9 Industry Insiders Sound Off on the #1 Beauty Product That Changed Their Lives

We all remember our first — beauty purchase that is. Mine happened to be a $1.99 Wet n Wild lipstick that was somewhere between mauve, tawny, and an terribly unflattering shade of brown. I cherished that tube. Seriously — wore it every day.

These hair, makeup, fitness, and skin-care pros have slightly different first times, however. From bronzing palettes and universally flattering lip liners, to a foundation you can only find in Japan — here's what Hollywood's Glamsquaders fell in love with before they made it big in the beauty world.

"One of the first beauty products I ever purchased was L'Oréal Paris' Voluminous Original Mascara from a local drugstore. This mascara is a cult favorite — I remember growing up and my mom using the "gold and black" tube — it stuck with me. It's still a staple in my kit and has been a favorite of mine since the beginning" —Celebrity Makeup Artist Sir John

"When I look back on my career, the product that you could always find in my makeup kit was a foundation stick by Inoui, a division of Shiseido, and it was my secret weapon for achieving perfect skin. It had the most incredible luminosity and glide — leaving the face with this beautiful radiance and texture. You could only get it in Japan, so they were really coveted goods. Whenever my dear friend Cindy Crawford would travel there, I would have her load up on these sticks for me so I could always have them on hand. A year or so ago, I found the last one of them hiding in my cabinet. Of course I had to throw it away, but it felt like I was tossing gold! I developed my Undetectable Foundation Stick in homage to this amazing formula and every time I use it brings me back to my days in the studio." —Celebrity Makeup Artist Sonia Kashuk

"When I arrived from France to LA in 2003, my skin experienced extreme dryness because of the instant change in climate and food. I was introduced to Environ AVST 1, and it was a miracle worker! I saw an immediate glow, experienced a boost in hydration, and my skin looked more beautifully plumped. Since then, I have been hooked, and it remains a tried-and-true brand in my daily regimen." —Celebrity Facialist Brigitte Beasse

"I've been using Serge Lutens Beauté Lip Pencil since he launched it years ago. My face can't live (and preferably shouldn't be seen) without it. It's so universally flattering, that it's the only shade he offers and somehow it looks like you're not wearing anything, but your lips look new and improved." —Hard Candy and Smith & Cult Founder Dineh Mohajer

"When I started wearing makeup as a teen, I used to use Guerlain Terracotta Bronzing Powder as a blush/contour and I loved it. I still use it sometimes when I'm shopping for makeup and stumble upon it. This beauty product brings back some good memories." —Celebrity Colorist Rita Hazan

"I was obsessed with late '60s/early '70s beauty in middle school and wanted to emulate those looks with the super-long lashes and nude lips, but I have blonde lashes. So, I bought Maybelline Great Lash Mascara and wore it as my only makeup through high school. Later, in my career as a professional dancer, I kept using the mascara, but moved to the waterproof version for stage. When I transitioned to organic and natural makeup it was the one thing that I had trouble letting go of, but now I'm fully converted and I use RMS or Kjaer Weiss mascara." —Celebrity Fitness Expert and Founder of Erika Bloom Pilates Plus, Erika Bloom

"Everybody used Shaper Hairspray by Sebastian back in the '80s for that firm hold. You could go out dancing all night long and come home and your hair would still look the same. Aqua Net was everywhere before Shaper took over, but the bigger the hair, the better. We used to call it "pan head" — it was never a perfect shape or look. The NYC version of Texas hair you could say ... Texas hair was all about being as high as you can get it; well, in New York it was all about being as wide as you can get it." —Celebrity Stylist Angelo David

"Anyone who knows me knows that I'm still obsessed with Prada Tinted Lip Balms. They came in tiny, beautifully designed (almost ampoule-like) containers that were each hermetically sealed in their own packaging. The colors were so utterly effortless in their wearability, and I still have a whole drawer of them because I scour eBay for old boxes." — Celebrity Makeup Artist Fiona Stiles

"During a beauty school competition, I was awarded one Kérastase product of my choice, so I chose their iconic Nutritive Masquintense because I knew the value of a great hair mask. I gave it to my sisters, and they were so happy to have their first luxury product for their hair. To this day, I still make sure my sisters and wife as well are stocked with Kérastase in their showers — they deserve the best!" — Celebrity Hairstylist Matt Fugate