From skincare, to makeup, and overall self care, these tried-and-true nuggets of beauty advice have helped me feel my best from the inside out.
This week, I am gearing up to celebrate my 38th birthday. As I express gratitude for another trip around the sun and prepare to consume three helpings of my mom’s chocolate cake, I’ve also taken some time to reflect on how lucky I am to love my job (I somehow get paid to test makeup and skincare products, then write about it for a living? Pinch me).
As a veteran beauty editor, I’ve learned a lot of insider tricks and personal lessons over the past 13+ years in the industry—from how to take care of my skin to nailing that winged eyeliner technique. It’s wild to think about how my beauty regimen has changed (for the better) overtime. High school Brooke was a purveyor of blue eyeshadow and her trusty Hot Tools straightener; college Brooke regularly slept in her makeup and wondered why she had acne; even early 20’s Assistant Editor Brooke still had much to learn about the tribulations of not drinking enough water and slathering her face with too many product samples that weren’t right for her skin.
With that, I’m here to share 38 slices of beauty wisdom that I’ve learned over the years—from hair care to nail care, makeup tips and skincare lessons—that have made me look and feel happy, healthy, and beautiful from the inside out.
Health and self-care tips
1. Drink more water. Not iced coffee, not Diet Snapple, but good ’ol fashion H2O. Prioritize drinking half a gallon of water a day for healthy, supple skin.
2. And drink less alcohol. I spent most of my 20’s hopping around beauty events in NYC and never saying no to a complimentary glass of wine (or three). My skin looked dull, dehydrated, and acne-laden; I also looked tired… because I was. Alcohol is dehydrating, so cutting back on the booze allows moisture to be restored to your skin for a plumper, more vibrant complexion (with less wrinkles and acne to boot).
3. You are what you eat. Maintaining a balanced diet of fresh fruits, veggies, healthy fats, and lean proteins (not daily canned soup, college Brooke) ensures you’re getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals for your healthiest skin, hair, nails, and overall health.
4. Go to the dermatologist yearly for a full body scan, which is your best bet for early detection of skin cancer. And don’t forget to schedule your next annual before you leave the doctor’s office to ensure you stay on top of it every year.
5. Choose a day of the week to pamper yourself with an “everything shower” and use all your favorite top-shelf products. I like to spend an hour on Sundays washing my hair, doing a moisturizing hair mask, and then applying a luxe body oil (like MUTHA Body Oil) all over post-shower for super-soft skin.
6. Beauty sleep is real. Aim to get eight hours of sleep a night, which will help reduce dark under eye circles, increase collagen production, and reduce stress (which can help lessen breakouts).
7. Need to fake a full night’s sleep? Keep some eye patches in the fridge for a cooling and refreshing treat for tired eyes in the morning. I love grace & stella Firming Under Eye Masks.
8. Wear sunscreen every single day—it’s the best anti-aging product out there. Yes, it’s important for a day by the pool, but you should also slather on that SPF if you’re walking to the mailbox on a cloudy day in February.
9. Thoroughly wash your face before bed. Sleeping in your makeup and the day’s fifth can lead to clogged pores, eye irritation or infection, and dull skin. Do not skip this step, even if you are tired!
10. For the ultimate clean, double cleanse your skin at the end of the day; first, use an oil-based cleanser to remove makeup and sunscreen, then follow up with a water-based cleanser to wash away any excess dirt and impurities.
11. Don’t pick pimples or try to extract blackheads. Seriously, walk away from the mirror and stop it right now—it will only make things worse. Put a pimple patch over that sucker and let it work its magic. Rael Beauty Miracle Patch Invisible Spot Covers come with two different sizes and are pretty much undetectable for daily wear.
12. Read ingredient labels and choose clean beauty products, which are typically free of harsh ingredients like parabens, phthalates, formaldehyde, and synthetic fragrances. I also always look for that “cruelty-free” emblem to ensure the brand doesn’t test on animals.
13. Use a good night cream as the last step of your evening skincare routine—the thicker formulas have a higher concentration of active ingredients to help repair skin on a cellular level—and you will wake up to rejuvenated, softer skin. Try: Farmacy 10% Niacinamide Night Mask.
14. No doubt about it, retinol is a highly effective anti-aging treatment, but if you have sensitive skin or are pregnant, it’s not the best (or even a safe) option. The good news is, incorporating peptides into your skincare routine can help enhance collagen production while hydrating skin for a bouncy, plumper, and youthful-looking complexion. I love using a peptide serum like Biossance Squalane + Copper Peptide Rapid Plumping Serum to reap all those anti-aging benefits without the irritation.
