If ITG has one M.O., it's to get to the heart of your beauty routine. Product reviews are nice and all, but the real intrigue comes with how you use what you use and when. The best products fit comfortably in with the rest of your life. But don't get bogged down with the word "routine"—rare is the skincare devotee who can stick to the exact same products day in and day out. Your skin and your life changes every day! So should your beauty regimen.
To prove this theory, we asked FOITG (friend of ITG) Phoebe Lovatt—founder of the WW Club, a community for women in creative industries to hang out and cowork—to chronicle her beauty routine from Labor Day through Fashion Week—a taxing time if ever there was one. Also, who doesn't love reading someone else's diary? Even just a little? Either way, here's Phoebe's:
Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2016
Morning
My morning routine is simple, and fairly consistent. I wash with Glossier Milky Jelly and dry my face with a clean white flannel. Then I use a serum of some sort, which I switch up depending on how my skin feels (right now I’m road-testing The Supers, which are awesome, and I’m also a big fan of Paula’s Choice Resist Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum), followed by SPF.)
I feel like finding a good facial SPF is the new skincare "Holy Grail." Right now I'm halfway through my first tube of The Face Shop Natural Sun Eco Sebum Control Moisture Sun SPF 40 and I have to say: so far, so good. No white cast, a nice high protection factor, and it lives up to its promise of keeping shininess at bay. I actually love a glowy face, but I'd rather apply it selectively with the help of Haloscope than walk round all day with oil-slick skin.
Lotions and potions aside, the key element of my skincare regime is water—whether that’s the water I drink, sweating with a good workout, or luxuriating in a steam room when I get the chance. For this reason, I start every morning with a liter of warm lemon water and a couple of tablespoons of apple cider vinegar. Not sure if it helps, but it tastes suitably medicinal, so it can’t hurt.
Night
I stay out pretty late catching up with a friend from London so I speed through my nighttime routine when I get home. On any given night this entails taking my makeup off with Bioderma, washing with Milky Jelly once again, and applying a swipe of Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant (this brand doesn’t look sexy in your cabinet but the products are super-effective).
After that I apply a coat of Super Bounce—I need all the hydration I can get right now—and then a dab of Embryolisse, which is one of those products I continue to use despite the fact it’s too heavy for me, just because I love the texture and the plumping, dewy effect. What can I say? We all do things we shouldn’t.
Wednesday, Sept. 7, 2016
Morning
Slept terribly because I’m launching The WW Club membership today and I’m a bag of nerves. I’ll usually spend a little longer on my beauty regime on heavy work days like this—looking put together feels like a nice act of self-care, and it also helps me to feel confident.
I read somewhere (maybe ITG?!) that Martha Stewart does a face mask every morning (!!) and while I certainly don’t have Martha money, I do like this decadent masking concept. After my Milky Jelly cleanse, I do a super quick application of Sisley’s Radiant Glow Express Mask, which works about as quickly as the name might suggest, followed by the usual SPF.
Night
A crazy day, as anticipated. I spend the evening celebrating a successful Membership launch (yay!) by bouncing around a few Fashion Week parties and drinking a glass or two of free champagne. Once again, I’m exhausted by the time I get home, so my evening routine is reduced to a Simple Face Wipe and lots of vitamin E oil. I try to atone for my sins by popping a couple of charcoal tablets and glugging another liter of lemon water before bed.
Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016
Morning
You know how sometimes you treat your body like a giant garbage can, and yet somehow wake up looking better than you would after eating salad for dinner and getting into bed by 10pm? That’s me this morning.
I’m rushing out the door as usual this morning, so I charge through my usual morning routine of Milky Jelly, Super Glow, and SPF, plus a little dab of Shiseido’s Sun Protective Eye Cream SPF 34. This leaves a slight white cast but I find it can be useful for brightening dark undereyes circles. No escaping those, alas.
Night
I’m writing about my friend Paloma Elsesser for a British women’s magazine, so I head to her house around 5pm to do the interview. After we’re wrapped with that, we both get ready for an event at her place. This means I get to do my favorite thing in the world: Try a bunch of new products in a context that isn’t the fluoro glare of a Sephora counter.
