For as long as I can remember, my mom has been my ultimate beauty hero. As a 4-year-old, I'd plop a play stool in the doorway of her bathroom (a very

convenient location, I'm sure) and ogle as she got ready for work every morning. I took note of the way she'd roll her hair into curlers, wiggle a mascara wand through her lashes, and slide a sleek tube of lipstick back and forth over her lips before pressing and pursing for good measure. I was never anything less than enchanted by A) her beauty and B) her vast collection of bottles, tubes, pots, and palettes. Fast-forward 21 years, and not much has changed.

The apple didn't fall far from the tree in our house, and when my mom retired after working for more than 35 years in the television industry, she immediately switched gears to focus on beauty and makeup—her other big passion. Now, she works as a makeup artist and educator for women over 40, and seeing as her 25-year-old daughter is planted in Los Angeles as a beauty editor, roughly 94% of our correspondence revolves around the beauty products and trends we're loving; which products and trends we're hating; and every kind of tip, review, and suggestion in between. (My poor father had to leave our group text. Sorry, Dad!)