“I only went to aesthetician school because I wanted to learn about skin, but when I was there, I discovered that I loved giving people treatments. I got a job with Dr. Barbara Sturm as a market specialist after I graduated, which then led to me doing facials, which then led to me developing the facial program for a couple of med spas and derm practices. Throughout it all, I wasn’t thinking of these jobs as stepping stones to my own business. The reason I ended up opening Stallë Studios was because we did a Sturm pop-up and all of my clients still wanted facials when it closed.

At the time, I lived with Jon—my then boyfriend, now husband—in a one bedroom apartment where I’d do facials. Jon went to work during the week, but on Saturdays and Sundays I’d tell him to leave from 10 to 7, so he’d be stuck roaming the streets all day. [Laughs] Eventually he told me he needed our apartment back. I was terrified of committing to a lease, but I found a shared office space whose landlord let me start off with a three-month commitment. Time passed and I brought on employees and leased another room, and when they started to be fully booked, too, I knew it was time to look for what’s officially now Stallë Studios in Soho. My philosophy is all about consistency versus intensity. Growing up, I would get facials because I had pretty bad acne, but I would always leave looking horrible. But at Stallë Studios you don’t have to leave all red and blotchy. Even if we do intense extractions, you’ll always leave with glowy, dewy, lifted skin—except for when we do microneedling, of course.

SKINCARE
My skin is on the oiler side. I have visible pores in my T-zone no matter what I do, and I’ve always been prone to breakouts. To cleanse, I love Bioeffect’s micellar water because it takes everything off my face without me having to scrub, and it doesn’t leave a film—a lot of micellars do. Bioeffect makes my favorite gentle cleanser, too. The trick is to put it on dry skin, massage it in, and then add water to turn it into a milky consistency. It leaves my skin so soft. Auteur’s Enzyme Cleanser is great for gentle exfoliation, and I love Dr. Loretta’s Micro-Exfoliating Cleanser because it has a little bit of salicylic acid. Twice a week or so, I leave it on my skin for a minute or two so it can really work its magic. It’s especially good in the winter for the acne girls or guys because it won’t dry you out.

I spray the May Lindstrom jasmine garden mist either at the beginning of my routine or at the end—or sometimes both. It just makes me happy and smells so good. My friend, Gracie Wiener, loves the Isla elixir, and when I finally tried it, I became addicted. My skin looks brighter and better when I use it. When I want an exfoliating toner though, I go for Royal Fern’s Phyto Active essence—someone told me it was as if P50 and SK-II’s essence had a baby. It’s so underrated, especially for people who are prone to redness and need gentle exfoliation. Speaking of exfoliation, if I want my skin to look particularly good the next day, I use Retrouve’s Skin Brilliance Priming Pads. They’re sneaky because they’re not harsh at all but extremely effective at sloughing off dead skin. And to keep my acne at bay, I switch between Sofie Pavitt’s mandelic serum and Sachi’s Complexion Clarifying Accelerator. I love them so much.

When I’m lazy and I don’t want to do anything but cleanse and moisturize, I slather on my Monastery Attar. In the summer I like to use Bioeffect’s Day Serum, which is a gel, as a lighter moisturizer. And in the winter Retrouvé’s Intensive Moisturizer is the best rich cream I’ve ever found. It doesn’t break me out, which is so rare for a product that rich. I use Bioeffect and Retrouvé for my eyes, too. I love the Bioeffect eye serum because it has a roller so it depuffs as you apply it. Retrouvé’s eye concentrate is my go-to when I need something thicker. Even when I put it on at night, I wake up and my eyes are still dewy.

I use Dr. Loretta’s replenishing serum when I want my skin to look like glass and need extra moisture. I use it in my facials and almost every client asks about it—the other day someone told me that it feels like cashmere. Bioeffect’s 30 Day treatment is my go-to to fight fine lines, and I like to alternate it with Eighth Day’s Regenerative Serum, which has growth factors and peptides. For treating pigment, Sachi’s Triphala Corrector is really good, especially for post-inflammatory erythema, the red marks after breakouts—normally, you have to get those lasered off. And I’m not loyal to one retinol, but I’m really liking the Dior RetiShot right now. I can’t use prescription-strength retinol because my skin is very sensitive, but I haven’t had issues with that one. My skin looks resurfaced without any purging at all.

