Caroline Day~ In flight beauty & Portuguese escapes

CAROLINE DAY~ACTRESS

I met Caroline on Scandal. We don't even remember what we bonded over. Sometimes someone sits in your makeup chair and it's like you've known them for lifetimes. We do share similar obsessions with travel, beauty, coffee and our latest-stalking homes for sale in foreign countries (via IG) Daydreaming of owning a villa in another country is such an amazing escape and it's fun to have someone to to share the obsession with. This is being written during the Covid Pandemic so any distraction that soothes the soul is good for us. Here she shares her beauty routine, the secret to her effortless style and how she dances herself into zen..

My grandma. Always chic, she’s taught me the elegance of simplicity: white blouse, black slacks, black flats, chignon! Maybe a pop of red lipstick. She reminds me of a little Portuguese Audrey Hepburn. 

Every morning when I wake up, I wash my face with a gentle cleanser. My two favorites are Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Foaming Cleanser and La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel. I like having my face feel super clean before I put on any product or makeup. Then I put on a layer of Embryolisse or another lightweight moisturizer. My heavy duty products -- serums, peels, masks, or any retinols -- are part of my nighttime regimen because I generally don’t have time in the morning. Besides, at night I can let products sit while I watch a movie. Also, I am not yet together enough to wake up 30 minutes early for my skin routine. Before leaving the house, I always make time to apply a layer of sunscreen, ideally Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen or Glossier Invisible Shield because you can’t feel them on your face. And I never wear makeup if I don’t have to. If I do have to, I keep it simple: a lightweight foundation, a swipe of mascara, and a lip. 

My biggest secret is that I don’t have any: no hard and fast rules is my rule. I try to wear sunscreen and a hat, but I love being in the sun in the summer. If sun damage gives me crows feet, so be it. I try to eat lots of fresh fruits and veggies, but I also have a sweet tooth and love carbs. If pasta gives me love handles, so be it that too. It may sound cliche, but I think happy, whole, fulfilled people are the most beautiful. 

I am decidedly un-zen. For me, it’s music and dancing that gets me into a flow state and helps me tap into spirituality. 

My new favorite thing to do, now that we’ve adopted a Safer-At-Home quarantine lifestyle, is to virtually tour a museum in the afternoon. It’s great: no lines, fewer stairs, clothing optional. Of course, it’s nothing like the real thing. I love seeing art up close. But these tours remind me of the world outside my apartment and the power of art. If you’re looking for great online collections, I highly recommend The MASP Museum of Sao Paulo, The Musee d’Orsay, and the Uffizi Gallery.

Educated is my new favorite book. While it’s really harrowing, it reminds me of what humans are capable of when we dig deep. Old favorites include Bob Dylan’s Chronicles, Madame Bovary and Wuthering Heights. On a rainy afternoon, I love to flip through Leonard Cohen’s Book of Longing or Rimbaud’s A Season in Hell. When I’m in the mood for a short story, my first stops are Checkhov and Nabakov. And if my attention span is even shorter, I really enjoy looking through art books; they’re visually engaging which really helps with my ADD. 

When I was a kid, my mom always wore a pink, silk robe. Before it was my mom’s, it had been her mother’s. And It had a distinctly floral scent. I always think of that as my mother’s scent and I can still recall it today, even though the robe has been tattered for years. 

Easily the Silent Living Hotel in Lisbon! Its beauty is in it’s artful simplicity. The design is breathtaking: huge limestone staircases and minimal furnishings. And, beyond the aesthetic element, there’s a unique quality to the family-owned space; it really feels like you’re being welcomed into the home of a dear friend. Every morning’s breakfast is this beautiful spread with a variety of juices, breads, sweets, and artisanal honeys and cheeses. The care and intention with which they prepare it, and everything else, make this hotel so special, like nowhere else in the world. 

https://www.silentliving.pt/booking/

I go big when it comes to in-flight skincare. If I have makeup on, I wash my face the minute we reach 30k feet. Then, I moisturize. I put on my Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask because my lips become lizard-like almost immediately after take off. My most important plane product is Barbara Sturm’s Anti Pollution Drops: these fight the free radicals from air travel, so I make sure to re-apply several times in flight. Then, at some point - believe it or not - I do a mask. It looks ridiculous, but I fly so much, my skin really appreciates it. Also, it passes the time. ‘My Beauty Diary Alps Edelweiss Ultra-Repairing Mask’ is my go-to, because it’s incredibly hydrating and reasonably priced. And finally, I drink as much water as I can. It’s good for your insides, too! IG:  @drbarbarasturm 

LA~Cecconis! Best kept secret... that I am now telling the internet. In the late afternoon, I’ll head there for a light afternoon snack: gnocchi and iced latte. I love their iced lattes. 

Depends on the vibe of the trip, but my go to is Bossa Nova. It works wherever you are and wherever you’re heading. Throw on some Stan Getz, Joao Gilberto, or Caetano Veloso and you’re good to go. And if I spot tumbleweeds through the car window, I have to throw on some Waylon Jennings, John Denver or Dolly Parton.

I have always had a dream life in which I am a painter. Unfortunately I have absolutely zero talent for painting, but I am hoping this pans out in a future lifetime. 

When I am fully engaging with life. When I am at my most activated, excited, exhausted, excited, etc. I hate stagnancy. I always have this feeling that there’s so much to do in a day, week, month, life….and if I’m not I’m missing out. I feel beautiful when I feel fully alive. 

IG~@caroliniday