If there are multiple hyphens, it’s Bethenny Frankel. She shot to fame nearly 15 years ago when she appeared on “The Real Housewives of New York,” quickly becoming a fan favorite with her sharp wit and what many would call a Greek chorus of comments.
In 2009, Frankel launched the Skinnygirl Margarita, and her star power and success rate skyrocketed. Over the next few years, Frankel built an empire. Her company, BB Endeavors, has successfully launched everything from shapewear to salad dressings. On top of that, she’s written 9 books (5 of which made it to the New York Times bestseller list), launched a podcast, appeared on HBO Max, and appeared as a regular on “Shark Tank” .
But Frankel isn’t just about business. Since its official launch in 2017, her foundation, B Strong, has raised and distributed millions of dollars in cash and supplies to people in crisis. Recently, B Strong has been actively helping people in Ukraine. Oh, Frankel doesn’t just send money. She has been known to fly to areas hit by natural disasters, roll up her sleeves and help in any way she can.
Now Frankel can add one more bullet to her resume: beauty influencer. Earlier this year, the mogul started posting videos on Instagram (she has nearly 3 million followers) and TikTok (she has 1 million) offering honest, truthful beauty reviews. Her videos have amassed hundreds or thousands of views. She’s candid about which expensive things are worth your money and which are just “substandard.” While she certainly has a bank account that can only support investing in luxury goods, she admits that she loves good bargains — so, she also reviews the best (but not so good) drugstore buys.
Ask her what beauty products she can’t live without, and Frankel is as honest as ever. “I can’t live without beauty products because there are so many great beauty products out there,” she told CNN Underscored. “I learned that many different beauty products do the same thing.” Here, CNN Underscored asks Frankel to share her favorite beauty purchases.
“Patrick Ta makes an incredible eyeshadow palette because it’s so pretty and has cream undertones,” shared Frankel. “It has neutrals, but also has that shimmer and shimmer that we all want.”
If you’re struggling to conceal dark circles, Frankel has a solution. “If you have dark circles, I’m a big fan of Charlotte Tilbury’s undereye correctors,” says Frankel. “Also, Charlotte Tilbury excels in small travel packs overall.”
Looking for a great, affordable foundation? Frankel has a piece of advice: “As far as drugstore brands go, Neutrogena excels at anything that touches your skin—meaning, not the makeup itself, but the concealer or foundation,” says Frankel.
“CoverGirl excels at using tried-and-true classics—they make great mascara that I love,” says Frankel. “What I really like about CoverGirl is that they have a whole new product line that’s all about clean beauty. They’re a big, mass-market brand that’s very thoughtful about the future.”
“I really like Laura Geller’s Sponge Tip Liquid Blush,” says Frankel. “It’s unique and different. No one else has it this big. The colors are great and it’s a tried and true brand.”