This post originally appeared in my newsletter, The Sophisticate.

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Something to Try

If you’ve seen Crazy Rich Asians, you remember this scene of Astrid, the fabulous cousin of Nick Young. She’s in a gorgeous jewelry shop where she has a private appointment with the jeweler. She is introduced as having graduated top of her class at Oxford and she’s started multiple charities. She stops to compliment the teddy bear of a young girl being ignored by her mother. On top of it all, she looks absolutely stunning in a high-neck pink dress with an elegant updo, simple makeup, and perfect accessories. 

Now, Astrid is a billionaire. She undoubtedly has a team of stylists, personal shoppers, makeup artists, and aestheticians keeping her looking perfect. But every time I watch this scene, I am inspired to emulate her polish and poise despite my situation as a non-billionaire and a new mother. 

Polish can look totally different on different women, but I think it generally involves well-fitting outfits, glowy skin, healthy hair, makeup that subtly enhances features, and a few shiny accessories to top it off. Here are the top five ways I aim to do this without spending a ton of money or time!

1. Put on an outfit every single day. Yes, technically any combination of clothing items can constitute an outfit, but what I mean here is to select something that feels intentional, not just thrown on. I like to follow three general rules: strive for mostly natural materials, select colors that complement my undertones, and keep things relatively tailored to my current size. There’s no need to totally abandon comfort, because even a matching knitwear set can look like an intentional outfit with a great necklace and some earrings. 
2. Perfect a skincare regimen. I like to keep it pretty simple but comprised of really effective ingredients. In the morning, I use a gentle cleanser, some rose water, a moisturizer, and finish with sunscreen. In the evening, I remove any makeup, then use a retinol and a night cream. A few times a week I’ll exfoliate with an AHA/BHA but I’ll skip the retinol on those nights. Finding the right skincare routine will keep you looking fresh and glowy, plus it will shorten your makeup routine
3. Figure out the lowest-maintenance hairstyle that still looks “done”. I have hair that ranges from wavy to curly. I benefited a lot from experimenting with leave-in conditioners, styling creams, and gels to find the routine that gets my hair to a place where I can wear it down and still feel put together. More importantly, though, I learned a few updo and ponytail styles that I can employ to look chic when my hair isn’t cooperating. A pretty claw clip or scarf works wonders here. Whatever your hair type and texture, prioritize finding the routine that keeps it looking healthy even without intensive styling. The idea is to sort out your baseline, your “terrible hair day can still be rescued in a few minutes” look, and you can always add extra styling on top of that. 
4. Master a five minute makeup routine. People like to moralize the decision to wear or skip makeup. Wearing more or less of it does not make you more or less of a woman, so skip this step if makeup isn’t your thing! But if you do like to wear makeup on a regular basis, it can be super helpful to figure out a routine that can be completed in five minutes or less. As with the hair, you can always add more on top of this five minute routine, but establishing something simple as your baseline means it won’t feel intimidating to squeeze in the steps that help you shine on mornings when you have little time. For me, this looks like defining my eyebrows a bit, adding subtle blush, a touch of mascara, and a lip color that fits the season. 
5. Create an accessory capsule wardrobe. As with clothing, an expansive accessory collection can create decision fatigue. To simplify your options enough that you’ll actually wear what you have, prioritize collecting one set of jewelry that pairs well together, a versatile pair of sunglasses, and a well-made purse that you love. Buy the best quality that you can afford, and avoid items that are too trendy. The idea is to have a “uniform” of high-quality accessories that you can wear daily without having to give it extra thought. If you don’t wear many accessories currently, you’ll be shocked at how much they can elevate a simple outfit from boring to chic.

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Something to Know

For thousands of years, olive oil has been a staple in countless kitchens across the world. From use in sautéed aromatics to salad dressings to bread dips, this versatile oil is great-tasting and great for you. 

Many shoppers are unaware, however, that not all bottles of olive oil are created equal, and there’s not always a correlation between price and quality. 

When you’re shopping, look for bottles that…

• Are in dark tinted glass or metal containers
• List only one country/location of origin (such as Spain, Italy, or California)
• List a harvest date in the past 12 months
• Contain 100% olive oil in the ingredient list
• Aren’t labeled “flavorless” or “light”

At home…

• Store your olive oil at room temperature in a cool, dry, dark spot to prevent spoilage
• Consider stocking a cheaper olive oil in bulk for cooking (anytime the oil will be heated) and a smaller bottle of premium extra virgin olive oil for dipping, drizzling, or dressing

A few recommendations…

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Three Good Things

First and foremost, The Sophisticate is not in the business of trying to sell you things you don’t want or need. This section is meant to share three things that have improved my life, and a little bit about why you might like them too. 

These will occasionally contain affiliate links. If you click one and ultimately decide to make a purchase, I may earn a small commission of roughly 5-10%. If you want to shop using my links, great! Easy for you, teeny tiny paycheck for me. 

However, it’s very important to me that you trust that I’m not just pushing links to make money, so if you’d rather purchase outside of my affiliate link, I completely get it! To do so, just be sure to shop from an incognito browser and type the product name into search rather than copy and paste my link. 

That said, I hope you’ll find that some of these recommendations may be the solution to a problem you’ve been having, or are simply a fun little luxury to add to your daily life.

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Recipe of the Day

This was one of the first recipes I ever learned to cook. From the inimitable Claire Saffitz, I think this is one of the best pasta alla vodka recipes I’ve ever come across. It’s easy, inexpensive, and made from ingredients that are easy to keep stocked for a last-minute dinner. I especially love this dish for dinner parties because it’s such a crowd pleaser. 

Note: This recipe is from Bon Appétit, which offers a few free recipes a month before putting them behind a paywall. If you haven’t visited their site recently, you should be able to view this recipe for free, but if you have trouble, feel free to reach out to me and I’ll try to send over a gift article.

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Tasteful Living, As Told by You

One of the things that inspired me to create The Sophisticate was reading what other women online had to say about taste, style, and living well. This section is dedicated to tips and advice submitted by you, The Sophisticate subscribers! 

Send us a message on Instagram @sophisticate.newsletter to share your favorite little luxuries, healthy habits, or other tasteful tips with us and we may include you in a future newsletter.

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