Pulling an all-nighter? Margeaux Labat is not your girl
Daily Beauty Rituals: The music curator and creator also known as Marg.mp3 may live in a 24-hour city, but you'll never catch her skipping any beauty sleep.
The first thing I eat or drink when I wake up is…
A large cup of water (approx. 24 oz) with 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar in it. I’ve been doing this pretty consistently for the past year or so, and it tastes a bit gross, but I’m so used to it by now. I typically drink it first thing in the morning while taking my multivitamins.
The soundtrack to my morning routine is…
If it’s a normal morning at home for me, Sam Prekop’s self-titled album, Acetone’s 1992 – 2001 compilation, and either of Jeff Parker’s first two albums (Like-Coping and The Relatives). I’ll typically listen to any of those albums as I’m getting my day started.
My go-to beauty hack for when I’ve pulled an all-nighter is…
To go to sleep as soon as possible! I’ve probably pulled maybe two or three all-nighters in my life, like when I was in college cramming for exams, and it really is the worst feeling. So I try to avoid them like the plague. If I have no choice, like, say I had a red-eye flight to a different country and I wasn’t able to really sleep well on the plane, my key is to stay hydrated and get electrolytes if possible. But I still try to always make sure that I’m able to at least take a nap ASAP.
The product I’ll reach for when I’ve got a pimple is…
I used to be really into pimple patches, but now I try to take somewhat of a minimalist, no-judgment approach to my skincare. I feel like covering it up with anything can ultimately be a bit detrimental, so I try to just leave the pimple alone and let it run its course. If I’m really in a bind, though and I have an important event or shoot the next day, then I’ll use one of the Starface Hydro-Star Salicylic Acid Patches.
My favourite brand of sunscreen is…
The Isntree Hyaluronic Acid Watery Sun Gel, but I recently ran out of my last tube and I think it got discontinued, so I already have a new sunscreen in the queue to try: the Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel, which my friend recommended to me. In the meantime I’ve been using up the JM Solution Marine Luminous Pearl Sun Spray that I got over the summer for easy reapplication when I’m out or at the beach, and I really like it.
My holy grail skincare product is…
The Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask. I’ve been using it since I was a teenager and I really feel like it played a huge role in getting rid of my acne. I have combination/oily acne-prone skin, and it really works to clean clogged pores, reducing their appearance and oil production, and is overall just a great clarifying/deep-cleansing mask for the skin. But if you have sensitive skin, I would proceed with caution. It’s pretty intense.
My best-kept beauty secret is…
Less is more, which sounds cliché, but it’s really true. People are constantly fed this idea that you need to have a 10+ step skincare routine to have perfect skin, and that is simply not true and is a message rooted in capitalism and overconsumption. You only really need a cleanser, a moisturizer and a sunscreen (maybe a toner/exfoliant/serum, too) and you can buy good, affordable quality products at the drugstore.
My favourite feature is…
My intelligence, my sensitivity, my patience, my sense of humour. But if we’re talking physical features, lately I’ve been really liking my lips. I really like their natural color, and they look naturally lined, so I honestly never really need to wear any type of lip products. And I typically don’t, other than lip balm.
My first beauty-related memory is…
Not exactly my earliest beauty-related memory, but a really formative one was when I was 11 and started getting acne for the first time. I remember buying the Neutrogena Wave which was my first real skincare product. I remember being obsessed with it and thinking it was so cute and cool. But it definitely didn’t make my acne go away.
The last life-changing product I discovered was…
Switching to Aquaphor for my go-to lip balm. I used to wear Glossier’s Balm Dotcom all of the time, but I think they changed their formula, so I’ve pretty much only been using Aquaphor for the past couple years and it’s been a gamechanger.
I keep my lips moisturised with…
Aquaphor! Lol. I have a large tube in my bedside drawer. But when I’m out or something, I’ve been bringing this Prada Lip Balm with me that my friend gave me for Christmas and also Hourglass’s Phantom Volumizing Glossy Balm in Rouse 180 for when I want a glossy moment.
The bougiest beauty product i own is…
Probably the Resurfacing Compound by U Beauty, which I was recently gifted. I never really use high-end products, but I’ve been using it nightly for the past couple weeks as a replacement for my toner and serum and I’ve been liking it so far.
My favourite budget find is…
Anything CeraVe. I’m a budget girl for the most part, so I always have some kind of CeraVe product in my skincare routine.
My signature scent is…
SC103’s Relic Parfum for the daytime, Le Labo’s Tonka 25 for nighttime (I always get compliments on this one, but I’ve heard it’s kind of a polarizing scent).
TikTok made me buy it…
I’ve never bought anything on TikTok since I don’t spend much time on the app, but I remember getting fed countless creator ads for the beplain Mung Bean skincare bundle that I do think about often. So if anyone has bought it and has strong thoughts… please let me know.
My top tips for having a good hair day are…
To not touch it so much. Like, seriously just leave it alone.
My evening skincare routine looks like…
washing my face in the shower with some kind of CeraVe cleanser (lately I have just started back with the Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser)
doing some lymphatic drainage on my face and neck (mimicking a gua sha with my knuckles) while my face is wet in the shower
Once I’m out of the shower, I put on U Beauty’s Resurfacing Compound on my face and neck, followed by The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 0.5% Body Serum on my chest and back (I get body acne)
While that gets absorbed, I put lotion all over my body. Lately I’ve just been using something generic that I get from the drugstore (Lubriderm)
Finishing with my facial moisturizer: CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion
The secret to a good night’s sleep is…
Get eight-nine hours if possible! And don’t fall asleep watching or listening to anything. You need silence and darkness.
