File under "things I absolutely never want to know in this lifetime": the number of hours I've spent down—like, very down—the bottomless black hole of Instagram's explore page. Of course, there's always a silver lining, and even though I've wasted hours of my life scrolling, liking, and saving, it's also where I've made some of my very best product and people discoveries. Case in point: makeup artist, brow expert, and founder of Los Angeles based beauty boutique Hairy Little Things Alixandria Capparelli. (Watch one—or 10—of her makeup reels or videos, and you'll instantly understand what I'm talking about.)
Capparelli is not only a genius when it comes to makeup but also a bona fide fairy godmother where brows and other in-demand beauty treatments (like lash extensions and lip blush) are concerned. Having obtained her California Esthetician License in 2010 and as one of the OG founding members of the on-demand beauty service Glamsquad, she has over 11 years of beauty knowledge and experience under her belt. In 2015, she coined her own microblading technique, the brow "fluff," and in 2017, she ultimately founded Hairy Little Things (aka, "where '90s brows go to die"), a boutique and go-to hub for all things beauty. And the rest, as they say, is history.
With stunning locations in both West Hollywood and Newport Beach, Hairy Little Things specializes in the aforementioned treatments like microblading, lip blush, and lash extensions, in addition to other buzzy services like lash-lifts and even makeup application. Capparelli's work can be seen on the red carpet, on TV, and in magazines, and she regularly works with members of the A-list such as Paris Hilton, Gwyneth Paltrow, Emma Roberts, Lisa Rinna, Whitney Port, Kathryn McPhee, Bethany Frankel, and more.
Most recently, she's added "new mom" to her résumé, and lucky for us, she's sharing her current list of beauty, fashion, wellness, and baby mainstays she simply can't live without (which, hopefully, can hold you over until you can make it in to see Capparelli and her amazing team IRL). Keep scrolling! She's taking us through all of her essentials just below.
#1: Brow Sculptor
I love this pencil for many reasons: 1) The color is a perfect ash undertone. (There is nothing worse than a warm-undertone brow pencil, unless you’re a redhead.) 2) I also really love the shape of the tip for precise lining, and it's a little chunkier, so it doesn't take me forever to fill in my thick brows. 3) Lastly, I love the dry consistency of it. It makes for a soft, almost powdery look.
#2: Jojoba Oil
This is my number one used skincare item, and I go through a 16-ounce bottle of this every month. I keep mine in the shower, and before I dry off, I apply jojoba oil all over my body and into every crack and crevice. I’ve suffered from eczema since I was a child, and I swear by this! I also believe that this is why I didn’t get one stretch mark during my entire pregnancy. I was oiled up like a glazed doughnut every day!
#3: Non-Toxic BB Cream
I have been using this BB cream as my foundation for nearly seven years. Not only is this BB cream free of all the nasty toxic ingredients that so many foundations include, but it also makes you GLOW! I also really love that it has buildable coverage. I like to apply a small half-pea-size amount of product on a fluffy brush and buff it all over for a nice, light application. This BB cream also has a mineral SPF of 25, which gives it major points in my books. I completely avoid chemical sunscreens not only due to their hormone-disrupting properties but also because the product heats up the top layer of the skin and reacts with your melanin, which can actually cause brown skin spots (which a lot of people don’t know about).
#4: Phone-Free Workouts
This is the only thing that keeps me sane. As a new mom, my husband and I made a deal that my workouts are my personal, uninterrupted "me” time. During my workouts, it is pretty much the only time I don’t have my phone, and I can just clear my head. There is something about feeling your heart pumping through your chest that just makes you feel alive. I am currently doing Lagree Method at Trim Fitness and personal training at Moxi3.
#5: Hydrating Eye Patches
These are my tired eyes’ saving grace. I always wear eye masks before I put on my makeup, and sometimes, I even sleep in them. With these patches, you apply your own skincare or eye cream first, which I loveee since a lot of the eye masks out there are made with junk.
#6: Boar Nylon Bristle Hair Brush
This brush is game-changing. I don’t have the time I used to to style my hair, so this brush is IT. It’s backless, so I use it to rough-dry my hair with my blow-dryer, and voilà—I call it a day.
