Nighttime rituals
Sleep hygiene and good moisturizer my friends
In partnership with Murad
In our home, there are two things I personally look forward to the most.
The first is dinner, partially because Davide and I are equally “good” cooks - he obviously makes incredible Italian food while I thrive on making proteins and veggies with a delish complex carb. Growing up it was something my parents instilled in me as a tradition I want to keep alive in this multigenerational home, but it’s Davide who is really enforcing it, “We are so lucky to even HAVE food!” So, we blast music and dance in the kitchen and turn the act of dinner into an event. My second favorite moment of the evening is WASHING MY FACE!!! Ugh the best feeling at the end of the day. And I really mean that. Stick with me here.
My nighttime ritual is sacred to me, partially because it’s the brief window of time that I get to be on my own. I am an extroverted person and I am not going to lie and say that I’m a homebody (I’m not, neither is Davide). But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized the immense importance of having at least 10 minutes to myself, no kid clinging to me, no pinging phone.
It’s one of the things that I prioritize most. I need my sleep and settling down with intention is the only way I get to do that. That means trying my best to not be on TikTok an hour before bed.
I will spray my linens with a detox room spray, and I use a silk sleep mask. I know a lot of people who buy silk sleep masks and then never use them. Trust me: use them. It makes a big difference. So does mouth tape, my god. I’ll put on pajamas - usually a nightgown, much more comfortable than sets, especially as someone who runs hot as hell. I’ll put on a robe on over over my pjs and put my hair up and get started on my skincare routine. This is my PEACE. Davide always says he’s never met someone who takes three minutes to leave the house and twenty to go to bed.
If you told me when I was a teenager that the most glorious parts of my day would be boiling hot yoga sessions and bone broth in the morning coupled with putting on moisturizer at night, I would laugh at you, but here we are.
Sometimes, because these days go by so fast and there’s often so much chaos, I’ll do some skincare with my mom. It’s a nice way to have quality time with her after the intensity of a workday, kids stuff, etc. We share skincare, mostly because it forces her to be consistent. She will fully sleep in her make-up, it’s wild. I mean, that’s definitely part of her charm. It’s become my favorite time to reconnect with her, the same way we did when I was little: just us two.
Our current favorite is the Retinal ReSculpt Overnight Cream. Out of this world. Gentle, hydrating, rich but not greasy. My mom is PICKY and the fact that she uses this every single day says a lot. I am someone in my 30s and my mom is someone in her 60s and what’s amazing is that we can both share the product.
I am someone who loves trying new things with LPA and Baroncini (which we’ve just came up with new branding and I will post about it on Substack!!). I consider it research to immerse myself in other interesting brands and the beautiful packaging that they come with. But: I will always have a soft spot for the products I grew up watching my mom keep in the bathroom (and she has great skin so i trust her immensely). Murad has been a brand that I’ve known for basically forever. I associate it with comfort and efficacy.
Doing our skincare together has become our little ritual and a fun way to slow down and hang out without the distraction of kids or phones. My mom taught me the importance of taking care of my skin when I was younger, and now I get to return the favor by sharing products I love with her.
Back to the moisturizer: It’s powered by encapsulated retinal which is 2.5 times more effective than regular retinal. My skin usually gets irritated/red (I had melasma) with actives but not with this one. It also has a NAD+ Lift Complex, which helps your skin repair itself overnight by supporting collagen and elastin production (your NAD+ levels are about half of what they were in your 20s by the time you reach 40). The line also has a body resculpt treatment, eye treatment, and overnight face treatment.
Growing older means craving the things you had when you were little and I have really prioritized spending as much QUALITY time with my mom as possible. I put quality in caps because I am definitely guilty of being semi-present in moments throughout the day, a result of cell phones and endless emails and a million deadlines that I am somehow always late for. Nighttime rituals - and moments of true connection - are the greatest luxuries in the world. I do my best to make sure I take full advantage of it.
Love letter to New York
I spent a week in New York and, like always, I came home with that ache to stay there forever. I love my house and my life in California, I want that to be clear—we’ve had Christmas here, Sunday dinners, all of our blended family’s memories are stitched into these walls. But LA itself has gotten harder for me. When I walk into a restaurant here, I feel …
Pasta al Pomodoro
Davide used to say I reminded him of pasta pomodoro because he could eat it every day. It was the first pasta he ever taught me to make and I loved how simple it was, just tomatoes, garlic, olive oil. The first time I cooked it for him, we conceived Carmela after more than a year of trying. Obviously this dish holds a lot more meaning for me (and our family) now.
All those little routines and rituals become a sacred framework. Such an important time to return to yourself each day!
There’s something so tender about sharing skincare with your mom — like a quiet hand-off between generations, but with retinol instead of pearls. Love how you turn a simple nighttime routine into a real ritual. The “twenty minutes to go to bed” thing is painfully relatable.