My Beauty Routine: Chelsea

While it’s fun to read about the beauty habits of celebrities, I find it most helpful to learn about the beauty habits of women who have lifestyles, ages, or budgets similar to mine. In this series, I’ve asked amazing women I know to share their beauty routines. These are women from across the country, different ages, lifestyles, professions, and beauty/skincare priorities.

Name: Chelsea

Age: 48

Location: Cheverly, Maryland

Profession: Writer and yoga teacher (visit Chelsea on Twitter, Instagram, and her website)

Tell me a bit about your skincare and/or routine.

I love skincare products and makeup, which might account for the 5-7 tubes of lipstick or gloss I keep in my purse at any given time. (I know, I need to pare that down…) On the regular, I wake up and apply a vitamin c serum, a new practice recommended by my dermatologist to help with aging. Then a daily moisturizer–this is a product I never skip but frequently change up… I have zero brand loyalty when it comes to the daily moisturizer, maybe because I haven't found the right one. Sometimes I splurge, sometimes I buy from Walgreens. In the evenings, I always wash my face, no matter how tired or sick or lazy. A few times a week, I use a sugar scrub I make at home. A few times a week, I use an M-61 Power Glow Peel. Then I apply a retinoid (Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM Treatment Serum is my current fave… results evident the next day, I swear) and an eye cream (SkinCeuticals a.g.e. Eye Complex is a splurge and was also recommended by the dermatologist). Top all that with a night cream, where once again, I brand hop.

If my skin looks like I need a little extra, I roll DoTerra Rose essential oil on trouble areas.

Makeup: On most days, before leaving home I use Jouer tinted moisturizer or if I need/want more coverage, I'm devoted to Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. Always use tube mascara. I recently tried to find something different but regardless of how many reviews promise no under eye smudging, I find every non-tube mascara to leave at least a hint of raccoon eye. I'm an active person so perhaps that is why, so I'm in a LTR with the tried and tested.

Back to lipgloss, I have recently discovered the best product, one I'm almost ready to buy again, which rarely happens. Rhianna's Fenty Beauty line makes the Gloss Bomb, which if I hadn't had two friends recommend, one a red head and one with dark hair and olive skin, I might not have believed the universality of. BUT IT'S TRUE SO GO GET YOURSELF SOME! I also am a recent convert to Smith & Cult. I bought it in The Queen is Dead, a nice berry tint and once Flesh Riot is back in stock, that will be my next purchase.

Has your skincare and/or beauty routine changed due to age, lifestyle, career, etc.?

I used to work on Capitol Hill, both as a Senate staffer and later as a lobbyist, which meant everyday I was doing the entire makeup beauty routine. Now that I'm a writer working mostly from home, I only add eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara etc. if I'm meeting up with someone. And if I'm teaching a class, I might use the tinted moisturizer if I need a little smoothing over, but generally I try not to get too made up.

To my surprise, as I am growing older (I've already starting compiling a 50 before 50 to do list), I wear less makeup. I sort of thought it would go the other way, that I'd want more. But I think I look younger with less makeup on my face, especially foundations and powders. One product I have added to my beauty routine is defining my eyebrows. They are starting to gray just slightly, so I use a pencil and a brow gel (both Hourglass, a spontaneous purchase I didn't research ahead of time). In fact, many days it's just tinted moisturizer, defined brows and Rhianna gloss. When I add eyeshadow, eyeliner and mascara, I stick to neutral palettes and while makeup artists always want to put plums and violets on my eyes to pull out the green in my hazel, I think those shades make my lids look slightly bruised so I generally avoid.

What is the best skincare or beauty advice you ever got and from whom?

Smile. Drink water. Wear sunscreen. And from my 100-year old grandma: live in the moment.

What is your must-have holy grail beauty or skincare product?

The recent find mentioned above: Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM Treatment Serum. So worth the investment.

What is your biggest beauty or skincare regret or embarrassment?

For 3.5 years I religiously got eyelash extensions. First of all, the cost is so ginormous, and I regret I didn't spend that money more wisely. I won't even let myself calculate the trip I could have taken with what I spent on touchups every 18-21 days. Not to mention, as the lash technician I went to used to talk about, this is an unregulated industry. To think I let someone hold small, sharp tools to my eyes for so long makes me blush. Also, I so thought I was fooling everyone. Look at my beautiful, naturally long lashes. Now when I see others have extensions, I can tell immediately. But I've admittedly moved into embracing a more natural look, and I get it, others want to look more made up.

What nugget of skincare or beauty wisdom do you wish you could give to your younger self?

The trick about applying makeup and cream to your eye using your ring finger. NOW I do that but why didn't I take that advice in my 20s?

Anything else you’d like to share?

Beauty truly comes from the inside, so while it's important to take care of the vessel, make sure you're treating the heart and soul too. (I know that's such a yoga teacher thing to say).