The #ITGTopShelfie interview series focuses on the beauty routines of Into The Gloss' lovely, accomplished, and loyal community of readers. Submit your own on Instagram—post your Top Shelfie (tag us @intothegloss!) and include the hashtag #ITGTopShelfie for a chance to be featured on ITG.
"Hi! My name is Michelle Siman (@simansays). I live in Toronto, and I work for Aritzia doing Ecommerce Customer and Social Care. When I’m not at work I’m either at Ride Cycle Club, the pilates studio down the street, or in my bed watching a documentary on Netflix. Over the past year, I’ve learned to find joy in things that make me feel mentally and physically stronger, both from the inside and out. My skincare routine has played a huge part in that. I came to realize that nothing can change overnight–especially when you’re switching between products and trying to heal breakouts. Everyone’s skin and hormones are different. What might work for someone may not work for you, and that’s okay! I started giving a shit about two years ago while I was dealing with adult acne. I made the decision to see if a more natural approach would work for my skin, and it did.
The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is drink a glass of room-temperature water, sometimes adding lemon. My morning routine is super quick! I once read that Pharrell says washing your face with cold water closes your pores, so I follow his advice every morning, no cleanser. After that I use Drunk Elephant B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Gel followed by Consonant Perfect Sunscreen, which also has a bit of a tint that I like. I’m actually pretty obsessed with SPF–I try and reapply at least twice a day. That probably isn't necessary, but I like to be cautious. I’ll then use Milk Flex Concealer in Medium just under my eyes, followed by Glossier Generation G in Like and Boy Brow in Clear.
My bedtime routine is my favorite part. I like to start with Caudalie Cleansing Water to clear and refresh my skin before I wash it and I love the cool feeling it leaves. This Toronto-based brand Consonant is great because their products are all 100% natural and have really been working for my skin—their Natural Foaming Wash is my holy grail! It’s infused with tea tree and grapeseed oils to make it super hydrating, and it completely takes off my makeup. I really think it's the one product I could not live without. Then I use the Ordinary Buffet and Alpha Arbutin from another Toronto-based company, Deciem. These two help reduce pigmentation and make my skin feel super tight and plump since I don’t typically use a moisturizer in the summer–I do like the Estée Edit Pink Peony Overnight Water Pack though. I also use the Herbivore Coco Scrub in the shower. I love how it exfoliates my skin and leaves it super moisturized. If I’m doing a mask, my favorites are the Glossier Moon Mask and Aesop Primrose Facial Cleansing Mask–I always have some essential oil going off in my Vitruvi diffuser too, usually a blend of bergamot and cedarwood together. Both are super calming and help me tune out after a long day.
I’m a pretty physically active person, so I drink three liters of water every day to help hydrate my skin and flush out bacteria. This also improves skin complexion and all-around goodness. And for a while I was on the hunt for the perfect natural deodorant. This took quite some time, but I finally had a co-worker recommend the Juicy Bamboo Takesumi Detox Deodorant by Kaia Natural. Another Toronto local–it’s made with activated charcoal, and it's worked wonders."
–as told to ITG
