The #ITGTopShelfie interview series focuses on the beauty routines of Into The Gloss’ lovely, accomplished, and loyal community of readers. Submit your own on Instagram—post your Top Shelfie (tag us @intothegloss!) and include the hashtag #ITGTopShelfie for a chance to be featured on ITG.
“My name is Samantha Mims (@samsaa). I’ve been a Brooklynite for the last nine years (I’m currently residing in Bed-Stuy) and I’m a skin therapist. I work directly with clients through my service platform Dermasaa, and also at Brooklyn Face & Eye. What I love most about my job is providing clients with personalized routines to amplify their beauty and health. I’m constantly seeing people with different skin types, tones, and conditions, and I have to provide the right treatments and recommendations for all of them—it truly excites me! All that experience has widened my perspective on beauty. It’s a very personal journey that starts with embracing yourself, and knowing what works for you. I think of beauty first and foremost as a vehicle for self discovery.
I always loved reading up on the latest beauty trends in Essence and Jet, but I first became interested in beauty from watching the women in my family. In the late 90’s, Avon was very popular—my mother would find the majority of her skincare products in Avon catalogs, and once a month, the ‘Avon lady’ would come to our home and deliver the order. It was such a joy hearing them talk about their beauty and how to enhance it. But it’s my grandmother Hatie who was probably my biggest influence. She instilled all of her traditionally lady-like qualities in me: she always used powder after bathing, was adamant about women wearing stockings when their legs were exposed, and drank tea in the morning. It was equally important to her that I make my bed and apply fragrance—she was really big on fragrance. She taught me which areas of the body I should apply perfumes on, and now a fragrance always completes my look.
From what I put into my body to the approaches I take in my lifestyle, it’s all about being conscious in my choices. Making my own juices has been really therapeutic during this time, and within the last month I committed to a daily juice cleanse. I’ve also been experimenting with my foods, particularly those juices, and finding ways I can incorporate them into my beauty routine. One of my most cherished beauty secrets is using beet juice as a lip stain, but my life really changed when I started using lemon juice as my deodorant. When I noticed juicing could function harmoniously with my beauty routine, it became really easy to adopt.
In the morning, I take a women’s multivitamin and probiotics to contribute to the health of my hair, skin, nails and gut. I try to think holistically about my skin and overall health. Then, I start my skincare regimen by cleansing with Epilogic’s True Calm Rosehip Gel Cleanser. It contains antioxidants like vitamins A, C, and E, and provides a gentle cleanse without drying out my skin. Next, I like to follow up with Even Balance, a toner-slash-essence also from Epilogic. This formula is made with replenishing extracts like chamomile and aloe vera, so it’s hydrating and makes a great skin refresher. After that I reach for my treatment serums. The Daily Dose Multivitamin Defense Serum is one of my favorite vitamin C serums because it also has niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. I’ll generally follow that up with the Soothing CBD Serum from June Oil. I like that it’s multifunctional—I can use it with my gua sha, which I’ve been starting to incorporate into my morning routine more, like a serum, or as a final moisturizer. Right now I’m applying a Tripeptide Cream from Skin Regimen on top to help with anti-aging. I seal it all with Elta MD UV Daily Broad Spectrum SPF 40. Sunscreen is probably the most important step in any routine, and I never leave home without it.
Usually after I’ve completed my morning skin care routine, I’ll go ahead and apply a good lip color or gloss depending on my mood. My go-to was always Glossier’s Generation G in Jam, which gives my lips a tint of color that works for an everyday look. But now that protective face masks are the norm, I’ll focus a lot more on the eyes—I like to apply a little eyeshadow or just mascara to open them up. When it comes to makeup I’m pretty simple, but I’m a woman who loves change—I express that mostly through my hair. I’m at the hair salon often altering my styles.
In the evening, I’ll cleanse and tone as usual and then change up my treatments. I apply a retinol from Skin Regimen which is great for smoothing out my skin’s texture and helping products penetrate deeper. To finish off, I also use their Overnight Pro-vitality Mask. It’s detoxifying and reinvigorating and leaves my skin with an effortless glow come morning.
I unwind through music, often creating multiple playlists for my different moods—recently they’re neo-soul and alternative hip-hop heavy. I also love catching up on my favorite shows while testing new products and maintaining my daily routines. But right now, I am very inspired by my own journey. To see the progression in my work from where I started to now is what keeps me looking forward to the future.”
—as told to ITG
Photos via the author