15. Botox is expensive AF and I’d rather spend money on facials. I prioritized getting Botox for my wedding because I have a very expressive forehead and I wanted my makeup to look smooth on my special day. But on the regular, I rock my laugh lines with pride and instead, budget for regular facials with a great esthetician to improve my overall skin health.
16. Make the switch to silicone free hair care. Fun fact, I didn’t know I had type 3a curls until I was 33—the drugstore shampoo I was using was coating my hair in silicones, which make your hair shiny, but also weigh it down and hinder hair health. Once I swapped my mainstream products for cleaner alternatives, my natural texture began to shine through. Try: Ethique Volumizing Shampoo and
17. Healthy hair starts with scalp care. Use a scalp scrub once a week (Briogeo Scalp Revival Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo is my ride or die) to slough away build up and encourage optimal hair growth.
18. You don’t need to wash your hair every day (or even every two days). In high school, I blew out my hair nightly, which is truly unfathomable to me now. Cute hair clips, headbands, and a great dry shampoo (like Odele Dry Shampoo) are all you need to extend your style.
19. Growing your hair as long as possible isn’t a hairstyle. Get regular trims to keep the split ends at bay. True story: your hair looks longer and healthier when it’s not scraggly.
20. Don’t cut your own bangs. That’s it. That’s the tip.
21. Always use heat protectant on your hair before grabbing the hot tools. Heat damage can cause unwanted frizz, dryness, and breakage. I’m a big fan of Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection & Heat Protectant Crème—you apply it to damp hair, so you’ll also reap the heat protection benefits before you blow dry (plus, it helps tame those frizzies).
22. When using a curling iron or wand, curl the front sections of your hair away from you to open your face and look.
23. Having a snatched manicure at all times has been “my thing” since high school. However, my polish chips even if I’m just staring at a wall, so I often went the gel route; unfortunately, my nails are also brittle, so too many gel manicures in a row only made them weaker. The solve: custom-fit nails stickers, like ManiMe Nail Stickers. You get the look and the long-lasting benefits of a gel mani, minus the damage (and plus fun patterns!).
24. Another brittle nail tip: use a high-quality crystal nail file to cut down on the unnecessary roughness from cheap files.
25. I used to be teased in elementary school for having thick eyebrows, but I definitely got the last laugh. Fluffy, well-groomed brows are “it” and a few swipes of tinted brow gel (like Well People Expressionist Brow Gel) will help accentuate your eyes and complete your look
26.False eyelash newbie? Apply your lash strips while hovering over a mirror, which helps hood your eyelids the perfect amount for a precise and effortless application.
27. Wash your makeup brushes regularly, because clogged brushes spread bacteria and old makeup all over your face (aka, breakout central). Use a daily brush cleaner every time you apply makeup, and do a deep clean every week or two.
28. Throw out old and expired makeup products, which are just collecting bacteria.I make sure to replace my mascara the suggested every three months—and after I’m done writing this, I promise to throw out that Naked Palette from 2014 that still has a chokehold on me for whatever reason.
29. The olfactory sense is our most powerful, so get a signature fragrance that people will remember you by: mine is Jo Malone Wild Bluebell Cologne.
30. Sometimes with makeup, less is more. Streamlining my routine with makeup-skincare hybrid products (e.g., a tinted moisturizer with SPF, like Saie Slip Tint) has been the time saver and space saver I’ve needed in my 30s.
31. Red lipstick is an immediate confidence booster and I fully believe it looks good on everyone—you just need to find the right shade that complements your skin’s undertones. I sometimes skip the rest of my makeup and swipe on e.l.f. Cosmetics O Face Satin Lipstick in No Regrets to make it look like I have my life together.
32. I’ll be the first to admit I was not blessed with naturally long lashes. A good tubing mascara is all you need to add lash extension-like length and create a wide-eyed look. Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara is worth the hype.
33. For the days a liquid black eyeliner is too much drama, dip a wet, angled eyeliner brush into navy eyeshadow and line your top lash line.
34. Add a dab of shimmery neutral-colored eye shadow to the inner corners of your eyes to brighten up your look. A shadow stick like Glo Skin Beauty Cream Stay Shadow Stick in Beam makes this super easy.
35. For a natural teeth whitener, brush your teeth with a paste made from a mixture of baking soda and water. (Limit this to once a week, though, to ensure you don’t wear your enamel away.)
36. For the smoothest lipstick application, use a lip scrub three times a week to remove dead skin cells from the surface of your pout.
37. Give your skin a healthy-looking glow year round by mixing a glow booster into your moisturizer. My mainstay is Saie Glowy Super Gel.
38. In the words of Audrey Hepburn: happy girls are the prettiest. Do something you love every single day to bring yourself joy and fill your cup; your vibe will be higher because of it. I make time to walk my dog, call my family, play outside with my daughter, and do a little writing.