AndreasChoice's Andrea Brooks Shares Her #Filtered Beauty Routine

If you've ever wondered what your favorite influencers use, you may have discovered the easiest way to find out — just take a quick spin through their Instagram feeds. Well-practiced eyes will be able to pick out the lipstick tucked into the corner of a pic, or the occasional flat lay of go-to beauty products. But, while we do love a condensed sneak peek of their everyday essentials, sometimes, we want to know more. Our solution? Lengthy chats dedicated entirely to their routines, of course! From rise-and-shine regimens to mane moves, we're getting a complete look at how these gurus stock their makeup kits and bathroom shelves. Get ready to memorize all their #Filtered favorites — #nofilter allowed.

To her friends and family, she goes by Andrea Brooks, but to her 4.2 million YouTube subscribers, she's AndreasChoice. The beauty vlogger has built her platform on viral videos covering every topic from curly hair hacks to advice for finding happiness. "There will always be obstacles and problems that arise. It’s your frame of mind that gets you through everything," she says.

When we recently caught up with Andrea to pick up some of her beauty wisdom, she also had some thoughts to share on how the beauty industry is still catching up.

"I’ve experienced a lot in the beauty community and I can say that it is definitely getting better," she told Teen Vogue. "But, when you see leading beauty brands releasing makeup shades for light-medium complexions only, or certain opportunities only being given to those with light-medium complexions, you know there’s more that needs to be done. For now, we can keep speaking out and listen to those who are speaking out as well. We need to allow those who aren’t feeling represented to educate us."

Andrea applauds other figures like Nabela Noor and Jackie Aina for breaking barriers while celebrating their own beauty — and we're in complete agreement. Something else we see eye-to-eye on: her very thorough beauty routine. Even if you've watched every single video and scrolled through all her posts, we guarantee there's still plenty to learn here. Read on to find out how she keeps her curls vibrant, her skin glowing, and her blush homemade (yes, really).

Rise and Shine

Currently, I’m using two face washes because I love them both! I alternate between Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash (which is 100% vegetarian) and iS Clinical Cleansing Complex. I love how squeaky clean my face feels after using Desert Essence’s face wash, and it has natural ingredients. I was actually gifted the iS Clinical wash from a celebrity esthetician, who did an amazing job clearing up my face when it was going through a rough patch — no pun intended. She educated me on the entire iS Clinical skincare line, I started using it, and never looked back! It’s a little pricey, but it’s made a huge difference in my oily skin. After I cleanse my face, I like to use Desert Essence Natural Tea Tree Oil Facial Cleansing Pads on my face, neck, and shoulders just to make sure that I don’t have any leftover makeup or dirt on my skin. My skin is pretty sensitive, so I can have just a little speck of makeup on my face and I’ll get a bump there the next day.

I try to use an eye cream as often as possible, but I usually forget. I just go over my eyes with my moisturizer a lot of the time. I love Kiss My Face Face Factor Sunscreen SPF 30 Sunblock. It’s really lightweight and doesn’t make me break out. I don’t use any face scrubs, but I do use my Clarisonic brush, and another face scrubbing brush from Sephora that doesn’t spin. I like to exfoliate with one of those brushes a few times a week, or after a day of heavy makeup to make sure it’s out of my pores.

I also believe in water! I definitely notice a difference in the quality of my skin when I’m drinking water vs. when I’m not drinking water. I have this huge water bottle on my nightstand at all times and I try to drink at least one of those a day. I just started getting facials but, I’m the type of person to learn what the esthetician is doing and using on my skin, then buy all of the products, and do it myself at home. I’ve learned a lot from Shani Darden and since that visit, I’ve learned a lot about my skin. One of the best investments you can make is the Shani Darden Deesse Pro LED Face Mask. It really works.

Face Beat

The only foundation that has worked for me is the Maybelline FIT Me Matte + Poreless Foundation in 220. It’s like a second skin. I’ve tried to find other brands that work for me, but so far no luck. I love ELF’s Complete Coverage Concealer Palette in Medium. It has all the right colors for my face and doesn’t look too cakey.

The blush I use is kind of homemade. I took a bunch of cream blushes and mixed them together, then packed them into an empty highlighter package to create this pretty rosy color. I take it with me everywhere. I don’t really have a favorite bronzer; I think I use a different one every day. As long as it’s not shimmery, I’ll use it. I love a natural lip color for an everyday look — I use the ELF Cosmetics Lip Stain Markers. They’re so easy to pull out and apply on-the-go. I also love dark red liquid lipstick like Milani's Amore Matte Lip Crème in the color "Devotion". What I wear on my lips depends on my mood that day. I might wake up and throw on black lipstick! Who knows?