Of course, I never go without sunscreen. The Auteur Sun Drops are great because they feel like oil but dry down in this beautiful glassy way. For a mineral option, I like Odacité’s Mineral Drops. They don’t dry you out and leave a beautiful glow. The tinted mineral drops are nice, too, especially when I don’t want to wear makeup.

As far as masks, The Activist Manuka Honey Mask is anti-inflammatory, so it’s great for breakouts. Noble Panacea’s Overnight Chronobiology Peel is another one I like to use when I want my skin to look especially good the following day—or if I’m feeling lazy. Every once in a while, I’ll use CO2Lift’s pro mask. It increases oxygen in the skin by 117 percent. I use it in treatments, actually. And oh my God, my newest mask obsession is Uguisu’s poo mask. It’s made from Japanese nightingale droppings. It’s incredible for breakouts.

Because I worked at a med spa and got everything free, I probably had every inch of my face injected, but I stopped doing that because it made me look not so nice. I’m reformed. [Laughs] Now I only get a little bit of lip filler and Botox on my elevens and my neck because I have a really strong platysma. I go to Plump every four to six months.

And finally, tools! I love my Lyma laser for tightening, my Medicube for penetrating all of my juicy serums deeper into the skin, and my Celluma Pro for calming and brightening. The Celluma is a bit hard for me because you need to sit under it for 15 minutes at least three times a week to see results and I have things to do. [Laughs] For depuffing, I depend on Beautology’s cryo tools. They’re shaped like gua shas and stay cold for so long. For an actual gua sha, I use my Retrouvé x Stallë one of course. It’s stainless steel, so it’s really hygienic because it’s non-porous. And I’m obsessed with the PureLift Pro Plus. It uses three different kinds of frequencies to sculpt. Your face moves like crazy when you’re using it, but it lifts you like nothing else. I always use it with pure aloe vera before events or photoshoots when I need a pick-me-up. Oh, and the Cecily Braden lymphatic brush is a must-have. It’s so soft—unlike other dry brushes—and so pretty.

MAKEUP
I usually just finger paint my face. For everyday, I love Chanel’s Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint in Medium Light because it’s so glowy. If I want a little more coverage, I switch to the Clé de Peau cream foundation in Light Ocher. I started using it in my acne girl days because it covers breakouts well—and I was bougie at that age I guess. [Laughs] And during the summer, I switch to the Hermès Plein Air Complexion Balm in shade 10. If my eyes look extra dark, I’ll do a light layer of the Clé de Peau Radiant Corrector in Ivory. Otherwise, I just use their concealer in Ivory or Ocher, depending on the season. It’s my go-to for breakouts, too. But for a singular pimple, I turn it into a beauty mark with Marylia Scott’s Spot On in Light-Dark. I have a different beauty mark all the time. [Laughs]

I think my lips look the best when it looks like I ate a popsicle, and that’s what the Dior Addict Lip Glow in Rosewood gives me. It’s the perfect little flush. And then I like to play what I call ‘musical blush,’ meaning I just grab whichever one. I love Rhode’s Pocket Blush in Piggy, Freckle, and Toasted Teddy. If I want powder, or if I want to top off the Rhode, I like the Hermès Silky Blush in Rose Pommette. As for bronzer, the Chanel Les Beiges Sun-Kissed powder has a little bit of shimmer, which I love. I only really use it over my cheeks when I’m going out.

I keep getting compliments on my lashes, and it’s because I’ve been using the Swede eyelash growth serum since July. It’s the only lash serum that has ever worked for me—all the others make my eyes red. For mascara, I recently discovered Lisa Eldridge’s Kitten Lash, but I’ve been using Trish McEvoy’s tubular one for ages. I tend to get raccoon eyes—I think it’s the way my eyes are shaped—but I’ve never had a problem with either one of these. Both give me a great curl, but the Kitten Lash also separates them. When I’m extra motivated, I start off by curling them with my Shiseido lash curler. And I’m not really loyal to one brow product, but I’ve always loved Glossier Boy Brow and come back to it a lot. I just brush up my brows and that’s that. Easy.

