Issue link: http://papercitymagazine.uberflip.com/i/1180206
22 OBSESSIONS. DECORATION. SALIENT FACTS. TINA CRAIG MIRACLE WORKER I n January, I made a resolution that this would officially be The Year of Skin. Call it TMI, but here we go: Since my teenage years, I've struggled with less- than-ideal skin — most notably, scarring and an uneven surface. So it was that I found myself at Cos Bar at The Plaza at Preston Center for an event promoting Augustinus Bader, a relatively new skin cream that regenerates the skin's stem cells. There, I bumped into my friend Tina Craig, an avid user of the Bader cream. She raved about it and graciously listened as I told her about my 2019 resolution. With those words, she quickly grabbed my arm. "I'm launching a product!" she exclaimed. "I have some in my car! Perfect for acne scarring and resurfacing. You will love it." With that, we made a beeline for her car, where she grabbed a nondescript bottle with a handwritten label taped to the front. "Use it twice a day," she said. WITH HER NEW SKIN COMPOUND U BEAUTY, TINA CRAIG TRANSFORMS FROM BAG SNOB TO SKIN SNOB. "Once in the morning and once at night." As many in this city and beyond can attest, Craig is a bit of a mother bear to us all. For years, I have gone to her for advice and inspiration — and she is one of the few influencers whose Instagram content I actually follow and trust. So, I followed Mama Tina's regimen exactly. Within two weeks, I was sold. I hadn't ventured into laser treatment, nor did I spend a dime on costly facials, but I noticed a remarkable difference in the overall smoothness of my skin — a code I had never been able to crack before. Last month, roughly 10 months since our parking lot exchange, Craig took her product, which goes by the name U Beauty, to the public. The resurfacing compound uses Siren Capsule Technology, a patent-pending system of molecules that Craig says travel beneath the skin to pull damage away. Made in Italy, U Beauty is the only skincare company in the world to employ this technology, while remaining committed to being a clean, cruelty- free, vegan, non-GMO, and non-filler product — notions that also take high- priority in my beauty-routine decisions. It's safe to say the Bag Snob, who made a name for herself by way of handbags and has 442,000 followers, has rapidly expanded her realm of influence to skincare. And, k n o w i n g C r a i g , it has nothing to do with turning a profit or increasing her fame. As a stalwart advocate for women, she finds deep satisfaction in creating a product that will help those with skin insecurity feel more confi- dent. Tina Craig's U Beauty resurfacing compound, .05 ounce $88, 1 ounce $148, through net-a-porter. com. Christina Geyer U BEAUTY IS COMMITTED TO BEING A CLEAN, CRUELTY-FREE, VEGAN, NON-GMO, AND NON-FILLER PRODUCT ... Tina Craig