The ‘Summer I Turned Pretty’ star’s go-to products, curl rescue and the habit she finally dropped.
If your summer revolved around the final season of The Summer I Turned Pretty, you know Isabella Briggs as Denise Russo—the quick-witted coworker who never lets Steven off easy. Between the role, her easy LA-girl energy and a head of springy curls, she’s fast becoming a go-to for beauty inspo—whether you’re chasing defined ringlets, a barely-there complexion or a fragrance combo nobody else is wearing.
What fans may not know, however, is that Briggs has been dealing with stubborn acne since she was 15—cystic, hormonal and resistant to the usual fixes. In a recent interview , she opened up about joining Face Reality’s Clear Skin Method, a personalized program that combines professional treatments, at-home products and acne-safe lifestyle tweaks. Ahead: the gentle acid that finally clicked, her fall routine swap, the product that rescued her curls—and why she’s no longer afraid of actives.
What did a summer with an aesthetician teach her about actives?
Briggs spent the summer working with New York aesthetician Madalaina Conti, and the biggest shift was her mindset. She told NewBeauty the pair started with low concentrations of actives and built up gradually, since her skin is very sensitive. That patience paid off. As a teen she overused exfoliating ingredients and damaged her skin barrier, so for years she avoided them altogether. Now she uses them consistently, without bracing for a flare-up.
Why it works: Ramping up slowly lets skin build tolerance, so you get the benefits of actives without the redness and peeling that make most people quit.
Before Face Reality, what did her acne routine actually look like?
Anyone who has cycled through dermatologist appointments will relate. Briggs said she’d been seeing her derm on and off for years, with mixed results. Tretinoin was too harsh, and the purging phase never seemed to end. Spironolactone helped for a while before fading out, and Winlevi worked for roughly a month before her breakouts returned worse. Over-the-counter exfoliants—lactic, glycolic, salicylic—each helped to a degree, but without guidance she overdid them.
Then she found mandelic acid: gentle enough to use with confidence, effective enough to see a difference. That’s why she was quick to try Face Reality 5% L-Mandelic Serum ($42; prices at time of writing). Sticking with it has even let her use the brand’s Glycolic-Lactic Toner ($33) more regularly.
Why it works: Mandelic acid has a larger molecule than glycolic acid, so it penetrates more slowly—a good match for sensitive, acne-prone skin. Prescription acne treatments are a conversation to have with a board-certified dermatologist first.
A personal fascination of ours: what lives in her gym bag?
Face Reality’s new Omni Clear Mist ($40), for one—she keeps it on hand for workouts and travel days. She’s also a fan of the brand’s Daily SPF ($36), which she says blends into her skin seamlessly and wears well under makeup.
Try it: Mist after a sweaty class, then reapply SPF before you head back outside.
Does her routine change when summer turns to fall?
Briggs takes her cues from her skin as the climate shifts. Cooler, drier weather means more focus on moisture—specifically Face Reality’s HydraCalm Mask ($42), which she uses as an overnight treatment. In summer it was a once-a-week step; come fall, she bumps it up to about three nights a week to keep flaking in check while she’s exfoliating.
Her other travel trick: a filtered shower head. She’s been using one from Afina so the water on her face stays consistent from city to city—one less variable to worry about.
Why it works: Pairing exfoliants with a richer overnight layer helps replace the moisture acids can strip, especially once heating season starts.
Her curls are quite literally goals—so how does she keep them bouncy?
Even curl icons have hair setbacks. Briggs told NewBeauty a recent haircut loosened her curl pattern for months: “apparently my hair was in curl shock, who knew.” What brought her texture back was Olaplex No.3 ($34), which she also leans on during back-to-back events and long set days. She usually wears her hair natural, but updos, blow-drying and constant handling add up, and the treatment helps repair that wear.
For styling, her budget-friendly duo comes from Garnier: the Air Dry Curl Cream ($7) and Curl Construct Creation Mousse ($6).
Why it works: Bond-building treatments target broken links inside the hair strand, which is why they’re a staple after heavy heat styling.
What’s the best beauty advice she picked up on the TSITP set?
Switch to curl-specific wash products. It sounds obvious, she admitted, but for years she prioritized scalp care and skipped curl care at the very first step of her routine. Once she started using Briogeo’s Curl Charisma Shampoo ($28) and Curl Charisma Conditioner ($28), her curls looked noticeably better.
Try it: If your curls feel limp, rethink wash day before you pile on more stylers.
What does she reach for on the rare days she wears makeup?
With her skin in a better place, makeup has become optional, she said. When she does wear it, she keeps things to two MERIT staples: the Complexion Stick ($38) and Flush Balm blush ($30).
Okay, but what does she smell like?
DedCool’s Xtra Milk ($90), which she can’t stop wearing and loves to layer. Her summer combo was Diptyque’s Philosykos ($145) with Xtra Milk underneath—and with fall here, she’s planning a Diptyque run for something cozier.
