Molly Sims has long been a beauty obsessive. The model and actress has been sharing her beauty secrets and debunking industry trends for years, in her book "The Everyday Supermodel," on social media and on her podcast, "Lipstick on the Rim."
"I love when my girls look good, and I love when my friends feel good," she says of sharing her beauty tips.
And it's clear that she knows what she's talking about. (Seriously, sitting across from Sims, it's hard not to be stunned by her skin — it glows). So with all of her beauty know-how, stepping into her latest role — as the founder of the newly-launched skin care brand YSE Beauty (pronounced wise) — feels like a natural transition. But that doesn't mean it was necessarily an easy one.
To create the brand, the 49-year-old tells Shop TODAY that it took three years of ingredient testing, clinical trials and essentially being a "guinea pig," trying out different formulations to find the right ones. "I've always, in my life, come in at the end. You show up, you're the model, they hand you the product. And it's been very different being there from day one, the inception, the name — it's literally like birthing a child," Sims says.
This week, the brand launched with an initial six-product lineup, a mix of hydrators, targeted treatments and powerhouse ingredient cocktails, many of which are designed to address conditions like hyperpigmentation, dark spots and discoloration — things that Sims herself has suffered with.
"I'm an older mom, I had my first baby in 2012, I got married in 2011, and all of a sudden, previous sun, age and baby hormones just kind of all came out." To treat it, she tried lasers, peels, hydroquinone and more before eventually giving up those harsh treatments and creating her own custom routine, which ended up inspiring YSE Beauty.
When it comes to beauty treatments, one that she loves is microneedling. But there are also plenty of treatments that stand out as falling flat. While she names microdermabrasion as the "worst" one she's tried — "You have to be careful," she says, adding of the treatment, "you can burn off layers and layers of your skin" — there are plenty of others that she probably won't be doing again.
"I've tried everything," Sims says. "I've tried castor oil on my face, I've tried beer in my hair, mayonnaise in my hair. I'm from the South, so mayonnaise, we like in things, but it's not great for your hair — I mean, it's fine, but it's not." She admits that she even once spent thousands of dollars on a cold laser treatment that didn't work. ("It was awesome," she jokes.)
We asked her to take us through some of her current beauty staples that do measure up, from the mascara she used to get morning show-ready to the lip balm she always keeps in her bag.
Shopping Diaries: Molly Sims
YSE Beauty Your Favorite Ex Exfoliating Pads
When we asked her if people were to try just one product from the brand which one should it be, she reluctantly ("Don't make me pick my favorite baby!") named the exfoliating pads as one of her top choices. "This really is your secret agent to smoother and more textured and more even skin," Sims says. "It just works, it smells beautiful," and she adds that she uses them every single day.
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YSE Beauty The Problem Solver
One of the biggest appeals of YSE Beauty's products is that they're designed to be efficacious and tough on skin concerns such as discoloration and dark spots, without causing the redness and irritation that you might be used to.
"[The Problem Solver] is just my ode to hydroquinone, but clean, and it really is a brightening treatment that I use every night. I have cystic acne, so everything is noncomedogenic. And I do sometimes pick … and so I will put it on my pimples or my zit after to get the redness and the darkness away and it really works.”
Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm
Sims says this lip balm is one beauty product that she always keeps in her bag. “My Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm is like my obsession right now.”
Saie Dew Blush
“Saie makes a beautiful cheek [blush].”
Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels
“Here’s a little trick: You take an eye pad, I love the Skyn Iceland, or you could do the Talika or you could the Rodials, I mean any great eye patch you want. You put it under [your eyes], do your prep, start your eyes and it catches everything underneath.”
Merit Shade Slick Gelée Sheer Tinted Lip Oil
“I’m obsessed with the Merit Gelées,” she says. According to the brand, the lip oil is designed with squalene and quinoa seed oil to hydrate lips while adding shine and color.
Buxom Lash Waterproof Volumizing Mascara
Sims says she was wearing Buxom’s mascara for her appearance on the show. “It went on really quick.”
