Alana O’Herlihy’s daily beauty rituals: eye masks, Tumblr and nightcaps

Another month, another instalment of Daily Beauty Rituals. This time, Alana O’Herlihy picked up our call to dish the dirt on all the things beauty, health and wellness. The director and photographer, better known by her Instagram moniker ​“Lil Mami Lani”, is behind some of your favourite pop stars and supermodels’ biggest on-screen moments. While her self portraiture nods to the works of Cindy Sherman, her work behind the lens swings between a granular ​’80s Xerox aesthetic (see: Miley Cyrus and Dua Lipa​’s hit Prisoner) and a polished new fashion lexicon, like in her cover snaps of long-term muse Bella Hadid for Pop.

With a personal style that sits between old school Hollywood, Nicole Richie circa 2002 and a Marvel villain, Alana’s also garnered a cult following for not really giving a shit about what anyone thinks. So without further ado, Lil Mami Lani’s beauty routine…

I wake up and the first thing I do is… Drink water. Check my phone (I know I shouldn’t). Drink my probiotics. Make two coffees. Sit down at my computer. Check in with my studio manager Zara, who gives me my to-do list for the day. Take a bath. Then skin, makeup and hair.

My skincare regime in the morning looks like… A bit of a situation – I am actually having crazy hormonal breakouts right now. I oscillate between brands Face Reality and Environ. I use their cleanser, toners, moisturisers and gels. I’m trying to tackle my hormones from the outside in. It’s almost impossible.

My favourite morning products are… Caffeine under-eye gel patches.

Because… They make me feel more awake. I normally have very dry eyes from looking at screens all day.

My worst beauty habits are… Using too much oil and loving a nightcap.

My cult beauty look is… Probably a lip with no makeup anywhere else, or an insane black winged liner.

My first beauty-related memory is… Shaving my vagina for the first time, actually. No one ever teaches you how to shave yourself, so as a teen I remember being so scared I was going to fuck up and razor my clit off or something. Some things you never forget.

Where are you headed today? To take a nap. I really need to rest, I don’t get much of it anymore. Then I am going to get a rapid Covid test, a PCR test and an antibody test. Then back home to work and maybe an outdoor dinner with some of my pals.

What tasks have you got to get done? If I told you, I would have to kill you.

Lunchtime looks like… Working out – sometimes! It usually happens twice a week with my trainer Spencer.

Are you eating well? I try to eat healthy these days, but if I want pizza, I’ll have pizza. I have realised that I need to make up for my lack of health in other aspects of my life (less sleep, drinking etc.) by being conscientious of what I put in my body.

What does your afternoon consist of? Zoom calls, screens, texts and Postmates.

Are you taking any supplements? Yes, I just did that little vitamin quiz on Persona where you get custom vitamins for your less depressed but still stressed needs. So now I have my vitamins in a little packet ready to go in the morning and at night.

Do you have an evening routine? I am pretty bad with my nighttime routine. I’m much better in the morning. I have been using a new moisturiser, Whipped Dream from Isla Beauty, as my last skin step of the day. Most nights I listen to the Calm app and sleep with a pitch-black eye mask on… when I’m alone.

How do you relax? Movies, Tumblr and Canns, a little THC/​CBD drink I have just discovered. It makes you feel like a happy butterfly and I think that’s important. I also take a bath almost twice a day. It’s how I reset my soul. It’s also proven to make you level up. I burn candles all day and night when I’m working from home.

What products do you use at night? The same products I use in the day time. I just try to moisturise much more and I put a spot treatment on when I have an evil mountain pop up on my face.

What skincare products do you swear by? Colostrum Gel by Environ, P50 and my facialist. I do whatever she tells me to do. She is my champion.

What’s the best beauty hack you’ve ever learned and why? Putting almond oil on my body to moisturise. My skin is like a cherub’s booty.

Who’s got your favourite face and why? Jack Nicholson, because he owns my heart.

How do you sleep… Benadryl, Calm App, eye mask.