Kosas Founder Sheena Zadeh-Daly's Must-Have Products
Sheena Zadeh-Daly's Must Haves: From Her Go-To Concealer to Celine Sunglasses
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Sheena Zadeh-Daly has always had a passion for makeup, but found it difficult to find products that were suitable for her sensitive, acne-prone skin and olive undertones. So, she decided to create it herself with Kosas. Although that's what the brand started with — specifically, a lipstick balm in 2015 — it's more than just colour cosmetics. The range features other categories like skin care with its editor-backed DreamBeam SPF 40 Sunscreen, and even body care, all drawn from the needs in her personal beauty routine.
Zadeh-Daly also noticed that the beauty industry looked at flaws as something to fix, but she wanted to enact a more uplifting ethos. In fact, Kosas is named after the Sanskrit word, kosha, which is a Vedic philosophy describing the layers of the self. "Your physical layer is on the outside, and then there are your thoughts and emotions, and your true essence is what's at the centre. In the philosophy, it said that who you are on the inside is how you appear on the outside, and that's the only way to affect your outside, physical appearance," she says. "It's been our mission to shift the entire mind of the industry toward understanding that, when we feel great, we want to reveal the best part of ourselves, and we use makeup to do that."
As she's navigated the role of founder to one of the top-selling cosmetics brands at Sephora, Zadeh-Daly has learned plenty of tips along the way. She's also tried countless beauty products over the years and kindly offered to give POPSUGAR an inside scoop at her favourites. Keep reading to learn more about her must-have products.
Sheena Zadeh-Daly's Affordable Must Have
Zadeh-Daly loves the flattering Skims Fits Everybody String Bikini ($18). "It has the right amount of coverage where you can wear it with pants, and you don't see a panty line too much," she says. She raves about how comfortable and soft these feel on her skin and how its high cut makes her feel sexy. "It's just got a lot of Goldilocks qualities," she says, adding that the elastic on the string bikini does not dig into the skin, but rather, it lays flat and feels secure.
Pro Tip: Zadeh-Daly loves that the brand offers a wide range of colours, especially a spectrum of nudes and neutral shades so that she can find her perfect match.
Sheena Zadeh-Daly's Investment Must Have
Zadeh-Daly says that the Celine Monochroms 03 Sunglasses in Acetate Black ($420) flatter her face shape, giving her a more elevated look. "There's something about the largeness of them; it's just a tiny bit oversized that makes them a little bit like a very subtle statement piece. It's not too over the top. It's a simple black they go with everything, and I can throw them on with whatever I'm wearing," she says. These Celine sunglasses have a square frame with smoke lenses, and although they are oversized, she finds them lightweight and comfortable. "They go with every single outfit, so they go with regular office clothes, a bikini at the beach, and there's a little bit of a hint of glamour that comes with it."
Pro Tip: These sunglasses come in an adjusted fit, so they are intentionally slightly wider and designed for larger nose pads.
Sheena Zadeh-Daly's Morning Routine Must Have
Whether she wants to cover just a few spots or do a heavier glam look, Zadeh-Daly counts on the Kosas Revealer Super Creamy + Brightening Concealer ($30). "Because the finish is really hydrating and natural, it looks like my skin, but the transformation is really evident. I still feel dressed up" she says. It also contains skin-care ingredients, like caffeine and pink algae to help reduce the appearance of dark circles and puffiness, hyaluronic acid and peptides to hydrate and plump the area, and arnica and panthenol to help calm irritation and redness.
The Revealer concealer is great for all skin types, and according to Zadeh-Daly, "It's great for anyone who wants their skin to look healthy and alive and has really good coverage in this beautiful, vibrant, fresh finish. You read more about the product from our editor's review of the Kosas Revealer Concealer here.
Pro Tip: Zadeh-Daly uses the concealer on the inner part of her under-eye area, and she flicks it up on the corner of her eye as well for a little extra lift. She also applies it right at the top corners of her eyebrows for the same reason, noting that it creates the illusion of a lift, too. Otherwise, "one of my favourite areas that I always do is underneath my lower lip on the corners slicked out there. It helps to smooth out that area, so when I add my lip, it really pops," she says.
Sheena Zadeh-Daly's Sleep Must Have
Zadeh-Daly prefers to sleep in complete darkness, so an eye mask is essential. She likes the Kitsch Satin Sleep Set ($34) since it feels soft on her skin. It comes with an eye mask, a scrunchie, and a pillow case. "It's like a signal to my body that it's time to go to sleep, so I instantly feel relaxed," she says. "I sleep all the way through the night better when I have the sleep mask on."
She loves using silk or satin scrunchies often since it helps keep the integrity of her hair, minimizing snagging and breaking. "I also get really hot when I sleep, and my hair is naturally curly, so I need to pull it back because it gets sweaty, and I want to preserve my blowout as much as possible," she says.
Pro Tip: She likes to keep her hair in a low ponytail so that she can seamlessly shift sleep positions throughout the night without hurting or poking her neck.
Sheena Zadeh-Daly's Travel Must Have
"I get a lot of anxiety when I travel because there are a lot of people around — if you're on an aeroplane, it's like 300 other people — and so noise cancellation helpeds me get a sense of calm, and I'm more by myself," she says about her Apple AirPods Pro ($245). When she travels, she loves to listen to podcasts, and her current favourite one is "On Purpose with Jay Shetty." "It feels like you're there with the podcaster, and everything else around gets blocked out. It feels very immersive."
Pro Tip: These come with four pairs of tips in different sizes so that you can customise your fit to your liking.
