Blogs, Beauty & Babies: The Skinny Confidential with Lauryn Evarts Bosstick

When we saw that Lauryn had shared Ageless Beauty the French Way as one of her favorite beauty reads on her Instagram, we couldn’t believe it! The Skinny Confidential is our go-to platform for real-deal beauty talk – the good, the bad, and definitely the ugly. If you, too, are a Skinny Confidential Connoisseur, you’ll know exactly what we’re referring to. With Lauryn’s refreshingly raw (and hilarious) tone, there is no subject too taboo, too embarrassing, or too TMI. Instead, Lauryn has curated a judgment-free community where beauty and well-being is a cocktail best served with confidence, whimsy, and a heaping spoonful of pink. Sign us up!

We were lucky enough to sneak in a virtual interview with Lauryn to chat about her experience as a new mom, her quarantine wellness regimen, and her top tips for productivity at home.

What inspired you to start your blog The Skinny Confidential?

When I was super broke & in college, teaching Pure Barre & Pilates, and bartending, I saw a space in the market for something that connected women everywhere online. The idea sparked because I went to join a sorority & the fees they were charging were outrageous! So I realized that I could build an online community, for free, for women all around the world. It wasn’t just about me; it was about learning tips & tricks from other people too. And it still is!

The name of my blog & brand has nothing to do with being “skinny;” it’s about getting “the skinny.” It’s about creating a healthy lifestyle through balance (think: kale in one hand & champagne in the other) and being the best version of yourself.

Now, The Skinny Confidential has grown into a​ ​book​,​ ​fitness guide​,​ ​podcast​ &​ YouTube channel​.

What does your quarantine morning routine look like?

I just recorded​ ​a podcast​ all about this specific routine. Routines are important because with a baby & husband at home I need to stay sane (did a whole post on​ ​working at home​ ​with your husband, which can be very interesting – lol).

I wake up at around 7 a.m. & I drink water from Hydro Flask. This water bottle is the BEST way to drink more water. It keeps things freezing cold (or hot) & they have tons of different colors. My favorite is the light blue or hot pink. Oh, & you have to get the straw lid. That’s the key to getting more water in. I love to spice up my water with some mint, ginger, lemon or cayenne. Right now, I’m into adding lime juice.

My husband brings me an inulin coffee in bed every morning; I’ve been training him! To make it, you just add a couple teaspoons of inulin (I like ​Simply Gangster Chic)​, a bit of Sukrin fiber sugar, your favorite coffee, almond milk, & some cinnamon.

Instead of looking at my phone first thing in the morning, I meditate & practice light, movement & hydration. We’ve already been over hydration, but I like to go for a walk with my daughter, Zaza, in the morning. Lately, I’ve been practicing​ Wim Hof’s​ (A.K.A. “The Iceman”) breathwork & using the Headspace app for meditation.

Since having my daughter, I’ve gotten back into intermittent fasting. I’ve been breaking the fast with a bowl of fruit topped with inulin, black sesame seeds, & hemp hearts. Also been very into Cauliflower Thins. It’s the perfect bread substitute if you want to cut down on carbs. They’re perfect for pizza, avocado toast, egg salad – whatever!

I love to finish the day with a cup of Four Sigmatic Mushroom Cacao. We dim the lights in our bedroom, turn the salt rock lamp on, turn the diffuser on with lavender oils. It’s a whole vibe to really help me wind down.

What advice do you have for staying productive while working remotely?

Three things: batching, time-blocking, and The Ivy Lee Method.

Batching:

This basically means ‘batching’ similar tasks into one. It’s not efficient for anyone to be going from task to task all day long. For instance, I like to schedule all of my work calls on one day of the week. Typically Wednesday is filled with phone meetings for me. I don’t want to be working on a project, then have to stop & restart to take a call. You can batch phone calls, emails, & returning texts or DMs. It takes a person an average of 15 minutes to regain focus when stopping the task at hand. That’s a lot of time wasted ‘refocusing’ in my opinion.

Batching reduces the start-up & clean-up time of what you’re doing, gets rid of unnecessary clutter, & really helps with focus. If you know a certain task only has 30 minutes allocated to it, you’re going to give it all your attention. If I’m working on something creative for the brand, I can’t stop to answer each email that comes through. I put aside an hour in the morning & an hour at night to answer emails & interact with my community on social. Which brings me to the next tip… Time-blocking.

Time-Blocking:​

When you come up with your batching schedule, get yourself a little ​time-cube​ (a kitchen timer works great too!) to keep yourself accountable. So if you set aside 45 minutes to answer emails, when that timer goes off YOU STOP! It’s time to move on to the next thing on your list or calendar.

The Ivy Lee Method:​

Ok so, here’s the story, and here’s the method:

1. At the end of each work day, write down the six most important things you need to accomplish tomorrow. Do not write down more than six tasks.
2. Prioritize those six items in order of their true importance.
3. When you arrive tomorrow, concentrate only on the first task. Work until the first task is finished before moving on to the second task.
4. Approach the rest of your list in the same fashion. At the end of the day, move any unfinished items to a new list of six tasks for the following day.
5. Repeat this process every working day.

The benefit of The Ivy Lee Method is kind of like time-blocking. You focus on one task & it allows you to focus on your priorities so you don’t get caught up in the riff raff.

Your go-to lazy workout?

In quarantine right now, I’m doing three specific workouts. I’m doing The Skinny Confidential Body Guide workouts, which are 28 minutes & super efficient. You can do them literally anywhere. If you want to check it out, my trainer Kim Kelly goes live every Wednesday at 9 a.m. PST on ​@tscbody​.

I’m also doing P.volve workouts. It’s a low resistance workout with this special ball that I’ve been obsessed with for a while. The person who invented it trains Victoria’s Secret models & he’s been on the podcast (​listen here​). It’s super efficient because the moves exercise the tiny little muscles we all forget about.

Pilates is also something I’ve been obsessed with for a long time, so I’m still doing that. I like mat & reformer Pilates. As you can see, I’m into low resistance workouts! And like I said, I try to walk at least twice a day. Love to throw on a podcast or get Alexa to play some bossa nova music while I do any of these workouts.

As a new mother, how has your beauty routine changed?

Right now it’s non-existent to be honest. I look like I just crawled out of a cave. I have no spray tan, no manicure, no pedicure, no double eyebrow tint, haven’t shaved my legs in a year & my roots are dreadful. However, I am really focussed on skin.

Skincare is happening every single night, with lot’s of serums & oils & of course tons of facial massage! Like Clémence, I’m obsessed with facial massage! (Also, so obsessed with Clémence’s book ​Ageless Beauty.​ It’s been my go-to for a while now & I really respect the way she approaches beauty. I’m a big fan & hope she comes on the podcast one day – hint hint!!) Facial massage really de-bloats & de-puffs by draining the lymphatic system. It makes you look super contoured, helps your skincare absorb better & just feels so good! I also love a good facial mist; you can always catch me on Instagram Live in a face mask.

What are the best ways for our readers to follow along with your work?

If you’re into saving time, definitely check out​ ​The Skinny Confidential HIM & HER podcast​. It’s such an efficient way to get info when you’re on the go. It’s free to listen on iTunes. The Skinny Confidential Lifestyle Guide​ is on Amazon, & then of course there’s the blog, which is my mothership. And of course​ ​Instagram​.