With a platform built on translating Wall Street advice, former trader Vivian Tu has made a career of seamlessly sounding like your smartest friend who is very good at saving. Now, she’s bootstrapped Ask Dolly, an iOS financial companion app that condenses her voice into a digital tool, complete with access to real Certified Financial Planners.
Ahead, Tu opens up about her beauty must-haves, wellness routine, sleep habits and everything else that keeps her running.
Sleep Success
A self-described “sleepy gal”—her average Oura Ring sleep score is 88—Tu stays in bed as long as humanly possible. “If my day starts at 9 a.m., I’ll sleep in until 8:57,” she admits. “Thanks to my lash extension habit, I usually only have to brush my teeth, pop in my contacts and throw on an SPF before I’m out the door.”
Carry-Ons
Sunscreen, Pepcid, Advil, SmartSweets candy, hand sanitizer and her DJI microphones are always in her bag, but she considers Mr. Moo, the cow stuffed animal she’s had for 20-plus years, to be her prized possession.
End Caps
Post-workday, Tu says she always has excess energy, so she prioritizes movement. “This could be a walk, a boxing session or lifting weights with my trainer—anything to move my body. I also try to finish a 16.9-ounce water bottle while I work out, and another one after, so I’m well hydrated.”
Playing Favorites
White Chicks, Goodfellas and Pan’s Labyrinth are Tu’s “holy trinity” of favorite films. Il San Pietro di Positano is her favorite place in the world, she’s a huge fan of ‘90s and 2000s hip-hop and R&B (“I need an Avengers-style return of the Ying Yang Twins, Lil Jon, Nelly, Cam’ron, E-40 and Too Short”), and she calls Nice Girls Don’t Get the Corner Office by Dr. Lois P. Frankel a “staple” that she “comes back to time and time again.”
Sweet Splurges
Tu needs to clock in one sweet treat daily. “It doesn’t have to be anything huge, but maybe some ice cream or a strawberry Hi-Chew. What’s the point of working so hard if I can’t have a little reward?” On the splurge and celebration list: “A super bougie dinner with a tasting menu. My husband and I are huge foodies, and we love making special occasions with amazing meals.”
The Essentials
“I would die without the Tower 28 SOS Rescue Spray ($28)—I’m convinced it cured my adult acne,” Tu says. “And I can’t say enough good things about Dupixent. I have eczema, and this medication has been a complete game changer. My skin hasn’t been this soft since I was like 12.” Injectables are also one of her beauty secrets. “Dr. David Kim of SoHo Dermatology does my Botox! He’s an incredible doctor, but also just a personal friend.”
Current Mood
Tu describes her aesthetic as a blend of ‘80s/’90s Wall Street, the TV show Queen of the South, Fay Weldon’s The Life and Loves of a She-Devil, and “Geekin” by Nemzzz featuring Lil Yachty. “If you can’t tell, I’m in my feeling-myself era,” she says. “2026 is the year of backing me.”
Celebration Duo
Tu’s go-to celebration ritual is simple in the form of three shots of Patron Blanco and a single blue Camel Crush.
Morning Musts
“I wish I had the time every morning to have a full routine, but if I’m not in a rush,” Tu says, her order is: no cleanser (“I do not cleanse in the a.m.—no soap, just rinse with water. Cleansing in the a.m. and p.m. actually makes me more dry and breakout-prone”), Tower 28 SOS Spray, Olay Super Serum ($35), Dr. Jart Ceramidin Moisturizer ($52), then SPF. “I love InnisFree, Dermalogica, DUNE and Supergoop. I know mineral sunscreens are all the rage, but I still prefer a chemical one.” She also rotates products often: “I don’t want my skin to get used to my routine. I feel like if I use one routine consistently for too long, it stops working as well.”
Night Moves
At night, Tu double cleanses with RMS Beauty Coconut Cream ($29), followed by the ILIA Foam Cleanser ($32), then layers on Tower 28 SOS Spray, Altreno (prescribed by her doctor), Tatcha Eye Cream, Cocokind Chlorophyll Discoloration Serum ($22), Aestura Atobarrier365 Moisturizer ($32), a Cocokind ceramide stick on her feet and CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ($20) on her body—“and into my silk sheets, my big sleep investment!”
Daytime Do
“I keep it super simple,” Tu says of her daytime beauty beat: Make Up For Ever foundation, Glow Recipe Dewy Flush ($25), Nars bronzer, brows filled in lightly with an Anastasia Beverly Hills pencil, the Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk lip liner duo and a swipe of Buxom lip polish. “And we’re out the door!”
Wardrobe Highlights
Tu recently added a pair of Loro Piana loafers to her closet. “They’re gorgeous, but I’ve yet to have an occasion to wear them. I can’t wait to break them out!”
Book Smarts
For decor, Tu keeps the Assouline Lake Como Idyll book on display—“I got married in Lake Como, what can I say, I’m sentimental.” She doesn’t claim one favorite artist, but says Decadent Young Woman — After the Dance (1899) by Ramon Casas is speaking to her lately.
The Menu
Tu’s go-to spots span the country: Walrus Rodeo in Miami, Shanghai 21 in New York, Pinches Tacos or Quarters Korean BBQ in Los Angeles, Suerte in Austin, and Pequod’s in Chicago.
Glam Greats
For hair, Tu sees Angel Gonzales in LA and Sky Kim in New York. Her go-to makeup artists are Clarissa Luna in New York, and Kelly Zhang and Maria Castro in LA.
Hair Heaven
“I love the K18 Airwash Dry Shampoo ($48). I have no idea how it works, but it’s amazing,” Tu says. “Also, the Olaplex Bonding Oil ($32) is the best for keeping my hair shiny.”
Wellness, Honestly
Tu is candid about the parts of her wellness routine that are still a work in progress. Massage therapist? “None, unfortunately, although I’m so tense I should probably go find one.” A healer? “I’m not healed, been working on that though.” Her go-to treatment is “whatever TCM ritual my mom convinces me to try over FaceTime,” and her nutritionist, she jokes, is “Uber Eats.”
