"My name is Cecilia Gorgon (@ceciliagorgon). I’m from southwest Detroit, but I’m a student at the University of Michigan, so I live in Ann Arbor. I’m majoring in Fine Arts. In the past I’ve done a lot of photography and drawing, but my focus lately has been more geared towards ceramics and illustration. I also work as a gallery assistant at the Institute for Humanities at U of M.

School and work tend to leave me feeling, and honestly looking, really tired. I try to make up for that by being really nice to my hair and skin. Hair has always been kind of a big deal for me. I’m biracial and because both my parents have radically different hair textures, they didn’t really know how to do my hair when I was younger. I’d end up with either a tangled mess, or a head so full of product that my hair looked more like a helmet. It was so bad—I had to learn how to do my hair from Youtube tutorials. I love when I see people wearing their hair naturally, or curly. It’s so beautiful that people are embracing that. I wish everyone with curly hair would wear it big and frizzy and proud.

The trick to curly hair is really just lots of moisture. I towel dry my hair with one of those anti-frizz towels, and then I follow that with either argan or camellia oil. I like to use natural products like Shea Moisture’s Curl Enhancing Smoothie, and their Hold and Shine Moisture Mist. The two together gives me really nice hold and moisture, but also lets it move. It’s magic. Once a week I wash my hair with Shea Moisture’s African Water Mint and Ginger Detox Hair and Scalp Shampoo and Conditioner. If my hair looks oily, but I don’t want to strip it of all the oils, I’ll use DevaCurl’s No-Poo. It’s super conditioning, but gets rid of that gross oily scalp feeling. I also sleep with a silk pillowcase, which helps tame frizz.

In the last few years I’ve also really gotten into skincare. In the mornings I usually wake up late, so my routine is pretty short. I wash my face with warm water and Glossier’s Milky Jelly Cleanser. Then I follow with a serum—usually Super Glow or Super Pure—and I moisturize with Embryolisse’s Lait-Creme Concentré. It’s super rich and hydrating, but doesn’t leave a greasy feeling after. Even my boyfriend loves it, and that’s saying a lot.

At night I follow the same routine, but I switch out the Embryolisse for rosehip oil and add in a mask, like Caudalie’s Instant Detox Mask, about once a week. I exfoliate once or twice a week using Neogen’s Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Wine. It’s really gentle, but makes my skin noticeably softer and brighter after I use it. It also smells like grape juice, which I love.

I bought this little humidifier a few weeks ago when I was sick, but lately I’ve been adding lavender essential oil to it and using it at home. It’s really relaxing and I’m convinced it’s making me fall asleep a lot faster. When I’m trying to relax I’ll usually take a shower or a bath, turn on the humidifier, and moisturize my entire body. My go-to body lotion has always been Palmer’s Cocoa Butter. My mom used to use it on me when I was little and I just never stopped using it. It’s thick enough that it moisturizes you for the entire day, but thin enough that it’s not a total pain to rub it in. It also makes your whole body smell like chocolate. Sometimes, if I’m feeling fancy, I use Kiehl’s Creme de Corps. After all of that I’ll do some kind of mask—something hydrating like Avène’s Soothing Moisture Mask or a Dr Jart sheet mask. I love anything that will make my skin glowy and bouncy.

I really love makeup, too. I use Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel to fill my eyebrows in, and then follow with Glossier Boy Brow because it makes the hairs stand out a lot more. Then I’ll use a highlighter like RMS Beauty’s Living Luminizer if I want a more dewy finish. I’ll usually just wear Glossier Balm Dotcom, but I recently bought the Yves Saint Laurent Volupte Tint‑in‑Oil. It’s the best lip gloss I’ve ever had—super moisturizing and not even a little bit sticky. I also love the Dior Addict Lipstick. It’s got this metallic, shimmery finish, but it’s super subtle and totally wearable on a daily basis. I'm all about looking natural, but I love the idea of those kinds of small accents."

—as told to ITG