One scroll through TikTok, and it’s obvious: We all want to know what everyone is putting on their face. A-listers, influencers, complete randoms, it doesn’t matter, so long as your vitamin C serum recommendation is on point and your commentary is top-tier. “Get Ready With Me” videos have become the national pastime of beauty lovers with an endless pit of content to watch on repeat. However, the most recent “GRWM” we watched came with some tips and tricks we don’t hear often—straight from Jennifer Garner’s mouth.
On December 12, Vogue shared the latest episode of its “Beauty Secrets” series, giving us a peek at the actor’s getting ready process. Her “quick as possible” routine only takes a handful of products to get her skin clean, hydrated, protected, and tinted.
Like many other beauty enthusiasts, Garner swears by a double cleansing method. At the start of the video, she had a bit of makeup already on, so she first removed it with the Rationale The PreCleanse Balm ($111) before cleansing again with the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Gel Cleanser ($120).
After that, it was time for the fun stuff. Garner likes to exfoliate with YSE Beauty Your Favorite Ex Exfoliating Pads ($72) before going in with three different hyaluronic acid products. First, she adds Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum ($15) for a first layer of hydration, followed by Neutrogena Hydro Boost Moisturizer ($20). The last hyaluronic acid step, and the final step in her skincare, is the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen ($16). She happens to love the skincare ingredient because she has been “buddies with all these chemists” over the years—Garner is the longtime face of the Hydro Boost line—who taught her how it brings and locks moisture on the surface of her skin and adds a layer of “poof” and volume.
Her last step, sunscreen, is what she says is the most important. She says that “Nothing looks better in your fifties than sunscreen in your twenties,” which is why it’s the only product she makes sure her kids use every day.
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Then, she gave us the run-down of her simple every day makeup routine. She says that she rarely used to do her own makeup, but she learned a lot of tips doing her own glam for virtual press during the pandemic.
First, she applies the Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick ($68) under her eyes and wherever she has any redness. “This is my favorite thing that I have—I have a couple of them, that’s how serious I am,” she says. “If I use it up I get another one.” Then, she goes in with something she recently learned the importance of—bronzer. She likes to use Chanel’s Les Beiges Healthy Glow Bronzing Cream ($60) and applies it on her forehead, cheeks, and neck. The neck is the most important part, so she doesn’t look like a “popsicle.”
With the base finished, Garner adds some color with the Stila Convertible Color Lip & Cheek Cream Blush ($25), dabbing it on her cheeks and forehead. Then, whenever she feels extra fancy, she curls her eyelashes with the Surratt Relevee Lash Curler ($36) before adding a coat of Westman Atelier Eye Want You Mascara ($45). Her finishing touch and guilty pleasure splurge item is a coat of Hermès Rouge Hermès Matte Lipstick ($75).
However, there are two things she does post-glam to make sure her face looks its best. After applying lipstick, she takes a paper towel and blots it off her lips before applying it again. She says it “saturates” the color better and makes the pigment last longer. Same with her foundation—she takes a towel to her face to take off the excess and give it a more natural appearance.