Stephanie Broek

To me, beauty is all about confidence and feeling comfortable in your own skin.

Skincare and makeup can help with that, to an extent. I love leaving the apartment without makeup, but I do feel better when my hair looks good and with my daily makeup on (mascara, clear eyebrow gel, a tinted moisturizer, blush, and a little bit of black eye pencil on my eyeline).

I’m very low maintenance when it comes to beauty. I always let my hair air dry, and do my makeup in under a minute. But I do take time for skincare, no matter how early I have to wake up, or how late I go to bed.

Morning:

Paula’s Choice calm cleanser, calm toner, hyaluronic acid booster, and Clear SPF 30 moisturizer.

Evening:

On makeup days, I cleanse my face directly after dinner so my skin can breath. I use the calm cleanser, the calm toner and then I apply the 8%AHA gel exfoliant. I let the exfoliant do it’s thing and right before going to bed I use the calm toner again followed by the peptide booster, azelaic acid booster and the water infusing electrolyte night cream (so all Paula’s Choice! Sorry) I am very loyal when it comes to skincare as my skin is very sensitive. This works for me so why change? I have a history of hormonal acne.

Before going freelance I worked as a fashion features editor for Glamour magazine and ask a beauty editor to please help me clear my skin. Out of all the products brands sent her she would always go back to Paula’s Choice. Back then (7/8 years ago) it was a small brand in the Netherlands and hard to find. I tried the products and slowly saw my skin improving. Nowadays people comment me on my skin, which never happened in the past.

Even though I stick to my routine, I do love trying new products. I love Korean brand Hanskin and their Hyaluron Skin Essence. It’s an extra step in my routine but I ran out and have to buy a new one. Drunk Elephant, and Honey our wonderful brands too.

I would love to try one of those fancy skincare tools, but I never have. I do love my gua sha and face roller. My jaw line looks sharper and my face less puffy after using one of those.

I always have hand cream in my bag and love the 092 Sage/Rosemary/Lavender hand cream L:A Bruket. On my sink, you’ll find Byredo’s Vetyver, both for me and guests. I first got this scent last year, around the time I had my daughter. The scent takes me back to the first weeks after she was born, one of the most beautiful and magical weeks of my life. I love how scents are able to transport you to memories.

I have one make-up routine – day or night – there’s no difference. I love pinning and saving beauty runway and editorial looks but I just don’t have the skills. So I do the same simple low maintenance routine every single day.

Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint, Manasi 7 Eye And Lip Definer Petunia on my water line, Chanel Noir Allure mascara, Chanel Le Gel Sourcils eyebrow clear gel, Saie Dew Blush in the color Rosy. That’s it.

So basically just to open my eyes, set my eyebrows and give some color to my face. The black water line eye pencil is quite new. Being a new mother I can’t help but look tired some days and with the black eye pencil I look kind of rock ‘n roll instead of just tired.

I wash my hair twice a week. I use the whole Olaplex range (again, very loyal) and specifically love the No. 8 Bond Intense Moisture Mask as it makes my hair super soft.

Controversial but I comb my hair when it’s still wet and then I let it air dry. I want my hair to look as natural as possible. Usually, I ask my hairdresser to straighten it but as soon as I leave the salon I feel like wetting it to get my natural texture. Perfect hair just doesn’t feel like me. I learned to embraced the imperfection of my natural hair.

I swear by my supplements. I take liquid iron, vitamin D3, B12, Omega 3, and a multi vitamin. I like Philo supplements and Bonusan – very clean and with just the active ingredients. Besides skincare, I believe I cured my skin issues by taking daily supplements.

I wish I could say I practice pilates three times a week but I rarely workout. But there’s lots of small things I do on a daily basis as a form of wellness practices.

I do love to walk a lot and get fresh air. I try to get as much sleep as I can, drink lots of tea and water, and limit caffeine and alcohol intake. I love cooking, especially soups and bean stews in winter, and with sides of steamed and fresh vegetables.

I love changing perfumes every half year or year.

When I smell them again after some time, I’ll instantly be transported to a the year I wore this fragrance. Right now I’m using Gaiac by Le Labo. I also love the brand’s Thé Noir 29 (which takes me back to our previous apartment), and the lesser known Zarkoperfume’s Molecule 234·38 (reminding me of summers in Puglia).

Other favorites are Maison Crivelli’s Moleculaire Papyrus (Spring in Amsterdam) and Abel Fragrances Cyan Nori (a roadtrip from Paris to Mariseille).

The LA Bruket 017 Lip Balm and a hand lotion. Right now I’m using Le Mains Hermès.

Jolien from Skin Therapy in Amsterdam is super skilled and the only one I trust with my skin. I literally have tears running down my face during the buccal massage, but it’s so worth it. The best form of natural face lifting.