Paloma has a litany of products (and beautiful skin to show for it) so I go a bit crazy. I cleanse my face three times—first with Sunday Riley’s Blue Cleansing Balm, followed by Belif’s Creamy Cleansing Foam Moist, then a quick exfoliating session with Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant. (I’m sure there are skincare experts reading this in horror.) Afterwards, I add some of SK-II’s Facial Treatment Essence—neither Paloma and I can fathom what essence actually does, but agree that anything from SK-II can’t be bad. I follow it with a combo of Embryollisse and Belif Problem Solution Moisturizer. Glow up!
Friday, Sept. 9, 2016
After another late night jumping around town (any night that ends with eating White Castle mozzarella sticks at the Telfar party is a good one), I wake up looking not my best. I also have a ton of work to get through so I decide to be a good girl, skip all the NYFW festivities, and stay home to power through it.
I give my face a break from make up all day and, once I’ve ticked off most of my to-do list, treat myself to a little more #MarthaMask time. I start with the always-reliable Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque, and follow up with a 10-minute application of Sunday Riley Good Genes—it doesn’t work for me as a night-time treatment but I love the brightening effects of it as a mask. I round off with Sisley’s Hydrating Express Flower Gel, drink about five liters of water, and head to bed.
Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016
Yesterday’s good behavior has paid off and my face is cooperating once again. I head to my usual Saturday morning hot yoga session (aka The Facial for Girls Who Can’t Afford Regular Facials) and my skin looks at least 25% better for it. Whenever I’m looking really dull, hot yoga + warm lemon water - alcohol = the fastest way to fix it.
More work in the afternoon, then into the city for Scarr's pizza and catch-ups with my officemates Madeline Poole and Alicia Torello (aka the best nail artists in NYC!) I resist the lure of the rosé and stick to sparkling water instead. I’m home, in bed, and feeling pretty smug by the admirable hour of 11pm.
Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016
Working from home (cough, my bed, cough) this morning so I start the day with lemon water and my extra-quick ‘freelancer’ AM routine, which is literally just Milky Jelly and vitamin E oil. Plus coffee.
In the afternoon I head to my friend Sandy Liang’s presentation, featuring a guest appearance from Glossier’s very own Eva Alt (who is looking extra-glossy and gorgeous!) Afterwards, Paloma, Madeline and I head to Takahashi and order most things on the menu. I have ‘Sushi Face’ AKA sodium-induced swelling before I even get home. I deal with the situation as best as I can by doing a little facial massage with DHC Deep Cleansing Oil, then coating my face with Super Glow and glugging some more water before I head out to the Opening Ceremony party.
Later that night, I manage a quick PM routine of Simple Face Wipe, Milky Jelly, and Embryolisse before collapsing into bed. What a week.
Monday, Sept. 12, 2016
Today’s my last day in town before heading back to London and Spain for a business/pleasure combo trip. Needless to say, I’m running around like a maniac trying to cram in last minute meetings and errands, including a quick run into Sephora to buy a bunch of sheet masks for the inevitable post-flight gray face (I like the ones from Boscia). I also get a sample of Peter Thomas Roth's Rose Stem Cell Bio-Repair Mask to use on the plane. I love the Pumpkin Enzyme Mask and have heard good things about this one.
I’m doing my entire trip with a carry-on because I’ll be moving around way too much to have a huge suitcase in tow. I actually find streamlining my beauty products even harder than narrowing down my clothing options, but I stay organized by splitting my stuff between Glossier pouches (one each for hair, body, face, and makeup). I bought a couple of cute little travel-sized versions of my favorite products to travel with, so hopefully my skin will hold up on the countless planes, trains, and Ubers I’m about to take. Wish me luck!
—Phoebe Lovatt
Photographed by the author.
Phoebe, Madeline, and Paloma go out sometimes. Read all about the Sisterhood of the Traveling Giorgio Armani Foundation here.