#7: Lash Extensions
Lash extensions are nonnegotiable for me and are the number one thing that I will do for the rest of my life. You wake up and you look put together, no matter how much sleep you actually got. Shameless plug here, but my girls at the salon keep my lashes on point, and thank the heavens for them!
#8: Collagen Supplements
I take collagen and supplements every day as if it’s the oxygen I breathe. It makes me feel good to take care of my body, and just like I tell my clients about their faces, you only get one body, so you have to take care of it. I am obsessed with all things from LivOn Labs, Ancient Nutrition, and Thorne Research. My go-to supplements are collagen, liposomal vitamin C, vitamin D, magnesium threonate, krill oil, and glutathione, and I am actually currently taking my placenta through encapsulation.
#9: Under-Eye Concealer
This concealer is literally liquid gold and is the only thing that hides my dark circles these days. It is super full-coverage and has a dewy finish, which I love. The key to using this concealer is "dot, dot, not a lot.” I do two little dots under each eye, around my nose, corners of my mouth, and blend out with a damp Beautyblender ($20). Be sure not to use too much under the eyes, because it never really "sets” and can crease if you go overboard.
#10: Lip Liner
Lip liner is one of my favorite makeup items, and I am always on the hunt for the perfect nude-brown. The shade called Travis by Makeup by Mario is the perfect amplified neutral, and I love overlining my lips with this liner. I focus on the Cupid’s bow and the middle of my bottom lip for an extra-pouty look.
#11: Organic Self-Tanning Lotion
I found this amazing organic tanning lotion when I was pregnant. When you are in your first trimester, you are supposed to avoid sunless tanner because of some of the ingredients such as DHA (dihydroxyacetone) and propylene glycol (a petrochemical). This tanning lotion is clean and gives the most beautiful, natural tan. As I used to tell my clients when I had my mobile tanning business, if you can’t tone it, tan it!
#12: Baby Sleep Sack
As a new mom, this is my number one recommendation for newborn sleep! I knew that having a newborn would mean that I would be "Sleepless in Seattle,” but I didn’t realize I would be up every hour and a half to two hours, yikes! This weighted sleep sack was recommended to me by a friend, and I almost didn’t buy it because of the price, but holy moly, two days into using this sleep sack, Leo was sleeping seven to nine hours pretty consistently. If you are a new mom, run, don’t walk!
#13: My Amazing Hairy Little Things Team
My team is not only the best, most hardworking, most badass team around, but I literally couldn’t live without them. Early on when starting Hairy Little Things, I made the mistake of hiring a few people just for the sake of having someone to work at the salon, and let me tell you, HUGE mistake! I learned my lesson and quickly realized that the person is just as important, if not more so, as their talent. I would rather have an empty bed at the salon than have someone who doesn’t treat clients as their number one priority or someone who doesn’t mesh well with the rest of the team. Call it a clique if you will, but this is what is important to me and to Hairy!
#14: Johanna, My Stylist
Jo is my style hero and keeps my wardrobe in check. She is a vintage-based stylist and finds the coolest, most unique pieces around! Jo always has her eye out for things that would suit me, and I love the fact that everything I get from her I will never see on anyone else. I love to pair my beloved basics with some of her unique pieces for added flair. I would call my personal style "Basic, Extra!”
#15: Body-Blurring Cream
A celebrity client brought this on set one day for a lingerie shoot, and I was blown away at how flawless this product made her skin look. This product is a MUST for any major event you have. It is an absolutely perfect, realistic-looking color and is dimethicone-based, so it blurs out all texture and imperfections. I love using this for photo shoots and weddings because it doesn’t transfer onto clothing!
#16: Coffee!
If you know me, you know I am obsessed with coffee. I didn’t think it was possible, but since having my baby, my caffeine intake has, dare I say, doubled LOL. My go-to order when I am out is an iced Americano, and I am a regular at my favorite super-cute and Instagramable local coffee shop, Coffee Dose.
#17: Silicone C-Section Scar Sheets
I had to have a C-section because my baby boy was breech due to the cord being wrapped around his neck multiple times. It was not my ideal way to give birth, but this was the way that he wanted to come into the world… and he is healthy, so that is what matters most. I keloid pretty badly and was upset that I was going to have a gnarly scar forever. My ob-gyn recommended these silicone scar sheets, and I’m telling you my cut looks better and better every day. If you have any new or old scars, I highly recommend these!
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