Photos by: Sofia Aldana (@makeupsofiaaldana)

The Colombian MUA welcomes us from her apartment in Los Angeles, to talk about how she faces "the new normal", all things beauty, favorite products and her best mental wellness tips.

What’s the biggest habit change you had to make during quarantine?

The strongest habit change has probably been having to organize my time and be more disciplined. It's very easy to wake up late and not have an organized agenda, especially when you live alone and don’t have anyone nagging at you. Creating a schedule and sticking to it allows me to be disciplined. I no longer have to arrive at the office at a certain time or be in class 15 minutes before, but creating a schedule and sticking to it helps me form a healthy and productive routine. I don't go into my room, nor do I sit on my bed, until I finish all my tasks for the day.

How are you keeping your mental health in check during lockdown?

I have psychotherapies every week, which has helped me a lot. I am a very anxious person, I have good days and I have days when I get really nervous out of nowhere. I also make time to facetime my parents everyday, it makes me feel less lonely even if we’re in different countries. Having a busy schedule also helps me a lot. I love waking up, taking my dog out, making myself a coffee or matcha tea, exercising in my living room, planning my day, and cooking.

Your "mood-booster" tips.

Staying positive is key! I love to do weekend zoom parties with my friends, teach virtual makeup classes, improvise date nights with my boyfriend, and drive around Los Angeles. I love my career so when I’m in class I’m actually very entertained and happy, I even try to find webinars on topics that I like too. Organizing and decorating your living space is also exciting and makes you feel relaxed.

Have your eating habits changed? 

At the beginning of lockdown I feel like I started to eat as if the world was ending, I wasn’t on a very healthy diet to say the least. However, I realized how bad my eating behaviour was getting and decided to start making some easy, but positive changes. I learned how to cook nutritious meals that I find tasty, so I’ve been ordering a lot less take-out, and surprisingly my energy levels are through the roof, it’s literally made the biggest difference! Cooking has also made me enjoy going to the grocery store to pick up ingredients for new recipes.  

Helpful tips to overcome binge eating

Well, my first tip is to not fill up on unhealthy snacks or foodsthat contain high amounts of refined sugar. When I have junk food in my kitchen, like pastries, potato chips, etc, I usually binge-eat them all in one day. Yes they’re crazy good, but no, they don’t bring anything good to your body. Instead, I replace those unhealthy options and fill my pantry with nutritious meals. However, if I’m dying for something sweet then I’ll just have a cookie, it's no big deal, we don’t want to punish ourselves either. Another useful tip is to drink lemon water, it flushes toxins from our systems, reduces appetite and cuts cravings.

What's your healthy go-to recipe of the week?

I love my iced matcha latte! It's very easy to make, all you need is a tablespoon of unsweetened matcha powder, almond milk, ice, and a little stevia. As a snack I love to freeze Greek yogurt with berries and nuts, and cut them out like popsicles.

Essential life lessons that home quarantine has taught you?

The biggest lesson has been realizing that the little things in our daily lives are what brings us true happiness- an arrangement of your favorite flowers, a group hug with your best friends, the long line before getting on a plane, the 5 minutes of stress before going to class when you put everything in your bag, being able to enter the supermarket without feeling nerves, and all those small things that we underestimated or took for granted before the pandemic hit. 

How has your beauty routine changed during this "New Normal"?

Well, I've eliminated a couple of steps from my daily beauty routine, but it definitely hasn’t disappeared. In the morning, while drinking my coffee, I start off by applying a refreshing toner, then I immediately use my NICOLE RAVACHI BEAUTY CALM serum for hydration, I put on some eye patches to reduce inflammation and I use an ice roller to shrink pores.

If I have a zoom meeting I go for a very soft and natural makeup. A little concealer, mascara, brow gel, blush, bronzer and a lip moisturizer. If I have nothing going on for the day, I simply just apply a facial mask.

At night I wash my face and apply my NICOLE RAVACHI BEAUTY ORANGE antioxidant serum, a moisturizer and retinol. If I wash my hair, I make a DIY overnight hair mask.

Which product do you always carry in your make-up bag?

My must must must, will always be the Chamomile Makeup Eraser Pen from Lashfood, it’s perfect for touch-ups. I also love the Le Lift La Crème Main by Chanel, it's great for preventing our hands from drying-out, especially nowadays since we’re washing them every 5 minutes. And of course, a brow gel, my favorite is the Glossier Boy Brow.

Your favorite supplements?

This week I started taking Fit-9 from Sascha Fitness, it has 9 ingredients and I have seen great reviews. Apart from that, everyday I take vitamin D (since I don't get enough sun now in quarantine) and Private Party from Hum Nutrition which is a probiotic.

Tell us about your experience with NR BEAUTY products

I am obsessed with the lip liners! They are creamy and look divine, plus they help me create that Sophia Loren defined lip look. I also love applying CALM before  doing my makeup, it leaves my skin hydrated and glowing.