How did you become a buyer?

I studied English and anthropology as an undergraduate and I ended up becoming a buyer at a bookstore before I started working at Catbird. That was eight years ago when there were no rules, and then I became the buyer and general manager. It was a slow progression of adding beauty into our assortment and I think as my relationship with beauty products changed and as my personal interest grew I began bringing more products in and exploring more for us. It felt really complementary to the Catbird world, which is about things that are meant to make you happy and feel good, things that are purely for joy and pleasure.

What were some of the first brands you brought in?

Tocca was one of the first. It was the first luxurious candle Rony [the owner of Catbird] and I had bought for ourselves and it felt so special to us, so we brought in their candles and perfume. We also picked up D.S. & Durga right when they launched because I sold at the Brooklyn Flea next to their station. One of the real turning points was when we got Rodin. Rony and I had tried her stuff and loved it, so that was exciting.

What's your method for finding niche brands and choosing what to bring in?

I scour everywhere. Instagram is huge, I'll just go down a rabbit hole and find things to call in, but over time, we've been getting a lot more submissions from brands who want to be in the store. It's a big challenge to find something that's not mass market or widely available but still feels really complete from A to Z and not only is a beautiful product with a great name but with packaging that feels finished and special.

What are you loving right now?

I love multipurpose products—so many of our beauty selections can be used in a variety of ways. I dab Belmacz Halo Balmon my eyelids and cheeks for a glow (it contains crushed pearl and 24k gold leaf) and also use it as lip balm and cuticle cream. Our Ghost Rose solid perfume is one of my very favorite scents ever. Every morning after I shower, I take a small scoop and warm it up in my hands and apply it to my arms and décolletage. The base is coconut oil so it's really moisturizing and the rose scent pairs beautifully with other perfumes. Also, we named it after a passage from Anne of Green Gables, which makes me really happy. And Rituel de Fille is by these makeup artists out of LA—the integrity of their ingredients and bewitching packaging really stuck out.

What's the Holy Grail product you have yet to discover?

I'm looking for the best hand lotion—the one that beats out all the others and that you want to bring in your bag. Hands are such an important part of our business with the rings and we spend a lot of time looking at hands and photographing them and I'm still searching for the best lotion.

Alexandra Tunell is the Senior Digital Beauty Editor at Harper's BAZAAR, where she writes beauty features and covers industry news, health, fitness and wellness trends. She began her career in the Lucky beauty closet, then went on to work at Allure. When she's not testing the latest skin care treatments, the Los Angeles native is searching the city for the best Mexican food, binge-watching Bravo and escaping to the beach as often as possible.