I don’t contour heavily, but I like to give myself a bit of definition. The Westman Atelier Face Trace stick in Biscuit is so good. It’s the same color as a shadow. And I’ve been liking Saie’s Sun Melt in Fair Bronze recently—it’s a little warmer than Biscuit. The Victoria Beckham Contour Stylus is really nice because it’s so skinny. I’ll even use it on my eyelids to create a little shadow—Travertine is my go-to shade. For actual eyeshadow, I love Chanel’s longwear liquid in Desert Wind, a bronze-y purple that makes my eyes look so blue, and the Healthy Glow palette in Medium. Westman Atelier has really beautiful eye pods, too. I have the Toujours collection. Sometimes I dip a little brush into the darkest shade for eyeliner.

HAIR
Nothing compares to the Iles Formula shampoo and conditioner when it comes to making my hair soft without heat. If I want volume, I use the Gold Lust shampoo from Oribe and I also prefer their Transformative Masque. I’ve been liking the Rôz Foundation shampoo and conditioner, too.

I don’t know if you’re supposed to apply Rôz’s Milk serum on dry hair, but I put it on my ends while my hair's still wet so they get less frizzy. The same goes for Crown Affair’s leave-in. And sometimes I’ll use the Balmyard Siren oil instead, but only a tiny amount or else my hair gets greasy.

I’m not so good at doing my own hair, but I can always achieve a beautiful, bouncy blowout with the T3 Airebrush duo. When I want a professional blowout, I go to Reagan Baker at House of Reagan. She always does the best cuts. Her whole thing is about being a ‘low maintenance bombshell.’ She’ll give you a cut and you only have to come back to her maybe every six months or so. She was the one who recommended I get a Mason Pearson brush, which I’ve had for years now. I don’t know if it transfers the oils down better, but it makes my blowouts last a lot longer when I brush my hair the next day. I never use it on wet hair though. For that, I have an Officine Universelle Buly Traditionalist comb. And when it comes to color, I’ve been seeing Becca Kraeger at Spoke and Weal for years. We met years ago during our single days when someone introduced her to me as the queen of blondes—and she is.

BODY
I don’t always remember to use it before getting in the shower, but the Lilis Instant Peel is so cool and it’s great for people with keratosis pilaris. In the shower I love Lilfox’s pink tonka and yuzu body cleanse in the mornings. The smell is so invigorating and wakes me up. If I want something more neutral, I reach for my Nécessaire body wash. But, after a hard day, I love running warm water with Natureofthing’s Floral Bath, which has magnesium. I add flowers to my baths—either fresh petals if I have a bouquet around the apartment, or dried flowers from Amazon. I know that’s very extra, but it’s a small little way to elevate my baths… and it makes me feel fancy and delicate. [Laughs]

Out of the shower, the Kate McLeod Body Stone is my obsession. There’s no water in it, so I find that I have to use less of it. Also, if I’m wearing a low-cut top and my chest is showing, I do a swipe for a beautiful glow. My other favorite is Buly’s Lait Virginal in Mexican tuberose. First of all, it’s so beautiful; I’m obsessed with old school packaging that looks like something you’d find in an apothecary. But oh my God, it has my favorite scent in the world. It’s powdery and clean and a little bit sweet. Sometimes I mix it with Costa Brazil’s Kaya Jungle oil, but the most luxe body oil I own is from Retrouvé. It’s thicker than the Kaya Jungle oil, so I definitely let it soak into my body before I put on clothes, but my skin is so buttery when I use it.

I almost don’t want to tell anyone about the massages at The Spa at Chelsea Hotel; they’re that good and it’s so beautiful there. I also have a masseuse, Ilaria, who comes to my apartment once a month. I learned about her from one of my clients because she doesn’t advertise—people only know about her through word-of-mouth. She’s this tiny woman with the strongest hands ever. For a good lymphatic drainage massage, I go to Gracia Imboden at Ricari Studios. She’s like a fairy with the best healing energy. And I’m obsessed with dry needling with Dr. Monique Carnevali at FoodPharmacy. She uses the same needles that are used in acupuncture, but they go deeper to the point where your muscles spasm. It’s intense and hurts, but it relieves muscle pain like no massage ever could.”

—as told to Daise Bedolla

Photographed by Shana Trajanoska in New York on November 17, 2024