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 there! My name is Alivia (@lalalivia) and I live in a small town in British Columbia, Canada. When I'm not working on a cookbook project, I’m either at yoga, in the kitchen with my husband, playing with our dog Elio, or watching Netflix. I try to live with the four pillars of health in mind: hydration, nutrition, movement, and sleep. Beauty plays into that because if things aren’t in harmony internally, then it will likely show externally. I focus my routines around clean beauty products—I’m not 100-percent there yet, but I’ve really enjoyed the task of finding items that are kind to the planet and my skin. It’s all about progress not perfection, right?

For me, beauty starts in the kitchen. If I’m not drinking four liters of water a day and eating tons of plants, it shows. Mornings begin with warm water and supplements. Moon Juice has been a real game-changer for my body. I have endometriosis, so my hormones are out of whack (especially after getting my IUD out). I’ve been balancing them with Sex Dust, Maca, and Super Hair. I’ve also found taking Super You to be helpful with my mental stability during the cold months :) Drinking infusions also helps my skin. I’ll steep a few tablespoons of nettle, red raspberry leaf, goji and seaweed together and sip on it throughout the day. 

Before I hop in the shower, I lube up with shea butter from Sun Potion. Canadian winters are harsh, and I prefer to not have skin the texture of a crouton. I’ve got long, thick, coarse, wavy hair, and the only thing that can tame it is Davines. They have sustainability at their core, and give a breakdown of where key products are farmed from. I’ve been using Love shampoo and conditioner as of late, and after the conditioner is washed out, I ‘wet comb’ and part my hair. 

For my body I use Dr. Bronner's. I’m not picky on the scent; I’ll pretty much use whatever they have on tap at the natural health food store when I go to refill my bottle. Post shower I use Davines' leave-in conditioner, followed by Momo Hair Potion and Kevin Murphy Killer Curls. I don’t heat style my hair, so I either let my waves dry or put my hair into a low, tight bun. It’s one of those hairstyles where I think I look like an off-duty model, but in reality I look like Mrs. Trunchbull from Matilda. I use Fur Oil, and Everyday Oil on my body—the latter smells amazing. I’ll usually roll on some After Oil from Vitruvi, a Candian company that I’ve been using for years. The roller ball feels so good on my constantly stiff neck, and the blend reminds me of massage oils—it’s like a little spa moment in the middle of my morning. And then I use Byhumankind deodorant for a multitude of reasons. It’s refillable, it works better than anything else I’ve used, and the company is carbon neutral! A triple threat of sorts.

I’ve had acne for the better part of my life, but it doesn’t bother me like it used to. I've accepted that I'll never be a girl with glass skin, and I'm OK with that. Skincare starts with The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid, followed by some type of moisturizer, depending on my skin's needs. Some days it stops there, and others I incorporate my makeup routine as well. I've yet to find a clean foundation with the coverage I need to hide my acne scars, so for the moment I’m using Laura Mercier Flawless Fusion Ultra Longwear Foundation in Cashew, followed by RMS Uncover-Up as concealer. I set with Lawless Seal The Deal Loose Setting Powder, then comb my brows up with Glossier Boy Brow in Brown.

I think that everything Kosas touches turns to gold—they’re the most exciting clean beauty brand right now—so as my next step I brush on some highlighter and blush in Contrachroma, and follow up by curling my lashes and painting on Ilia mascara in Midnight Black. On days where I want to elevate things, I'll dust Roén Beauty eyeshadow in Disco on my eyelids. It's such an effervescent eyeshadow that makes me feel like I’m six years old again, playing in my mom’s beauty drawer. For a more dramatic look, I'll go in with one of the 10-Second eyeshadows from Kosas. My favorites are Globe and Waterfall—they’re so whimsical. I have naturally pigmented lips, so I’m usually happy with my Mint Balm Dot Com. If I want to step it up a notch I’ll use Kosas Lipfuel Hyaluronic Lip Balm in Pulse, it's absolutely a ‘your lips but better’ color on me. Bite Beauty is another clean brand (that's Canadian, yay!) that I love. I’ll mix any of their matte lip crayons with their Agave Daytime Vegan Lip Balm for a sexy nighttime lip.

I use Youth To The People Superfood Antioxidant Cleanser in the evenings, followed by a rose and neroli hydrosol that is crafted by a local woman. Cocokind Watermelon Hemp Oil makes my skin feel amazing and absorbs quickly, followed by frankincense oil that's suspended in jojoba. I'll rub that onto any acne or scars and it works like magic to help erase them. Depending on my energy level I'll gua sha. About once a week I'll use Cocokind Resurfacing Sleep Mask, which makes me wake up with the smoothest skin. For acne care, Moon Juice's toner helps me to keep my skin as clear as possible, as does The Ordinary niacinamide. My evenings typically end with Moon Juice Magnesi-OM. Sometimes I'll smoke some weed too, depending on my pain levels. Laundry Day is an elevated pipe company out of British Columbia that I use—their pieces look like art and are fun to smoke out of. Once I'm in bed I'll turn on my Vitruvi diffuser. Their ritual blend is my go-to evening scent—the palo santo gives it an earthy smell that I love. But before I turn out my light I lather my hands in Weleda cream, and Suavina on my lips, which is promptly kissed off by my husband. 

One of the reasons I am so interested in clean beauty is because I think it's a nice balance to the not so ‘green’ routine that I indulge in. I get my nails done every three weeks. I've been seeing the same lady for the past three years and every appointment is such a fun and collaborative experience. We always come up with wacky designs and I feel like it's a way to express my creativity, especially when my outfits tend to be more subdued. I get highlights twice a year—I'm not someone who ever ‘does’ their hair, so it's not the top of my priority list. We use Davines color and I swear to God it doesn’t damage my hair like other dyes do. Every 12 weeks I get Botox for my daily chronic migraines. My doctor injects around 40 different points in my forehead and neck area, and it’s supposed to help. I have yet to see results, which is normal for someone who has been dealing with migraines as long as I have, but I will say having a smooth forehead is the one immediate benefit!!!”

—as told to ITG

Photos via the author.