Hi! I’m Lakshmi. I’m a financial crime consultant based out of San Francisco, California. When I’m not working, I’m probably running, baking, or hanging out with my sweet Border Collie puppy, Nova. I’m on Instagram @lalalakshmi, where I document little snapshots of my life.
Self care is a very active process for me. Little things like trying new recipes and trying out new hikes/running routes bring me a lot of joy. I try to put my life together in a way that maximizes the number of little happy moments I can have – I’ll time Nova’s evening walk so we reach a vista point right as sunset hits or wear tights and a sports bra that match when I work out. Its all in the little things!
First thing you do when you wake up/go to bed?
I’m a morning person. I wake up as early as possible because I love a slow morning. A typical morning at home starts with waking up Nova and letting her go out. While she’s outside, I’ll heat up some water in the kettle and brush my teeth/wash my face. I drink several glasses of hot water then take Nova for a 2-3 mile walk. If I’m not traveling I’m working from home so when I’m back I’ll do some skincare, make breakfast, and start working.
My nights are a lot less structured. I’ll usually put Nova to bed and then do my skincare routine. Then its some combination of journaling, drawing reading, facetiming my boyfriend, and catching up on social media before sleeping.
Any ritual health/beauty/wellness routine or products?
I do the same skincare routine day and night. Wash my face with raw honey (or whatever facewash sample I have on hand – I somehow always end up with one in my cabinet), the Ordinary’s caffeine serum under the eyes and their hyulauronic acid + b5 serum on my face. Then Aesop’s lightweight facial hydrating serum and First Aid Beauty’s ultra repair balm. If I’m leaving the house, I’ll use Supergoop’s sunscreen – it’s the only sunscreen that I’ve found that works for my skin tone and doesn’t look pasty.
Favorite feature on yourself and why?
My eyes. They’re very big and very expressive. I feel like I communicate a lot through them.
How do your job, lifestyle, and background affect your routine?
I work a very inactive corporate job, so I have to be very mindful about incorporating movement and fitness into my routine. Nova definitely helps with that – walking her gives me a moment to get outside, breathe some fresh air, and be grateful for the ability to move. Because I enjoy running, I try to set achievable goals for myself. Last year’s goal was to run a 10k. My goal right now is to run around 20 miles a week. In addition to setting these goals, I try to incorporate small actions into my routine that’ll help me achieve them!
What do you do to stay healthy?
Fitness is key for my mental and physical health. Some days I don’t feel alive until I have my post workout endorphin rush. I try to do something active every day, be it a run, hike, group fitness class, or even a walk outside. In addition to moving, I try to understand what I’m eating. I don’t believe in a restrictive diet – I eat absolutely everything. But I try to know what I’m putting in my body. I love baked goods, but I try to get them from local bakeries or make them myself so I’m not consuming too many preservatives and chemicals I don’t understand. This helps me think about food in a way that brings me joy. Its so easy for food to become a source of shame and overthought. I try to ask myself whether I enjoy what I’m eating rather than if its benefitting my body. Worrying too much about the nutritional content of food becomes counterproductive too.
Any cultural tips/tricks you've learned from family and/or friends?
Three things:
- Put turmeric in everything. Food, facemasks, tea, everything.
- Spices and herbs are your friends.
- Coconut oil is the best hair mask in the world.
How do you choose beauty products?
We deserve to be selfish when it comes to beauty. I’m allowed to want a product that matches my skin tone and type perfectly. So I’m extremely picky. Only recently has a wider range of products for darker skinned women become available in the market. I look for makeup that matches my skin type (dry) and tone (medium/dark). I try my hardest to use clean beauty products and support female/POC founded companies as sustainability and supporting women/POC are causes that are extremely important to me. But at the end of the day, it really comes down to whether the product does what I want it to do in the way I want.
What is your ethnic background?
I’m South Indian. I grew up dancing Bollywood and South Indian classical dance so I’m lucky to have been exposed to my culture that way.
How do your ethnicity and identity intersect and affect your beauty preferences (or grievances)?
I studied math in college and started working in finance soon after – both are super male dominated. A lot of learning how to navigate such spaces was really me learning how to be comfortable and confident in my own skin. I always gravitate towards a “your face but better” look and I care a lot about skincare because that’s how being comfortable in my own skin has manifested itself for me.
If you were to create the perfect beauty/wellness product for yourself, what would it be?
A product that defrizzes my hair without making it oily. I have hair that dries in a different wave pattern every time I wash it. And its always frizzy. I’m still waiting for the day I understand what to do with my hair. Until then, someone PLEASE invent this.