I don’t have a favorite mascara right now. If I’m being honest, I’m not that happy with any of the mascaras I currently own. I’m currently on the hunt for the perfect formula! However, I do prefer volumizing mascara in black. I love eyeshadow. I use it for my eyelids, contouring, and sometimes on my lips. I tend to go for neutral and warm colors because I think it just looks best with my skin tone, but sometimes I play around with colors. I don’t use eyeliner or eyeshadow everyday. I’m way too lazy for that. But I love to wear it when I go out. If I want to hurry and change a daytime look into a nighttime look, I do two things: simply add lashes, then apply a lip. BAM! You’re ready to go out in 10 minutes.

I love how my twin sister does makeup. Sometimes, I take her with me on set so she can fix it for me. She’s really a perfectionist. She has a really unique makeup routine. We’re twins, so we’re always teaching each other new tricks we’ve learned or new ways to do our makeup. She’s really good at natural looks, and I’m better at dramatic looks. Sometimes, she'll do my foundation for me, and I’ll do her lipstick for her. We learn a lot from each other.

Mane Moves

I have so many different hair products in my shower right now because it really depends on the day. Right now, my go-to products are It's a 10 Miracle Defrizzing Cleansing Conditioner, Avalon Organics Clarifying Lemon Shampoo, Avalon Organics Nourishing Lavender Conditioner, and L’ANZA Healing Moisture Conditioner. I alternate products regularly depending on how my hair feels that day and whether I’m going to style it straight or curly. I usually wash my hair 2-3 times a week. My hair responds very well to water more than anything. When I don’t wash my hair for a long period of time, it starts to feel dry and brittle. I try to moisturize it as much as I can, even if that means just spritzing it with water before bed and throwing it in a bun. How I style my hair after the shower depends on whether I’m wearing it curly or straight. I always use It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In conditioner before combing out. If I’m wearing my hair curly, I like to brush it out, then re-wet it with a water bottle so that my strands clump back up. Afterwards, I just scrunch with a T-shirt or towel and blow-dry with a diffuser, or let it air dry.

If I’m going to blow-dry my hair straight, I always use a heat protectant. My favorite is the Oscar Blandi Pronto Dry Styling Protect Spray. I try to stay away from flat irons. When I wear my hair “straight” or wavy, it’s usually from blow-drying or an overnight hairstyle. I try to only use the flat iron when necessary. I love texturizing powder. I don’t have a favorite brand yet, I always use one. I also love a good hair serum; L’anza’s Neem Plant Serum is the best. I apply it to damp or dry hair, then style. My favorite hairspray is Aussie. I’m addicted to the scent, and it’s not too sticky. It’s perfect. I like to wear my hair curly, wavy, or in a side braid. My hair is usually in one of those three styles on a normal day. When I go out, I tend to just wear my hair down. Sometimes I will put it half up and half down if it’s too frizzy.

I probably trim my hair once a year. I kind of have a fear of cutting my hair, but when my ends get raggedy, I trim it myself. I don’t trust hair stylists with my hair length anymore. Re-wetting my curly hair after brushing it is a beauty hack I just came up with on my own years ago and it worked really well for me. I shared it with my curly-haired subscribers and I get messages all the time about how that hack changed their lives. I’m very proud of that one in particular.

Nailing It

I go through phases where I get my nails done every 2 weeks, then I go through phases where I just paint my bare nails. It depends on how much free time I have. You can usually tell how my life has been going through my nails. My nails are usually either white, black, or a neutral color. I like colors that go with every outfit. When I was younger, I would do all types of designs. Now, I just like long matte black nails. I’m horrible with my natural nails. I don’t take care of them at all. I think I’m very rough with my hands. They just break every time I think they’re growing.

Scent of Success

I love perfume, maybe a little too much! The Jimmy Choo Blossom Eau de Parfum SprayJimmy and Pacifica Tuscan Blood Orange Spray are the two scents I can’t live without. I wear them together to create my signature smell.

Lights Out

At the end of the night, I like to start with a cleansing oil like Dermalogica's to remove all the makeup from my face before washing. Then, I remove the rest of my makeup with my iS CLINICAL Cleansing Complex. At night, I like to use the products that are meant to repair my face. For example, I use my iS Clinical Active Serum only before bed. This helps to treat breakouts and the overall texture of my skin. I also like to use the Dr. Dennis Gross peels before bed a few times a week. The two products alone have really changed my life! After treating my face before bed, I moisturize with Dr. Gross Moisture Cushion. It’s oil-free and my skin responds very well to it. I use my iS Clinical Active Serum & Dr. Dennis Gross Glycolic Acid peels three times a week. If you have oily, acne-prone skin, you need to try them.

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