Atelier Doré

Happy Friday, all! Here a sweet little beauty minute to enjoy with your coffee or tea. Giovanna recently launched Joaquina Botánica, a clean beauty brand rooted in her Latin American roots. Today she’s telling us all about her daily beauty rituals and what she learned from the women in her family about beauty…

What is your morning beauty routine?

The first thing I do each day is drink a glass of water and meditate for 20 minutes. I have been practicing Vedic Meditation for 6 years now, as it truly helps keeps me balanced and present.

I wash my hair about 4x a week, and generally in the morning so that I can let it air dry. I use either True Botanicals or Rahua shampoo and conditioner. I love Weleda’s super simple body wash, which I stock up on in various scents. It is a great clean option and also very reasonably priced.

I don’t usually cleanse in the morning, as I like to let what I’ve used the night before keep working its magic. But if I feel I need a refresher, I will use a gentle cream cleanser in the shower. I use my Joaquina Botánica Orquídea + Vitamin C Hydrating Glow Oil as my all-in-one moisturizer and treatment serum. It hydrates, plumps, and brightens the skin all at once through Vitamin C, Bakuchiol, and a blend of delicious botanicals. I designed the formula to be super hydrating but light enough to be worn all day without feeling greasy. In the morning, I also like to mix it with my SPF for a smoother application and a nice dewy after feel (it helps to avoid that matte effect SPF can have). I wear SPF religiously every day, even when staying indoors.

One nice thing I have been doing for my hair lately is using a gentle Mason Pearson brush. My grandmother used to scold me when I would use plastic brushes and combs, as she swore that they would lead to hair loss. I ignored her for years, but recently decided to revisit her advice. I experienced a lot of hair loss after pregnancy, so I am 100% open to anything that will counter that!

What products do you keep on you and use throughout the day?

I am obsessed with Linné lip balm in Tekapo/Berry. It is incredibly hydrating, and has a perfect, subtle berry tint, which goes with my goal of “no-makeup makeup.” This color works well with my skin tone to look like my lips’ natural tone, when flushed and healthy!

I keep my Joaquina Botánica Hydrating Glow Oil on my desk and use it throughout the day for a boost of hydration. If I ever do apply makeup these days, it is usually at random points throughout the day before I hop on a Zoom meeting or go out for a meal.

I always use my Joaquina oil as a primer, as it helps makeup glide on and gives it some extra glow that shines through after.

I have been addicted to Clé de Peau’s concealer with SPF 25 for about 15 years. I tend to get dark under eye circles, and haven’t yet found another product that covers them as well. When I need a boost of color, I use the Kosas Color & Light Palette in Tropic Equinox. It is like a cream blush/bronzer and highlighter in one.

What is your evening beauty routine?

At night I wash my face with One Love Organics Vitamin B cleansing oil. About 3x a week I exfoliate with the GOOP Instant Facial, which I feel is crucial to keeping my skin soft and renewed.

I use my Joaquina Hydrating Glow Oil again, applying it all the way down to my chest. Someone once told me you should use your good skincare from your forehead down to your nipples, as a woman’s face ends at her décolletage. I liked the idea – no reason not to nourish as much of your skin as possible!

I used to take baths at least 4 nights a week, but since having my daughter, it is more like once or twice a week. I love nothing more than a super hot Epsom salt bath to detoxify and sweat. I usually love going for infrared saunas, so this is sort of my at-home version of them.

I am obsessed with OSEA anti-aging body balm and apply it before bed. It is has the best texture – it’s basically a liquid balm that just melts into the skin and isn’t difficult to rub in like some thicker body butters can be.

Before falling asleep, I listen to a recording of affirmations that a hypnosis therapist I work with created for me, and spend a few moments visualizing a happy, positive future. It’s a nice note to fall asleep on!

Tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the recently launched Joaquina Botánica!

As a New Yorker with Colombian roots, I grew up traveling between both worlds. I spent a decade working in fashion, first at Vogue and W magazines, then consulting for Latin American fashion brands. Three years ago, I became increasingly interested in beauty and wellness, I realized there were virtually no brands within clean beauty speaking to what Latin America has to offer. Latin America is not only the most biodiverse region in the world, but it is also home to deep-rooted beauty culture. I created Joaquina Botánica with the mission of sharing the region’s incredible nature and beauty philosophies with the world through high-performance, clean skincare.

The name Joaquina is a homage to my great-great grandmother, who founded one of the first apothecaries in Cali, Colombia in 1875. Her story as a woman entrepreneur has been a great inspiration to me. Married to a doctor, Joaquina convinced him to turn his skill making innovative remedies into a business. When he unexpectedly passed, she ran the apothecary on her own until her son was old enough to take over.

What did your mother, and older female members of your family teach you about beauty?

On my Colombian side, I have quite a large extended family (my mother has 35 first cousins!). Everything I’ve learned about beauty has really been from the Colombian women in my life – my mother, grandmother, aunts, and cousins. They have always approached beauty as a form of self-care and know how to enjoy their natural beauty to the fullest at every stage of life. Their approach is not about striving for perfection, but rather accentuating what you love about yourself while unapologetically prioritizing looking after your skin, hair, and nails in a nurturing way. I think the by-product of this approach is that they end up aging beautifully in a natural way because they’ve invested in themselves through these little rituals over time.

They’ve also taught me how important having a happy, vibrant, kind spirit is to being “beautiful.” My mother is from Cali, Colombia, the salsa capital of the world. I can’t tell you how gorgeous and energetic she and her sisters look when they are dancing salsa late into the night (in their 70s and 80s!) and simply enjoying life with the people they love.

When do you feel most beautiful?

I feel like I look my best when I am on holiday somewhere warm, like Cali or Cartagena. The second you step off the plane in that climate, you feel the humidity quench and cushion your skin. When I’m there, I eat platefuls of fresh fruits and vegetables every day and inevitably spend a little time in the sun, which together add up to nice glow, from the inside out. This is the look I wanted to recreate with our Joaquina products – healthy, dewy, glowing skin that doesn’t even need much makeup. I wanted to bottle up those effects (and the delicious fresh fruits!) and experience them everywhere – even in freezing New York!