Eboni K. Williams loves a good face beat more than anyone — just take a look at her confessional looks. But her relationship with makeup has come pretty full circle over the years.
The 38-year-old Real Housewives of New York City star exclusively told Us Weekly that she found herself “dependent” on a full face of foundation in her late tweens and early twenties as she was battling “severe” acne.
“It’s been a journey for me,” she said. “Anybody that’s suffered with it [acne] or continues to suffer with it will tell you how it really impacts your whole life. It’s very difficult to feel good in this world — especially in this Instagram world — when you don’t feel good about the skin your in.”
“I wouldn’t go to the grocery store without a full face,” the Revolt cohost recalled. “That just felt really debilitating.”
After struggling for years and trying everything from Accutane, an oral treatment for severe acne, to Retin-A, a dermatological prescription, Williams was turned onto SkinCeuticals. And armed with a stellar routine, she finally got her breakouts under control.
“Getting my skin to a place where I’m confident walking out with just some moisturizer on and feeling as beautiful as I do with a full face has been a process,” she revealed. “I love makeup and I love glam, but it starts really at the foundation of the skin. That’s your canvas. Having what I call ‘makeup optional skin’ is really important.”
So, what products got her to the “makeup optional” stage? C E Ferulic is her “holy grail” vitamin C serum. “I’ve been using it for probably eight years now and I just will never be without it,” the reality star told Us.
Williams also swears by the A.G.E. Eye Complex. “I don’t get a ton of sleep, so I’m trying to keep those bags at bay,” she said. “Their [eye creams] are not all created equal and I’ve done my leg work around this. This is one of the best out there.”
Aside from SkinCeuticals, Williams also loves the “fantastic” Shani Darden Retinol Reform, Clean and Clear Persa Gel 10, which she calls the “best spot treatment on the market,” and good old fashion CVS Moisturizing Facial Lotion.
Last, but certainly not least, is the “most important” step: sunscreen. Her go to? The SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense, which has been in her arsenal since the day she turned 25.
