Lazy Perfection With Jenny Patinkin
Hey EVOLVher,
How ARE you? Since we sadly can't connect with each and every single one of you individually, we wanted to send a friendly reminder to really check in with YOURSELF.
So many of us are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, helpless, and unmotivated in these unsteady times, but are trying to power through it - only leading to more of the same and a vicious cycle that is not good for our physical, mental, or emotional health. By allowing yourself to acknowledge these not-so-great feelings, you have a much greater shot at dealing with them rationally, and better communicating your thoughts and needs to those around you, thereby giving them permission and encouragement to do the same so that you can support each other as you calmly and compassionately wait for this tide to pass.
If you're staying inside as so many of us are, perhaps the one silver lining is the opportunity that this presents for extra quality time with your family, pets, and yourself, and the chance to really step up your self-care. You can finally get around to reading that book, organizing that closet, testing out those recipes, trying some at-home workouts, picking up that journaling habit, or beginning or enhancing your meditation practice... the list goes on.
For this week's EVOLVher Journal post, we wanted to provide some much-needed feel-good content so we're sharing our one-on-one with beauty expert Jenny Patinkin - a true inspiration who teaches us about "flat aging," "lazy perfection," and the ONE big piece of beauty advice we should all heed.
Sending love to you and your community!
xo,
Team EVOLVh
You’re truly a “Jill of many trades!” (Or should we say, a Jenny of many trades!) - from having your own line of makeup brushes and beauty tools, to being a best-selling author, and your many other talents in between. What has been the most challenging aspect of this whole journey? How about the most rewarding?
At the moment, and really for the past many months ...ok years... time management has been my biggest struggle. When I started in business I had 3 kids at home, and even though I'm an empty-nester now, my schedule has only gotten more intense. As for the rewards, there's nothing better than getting to meet with clients and customers in person and helping them feel more confident about their beauty routines.
What does your ideal day off look like? What do you like to do when you have a little extra "me" time?
I'm not so great at taking a day off, but when I do get a few hours away to disconnect, being with my husband and kids in a forest somewhere is so rejuvenating. Something about the green colors, the crunching sound underfoot and the extra oxygen is very calming for me.
One of your many talents is your amazing makeup artistry skills! What is your best piece of makeup application advice?
I'm very dialed in on age related changes to the skin since I'm 51 and I'm living it, so the advice I would give anyone is that if you want to look fresh and modern, less makeup is always going to be more flattering.
On the note of makeup, if someone could only pick one of your makeup brushes to start out with, which one do you recommend they start out with and why?
It's so hard to choose because I'm so proud of them all, but honestly, my Luxury Vegan Conceal/Buff brush is a hero. It applies concealer underneath the eyes so seamlessly, without tugging on the delicate skin, and you can use less makeup since it gets distributed so efficiently, which also means that you'll also get better wear time. And remember, less is better!
I'm about to launch my Rose on Rose Derma Roller Product Absorption Tool and I absolutely would not be without it. I use it once a week and my skincare products seem to work so much more efficiently - the results have been pretty amazing.
Tell us about the idea of "flat aging." What about the art of Lazy Perfection?
Flat aging is about being present and enjoying where you are in your life right now, recognizing your beauty in real time without always feeling like you have to fight to turn back the clock. That's unrealistic, not to mention exhausting, expensive and pretty depressing! Lazy Perfection is about taking the stress out of your beauty routine, whatever that means for you. In my opinion, when you can look objectively at your features, coloring, personal style, lifestyle and also assess your technical skill set, that's when the Lazy Perfection path becomes clear. When we feel like we "have to" or "should" do things a certain way instead of the way that's uniquely good for us, that's when a beauty routine becomes frustrating and time consuming.
With being so busy balancing life, family, and work, we all get stressed at one point or another... do you have a go-to solution for relieving stress?
I am definitely a stress eater, which is not something I can in good conscience recommend. It's very satisfying in the moment, but then you pay for it later.
If you could speak to your younger self just starting out, what advice would you give her and why?
I was a 40-year-old stay-at-home mom when I went into the beauty business and knew absolutely nothing about it. I was reluctant to network because I thought at my age, all my questions might seem silly or I'd be seen as naive (which I was), like I was going to be judged for not being more savvy. What I quickly realized is that asking questions and sharing information with as many people as you can is the best way to fill in the blanks that can help move your business forward. I think this advice applies at any age!
We all have at least one guilty pleasure, whether it be a specific kind of food, a reality tv show, or a silly movie! What is one of your guilty pleasures?
I mean, if Pride & Prejudice is on TV, I have to watch. And if chips and guacamole are put in front of me, resistance is futile.
What’s one piece of “skin-deep” beauty advice you would want the whole world to know?
Wash your makeup brushes! It's amazing to me how long people go without doing it and then don't understand why they're not getting a good application. For hygiene, yes of course you need to keep them clean, but also to help get a better application.
Are you reading a book right now that you just can’t put down? Or how about a TV show that you’ve been binging?
My family and I sometimes do a Family Book Club, and on our recent trip to South Africa we all read Trevor Noah's autobiography, Born a Crime. It was so riveting and so well written, I had to force myself to slow down because I didn't want it to be over.
