This week Amanda and I get down and dirty about what she does to keep herself looking gorgeous. She has looked 100% ON POINT since the day I met her, years ago. Makeup, nails, glowing skin, all lovely. I remember oogling her across a parking lot once because it was super early in the morning, we were both dropping our kids off at school, and she looked like a movie star. Ooo la la!
The questions…
What’s your name?
Amanda Jean, aka “AJ”, “Mom”, “Auntie”, “Boss”
How do you identify?
Amanda: Type A, Extrovert
Emily: So our daughters are besties, and it’s funny, your daughter Amelia is an extrovert too. Amelia and Julia would spend all week together in virtual school (our Pod), and then Amelia would be all, “let’s do XX!” I could always tell that Julia wanted to say yes, but also wanted to collapse onto her bed in a haze of Cheeto dust. Julia and I are a lot alike that way. On any Friday night, you generally have to pry me from my house.
What brings you joy in life?
Amanda: Making those I love happy and my Finny (dog)
Emily: Your dog (pictured below) has you wrapped around his dew claw. He needs a sister, I’m just sayin’.
Is ‘adulting’ what you thought it would be? Or is it easier? Or harder?
Amanda: I am the eldest of four, so I was always the one who had to manage my younger siblings, and was always responsible for so much from a young age. I had my first “job” at 11 as a babysitter to my neighbors and helping around the house. I was mowing my yard at 10. Could you imagine Amelia or Julia doing that shit?
Emily: No, but it’s funny – I did the same, and I wonder when things changed so kids don’t work the way we did? Because things definitely changed.
Amanda: Yes! In theory, becoming an adult was a way to be on my own, independent and selfish, when I wasn’t given that opportunity as a kid. Adulting is easy and in many ways each day is a better adventure than the last day.
Emily: I definitely don’t want to go back to being a kid. I *love* being an adult. But sometimes, when the kids need me, and the pets need me, and dinner needs to get cooked, and whatever else needs to happen, I wish I could just call a timeout and disappear into my room with a book. Which is not to say I haven’t. I HAVE DONE THAT.
Did you change during the pandemic? If so, how?
Amanda: This pandemic has been the great divide. For me, it made me more self-aware that not everyone has logical opinions or is fearless like me. I refused to fully quarantine, we had two main groups of pod buddies that we grew so close to, and it really was so fun! The pandemic saw me traveling and visiting friends and family. Of course I was smart about it, got tests before flying and wore my mask, washed my hands.
But I refused to give away a year of my life sitting on the sidelines when tomorrow is not guaranteed. We took a trip in October to see my dad, who had a major heart attack in 2019. We took tests here, we flew First Class where the plane was 30% full (for $240 round trip!), and stayed in a hotel for a few nights on the other end. I am so glad I did that – because you know why – he is having heart surgery again this week. As I said, no guarantees.
Emily: Turns out, I was incredibly risk averse. I literally bought a generator, and created an emergency food kit, like we were headed into the zombie apocalypse. I don’t regret it – it was what was right for me at the time. But it’s funny, the only things I didn’t stock up on in time were hand sanitizer, masks (because who knew), and toilet paper. I got great joy out of exchanging a bottle of good wine for, like, 6 rolls of paper towels, with a neighbor. HAHA!
Amanda’s beauty secrets
TELL ME ALL YOUR BEAUTY SECRETS! What things do you do to keep yourself looking delicious? Anything you can’t ever do without?
Amanda: Oh gosh where do I begin. I am a continual work in progress and definitely not someone like JLo who fundamentally has found the fountain of youth. But I feel like my routine makes me feel good and maybe a little “in control” as I age which is a rough process for us all.
Emily: Come on, JLo can’t have a fountain of youth – she just has access to the best food, fitness trainers, beauty experts, and clothing, IN THE WORLD. Plus moolah, clams, loot, coin, banknotes, ya know – dolla dolla bills.
Amanda: My routine is founded in skincare and lots of self care. I had an aesthetician tell me once that you are either a “sagger” or a “wrinkler”, and your routine should be based on that – terms like Smooth, Plump, Refresh, Correct, Sculpt, Resurface, Remove, Tighten, Grow, Rebalance. I can’t discount my genes either – Egyptian/ Lebanese on my mom’s side.
My 94 year old grandma had no wrinkles! Skin treatments and good quality products have been my saving grace. Basics like wash, tone and moisturizer twice a day, wear sunscreen, use lots of different serums that do different things based on your assessment of what you need.
I have lots of hyperpigmentation from years of tanning in my 20’s, so I use brightening and vitamin C. Skincare is all about prevention because if you let yourself go, it is impossible to gain back lost collagen/elasticity. I am a big fan of doing whatever you need to, to maintain the status quo.
So, if that means botox, fillers, laser treatments, anything new age (I saw a lady getting CryoSkin last week – where they freeze your face for 10 min to stimulate collagen repair), I’ll try it. But it is a balance, because all of this costs lots of money.
Emily: My point exactly, re: #JLo. SHE HAS MONEY. 🙂
Amanda: This is only the surface – then you talk about cosmetics – good makeup (which we both know our daughters like to raid when they are at my house), nails, eyebrows, hair. The list goes on and on.
Emily: The girls LOVE your makeup. Yea, after watching you look like a queen forever, I finally caved and decided to try eyelash extensions. My excuse was that I was going to Brett’s sisters wedding, and why not try them?
The verdict? YES I love them, because I roll out of bed looking like a fuckable goddess instead of a tired lump. And I don’t need mascara or really much other makeup besides lip gloss or lipstick, because the lashes look so lovely. But damn they are expensive. I need to say goodbye to them, but, ya know, I maybe will get JUST ONE MORE FILL. HAHA.
Amanda: So, you asked what can’t I live without? Maybe regular manicures/ pedicures, hell in the pandemic I learned how to do my own dip manicures. Lashes, they are really fun but super pricey, and I love the friendship I have made with my lash lady, Grace. She is so sweet. My other favorite person is my friend Sherrise who does my botox, and micro needling.
Emily: Don’t tell me about Sherrise. I am already seeing Grace for lashes, and don’t need any more reason to spend money. But about that micro-needling…