I'm big on relaxing nighttime routines: I give myself a good hour between turning off the TV or putting down my book and getting into bed, and use it to putter around the house and straighten up, do stretches, apply moisturizer head-to-toe, brush my hair, and play around with various face potions.

I wasn't always this diligent about my beauty routine - the truth is that I used to forget to remove my makeup more often than not, and rarely achieved more than a cursory swipe with soap before falling into bed (Francesca, who lived with me in LA, can attest to this: she was frequently horror-struck by the sight of my smudgy, be-kohl-ed eyes at 8AM) - but as I get older, I feel more and more like those minutes I spend attending to my skin at night are important ones, both physically and mentally.

What I like about the Eve Lom cleanser is that it's a process, and so it forces you to take a few minutes to yourself to chill out and get into a sleepy state of mind. It certainly generates its fair share of buzz (Vogue named it the #1 cleanser in the world), and with a multi-step application that approaches the level of ritual, it has all the hallmarks of a cult product. You start with a lymphatic drainage massage, then apply the cleanser (which is more like a paste), and then do kinda weird stuff like place muslin cloths over your face and inhale and exhale three times before wiping it off.

But in theory, since the product is cleanser, toner, makeup remover, exfoliator, and moisturizer all in one, you're...saving time? Kind of? I don't know about that, and the ritual is a little ridiculous, sure, but you know what? Ridiculousness in politics is maddening; ridiculousness in skincare products is therapeutic and fun. And it's never a bad idea to take a minute at the end of the day to pay attention to your breathing and care for yourself. So.