Hi! It’s Emme. Almost four years ago I moved from New York to Los Angeles to start to a family. I got pregnant about three months after living in LA. When I was on maternity leave I decided to follow my dream and create a line of sandals and shoes to be a good role model for my son. I never want him to be afraid of following his dreams.

Once you have a baby, your whole relationship with sleep changes. Every single day is scheduled around naps and bedtime. The expression beauty sleep could not be truer. I have noticed that if I deprive myself of sleep, dark circles appear under my eyes when I wake up (that never really go away), even after a face mask, or copious amounts of eye cream. It becomes harder to find the motivation to exercise and make healthy decisions at meal times.

My eponymous line, Emme Parsons launched in 2017, and in a lot of ways, it was like having a second child. It’s become incredibly important to make self-care a priority so that I can be a good mother and manage my business.

Words, Emme Parsons

Setting Boundaries Around Bedtime

I try and make sure any urgent emails are answered before I clock off for the day. I also charge my phone and laptop in the kitchen, away from the bedroom. There’s a lot of ambient light in my bedroom, which is lovely, but not amazing when it comes to sleeping… so I have started wearing a sleep mask at night to help me sleep more deeply.

Motherhood Made Me a (Surprisingly Productive) Morning person

Before I had a child, I was definitely not a morning person, but now I wake up early and it is amazing how much you can get accomplished before 10AM. The whole house usually wakes up at around 7AM when I hear my son’s bedroom door open and the pitter-patter of his little feet running across the house to my bedroom. The first thing I do when I wake up is lift him into bed for a few beautiful minutes of cuddles.

AM Rituals, and coffee! Always coffee!!

Prior to my morning coffee, I wash my face with Biologique Recherche VIP O2 Cleanser and brush my teeth. If I’m going to exercise in the morning, I’ll warm a few drops of LESSE oil and Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Liquid SPF 70+ moisturiser in the palms of my hands and massage that onto my face.

Coffee is almost always the first thing on my mind when I wake up. Lately, I’ve been putting a few drops of CBD oil into my coffee and some unsweetened coconut milk. The CBD oil reduces stress and anxiety and it’s become an essential part of my morning ritual.

What happens when I don't get enough sleep?

Getting enough sleep is one of my top priorities, as whenever I stay up too late, it always affects my mood the next day. I’ll usually feel far less sharp and have trouble multi-tasking. I aim for at least 8 hours to feel my best and have enough energy to get through the day.

Running in LA is a no-brainer

I love to run and try to do so a few times a week as soon as I get my son off to daycare. Running in LA is such a treat because the weather is great year round and we have the most beautiful vegetation. I was using meditation apps for a while but I’ve found that running outside is the best way to clear my head and get fresh air.

If I don’t exercise first thing in the morning I’ll use the same cleanser and then apply Biologique Recherche P50. It smells terrible but it’s a total skincare game changer. I hardly ever have breakouts anymore and swear by this product. After that, I’ll apply Aesop Lucent Facial Concentrate and finish with Chanel UV Essentiel Sunscreen SPF 50+.