Loeffler Randall's Co-Founder Is The Ultimate Beauty Minimalist
Whenever Jessie Randall walks into Shen, we know there's going to be trouble. A quick glance down at her feet is all it takes for us to be diving for our phones searching for whatever pair of shoes she's innocently striding around in. That's because Jessie is the brains behind the insanely chic Loeffler Randall, one of our all-time favorite shoe brands and one of the great creative fashion minds of our time. She walks the fine line between trendy and classic, girly and chic, with styles that reliably sell out every season.
For someone so in tune with the fashion glitterati, she also happens to be remarkably low-maintenance and her beauty routine reflects that. She's all about minimalist beauty, with an emphasis (but not an obsession!) on skin care and self care.
We asked Jessie to take a few minutes from her busy design schedule (she's got some exciting projects in the works right now) to tell us all about her beauty routine, plus her best style secrets, and a how she's been spending her quarantime. Keep reading for the full scoop.
Name: Jessie Randall
Profession: Founder and designer, Loeffler Randall
Skin type: Dry, tendency towards redness
Hair type: Very fine
Duration of beauty routine: Not long. However, I recently went to someone for Botox and was explaining to her how I don't really have much of a beauty routine and she said — in a very kind and gentle way — that I'm 44 and my days of me doing nothing are over. I'm just very lazy and buy products, then don't end up using them. That said, there are a few core products I love and use.
Walk us through your daily beauty routine:
When I wash my face, I usually just use water or now sometimes an oil cleanser. When I'm being very good, I use Skinceuticals C E Ferulic serum, although I'm not a fan of how it smells. Lately I've been using the Aurelia Cell Revitalize Day Moisturizer on my face and neck twice daily. I'm a little afraid of sunscreen because it always makes me break out, so I've been wearing one of my Hats for Good when I'm outside. For makeup, I have sparse brows, so I have to use a brow gel on them and I like this random & Other Stories Cheek & Lip Tint called Dimple Peach that my makeup artist friend Summer told me about.
I take a long hot bath day with my Aesop soap and the Nature of Things Magnesium Soak every day — it has the ability to completely change my mood. I try to wash my hair as infrequently as possible, but because it's so fine, I have to wash it at least every other day. If I can eke by, I'll use a dry shampoo to extend time between washes. And I LOVE my Manta hair brush. I have very fragile hair and I love how this tames my tangles and is gentle, plus it gives a great scalp massage.
What's your philosophy on beauty?
Less is more. I'd rather see someone's natural beauty shine through than be covered up by a lot of products.
What's your best beauty advice?
Don't over use cleanser. I haven't really washed my face with anything but water and it's served me fairly well up until now. I would also say to not be afraid of Botox. I've done a tiny amount between my eyes and it makes a big difference.
What's the best beauty advice you've been given?
My mom is always encouraging me to try a retinol cream and tells me how she wishes she had started sooner. But she's 73 and has never had any work done and she looks amazing! I also remember when I was a kid that our Girl Scout troop had a Mary Kay lady come speak and she told us to use an upward motion when applying cream. That's stuck with me even since elementary school.
What are your three must-have products?
A great moisturizer to keep my skin hydrated and that smells lovely, an undereye concealer to cover my dark circles, and something that smells amazing to soak in the tub with.
What's the biggest beauty mistake you've ever made?
Probably going tanning in my teens and early twenties. Oh, and the perm I got in the 8th grade. And, I know my daily Diet Coke habit is horrible for my skin but I can't stop!
What do you love most about your job?
I love making things and being creative. I also love that my job enables me to connect with other creative people I admire and who inspire me.
Another thing I love so much is that we've started to raise money for charitable causes through our products and on our site over the last two years. I'm really proud of how we have contributed to organizations like the ACLU, No Kid Hungry, The Marsha P. Johnson Institute, and others.
What is your best tip for breaking in a pair of uncomfortable shoes?
First, get your feet properly measured to make sure you are actually buying the right size. This is very important as feet change over time, so get them checked to see. Feet swell in the afternoon, so wear shoes around in the morning for a few hours each day to break them in.
That said, I don't really have the patience for uncomfortable shoes, so I only wear ones that are comfortable to begin with. If you buy high-quality shoes that are made of high-quality materials they should be comfortable. A lot of the fast fashion shoes look cute but they aren't made on the proper equipment and corners get cut in terms of quality.
What's your go-to shoe?
I love flats! We recently launched a ballet flat that is like a real ballet slipper you can wear indoors and out. It reminds me of the slippers I loved getting for ballet class when I was little. They are so chic and comfortable.
What's one surprising thing people might not know about your job?
I love to make things, sew things. I'm always working on some craft or idea which finds its way into our collection somehow. I hand sewed over a thousand masks to sell over quarantine, which helped raise money for No Kid Hungry.
Tell us about your relationship with Jess.
I love and admire Jess so much. She's one of my most favorite people. She tells it like it is and can always make me laugh. She's unfiltered and funny and she's given me lots of good advice and pep talks over the years. She's an amazing business woman and I am proud to call her my friend.