All My Favorite Beauty Treatments

and those that I've given up on

My mother has always had the best skin. She didn’t grow up with acne, has never seemed to have a blemish, and, for the most part, couldn’t have cared less about skincare, makeup, or her appearance. Beyond a smudge of kajal and the occasional lip color, she never wore makeup. She doesn’t style her hair. She has never gotten a blowout. Twice, on special occasions, I’ve hired glam for her.  Those are probably the only two times in her life her hair has been exposed to a hot tool or her face to foundation.

Meanwhile, I started to experiment with makeup as a teenager, and in college, I learned how to use a flat iron. Then I joined the entertainment industry, and my exposure to beauty rapidly accelerated. My career has unfolded largely on camera, and, like it or not, my appearance is a part of that. I get asked a lot about my hair, skin, and beauty routines. Like many of us, I have a complicated relationship with beauty, but I’ve mostly decided to 1. Keep it simple (read: prioritize efficacy) and 2. Try to have some fun with it.

My beauty rules largely revolve around lifestyle: hydrate, eat well, manage stress, move everyday, prioritize sleep, stay consistent with skincare routines, and of course never go to bed with makeup on.

When it comes to skincare, I try to choose products that are proven to be effective, like retinol (I get a prescription from my doctor), vitamin C, and sunscreen. My routine, per my “keep it simple” mandate are: face wash, vitamin C, moisturizer, and sunscreen in the morning, and micellar water, face wash, retinol, and moisturizer at night. Though I don’t often suffer from acne, I try to use non-comedogenic products. (You can find links to all my skincare and beauty favs here.)

Beyond the bare minimum, I’m pretty picky about where I spend my time and money. The beauty industry is growing and constantly innovating, so the options are seemingly endless: LED face masks, at-home dermaplaning, lasers and stem cell facials, microcurrent, microneedling, and so much more. Here’s what I’m into and what I’m over.