Jenna Lyons is a force in the fashion world. The designer and creative dynamo, celebrated for turning J.Crew into one of the most coveted brands in the country, is equally lauded for her own signature style. Classic with a twist, offset with a bold red lip. Now out on her own, Lyons has infiltrated the beauty world with the launch of her own lash brand LoveSeen and stepped in front of the camera to let us in on her style secrets on her new HBO show “Stylish with Jenna Lyons.”
CNN Underscored spoke with Lyons to get the scoop on her fashion and beauty essentials.
A red lipstick
“A red lip was something I adopted as I always thought I looked better with a little color pop. I love the old classics like NARS Heat Wave, an orange-red is my shade and I like reds and pinks with a yellow undertone. I also just did a lipstick collaboration with Marcia Kilgore of Beauty Pie and we’ve done a new orange-red called Jenna.”
• The best lipsticks we’ve tested
Classic shirt
“The thing I buy on repeat that I’m a little obsessive about is button-down shirts. I’m a really weird size, my arms are really long, I’m kind of like a monkey and I’m a little narrow through the waist. So once a year I go to Ascot Chang and have my shirts made — it’s the best thing ever. They ask you to make four shirts at a time so I always do two white, a blue, and a stripe. I do an end-on-end blue, broad cross stripe and the 300 singles white, which is very fancy, but I love it.”
Phone wallet case
“It’s funny but I don’t carry a bag anymore. My favorite is my Amazon phone case wallet. It has my credit cards and my keys and it’s changed my life, honestly. Do you know how many times I got locked out? I had keys all over the city with all my friends because I was constantly locking myself out. Then I got a strap from Chaos Club [similar to this one on Amazon] so this is my new bag.”
Vintage jeans
“I’m also a very obsessive vintage jeans shopper. Vintage Levi’s are all I own, I don’t participate in stretch ones. I just only buy old men’s ones in any color as I’m tall so they fit better.”
Fake lashes
“I don’t have natural lashes, which is what inspired me to create my own brand of eyelashes, Love Seen, as there wasn’t anything out there I could really wear. I do love wearing them, it’s one of those things where I’ve started to do it more and more. My favorites are definitely Noor, Iris, and Cate. Ironically, mascara is the No. 1 purchased product in the United States in all of beauty, but because I don’t have any eyelashes, that’s not even on the table for me.”
Signature scent
“I also never leave the house without perfume. My perfume is Creed Silver Mountain Water, I’ve been wearing it forever. I’ve tried to change but my son won’t let me. I think it was the first scent I ever wore and every time I’d hug someone they were like, ‘Ooh, you smell so good,’ and somehow this has become a thing. My son used to spray it on his blanket when he was little.”
• Our editors’ favorite perfumes and scents
A face scrub
“My skin care essential is Beauty Pie Wonderscrub. I’m an avid exfoliator. I’m getting old, so if I don’t exfoliate, my skin looks dull. So I do it all the time — face and my entire body. It makes an immediate difference.”
• The best facial cleansers, according to experts
Aviator sunglasses
“My glasses are DITA. I did a collab with them as I’ve worn their glasses for a while and they are great. I have the Flight 009 aviator style.”
• CNN Underscored’s favorite sunglasses for men and women
Shoes, glorious shoes
“I’m not the most loyal shoe person. I love, love, love the Nike x Sacai collab. I have almost all of the sneakers in every color. If you look in my closet you’d see a lot of old Celine and Birkenstocks. They are shearling, they are leather, they are suede, they are plastic. They are in my car, under the bed, at the beach, they are everywhere.”
• 18 of the most comfortable sneakers for walking
Cute swimsuits
“I have a house in Amagansett and I do love to garden. I’m a Californian girl, so I usually do this wearing my swimsuit, I can’t help myself. I love Left on Friday, I have a bikini and they are so cute. And Dos Gardenias, they do the hottest one-pieces, they are double layered so they hold it all in.”
• The best swimsuits for women that are perfect for any body type
