The term “style icon” is bandied around freely today, but in the case of Jenna Lyons, you’d be hard-pressed to convince her legions of fans that her signature style isn’t somewhat iconic. Of course, you’ll recognize Lyons as the fashion powerhouse that resurrected J.Crew as much as you will for her penchant for dressing in menswear pieces — men’s vintage jeans, button-down shirt, and classic blazer — which she famously accessorizes with a bold red lip and those famous statement Dita glasses. And more recently, you may also know her from the new HBO show Stylish with Jenna Lyons, where she imparts her fashion, beauty, interior, and lifestyle advice, or from the latest RHONY announcement. So, when someone with an eye like Lyons shares her style secrets, it’s safe to say we’re all ears. Here the designer turned beauty entrepreneur — if you haven’t yet discovered LoveSeen, her new line of false lashes, trust us, you need to get on board — shares her idea of the perfect Sunday.
In our new series, “A Perfect Sunday,” we spotlight our favorite tastemakers and their ideal Sunday vibe, life advice, and beauty and style must-haves. Here, Jenna Lyons shares her weekend routine.
Wake-up Ritual:
“I live in SoHo, New York, and can’t imagine living anywhere else but a perfect Sunday is spent at my house in Amagansett. I try to spend most weekends there, year-round. I wake up around 7 a.m. and do a one-hour Tracy Anderson workout with a bunch of friends. Then, I usually get my kid up [son Beckett, 16]. Well, I try. I do coffee right after the workout. Sometimes I sneak it during the workout, but that’s not such a good idea. I drink cold brew. I love Chameleon Cold Brew with oat milk; it’s incredible. Sometimes, I make my bed. I’m trying to get better at that.”
Morning Beauty Routine:
“I cleanse, apply moisturizer, put on sunscreen, and slick back my hair. I never leave home without red lipstick and perfume. My go-to is Jenna, a red-orange from my Unlipstick collaboration with Marcia Kilgore and Beauty Pie, and fragrance-wise I’ve worn Creed Silver Mountain Water forever.”
Mid-Morning:
“I go to Vicki’s farmer’s market with my son. He loves their nectarine drinks and is into burrata and basil for breakfast. That’s been our thing for so long, it’s so easy for me to make, and he loves it. Then I might grab a coffee in town. The thing I love about being in Amagansett, especially after living in New York for over 20 years, is the ceremony of getting in your car, taking the dog, and driving into town. Then, when I get home, my favorite thing is to weed. I know that sounds weird. But I have a little garden and love weeding, and I love planting grass. I have a stone driveway, and all the weeds poke up through it so pulling them out is this cathartic thing.”
Afternoon:
“I love to take a beach walk. At the end of my block, I have a private entrance to the beach; it’s insane. It’s not just for me; our street bought the rights to it. I live on a very weird little street, everybody knows each other, and that’s why I love it so much. My two favorite people, Johnny and Joe, live down the end. I have a little posse of friends, and they are also pretty much always on the beach. I always take Popeye, my four-year-old dog, to the beach with me. He’s a rescue and part Chihuahua and Prague Terrier. I had no idea what a Prague Terrier was until I got him. You can also drive the Jeep on the beach, which is nice, except it’s a royal pain, letting the air out of the tires, but we do it once in a while.”
Evening:
“[My shower] looks like a beauty store and has all my favorite things lined up. So I stand there buck naked and do a good exfoliation. I’m an avid exfoliator, I do my face and body, and it makes an immediate difference. Then I apply sculpting body cream. For my face, I’ll cleanse and give my face a little massage with NuFace and apply moisturizer. I don’t wear a lot of makeup. I have Incontinentia Pigmenti, so I spent years looking for the perfect makeup to cover my scars and tried every single thing out there, from clown makeup to stage makeup for disguise. It was crazy. At a young age, I wore a LOT of makeup, trying to cover up and make myself look prettier. It took a shift in my confidence and a very long time to say I don’t need to wear a full face of makeup every day. Now I wear Trinny London BFF De-Stress; it’s a gentle tinted serum, a little cheek tint, shape my brows and apply my Jenna Unlipstick. I never wear mascara. Because of my genetic disorder, I literally have no brows. I started LoveSeen because I have no lashes and couldn’t find anything on the market that has a more natural look. When you get older, you need something a little more delicate. They are also made with multiple colors; they’re not just all black which gives them more dimension. My three favorites are Jack in Black, Noor, and Cate.
Dinner:
“I usually go to il Buco around 6 p.m. with my son, my friend Jacqueline, her daughters, and my friend Sarah Clary — it’s like a commune. The broccolini is amazing, the branzino is incredible, and the burrata with cherries and pistachio is fantastic. I mean everything is fantastic there. I don’t drink alcohol, but I’ll have a mocktail. To dinner, I’ll wear my signature vintage men’s Levis and a button-down shirt. If the weather is good, we return to the beach by 8 p.m. for sunset, a bonfire, and smores. I am also addicted to ice cream. So after the beach, we may go for ice cream at John’s Drive-In. I get the Coffee Oreo. They make it all there. Bella Hadid went there and started the whole craze. The line is out the door.”
Bedtime Ritual:
“I don’t have a television, so at night we play games: Rummy Cube, Bananagrams, or Spoons. And we listen to music. I like old R&B, like Curtis Mayfield and The Gap Band. I also love old Madonna and anything Beyonce does. Sometimes I listen to audiobooks. Right now, I’m listening to The Body Keeps The Score and The Happiness Advantage. I’ve learned a lot from both of them. Then, I go to bed around 11 p.m.”
Jenna’s Life Lessons
One thing that was interesting about The Happiness Advantage is…
It seems really obvious, but I think culturally, we have this idea that if you’re having a bad day, you should push through and just deal. And the fact of the matter is mood is actually physically transferable. So when someone says, “ It’s rubbing off,” it is a physical thing and can really rub off. So now, when I’m not feeling well, or if there is someone in my team who’s not feeling it, the best thing for that person and the ecosystem of the group is to say, in a way without guilt or shame, “Hey, I know you’re having a bad day. Do you want to take a walk? Or do you need to call it a day?” I know there have been times when I’ve had a bad day and don’t check in with myself and ask how I am affecting the people around me. I’m learning to be better at that and also learning that the more specific you can be when you give a child or someone a compliment or positive feedback, it will imprint differently, and they will truly believe it. A child knows when you’re lying or full of it. So instead of saying, “great job, you’re so pretty, talented, etc.,” being specific is more impactful. “I like the choices you made. I love that you picked this color. I like that you mixed that. It’s really interesting that you put type over here with this graphic.
I’m in this place in my life where everything I’m doing is a first for me…
… and I feel vulnerable. It’s a very unusual place to be at my age. I worked on a television show. I had no idea what I was doing. I launched a line of eyelashes. I’m doing interiors. I’ve always done them for myself, but never for other people. So, all of these processes feel new. I’ve only ever worked in a large company, and I didn’t know what to expect when I left my job. And honestly, I wish I’d left sooner because it’s been pretty amazing to have an opportunity at my age to learn new things and to feel the vulnerability of walking into a meeting and having no idea what I’m doing. But I’m decisive and come with a little bit of history, so I feel lucky to start over again and learn new things.
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