It is not often that two of my sisters and I find ourselves on “this” side of the Atlantic. Yet this happened just a couple of weeks ago when Cyrille, Rachel and I met in NYC for a day of strategizing and brainstorming. (Roxane was with us in spirit of course). We mostly worked, but we also laughed and talked about non-work things. Specifically, given that they were both a bit jet-lagged, we talked about sleep and evening routines. I have written about my evening routines before, and loved hearing about my sisters’. There are definite common traits…
Roxane (who chimed in this part of the discussion by Skype) is probably the best sleeper among the four of us. Her evening routine involves changing clothes as soon as she gets home from “normal” clothes or scrubs, as she is in medical school, to something “comfortable yet sexy.” Her husband usually gets home a bit after she does, and their evening ritual involves cooking themselves dinner, during which time they share their respective days and unwind in the kitchen. Her tips for a quiet evening include “minimal screens” (computer, phone, TV, other), and none whatsoever in the bedroom. She goes to sleep before midnight (she says that is when we sleep the most restoratively – and since she is in medical school I have to believe her), and wakes up by 5:30 am.
Rachel also likes the ritual of changing clothes as soon as she gets home, and she is an evening showerer. Something about washing the day off of herself, she says (and of course she uses numerous Alchimie Forever products, for face and body). She lights multiple candles, puts on her Juicy Couture suit, spends special one on one time with her daughter before putting her to bed. That is followed by a good glass of red wine that she shares with her loved one, while sharing their day’s successes and challenges.
Apparently the changing clothes is either genetic, or something that we each took from our mother. Indeed, Cyrille also changes as soon as she gets home from work (she is very specific that even jewelry comes off), into one of her husband’s shirts. She then spends an hour in the kitchen, cooking vegetables while drinking a glass of red wine and munching on cheese. She always cleanses her face with Alchimie Forever’s Purifying Gentle Cleanser and applies organic hazelnut oil on her face (maybe a product I need to look into developing). She always place a big mug of herbal tea on her night table (fennel, chamomile or sage), and to full immerse herself in sleep mode, she plugs her ears and covers her eyes with a fluffy sleep mask.
It’s so nice to read such sweet news by my daughters on Ada’s Blog… it makes me think of my evenings, once upon a time, when after a long day in the hospital (I worked as both an academic and a clinical doctor) I would come home and find these four dolls, and leave everything about my day right by the door and slip into another day, my second day of the day, with them and their stories and a lot of fun and kisses and good night cuddling, long before going to bed… But still, even late, always a beauty ritual. Cleaning my face, essential. Applying creams, to my face, my hands, my feet. Gestures to calm down, to concentrate on myself. The Alchimie of my nights. Wearing a beautiful nightgown. Brushing my hair. Going to bed and falling asleep within seconds, unless there was love in the air…
I must be part of the family~ I changed immediately and take off all of my jewelry. Prepare food for my aussie (of course she comes first) and then myself. And after reading or catching up with friends and family -the beauty ritual begins!!!! It takes a village to prepare me for bed!! And of course I love my Alchimie blueberry mask