FROM THE DESK OF SARAH BROWN

It all started with a lash curler. In the very beginning--Los Angeles, circa 2014--Cassandra Grey asked around Hollywood's inner sanctum of top makeup artists for a hot tip on the hands-down best implement to professionally curve–but not crimp–her eyelashes.

An exhaustive search ensued. Experts weighed in. The VIOLET CODE was conceived. And VIOLET GREY, the only place in both the virtual and physical universes where you could find a hyper-tight, uncompromising curation of world-class beauty essentials vetted by the people who know best, was born.

To this day, Utowa's handcrafted, Japanese-engineered Eyelash Curler II is a VG mainstay. As is Yves Durif's Vented Hairbrush, Melanie Simon's Serum C, a naughty little device from Crave, and on and on. This season we're celebrating the VIOLET CODE APPROVED forever faves that keep on delivering. From cult legends to a few exceptional newbies that are quickly earning their place on our re-order lists, these are the tried-and-trues we continue to invest in that never let us down. We're kicking off our Heroes & New Classics bonanza--think of it as the ultimate beauty It-List--with selects made by our core crew: the radiant-complected, shiny-haired, delicious-smelling, impeccably-groomed VG Staff.

Remember: We try everything so you don't have to.

XO.

SB