If you had a TV and were coming of age in the early aughts, Kristin Cavallari likely graced your screen at some point. As a teenager, she rose to fame on the reality show "Laguna Beach" and later joined its spin-off series "The Hills." Then in 2018, the seasoned reality TV star had her own show, "Very Cavallari," with now ex-husband former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler.
And spending so much of her life in the public eye means that Cavallari has been subject to plenty of rumors and speculation, but she’s somehow managed to remain open and honest through it all.
It’s part of the reason why she’s been able to expand her resume from reality star to lifestyle guru, with multiple New York Times bestselling books, a jewelry brand Uncommon James, a skin care company Uncommon Beauty and a podcast, "Let's Be Honest." (She recently documented the process of taking it on tour in a six-episode show, "Honestly Cavallari: The Headline Tour.")
It's also something that one audience member complimented her on when Cavallari joined us for a panel during our Shop TODAY’s Stages event — and her response was just as real as you'd expect.
“Change never scared me, which I think is probably the biggest thing. I always knew that with change, good things could happen.” She adds, “As I continue to get older, I hope to continue to evolve, but I’ve just always known how to be me — that’s it. I’ve never known how to put on a show or go on a TV show with an agenda. I’ve just always gone into every situation just being me, and I’m like, you can love me or hate me, but that’s OK.”
And while fans have been able to witness so many of Cavallari's different eras through the years, as she tells us when we sat down with her backstage at the event, her current stage of life is her best one yet.
"This stage of life, I would say, is the most meaningful and enjoyable because I’ve worked really hard to create peace in my life — I’ve never had peace in my life, even from my childhood — and I’ve learned in the last few years how to be more present and just enjoy what’s right in front of me instead of focusing on what I don’t have."
For our Shopping Diaries series, we asked Cavallari about some of her current staples, from the kitchen essential she recommends to all home chefs to the beauty tool she's owned for 15 years.
Shopping Diaries: Kristin Cavallari
Her secret to a makeup-free glow:
Aside from wearing it for big events, Cavallari tells us that she has said goodbye to using foundation. "A makeup artist, a few years ago, told me that it ages you, and I was like, get rid of it all, we're done!" Instead, she uses the bronzing drops from her beauty brand. "That's all I wear on my skin," she shares.
Her essential accessory:
"I'm really into hoops right now," she tells us. In fact, for the event, her stack was complete with a mix of hoops from Uncommon James. "What’s so great is [the Uncommon James hoops] could take you from dinner to the beach. Any kind of little hoop stack that you can create is ideal."
There are a mix of hoop styles and sizes on the site, and we love how big and bold these feel.
The beauty tool she wishes she had known about sooner:
Cavallari says she's been on top of her beauty routine from an early age, but if there's one beauty lesson she wishes she had learned earlier, it would be the impact that gua sha can have on your skin. "My mom would swear by it, and I thought it was the most ridiculous thing on the planet. I was like, there’s no way a gua sha is going to change my skin. And I swear by it now, and I’m out here trying to tell everybody. I wish I had started that earlier."
This duo comes with both a gua sha tool and a face oil to help it glide more smoothly over your skin (but it also doubles as a moisturizer). "It’s hydrating, it smells great, but it’s light — it doesn’t clog pores," she says of the oil. "I guess I would say I’m acne-prone. I mean, I’ve got combination skin, but I’m always scared of putting anything heavy on my face. And I can load that oil on."
The item she always keeps in her bag:
Along with her Uncommon Beauty lip balm and headphones, you'll rarely find her without this essential. “I have a Tide To Go Stick with me all the time,” Cavallari says. “And those work, those have come in handy.”
This pack comes with three, so you can also carry one with you in every bag.
Her drugstore beauty staple:
Cavallari swears by this classic beauty product. “I’ve tried all the alternatives, I’ve done all the things — nothing will beat those,” she says of Neutrogena’s makeup wipes.
Her go-to crowd-pleasing gift:
If she's not sure what to gift someone, she'll typically opt for a candle. She adds that her favorites are either ones from Uncommon James or Diptyque in the Baies scent, which was her "go-to gift for a long time."
Her kitchen must-have:
It’s no secret that Cavallari is a big cook (she’s authored two bestselling cookbooks), and this is one thing that she says everyone should have in their kitchen. "A sharp knife makes the biggest difference," she says. "And actually, a dull blade is more dangerous for you. So I think one really great knife is (one thing) that you need."
And she swears by this brand. Shun is well-known for creating quality knives, which range from cleavers to chef's knives and more.
Her beauty splurge:
Microcurrent treatments have made "the biggest difference" in her skin, Cavallari says. "I did start that in my mid-20s, which I’m really thankful for."
She continues, "I have the Pico Toner ... I personally think it’s the best one on the market. It’s pricey, but it’s worth it. I’ve had it for 15 years and I swear by it."
More of Kristin Cavallari's must-haves
We previously spoke with Cavallari in Sept. 2022 and she shared some of her other favorite products.
“My beauty routine is not as complicated as people may think it is,” Cavallari said. “I have my go-tos and I don’t stray very far from them. It takes a lot for me to try a new face product, because what I’m doing is working and I’m prone to breakouts, so I always get a little nervous to try a new product.”
One of her staples from her own brand Uncommon Beauty is this Pineapple Peptide Nectar Serum. “It’s essentially two-in-one,” she said. “It’s peptides and vitamin C. So it’s really everything that you would want from a serum, it’s brightening, it’s hydrating, it’s anti-aging. If you could only get one product, that would be what I would go for — I wear it every single day and I just absolutely love it.”
"I'm all about clean everything in my house, and just minimizing the toxins that are in my house," Cavallari said. "And [Molly's Suds] is my favorite laundry detergent ... it's clean, it gets the job done and I've just been using it for a long time."
"I've been using [the journal] for a couple of years now," Cavallari said. "And I don't do it every day — I go through phases. I do love it because it does set the tone for the day. And it's a nice reminder to focus on gratitude. I actually have these little three-minute journals that I got for my kids, and they enjoy doing it too. I'm sure sometimes it's probably a little over their head. But I feel like as long as I'm laying that foundation, hopefully, they can continue to come back to it their whole life."
Since using it, she said that she has noticed a difference in her life. "I think that even these small things that we can do of just shifting your perspective and just focusing on gratitude, I think makes a huge difference in your overall well-being," she said.
These Caraway sheets are another one of her kitchen essentials. According to the brand, they are non-toxic and nonstick.
"I roast vegetables on those baking sheets almost every single day," Cavallari said. "And what I love about those is that they're non-toxic, but they also are so easy to clean, and they're pretty, honestly. I think that they're a great gift for people who love to cook."
Cavallari said her typical "day-to-day" makeup look involves simply filling in her brows and swiping on a little mascara. And this is the one that she turns to. It's designed to be buildable and go on flake-free. It also features ingredients like arginine, and organic bee and carnauba waxes, which help to condition and nourish lashes, according to the brand.
