Real Women, Real Routines

List your top three W3LL PEOPLE holy grail products.
I always have my Expressionist Pro Mascara in my purse and my second one (yes I love it that much) in my gym bag! The other two items I live by are the Bio Tint Multi-Action Moisturizer with SPF 30 because you need to protect your skin and the Bio Baked Bronzer Powder because it does a great job of making my face feel glowy and contoured. My personal hack for the Bio Bronzer is to brush it onto your lids with your fingertips for a beautiful color that draws attention to your eyes.

Why is clean beauty important to you?
We preach taking vitamins and eating good food to look good but what about our skin? I think it’s important to invest in your skin’s health because its your largest organ and everything you put onto your skin is eventually absorbed into your body! Clean Beauty is an easy choice for me because it aligns with so many other important things in my life. It’s even more of an easy choice when companies care about their consumers’ health and the health of our environment.

What does W3LLNESS mean to you?
My W3LLNESS means taking care of myself from the inside out. Moving my body daily to feel good and having a skincare routine that makes me feel beautiful in my own skin rather than feeling the need to conform to "beauty norms".

What’s your advice to someone interested in using clean beauty products?
Start with one item at a time and purchase the products that you use on a daily basis; It will make the transition easier for your wallet and your skin! There are great clean beauty brands out there that work even better than the toxic brands you have in your routine. Make the switch for healthier, happier skin.

Tell us a little bit about yourself!
When I’m not drinking tea, teaching yoga or moving my body you can find me working for my clients and building my own business! I recently launched my new site in September and have some exciting things coming up in 2020. A challenge to myself this year is to try something new every month.

What are you up to most week days? And your weekends? The week is filled with teaching, getting my daily sweat sessions in, reading and working with clients. Every weekday morning I have an hour to myself before I start my day. It really helps me get centered and ready to take on the day. I’ve found that in the long run, the extra hour of time alone really changes how my days feel.

My weekends are usually my time to explore, tend to my plants, dance in the kitchen while I cook and make some food for the week. I like to use my weekends to go with the flow because I find that it’s nice not to have every little thing scheduled.

What is your skincare routine, morning & night?
In the mornings I wash my face with Eminence probiotic cleanser, then I pat my face dry and put on my serum of choice. Right now I am alternating between Upacara Rosehip and W3ll PEOPLE Bio Booster Facial Serum. Next I do Gua Sha to my face and neck to help with lymphatic drainage and to depuff my face Wildling Beauty’s Gua Sha tool is the best in the game. Then I finish off with eye cream and face lotion. To end my morning skincare routine I put on my SPF and read my self love affirmation stickers I make.

My night routine consists of cleansing with my Eminence probiotic cleanser and then exfoliating with my Eminence strawberry rhubarb exfoliant. After that I apply a vitamin C serum, eye cream and my hydrating night face lotion. I always make sure to put my lotion on my neck, too. Never forget the neck!

Anything that has really improved your overall complexion?
Focusing on healing my gut health and liver has been the biggest game changer for my skin. If your body isn't ridding itself of waste it shows up on your biggest organ...your skin! I do masks weekly and I’ve also been going to my esthetician during the winter months to do some peels and to take care of some sun spots and pigmentation issues. it’s so helpful and affordable in the long run when you find a good person who knows your skin!

Run us through your makeup routine. What’s your go-to look?
Here is the breakdown of my makeup: After I do my skin care routine and moisturize I’ll apply foundation. My secret makeup trick is to put my eye cream on the crease of my nose and around my mouth so the foundation doesn't dry up. Next, I exfoliate my lips with an old bamboo toothbrush and comb my brows with it, too (trying to keep it multifunctional over here). Next up is bronzer! I love a good bronzer and my favorite is the W3LL PEOPLE Bio Bronzer Baked Powder. For my eyes I will moisturize and if I feel up for it I "finger paint" my lids with my Aether Beauty eyeshadow pallet. After that I’ll curl my lashes which is a must for me, and then I finish up with W3LL PEOPLE Expressionist Volumizing Mascara. I’ll add a few extra layers for drama or keep it simple for a daytime look. If I feel bold I’ll do a red lip but otherwise a nude lip gloss/clear gloss because my biggest pet peeve is having dry lips– it makes me feel like a prune! I like to think of my everyday look as french-chic.

I started a food blog about two years ago because my friends prompted me to share my recipes and I was craving a creative outlet. The blog has grown since then to include Lifestyle and Travel as well and i've met some amazing friends and companies along the way. I am an avid sustainability and environmental advocate, I've become more outdoorsy since my big move out west & I do not use any toxic makeup (special shoutout to W3ll People for making that transition so easy!) In my free time I love spending time with my friends, reading (I read 12 books last year & i'm working on doubling that this year!), hiking, traveling and experiencing new adventures!

What are you up to most week days? And your weekends?
Most weekdays I'm working between 8am-6pm, cooking at home or going out to happy hour with friends. Weekends include a lot of outdoor activities, recipe testing, going out with friends and getting to know my new city of Seattle!

