. They have curated five exclusive collections, trios of amazing products
from the best brands.
THE ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY
Not only have Kirbie and Sara curated five epic, exclusive, limited edition collections for 213Deli, but we’re also giving a few away! Everyone who purchases any of the collections before
December 8 is entered to win EVERY PRODUCT IN EVERY COLLECTION! That’s 15 products worth over $425! Three winners will be announced December 8th at 5pm PST.
Keep reading to shop every collection and be entered to win!!
THE SUNDAE
“When selecting these brands, we thought they complemented each other in unique ways — as
editors, we love the strong brands Half Magic, Lawless and Vacation have individually created;
we’re always impressed with what they bring to the table. And it turns out these viral products
make an excellent beauty sundae. Consider your face & body the ice cream. Add Half Magic’s
Mouth Cloud in Magic Brownie for a light-as-air, decadent base to the lips. Spray some of
Vacation’s creamy Classic Whip SPF 30 Sunscreen Mousse on for protection, then top things off
with Lawless’s Forget the Filler Lip Plumper Line-Filling Gloss in Cherry Vanilla for nostalgic tint
and scent.
Not only are these brands we sing the praises of — IYKYK if you’re a long-standing Glamgeleno
— but we’ve both covered the launches of each, which makes their success all these years later even more special.” Kirbie & Sara
If any of these are new to you, you’re in for a treat. Half Magic’s Mouth Cloud in Magic Brownie (a rosy brown shade) is an addictive, velvety-soft lip cream that gives all day matte coverage but never looks or feels dry.
Vacation’s Classic Whip SPF 30 is a lighter-than-air (Oxybenzone & Octinoxate free) sunscreen
made with eco-friendly propellants and an authentic whip cream “tilt valve” that produces the perfect star-shaped foam just like your fav whip does! It’s derm tested and safe for sensitive skin and smells divine.
Lawless Forget the Filler Gloss in Cherry Vanilla (a sheer red with a nostalgic cherry vanilla
flavor) should be a staple in your arsenal. It’s a clinically proven high-shine plumper that plumps
without stinging or irritating the lips. The magic is in the maxi-lip, shea butter and rosehip oil.
WELL TRAVELED
Whether you’re into a Korean inspired 15 step routine or like to keep it simple, hydration is the key in any good skincare routine. Kirbie and Sara have curated the Well Traveled Collection inspired by their tried and true skincare savers that deliver extra hydration. It’s perhaps easiest to notice how dehydrated your skin is when you’re traveling, especially if you’re on a long haul flight.
The Well Traveled Collection includes three of our favorite skincare staples. The Summer
Fridays Rich Cushion Cream + the travel sized Summer Friday’s Jet Lag Mask + 111Skin Rose
Gold Facial Brightening Treatment.
“The key to keeping your skin in check while traveling? Products that won’t add any more
stress. We have been longtime fans of Summer Fridays whose first launch ever was the cult-
favorite Jet Lag Mask. It’s a great skin pick-me-up with ingredients like glycerin and
antioxidants. Plus, you can use it in a variety of ways, not just as a mask.
The brand’s newest launch, the Rich Cushion Cream Plumping Moisturizer, supports your
moisture barrier and includes chamomile and allantoin to calm your skin too — anyone whose
skin can’t get enough moisture will love this! Both have the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance so you can use them care-free.
And for when you’re traveling for a big event, having 111Skin’s Rose Gold Facial Brightening
Treatment is a total treat. We’ve been told by various makeup artists throughout our careers that
they keep these in their kits to get their client relaxed and ready for makeup application before
red carpets, and we love it because it gives instant results when you need them. Ingredients like
colloidal gold, peptides and rose demask tighten and plump the skin while reducing
inflammation. You can use the leftover essence on your skin by patting it in. Plus, the mask
itself is biodegradable.” Kirbie & Sara
FRAGRANCE WARDROBE
We’ve put together our 2023 Best In Beauty Fragrance Wardrobe with this three piece collection
of travel sized scents. Each is inspired by our home town of Los Angeles.
“We love pairing different fragrances together to create a unique wardrobe of scents to play with. In the Fragrance Wardrobe, Phlur, Ellis Brooklyn and Jennifer Meyer come together in this curated
aromatic kit.
The best part of testing new perfume is figuring out exactly what notes speak to you. Do you
prefer commanding fragrances like Phlur’s Father Figure, which features notes of fig, cassis,
sandalwood and madagascar vanilla to make you feel cool in the boardroom or the classroom?
Or do you prefer bright citrusy scents, like WEST from Ellis Brooklyn, which was inspired by the
Los Angeles writers of the ‘70s. Blood orange, basil, pear blossom and ginger will leave you
feeling refreshed and positive. Or maybe Jennifer Meyer’s eponymous fragrance feels like home
to you — it was inspired by her childhood on the beach in Malibu. Notes of cranberry, strawberry,
coconut water and neroli make it feel like an endless summer… even when it’s snowing out.
