Modeliste Mode Around The Home: Madison Williams

Self-Care #STAYATHOME Virtual Getaway
@minimalmajor

How do you spend the first thirty minutes of your day?
I’m really big on having a routine so how I spend my first 30 minutes really sets the tone for my whole day. As soon as I wake up, I jump right into my morning skincare routine, which these days is finished with a little gua sha sesh. From there, I sip on some lemon water and take my daily vitamin and a probiotic (has done wonders for my skin!). I wrap things up by making note of 3 things I’m grateful for before lighting a candle, making some coffee and opening up my emails.

What is your everyday skincare routine?
My skincare routine has seriously become a spiritual experience for me each day! LOL. Each day, I really look forward to my multi-step regime and it looks a little something like this: if I’m wearing makeup, I always start with cleansing balm. My absolute favorite is from Farmacy – I’ve probably gone through at least 10 jars! Next up, I cleanse. I keep it pretty simple with the brightening cleanser from Derma E. From there, in the mornings I do a vitamin C serum, and at night I swap for a retinol (loving the one from The Ordinary), lock it in with the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum, and the Innisfree Green Tea Moisturizer. I swap things out from time to time, but that’s been my quarantine lineup and honestly, my skin is living it’s best life right now.

What have you been doing to incorporate “self-care” into your time at home?
So many things! Quarantine has really taught me to slow down and I try to sneak in some self-care each day. At least once a week, I’ll use a hair mask (currently loving the ones from Not Your Mother’s). I’ve been face masking like crazy – and finally jumped on the eye patch train and have been loving the ones from Pixi. For the first time ever, I’ve also learned to do my own nails which kiiiiind of feels like a huge accomplishment! Aside from the fun beauty things though, self-care to me also means taking a walk everyday and getting some fresh air, sneaking in an at-home workout, FaceTiming my family + friends to check in, and finally learning to be ok with doing nothing at home. It’s really the little things!

Where do you get your beauty products?
For the most part, I’m a Sephora girl but definitely don’t discriminate when it comes to drugstore products as well. Love when I can score in the Target beauty aisle!

How often do you try new products?
Skincare-wise, only a few times a year. I try to give things a solid 30 days to test out before making the call to keep it on the shelf or not! Hair-wise, I’m pretty low maintenance and mostly stick to my OGs like Matrix’s purple shampoo, Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, Ouai Wave Spray and that’s about it!

What qualities do you look for in skincare?
As clean as possible, please! No paraben or sulfates, and I try to stay away from silicones.

What are three beauty products you cannot live without?
Supergoop SPF, Glossier Boy Brow, Laneige Lip Mask.

Give us a 5 minute skincare/makeup strategy for your next Zoom meeting or date.
I’ve been keeping things super natural at home. I’d start with a dab of The Ordinary Squalane for a little glow, a touch of Hourglass concealer for under my eyes, a bit of bronzer and highlighter (both from Milk), mascara (not picky on the brand), Glossier Boy Brow and a pop of pink Pixi Naturellelip. I’ve got it down to about 4 minutes!

What are your tips and tricks to keeping healthy, clear skin?
Until recently, my skin really struggled after getting off of birth control. Finally (!!!) I feel like it’s back to normal but it took a lot of hard work. I cut out dairy, gluten and sugar (ok, maybe 90%…you gotta live your life!), swap my pillow cases every other night, wash my makeup brushes each week, drink a ton of water, and try to avoid touching it as much as possible! It sounds like a LOT, but honestly for me, it was just about forming good habits!

Do you have any other beauty hacks you can share with us?
Oh yes! After I cleanse my face, I LOVE to take an ice cube and roll it over for a few seconds before I apply my serums. It’s amazing for your pores and just feels really good!

Can you share a recipe with us that you enjoy making at home?
Hate to admit it, but I totally jumped on the quarantine banana bread bandwagon. It’s vegan + gluten free and I add chocolate chips and coconut and it’s incredible!!

What is your favorite fashion trend right now?
Bold colors (love me a pink x orange color combo), halter tops (I find them so flattering on every body type!) and smaller sunnies (that are also like, wearable!).

Who are your top three favorite designers?
Madison Williams: Currently: Jacquemus, Cult Gaia and forever Giambattista Valli.

What are three staple pieces in your closet you cannot live without?
I live in biker shorts so definitely those. An oversized blazer. And I splurged on a pair of chunky Gucci boots last season that I have zero regrets with because I wear them constantly.

What advice do you have for keeping organized while staying busy?
Call me old school but I LOVE a to-do list. I also try to manage my day but dedicating a certain amount of time to things. Take emails for example – I try to only answer from 9-11am and pick back up later in the afternoon. Otherwise, I would literally be responding all day long and would get nothing else done!

Are you working on any exciting projects this year?
Yes! Aside from the shows I’ll be producing, I’m launching a capsule collection this summer that I’m super excited about! Stay tuned!!

Where do you live and what do you enjoy spending most of your time doing?
I’ve been living in Los Angeles for almost 13 years and spend my time as a TV Producer, Blogger and sometimes host!

How did you start your career as an influencer?
I was writing and producing the fashion for E!’s Red Carpet shows, working with designers and talking trends, and decided to start Minimal Major as a creative outlet to write about more everyday fashion. Fast forward a few years and it’s become a second full-time job! I’m super grateful. It’s allowed me to connect with so many incredible people and has really taught me how to run my own business! It fulfills me in an entirely different way that producing does.

How do you develop inspiration and ideas for the great content you create?
For so many years, it was part of my job to live and breathe Vogue Runway so most of my inspiration comes from past shows, or flipping through editorials. No matter what my inspo is though, I always make sure with everything I post it feels like “me”.

How do you stay up to date with new fashion trends and beauty hacks?
I love browsing Who What Wear and Byrdie, and I’m pretty sure I’ve read every article on Into The Gloss in terms of beauty hacks!