When I hopped on the phone to talk skin care with founder of botanical-based brand Vintner’s Daughter, April Gargiulo, it was more than obvious that she was an entrepreneur: she’s confident, she’s smart, she’s loyal to her product and she knows her stuff down to the percentages. But, outside of being a working woman, Gargiulo dabbles in self-care and wellness, and for her, that entails a solid morning routine, practicing gratitude and a hard-hitting lineup of skin care and makeup (which, of course, includes the celeb-loved goodies from her brand).
A-List Love
Celebrities like Gwyneth Platrow, Lucy Hale, Naomi Watts and Tracee Ellis Ross have publicly noted their love for Gargiulos first skin-care baby, Vintner’s Daughter Active Botanical Serum ($195)—it now comes in 50ML packaging so we never run out—and it’s because it effectively address a broad range of skin concerns. It features 22 active botanicals, which are slowly and meticulously pressed into the formula to ensure their full spectrum of nutrition is captured, whole plants like calendula, lavender and lemon peel, as well as balancing tamanu, sea buckthorn, hazelnut and jasmine.
Daily Beauty
In Gargiulo’s personal routine, it’s application after application of the serum, along with a solid foundation of Vintner’s Daughter Active Treatment Essence ($225), another powerhouse of botanicals and enzymes that make skin glow like no other. “With these two simple yet comprehensive steps, I know my skin is receiving all the hydration, moisture, performance-driven actives and nutrition it needs to be its most healthy, balanced and radiant,” she says.
In the morning, she’ll follow the two products up with a tinted SPF, and she also likes to whip out the high-tech devices here and there. “I love my microcurrent NuFACE ($339) and in the evening, it’s my red light Celluma Face ($695).” Before she heads out the door, she pops on a touch of Ilia Super Serum Skin Tint SPF 40 ($48) in Oro for an “effortless and healthy glow,” a few swipes of Saie Mascara 101 ($25) and Kosas Color & Light: Crème Cream Blush & Highlighter Duo ($34).
Wellness Musts
“My morning routine is treasured and something I look forward to as I go to sleep,” she continues. “It starts with a beautiful pot of single-origin, organic loose-leaf tea and toast. We introduced a delicious tea blend this year called Oolong Radiance that feeds your skin from the inside out with many of the same whole botanicals that we use in our skin-care formulations. It keeps selling out, but I drink that whenever possible. This is also when I meditate, which is a daily practice. After that, it’s off to the races with family, work and friends.”
But, she doesn’t only reserve her wellness for the morning. “Ultimate wellness is an overall state of flow or balance,” she tells me, adding that her body lets her know when that balance is even or not. “Ironically, I don’t think achieving it depends on any one product, diet, or lifestyle trick, but rather cultivating a practice of gratitude and connection for and to oneself and the world around you.”