Whether you’re a fragrance fiend or just getting into figuring out the best perfumes for you, this
trio is the perfect jumping off point. (And makes an excellent gift for coworkers, dog walkers, and nieces!)” Kirbie & Sara
If you visit Phlur’s website, Father Figure is described as “Commanding yet tender at the same time. Rooted in lushness, FATHER FIGURE is a vivid green fragrance that captures the intimate feeling of cool. Opening with fleshy fig and dewy cassis, then folding into a creamy sandalwood, orris root, vanilla madagascar, FATHER FIGURE is layered and vibrant. Skin musks and sheer
patchouli add intimacy and sensuality.”
In an interview, Phlur founder Chriselle Lim described the scent this way – Father Figure is
almost like the new Chriselle. Everyone’s saying, ‘I love this era of Chriselle.’ It’s the I don’t give
a fuck era. I would always envision myself being this badass woman… that is just hot and
feeling so confident, and living up to her full potential. She’s shining bright, and she just does
not give a fuck..
Bee shapiro created Ellis Brooklyn after writing about beauty for the New York Times for over a
decade. She had fallen in love with beauty, especially fragrance — “it’s a powerful, invisible
language that can tell a story or conjure a keen memory in one concise sniff. Especially in our
world of non-stop, intense visual imagery, fragrance reconnects us to our sense of smell but
also to a present state of mind.”
In her words, “Inspired by Los Angeles writers of the ’70s, West bursts forth with the energy of a
brilliant new idea and develops into a story that’s nuanced and devastatingly beautiful.”
WEST has top notes of blood orange, clementine, lemon and basil that venture into mid notes of pear blossom, water lily and ginger and finally settle into vetiver, amber and oakmoss.
Jennifer Meyer, a native Angeleno like myself, launched her fine jewelry collection in 2005. The
brand is founded on the idea that jewelry should be more than an accessory. Each design is
intended to become a seamless extension of those wearing it — a symbol of luck, celebration
and love. One of my absolute favorite pieces is the FUCK stud earring, though she has plenty
of softer designs as well featuring hamsas and hearts.
As a seamless extension of her creativity she recently launched a gorgeous fragrance called
Jennifer Meyer. The fresh scent evokes the feeling of a sun drenched day spent by the ocean.
With top notes of cranberry, strawberry, and coconut water and layers of waterlily and white
floral accord, the scent is a personal expression that represents Jen’s childhood memories of
growing up in Malibu.
“Days spent on the beach are some of my favorite memories. I wanted to bottle up the scent of
that yummy, fresh air and happy summer feeling to make it last forever.”
GLOW BUSINESS
I love the name of this collection, Glow Business. I’ve been in the glow business since I started
my career in beauty nearly twenty years ago. I’ve said it a million times before, and I’ll keep
saying it. Women are gorgeous. We’re powerful and smart and amazing, and none of us need
makeup. But makeup sure does give us all a kick of confidence. When you wake up not feeling
100% that bitch, all you need is a swipe of red lipstick and you’re instantly taller, faster, smarter,
thinner and back to your best. Right?!
Kirbie and Sara have curated three gorgeous products to get you glowy for all the parties you’re going to for the rest of the year in this 2023 Best in Beauty Glow Business Collection featuring Saie Glowy Supergel Universal + Urban Decay 24/7 Moondust Glitter Eyeshadow Single in Space Cowboy + about face light Lock Lip Gloss Prelude.
“It’s that time of year where glowing is mandatory! The Glow Business Collection includes three brands we adore with iconic products to give you a little shimmer this holiday season — or all year round!
Urban Decay’s 24/7 Moondust Glitter Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy is 10 years old but recently
had a resurgence — this shadow has 1.5 billion views on TikTok for good reason! This never-
level shimmer eyeshadow looks gorgeous on all skin tones and is a light champagne gold with
silver sparkle that looks almost opaque with one swipe.
About-face makes some of our favorite lip products and has an incredible selection of fractal-
inspired products to make you gleam, but we’re partial to the Light Lock Lip Gloss in Prelude
which makes a perfect topper to any lipstick shade with its buttery application and golden pearl finish.
Saie’s Glowy Super Gel is a water-based illuminator and may be meant for the face, but you’ll
find applying it all over your decolletage neck and arms (even legs!) will replace your favorite
shimmery body oil. It comes in a universally-flattering champagne shade to leave you looking
radiant!
So glow on, Glamgelenos! You deserve it!” Kirbie and Sara
The Saie glowy supergel in universal champagne is the ultimate multi-tasker. You can use it as
a glowy primer under your foundation or dab it onto your high points as a highlighter or mix it
into your skincare or liquid foundation to turn matte into shimmer or use it on your body for an all
over glow. This is the ultimate must-have for all glow-ups!!
