There’s no one right approach to makeup or skin care; everyone does it a little bit differently. In You Do You, the Cut talks to women about what they put on their faces and bodies, and why.
You probably have a mental image of what a gluten-free chef might be like, and it’s probably different from Aran Goyoaga. Goyoaga, who just released one of the fall’s most anticipated cookbooks, grew up in Spain’s Basque country in a family of farmers and pastry chefs. She became a pastry chef herself in her 20s, but when she and her kids were diagnosed with gluten intolerance, she turned her attention toward the kinds of foods they could all still eat. Now based in Seattle, she takes a hearty and thoroughly non-fussy approach to life and food on her Instagram feed and blog, Cannelle et Vanille. The same attitude applies to the way she thinks about beauty. Below, she talks to the Cut about baths, self-care, and growing older.
On her beauty philosophy: I’m 45. I think about beauty in terms of emotional health and internal health. I’m not worried about my appearance. I’m not trying to change who I am and how I look. I believe in maintaining good skin care, physical care, and emotional care, but I am not trying to eradicate my age. If I feel healthy, I look healthy.
I do use mostly natural products in skin care and home care. But it’s not about a regime of natural, organic makeup. It’s about how I naturally appear. I’m not trying to alter my appearance or go back in time.
When I think of beautiful people, it’s those who come across as forward-thinking, curious, and physically active. Those are signs of vitality, and it shows in how you carry yourself. It’s about what you’re doing and how you engage with your life and other people.
On the first five things she does every morning: First, I make a glass of warm water with lemon juice and honey. I learned it from my mom. It’s supposed to break your fast and “alkalize” your body. Since I’m Ayurveda pita, it’s always good to drink something warm — not hot or cold. I try to meditate because I’m prone to anxiety. I don’t go into a trance; I just focus on the intention for the day and what I need to do. I drink coffee and brush my teeth. And sometimes, if I’m going to be photographed, I might do those Elemis eye masks that I keep in the fridge while I answer emails.
On makeup: If I’m cooking all day, I don’t wear makeup. But I wear it when I want to look more put together, or if I’m going to be photographed. Once I put it on, I do feel more … intentional.
On her nighttime skin-care routine: I always wash my face twice, even if im not wearing makeup. I use Bioderma micellar water, then I do an oil face cleanser (I use Elemis’s Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm). I do a little facial massage while I’m doing that and wash it off with a hot towel. Three times a week, I’ll do the Osmosis Enzyme Exfoliator. Sometimes I do the Elemis Pro-Collage Marine Mask. Then I may use May Lindstrom’s Blue Cocoon Mask. For eye cream, I use Yon-Ka’s Eye Contour. In the morning, I use Joanna Vargas’s Rescue Serum and then I have Odacite’s Wild Carrot Oil Serum.
On hair: My mom cut my hair until I was 15. I have thick, wavy, and thick hair, and it would get really puffy. She just didn’t want to deal with it and cut it to be practical. People used to think I was a boy. I remember thinking I could never have long hair. She tried her best, and it was terrible. And then when I was 15, I grew it out. I do love bangs. I think they’re always sophisticated but feminine and fun. I’ve never been able to make them really work for me, though. I don’t know how to style them. I don’t often think, I wish I was like this, but I do wish I could wear bangs better.
On self-care: I like the routine of skin care. It allows me to have a moment with myself. During the day, I am cooking, but I’m not very conscious of my body. I don’t really observe or feel it. By doing these things, like soaking in a bath or brushing my teeth or putting a mask in my hair, it just makes me be with my physical body a little bit more.
On baths: In the summer, I don’t do many baths. In the winter in Seattle, it can be damp and cold, so I do them almost every night. I put about three cups of Epsom salts — whatever I find at Whole Foods — in the water and use Dr. Singh’s Mustard Bath. Sometimes I’ll add in lavender- or eucalyptus-scented oils. I soak for about 20 minutes. I do love a winter bath routine. It’s a lifesaver here.
On her beauty role model: I love Katherine Hepburn, who has that sort of natural gamine attitude. She had wild hair and even though her skin aged, her features and her skin were still so pronounced. She still looked very vital.
On what she would tell her 12-year-old self if she could: I would tell her that it’s going to be okay. Don’t worry so much. I always felt overweight and conscious of my hair. I just didn’t like the way I looked at all. I would be like, You’re going to age well, and you’re going to be okay!
More From This Series
- “I Sleep With a Pitcher of Water Next to My Bed.”
- ‘Bangs Are a Pet for Your Face.’
- ‘I’m Like, I Guess I’m Glowing?’
- “I Pray to God That the Adaptogens I Pour Into My Oatmeal Are Doing Something.”
- ‘I Believe in Sleep, Laughter, and Sunscreen’