Although there is not yet an official outline of the many stages of quarantine and lockdown that we all went through, I feel with the utmost confidence that nearly all of us went through a Euphoria makeup phase. For the last sixteen months, I would randomly feel an impulse, often in the middle of the day, to get up and glue diamond stickers onto my eyelids, only to go absolutely nowhere.
This phase was promptly followed by a sheet mask and chill phase that felt more appropriate for the constant “doing nothing, going nowhere” vibe of lockdown. It was an intense shift that feels about right with all of the ups and downs that came with 2020 and 2021, although it wasn’t my wallet’s favorite phase because I decided to invest in some celeb-approved skincare like Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir, a favorite of Blake Lively’s and definitely pricier than my gem eye stickers.
When it comes to skincare idols, Blake Lively will always be my North Star. Gossip Girl is my comfort show, and I rewatched it all throughout 2020. It reminded me of my childhood fixation of early Y2K prep school style and my intense high school obsession with Serena van der Woodsen. Somehow Lively has managed to look exactly like her character for the past 14 years, so naturally I’ve spent a lot of time refining my skincare routine in hopes of replicating her success.