The Urban Decay 24/7 Moondust Glitter Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy is perhaps the very best
shimmer shadow on planet earth. I said it. This high-performance (ahem stay all night), vegan
eyeshadow delivers microfine eye glitter for the most sparkly, supercharged color and shimmery
finish, and it will last all night long even on New Year’s Eve when you own the dancefloor.
The about face Light Lock Lip Gloss in Prelude is a vegan lip oil slash buttery gloss infused with
coconut oil to soften the pout. Prelude goes on sheer leaving a glassy shine with lasting power.
It’s perfect alone or over a red lip if you want to add shine!
THE LA FACE
Los Angeles. The City of Angels. Lala Land. My hometown is by far one of the world’s most
amazing cities. The sun shines all year. There are more stars on the streets than in the sky.
And everyone is beautiful.
LA is a story telling town, and the beauty industry is a story telling industry. You buy products
because you fall in love with the story behind the brand even if you don’t realize it. The people
talking about a brand, the stores it’s sold in, the images you see of the models wearing the
products. Those are all part of the story of a brand, and it’s what draws you in. You buy a
second time because it’s good, but that first purchase is because of the story.
So many utterly amazing brands were born in LA: Hard Candy, Smashbox, Too Faced, and the
list goes on.
Kirbie and Sara have curated three gorgeous, versatile products to take you from the beach to
the red carpet and anywhere in between in this 2023 Best in Beauty LA Face Collection
featuring Tower 28 Make Waves Mascara + Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze + Caliray Big
Swell Lip Plumper.
You’ll find the Tower 28 Make Waves Mascara Black (an Allure Best in Beauty winner) on just
about every list of Best Mascaras on the world wide web because it does it all. It lengthens, adds volume and even curls the lashes. It’s safe for sensitive eyes and has a curved “Triple-
Wave Wand” made of three flexible suspended bands to pick up every single lash. Best thing
about it, though, is the patented technology that keeps it from running even in high humidity! It’s
a tubing mascara, which means the liquid forms a tube around each of your lashes. That’s what
makes it smudge proof. When you wash it off, the tubes effortlessly slide right off the lashes
and your whole face isn’t black.
Tower28 was founded by a beauty industry vet, Amy Liu. She launched the brand with the
express aim of creating products for people with sensitive skin like her. The brand has become
an indie darling and one of our favs. What’s the name about? Tower28 is a real lifeguard tower
in LA and a literal sign of safety, community, healthy fun and clean living.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Freeze is arguably the best brow product on earth from the
Godmother of the eyebrow herself, Anastasia Soare. Made with glycerin, Brow Freeze is
conditioning and gives your brows a flexible hold that stays all day! Simply brush a tiny bit of
the gel-wax through your brows with the included spoolie and shape your desired arches.
Anastasia is living the American dream. She moved to LA from her native Romania in the 80s
and became an esthetician. She quickly realized that the brows were her ticket to stardom and
created her signature brow shaping technique. She’s perfected the brows of mega celebs from
Cindy Crawford to Oprah! She launched her beauty brand Anastasia Beverly Hills in 2000 and
is now sold all over the world.
Plumped lips are in, and (whether you’re into fillers or not) you can instantly get that kiss-me-
now pout with Caliray’s Big Swell Hydrating Glassy Lip Plumper. This hydrating lip plumper will
give you up to 40% fuller lips and a little tingle. The jelly cream texture of this clean formula goes on clear via the hourglass applicator and pops illuminating iridescence + high glassy shine. Wear it alone or over your favorite lipstick.
Caliray was founded by Wende Zomnir (who also founded Urban Decay and later sold it to
L’Oreal) and her soul sister Jenna Dover. Two California girls with deep beauty industry
experience came together to launch a brand paying tribute to the California girl in all of us. The brand’s mantra is “life’s too short to spend it getting ready. so let your hair down and come play. maybe even take your top off if you’re feeling it.” Amen.
THE ULTIMATE GIVEAWAY
Not only have Kirbie and Sara curated five epic, exclusive, limited edition collections for 213Deli,
but we’re also giving a few away! Everyone who purchases any of the collections before
December 8 is entered to win EVERY PRODUCT IN EVERY COLLECTION! That’s 15
products worth over $425! Three winners will be announced December 8th at 5pm PST.
Happy gifting…or shopping for yourself!
213Deli editors are beauty experts with eons of years of experience under our belts. We’ve tried it all and keep on trying everything new that comes out in an effort to save you the headache of wasting your time and money on things that aren’t worth it. We only write about and recommend products we truly love and are pretty sure you’ll also love. All products are chosen independently by our editorial team. If you buy something we link to, 213Deli may earn a commission.