Very few moments in the day are as bare as the moment you wake up. We each have our own kinks and quirks that help us get out of bed, but few of us are brave enough to share them with the world. Introducing A Cool Morning, a deep dive into the intimate daytime rituals of our coolest friends and beauty innovators.
Phoebe Robinson truly is a dope queen, and the one-half of the successful podcast-turned-HBO special 2 Dope Queens has a serious lineup ahead of her: She’s heading out on the road for her international “Sorry, Harriet Tubman” tour, launching a television production company with ABC Studios, and teaming up with Schick Intuition on a new video series called Shave Thoughts, all while working on the latest season of her own podcast, Sooo Many White Guys. We’re tired just thinking about all of that!
But on her rare moments off, Robinson likes to treat herself via shaving, sipping on green juice, and scrolling through Instagram (#same). Below, we sat down with the comedian, writer, and actress to get the inside scoop on how she takes care of herself when her schedule is so, so busy.
What’s the first thing you do every morning?
Check Instagram. It’s an addiction. I’m just being honest here!
Do you have a morning workout routine?
I have a spin bike in my building, so I like to go on that for about 20-30 minute a day just so I can get moving. I write a lot, so just sitting all day can make me feel like I haven’t moved for hours.
Shower at night, morning, or both?
Morning, definitely. I sweat in my sleep, so I don’t get people who shower at night. Like, how do you not have to shower again in the morning?
Daily alarm time? How many times do you hit snooze?
If I have an early call time, I’ll get up around 5:30 a.m. But normally during the week it’ll be somewhere between 7:15 and 7:45. I’ll try to go to bed around 12:30 a.m. They’re long days, I know I’m crazy!
If you’re running late, what’s the one thing you have to do?
Find my house keys. I never know where my keys are.
Favorite breakfast?
I’m a green juice person, so I love Pressed Juicery. I’ll also have some toast, and that’ll make me feel pretty set for the day.
Weirdest morning beauty habit?
Sometimes, I’ll bother my zits. I’ll press them to the point of nearly popping, but then I’ll remember that I’m not supposed to pop them and I’ll leave them alone. I guess I give them a massage?
What does your morning hair care routine look like?
It all depends on the day. If I’m wearing a wig, I don’t have to really do anything. If I’m wearing my hair out, I’ll do Bantu knots or pick out my ‘fro. Sometimes, I’ll just do a hair wrap and keep it moving—I like to mix it up.
How much time do you spend on your skincare routine?
If I’m not doing a face mask in the morning, I’ll try to keep my skincare routine to five minutes or less. I’ll use a toner, vitamin C serum, eye cream, and moisturizer. I use La Mer because that’s what JLo uses. But, she has way more money than me, so I only use the tiniest drops of it.
How long do you usually take to get ready for the day?
This varies. Sometimes, I like a long shower so I can relax and get prepared for the day. I’m a hairy person, so I gotta shave my arms, legs, stomach, knees, all of the things. If I’m doing that in the morning, then I’ll grab the Schick Intuition f.a.b. razors. They’re so easy to use since they’re bi-directional; you can go back and forth with it and you’re done. You don’t even have to think, you can just do your thing while daydreaming about your shave thoughts, but those can take up a lot of time in my morning. But if I really gotta go, I’ll just hop in and out of the shower and get a move on.
You shave your arms? I used to do that but my friends dragged me for it. A lot of people are so against doing that because they think it’ll grow back thicker.
I’m self conscious about my arm hair, so that’s why I do it. It doesn’t grow back thicker, at least not for me. You don’t have to do it, but do whatever makes you happy!
Do you have any shaving tips?
Just enjoy it: You’re doing something nice for yourself, so don’t look at it as a chore. It’s self-care. Take that moment and enjoy the smoothness that comes after shaving.
What’s the one product you could never leave the house without putting on?
Chapstick, because I always get dry lips.
The first word/thing that popped into your head this morning?
This morning I got up early, so it was “What? Huh?”
Your favorite morning read?
Sometimes, it’ll be breaking news alerts from The New York Times, but if I don’t have any of those, then it’ll be Hollywood news sources like Variety or The Hollywood Reporter. I also save a lot of articles on Instapaper, so that’s how I keep up with a lot of my stuff.
What’s on your nightstand right now?
I always have a half-empty can of La Croix, because I usually drink half and then go to sleep. My phone, hand cream, chapstick, TV remote—my nightstand is a nightmare. It’s so overcrowded, while my boyfriend has, like, two things on his nightstand—I don’t know how he lives like that. I also have a candle, loose change, used tissues like the inner old lady I am, and crumbs because I’m always snacking in bed.
What’s the current ringtone on your alarm?
It’s the Game of Thrones theme song. I’m a dweeb.
Coffee, tea, or go-to morning drink?
Green tea with honey.
What’s the last thing you did before you headed out the door today?
I cried. That sounds so bad, but nothing bad happened. My boyfriend is a tour manager for rock bands, so he’s going out of town for three weeks and it made me tear up a bit.