What is your skincare routine, morning & night?
In the mornings I splash cold water on my face, then I use a cotton pad and toner to cleanse. Next I do an ice facial (if you are unfamiliar see my blog post here for more details!). I follow that up with a Vitamin C Serum, then moisture with a day time brightening moisturizer. At night I take off any make up I was previously wearing, wash my face, use toner again, moisturize with a light oil, add a night time moisturizer, and use a cream for around my eyes.

Anything that has really improved your overall complexion?
Ice facials, Acidic exfoliation, vitamin C serum in the AM and a night cream at night.

Run us through your makeup routine. What’s your go-to look?
My makeup routine is pretty simple. Daily I simply wear concealer, mascara and a touch of powder to reduce my shine. If i'm going "out out on the town" I use a concealer for the dark circles under my eyes (thanks, Greek genes!), I use a powder to reduce the shine on my forehead and chin, I put on mascara, a light brown eyeliner, some tinted lip, highlighter on my cheek bones and a touch on the tip of my nose, and a bit of bronzer (if i'm feeling frisky) and that’s about it!

List your top 3 holy grail W3LL PEOPLE products & why.
Bio Brightener Stick - I love this product because its so smooth and mixes into my skin effortlessly. Expressionist Pro Mascara - my eyes are incredibly sensitive, I recently was blessed with allergies so finding a mascara that didn't run or make my eyes water was very difficult. Bio Bronzer Powder- This is the bronzer I trust when I do my "going out" look, the color is so natural it just adds a depth to my cheek bones!

Why is clean beauty important to you?
To be honest, it always kind of scared me to think that skin is our biggest organ and it absorbs everything that we put onto it and that was reason enough for me to start using clean products. I was partly raised in a small village in Greece where everything I used on my body or put into my body was organic and local. I grew up in a house that focused on organic food, cleaning products etc. so it made sense that products i'd use on my face would be clean, too. What is your advice to someone interested in transitioning to clean beauty? I have physically seen a difference in my face since using organic beauty products. I wake up to dewy skin, smaller pores and a brighter looking face. I highly recommend making a transition by trading out one of your current products, say mascara, and integrating W3LL PEOPLE’S Expressionist Pro Mascara into your daily regimen. Change begins with one step in the right direction!

What are you up to most week days? And your weekends?
My typical day looks like an early wake up to squeeze in my workout before the littles start waking up with the sun. Once they wake up, it’s a full throttle marathon run! I am feeding four mouths and getting them ready to head out the door by 8am. After school drop offs, I run errands with my littlest guy until it’s time for preschool pick up, lunch, and naps! Naptime is up in the air - I’m either hustling with chores around the house, or I am resting and resetting for the second half of the day. Weekends include at least one family fun day, sometimes a wedding where I’m working as a hairstylist or photographer, and always church on Sunday... one of the only days of the week that I am sure to put on a full face of makeup and get dressed cute, haha!

What is your skincare routine, morning & night?
My skincare routine has changed loads throughout my 20s! When I was younger I would just wash my face with a bar of soap. I cringe now thinking of how much that dried out my skin. Now, I’m much wiser and aware of my aging skin. I use a cleansing milk in the shower that is really lightweight and easy on my sensitive skin. When my face is still warm after the shower, I will gently exfoliate by dermaplaning my skin; removing dead skin and peach fuzz. Lastly, I use Osea Malibu’s ocean lotion to moisturize. Before and during my cycle, I will do a charcoal mask 2-3 times a week to try to tackle the inevitable hormonal breakouts. And occasionally I will add in a resurfacing peel when I’m feeling fancy!

Anything that has really improved your overall complexion
Honestly going clean alone has changed up my complexion a lot! all of the harsh products I’ve used in the past have aided in skin flare ups, and I’ve found a lot of the clean products I use now are actually benefiting my skin tone and overall glow. Eating clean, drinking water, and dermaplaning (shaving) my face have made all the difference as well!!

Run us through your makeup routine. What’s your go-to look?
My go-to makeup look is very natural and effortless looking on an average day. I don’t need a full face when I’m tackling diapers, tantrums, and Target drive up orders on a day-to-day basis. If I’m expecting to run errands, here is my routine: 1) moisturize, 2) throw concealer under my eyes and on trouble spots, 3) bronzer on my cheek bones, forehead, and neck, 4) mascara, 5) fill in brows and pop a little color on my lip! I’ve been loving W3ll People’s Optimist Semi-Matte Lipstick in “Let It Go” for a natural color.

List your top 3 holy grail W3LL PEOPLE products & why.
My top three W3ll People products are the Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer, Bio Bronzer Baked Bronzer, and the Expressionist Volumizing Mascara. Why? Because these are three items that I can get a full look from in less than 5 minutes and run out the door with my kiddos!

Why is clean beauty important to you?
Clean beauty is important to me because my overall health and well-being is important to me. My kids need me healthy! Your skin is your largest organ and absorbs so much. We are bound to be exposed to toxins living here on earth, so I’m happy to make the choice of what products sit on my skin for hours at a time.

What is your advice to someone interested in transitioning to clean beauty?
I always encourage people to start small and just replace items as you run out. It can seem overwhelming when you start getting informed on what’s clean and what isn’t. The first thing I changed up when I went clean was my skincare routine — my face wash and moisturizer. Then I ran out of foundation and thought it was the perfect opportunity to make a better choice for my skin.