How a Working Mother of 5 Achieves That Weekend Feeling
The author/activist/mega multi-hyphenate Jodie Patterson shares the morning routine that helps her feel like she’s out-of-office, any day of the day of the week.
Jodie Patterson is a bestselling author, chair of the Human Rights Campaign, a music producer, a former circus acrobat (seriously), a beauty entrepreneur, a nightclub owner, and the mother to five children, ranging from age 12 to their mid twenties. To say she’s busy is an understatement, so it makes sense that Patterson, who resides in Brooklyn, New York, needs to find “weekend moments” wherever she can.
“I love a weekend, but I can find a weekend anywhere,” Patterson tells Iris&Romeo. “Sometimes, it's not the actual Saturday or Sunday that I get off, but a Tuesday or Wednesday. Either way, those couple of days of detachment are essential for me.”
Because her free time is so limited, Patterson tries to incorporate that out of office/weekend feeling into her mornings, before the day has really begun. “Ideally, I would wake up early and be completely silent for two hours, which is something I started a couple years ago. I don't speak to my kids. I don't speak to anyone. I don't really use my vocal chords at all. I make my bed (I love making my bed—it brings me complete joy), and then I wash my face, apply oil, put on my workout clothes, and go out for a run with my dog.”
Patterson is a big fan of facial oils, both for cleansing and for their skincare benefits. However, having recently tried Weekend Skin, she’s looking forward to downsizing her routine with its 3-in-1 benefits, including SPF 50 and a time-release Vitamin C. “I was hesitant about Weekend Skin when I first pumped it out …but then I decided to just go for it,” she tells Iris&Romeo. “It’s really perfect. Slightly iridescent, with a soft glow. And you’d swear I have nothing on! It’s like an ‘imperfect-perfect’ look. I’m wearing it now and I’ll wear it all week.”
Like Patterson, many women with darker complexions are skeptical of mineral SPFs, as they often leave a white cast or an ashy/gray appearance on the skin. But chemical sunscreens, which are clear and don’t leave a white cast, are not necessarily safe for them to use either, as there is a concern they might cause cancer. Weekend Skin is formulated with a mineral sunscreen, and it looks like it has a white tint when it comes out of the tube, but, as Iris&Romeo’s founder, Michele Gough-Baril, points out, the proof is in the blending in. “Weekend Skin delivers 100% on its promise of SPF with zero white cast, plus it has a glow that is neutral enough to work on the lightest to deepest skin tones,” explains Gough-Baril. “I haven't seen one shade that works for all skin tones in my entire career.”
The mother of a transgender child, Patterson has authored two books on the topic—The Bold World: a Memoir of Family and Transformation and Born Ready: The True Story of a Boy Named Penelope. She he’s currently working on a third book which focuses on genderless mothering as a necessity for humanity. “My family is also genderless in terms of our beauty routine,” she explains. “My kids use my products. I use their products. We do our hair together, our skin together. In our family, [self-care] is definitely very cultural. When you talk about hair, you end up in a conversation about history. When you talk about skin, you talk about your family heritage. It just feels like a big open door to the streams of consciousness around all the good stuff.”
While that time-consuming beauty routine is mostly reserved for real weekends, Patterson doesn’t compromise her skincare when she’s busy. “On a day that I don't have as much time, I want the same impact but I want less steps. I never negotiate on the end result.” This is where Weekend Skin really glows, as it replaces several products while delivering the highest quality SPF and Vitamin C (the two most essential steps in your skincare process), and a slight blurring effect, which is especially helpful on those mornings you could use a little more sleep. Patterson is also a fan of Brow Up, which she uses every day, as well as the Power Peptide Lip Balm. “It simply brings out the best in my lip’s natural coloring,” she says. “And don’t laugh—I put the peach color on my cheeks, too.”
For the record, we’re not laughing—Iris&Romeo fully endorses using all our products however they work best for you, and especially if they make your life easier. Like Weekend Skin, our mission is to help you get that out-of-office feeling, whether it’s a morning of complete silence, or a mini spa-day with those you love most.