From Must-Have Makeup to Spa Treatments, Here’s What Keeps Her Looking and Feeling Her Best

In a world where beauty routines can feel overwhelming, one woman’s approach is refreshingly simple and personal. Our family’s favorite nightly ritual is watching Roy arrange the pillows on the couch, but when it comes to her own beauty routine, she’s all about the essentials. Almost a decade ago, my friend Sharon told me a theory that has stuck with me, and today, I thought I’d answer some of the most popular beauty questions from Cup of Jo readers.

“What holy-grail products have made the biggest difference to your self-image?” is a question that resonates deeply. Looking at her bathroom counter, she realized there are five products she wears every single day and buys in multiples. These include Gemma’s lipstick, which is known for its perfect colors that somehow brighten up your whole face (the beauty item she gets the most compliments on, by far). She also relies on an everyday sunscreen with an incredible scent, a blurring primer that makes skin look lit from within, Baby Cheeks blush for the sweetest, sexiest flush, and Ilia mascara, which makes eyelashes look longer and fuller without the gross chemical smell of many mascaras.

When asked about her go-to foundation after Armani discontinued its product, she shared her experience with the Il Makiage foundation, which she found to be a perfect replacement. The formula evens out her ruddy and splotchy complexion while still looking natural and soft.

For under-eye concealer, she turned to her friend Gemma, who recommended Hourglass for its seamless coverage and long-lasting formula. Gemma also mentioned she wears Laneige glowy makeup serum before applying the Hourglass concealer, followed by Ilia blush in Closer for a natural flush.

When it comes to spa treatments, she may not get facials herself, but she enjoys 30-minute foot rubs at Bergen Spa, which somehow make her whole body feel amazing. During the holiday season, she and her partner have a new tradition of going together to Aire Ancient Baths. While the experience is not cheap, the candlelit baths and plunges are described as romantic and otherworldly.

As she approaches her 40s, she reflects on the importance of embracing aging gracefully. She finds beauty in the little things—smile creases, freckles, and even neck lines. She hopes that young girls will look at her and feel safe to grow up, rather than feel the need for Botox. She shares a quote from Erin Shetron of Frequent Criers Club, who says, “I want little girls to look at us and feel safe to age. I want us to all be a little bit ugly in our own unique ways. I want us to resist external beauty standards so that we can define and meet our own internal beauty standards that reach beyond our aging faces, our crooked noses, our sagging skin.”

She loves playing around with lipstick and her trusty hairbrush, but when it comes to aging, she also loves the smile creases around her eyes and the freckles on her right thigh that look like the Big Dipper and even her neck lines from watching 30 Rock reruns on her phone in bed.

She recalls a recent moment when she brought strawberry popsicles over for her niece Georgie and her brother. As she watched Georgie shriek, “Auntie Jo!”, and tear down the block on wobbly legs for a hug, she felt a deep sense of gratitude and hope that Georgie would look at her, 43 years her senior, and somewhere deep inside, feel safe to grow up, too.

If you have any beauty questions, feel free to share them below. xoxo P.S. Check out her 10 most recommended beauty products and her thoughts on getting Botox.