If ever there were a multi-hyphenate, 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 for her sharp wit and what many called her Greek chorus-like commentary.
In 2009, Frankel launched the Skinnygirl Margarita, and her star power and success skyrocketed. In the years that have followed, Frankel has built an empire. Her company, BB Endeavors, has successfully launched everything from shapewear to salad dressings. On top of that, she’s written nine books (five of which have been on the New York Times Best Seller list), launched a podcast, had a show on HBO Max and appeared as a regular on “Shark Tank.”
But Frankel isn’t just about business. Since officially launching in 2017, her foundation B Strong has raised and distributed millions of dollars in cash and supplies to people in crisis. Most recently, B Strong has been actively helping people in Ukraine. Oh, and Frankel doesn’t just send money. She’s been known to fly out to areas hit by natural disasters to roll up her sleeves and do whatever she can to help.
Now Frankel can add yet another bullet to her résumé: beauty influencer. Earlier this year, the mogul started posting videos giving honest, tell-it-like-it-is beauty reviews on Instagram (where she has nearly 3 million followers) and TikTok (where she has a million followers). Her videos have amassed hundreds of thousands of views. She’s candid about what pricey buys are worth your money and which ones are just “not at the level.” And while she certainly has a bank account that could support only investing in luxury products, she admittedly loves a good budget buy — so, she reviews the best (and not so great) drugstore buys too.
Ask her what beauty product she can’t live without and Frankel is, as always, honest. “There is no beauty product I can’t live without because there are so many great beauty products,” she tells CNN Underscored. “What I’ve learned is that many different beauty products do the exact same thing.” Here, CNN Underscored asked Frankel to share the go-to beauty buys she’s feeling most.
“Patrick Ta makes an incredible eye shadow palette because it’s pretty and has a cream base,” Frankel shares. “It has neutrals, but it also has that little bit of that sparkle and shimmer that we all want.”
If you’re struggling to cover up under-eye circles, Frankel has a solution. “I’m a big fan of the Charlotte Tilbury under-eye corrector if you get dark circles,” says Frankel. “Plus, Charlotte Tilbury as a whole is good at small travel packaging.”
Looking for a great, affordable foundation? Frankel has a recommendation: “As far as drugstore brands go, Neutrogena is excellent at anything that is touching your skin — meaning, not color cosmetics, per se, but rather concealer or foundation,” Frankel says.
“CoverGirl is good at the tried-and-true classics — they make good mascaras that I love,” says Frankel. “What I really like about CoverGirl is that they have a new line that is all about clean beauty. They’re a big, mass brand that is being very thoughtful about the future.”
“I really like Laura Geller‘s sponge top liquid cheek blush,” Frankel says. “It is unique and different. No one else has one that size. The colors are great and it is a tried-and-true brand.”
