THE BEST IN BEAUTY
FROM THOSE WHO KNOW BEST

VIOLET GREY began with our search for the best eyelash curler. To find the answer, we formed a band of inside-Hollywood experts and editors — from makeup artists to movie stars — to test every eyelash curler against our rigorous set of standards (the VIOLET CODE). We tested on film sets, on red carpets, and in the back of Jack Nicholson’s limousine — and once we learned which curler would make our lashes curve and not crimp (Utowa, it’s from Japan), we moved on to mascara, lip stain, dry shampoo, and everything else a girl needs in her cosmetic wardrobe. On any given day, we are discovering, testing, and approving best-in-class beauty. The result is a discerning curation of products, tips, and inspiration deemed essential — the Industry’s Beauty Edit.

ROUTINES:

SARAH
GIBSON TUTTLE

The nail guru behind Olive & June reveals her morning beauty rituals, handbag essentials, and secrets to a great manicure.

Written By Jayme Cyk

Sarah Gibson Tuttle of Olive & June | The Violet Files | @violetgrey

SARAH GIBSON TUTTLE / PHOTOGRAPHY BY BONNIE TSANG

Sarah Gibson Tuttle is convinced that manicures should be a treat, not a chore. Since she opened her boutique nail salon Olive & June in 2013, Angelenos’ mani-pedi routines have become that much more pleasurable. “I realized the city needed a new kind of nail salon,” she says. “I wanted to change the manicure experience and make it fun again.” Between the urban décor designed by Brady Cunningham and Kristen Lee Cole of TenOverSix to the custom first-timer client questionnaire (queries include your preferred nail shape and magazines, so the salon has your favorites on file), Gibson Tuttle has created an oasis where clients feel relaxed and well tended to. And following the success of her original Beverly Hills location, the pedicure entrepreneur opened a second Olive & June in Pasadena in 2015 and a Santa Monica outpost this past March.

Clients flock to all three of the serene, minimalistic salons for their precision shaping and cuticle work, which Gibson Tuttle believes are the foundation of any great manicure. “I love the nail plate to look clean, natural, and feminine,” she says. Not surprisingly, her morning beauty routine follows a similar mandate. Read on for this and more of Gibson Tuttle’s prework rituals.

BEAUTY DU JOUR

In the morning I cleanse, tone, and put on SPF. My current favorite sunscreen is Control Corrective. Shani Darden introduced me to the line. It’s lightweight, but it gets the job done. For makeup, I always apply Le Volume Mascara by Chanel and RMS Living Luminizer on my cheekbones. Then I’m out the door.

WAKE-UP TIME

I go to sleep late because I work a ton at night, so my daughter is my alarm clock most mornings—we usually get up between 6 and 7 a.m.

FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS

I need to get connected: emails, Instagram, and Snapchat, not necessarily in that order. After I’ve caught up I shower and let my hair air-dry. I have an 11-month-old, so I’m really happy that the trend is beachy hair because my naturally wavy mane (and lack of time) is really having a moment!

COFFEE OR TEA?

I usually drink green tea, but lately I’ve been making almond milk and mixing it with a little coffee. My best friend has nicknamed it “coffee milk.”

BREAKFAST OR OUT THE DOOR?

I rarely eat breakfast. I am usually running around until lunch.

FIRST THOUGHT WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR?

“Where’s my makeup bag?”

OLIVE & JUNE IN SANTA MONICA
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BONNIE TSANG

FIRST CONVERSATION OF THE DAY

I chat with my daughter first. I always ask her what she dreamed about the night before.

WHEN DO YOU GET YOUR BEST IDEAS?

I get them pretty randomly, and always email them to myself because otherwise I forget everything. The mom-brain thing is real.

BATH OR SHOWER?

I take a bath if I have the time—they’re a new world for me. I never had a proper tub living in New York City, so I’m making the most of them now that I’m in Los Angeles. After a long day (which they all are), a Pursoma detoxifying bath totally relaxes me and puts me to sleep.

MORNING JAM

102.7—Ryan Seacrest and pop music have my heart.

OUTFIT PLANNING

I decide what to wear just before I go! I dread getting ready in the morning and I wish had the computer that Cher Horowitz did in Clueless to tell me what to wear.

HANDBAG MUST-HAVES

My computer, ten different lip balms, cuticle oil, and a ton of papers that I am always mad I am lugging around in my Chanel bag. My goal for 2016 is to become paperless.

BEAUTY ICON

I love women who are authentic. Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy always looked so effortlessly herself.