Beauty Secrets: Blogger Dana Weiss (a.k.a. Possessionista)

Dana Weiss at home (Photo by Liz Irene)

You probably know her as Possessionista, the fashion blogger behind Possessionista.com and the Twitter phenom with a penchant for snark--and for tracking down that top worn by your favorite Bachelorette. But me? I know her as Dana Weiss, my best friend since the age of 15. Dana and I went to high school and college together, so I can attest that yes, she has always been this funny. She has also always had her killer sense of style. In college, I was constantly asking to borrow her brown corduroy overalls (we thought they were so cool), and forever trying to emulate her awesome hair-straightening abilities. These days, not much has changed. (Well, except for those unfortunate overalls--thank god.) Dana's still cracking me up--and I'm still after those beauty secrets. And here they are.

Favorite shampoo and conditioner? "Redken Smooth Down Shampoo and Conditioner. I've been using them for years."

Other hair products? "I love Bumble and Bumble Brilliantine for anti frizz after styling and Sebastian Shaper hair spray. It's totally early '90s, but it really holds."

Mascara? "Kiss me by Blinc and Maybelline Falsies. My trick is that I always touch the brush to the tips of my lashes first, let it dry, and then apply three coats. It makes my lashes look long and fake."


Lip color? "Right this minute I'm obsessed with Nars Chelsea Girls for a nude lip and Chanel Gloss Fluo in Laser. It's super sheer, but looks neon pink in the bottle. It makes you look like you just ate a popsicle."

Lip colors galore (photo by Dana Weiss)

Blush? "I just bought Dollface from Tarte. It makes my cheeks really pink, which I love with a smoky eye."

Eye shadow? "Either Bobbi Brown's Grey if I'm going smoky, or Quarry by M.A.C. for a neutral eye. I have green eyes so I also love purple eyeshadow. I learned that trick years ago in San Francisco. Go for the contrast color to emphasize your eye color."

Foundation? "Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer in Almond. I never use foundation--it stresses me out--but this is super easy. You just apply it like face moisturizer, so it's practically foolproof. It takes about three seconds, which is sometimes all I have."

Fragrance? "Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir is spicy for a Saturday night and I still love Trish McEvoy 9. My friend gave me this oil called Goddess from Enaz, a local Chicago boutique, and whenever I wear it, people are always like, 'Who smells so good?'"

Possessionista's fragrance possessions  (photo by DW)

Nail polish? "I love Essie Bobbing for Baubles for dark and Picket Fence for light. I always paint my fourth finger with glitter, so I love Sephora by OPI Traffic Stopper Copper--it looks like rose gold."

Your skin-care regimen? "I have combo skin and now in my thirties, I've gotten the acne I escaped in high school. I use Cetaphil everything--wash and moisturizer. Also, Chanel eye cream because I have free samples of it."

Body product? "I've been using Curel my whole life. I have atrociously dry skin."

Dana's secret hair weapon

Any other products you love? "I cannot live without my cheapie Conair hairdryer with the brush attachment. I literally wouldn't know how to blow-dry my hair straight without it. It's a brush and blowdryer in one, with different attachments, so you actually brush through your hair while you dry it. It makes it easier to straighten, but really what I love is that you can straighten your hair one-handed." 

Describe your overall beauty look. "Lazy. I am all about the cheats. Tinted moisturizer. Extra mascara instead of fake lashes. Dry shampoo so I don't have to dry my hair every day. I'm definitely more natural." 

Your beauty look for a typical day? And for a night out? "I cannot live without mascara and blush. Everything else is optional. At night I love a smoky eye and a nude lip, but recently I did my first bold red lip. It was definitely empowering."

I used to be jealous of your hair-straightening talent. Now I'm envious of your ability to create gorgeous loose waves. How you do it? "The secret is heat and time--you have to curl your hair longer than you expect. I use my curling iron upside down and wrap a 1/2-inch section of hair around a 3/4-inch barrel away from my face. I hold each piece for 30 to 45 seconds, and then spray it with Shaper hair spray. The heat sets it. Heat and a lot of hairspray."

Best time-saving beauty tip? "I use dry shampoo before I work out if I know I have to be somewhere after. Then I just take a quick shower and skip the blow-dry."

Take a guess: How many beauty products do you have at home? "I have a ton of makeup, but not much else. One shampoo, one conditioner, one dry shampoo, one moisturizer, etc. But I probably have three makeup bags."