Fashion Director Laurel Pantin’s Secret to Sleep

Do you have a bedtime ritual? 

It starts when I’m giving my kids a bath at 7. I usually brush my teeth, wash my face and do my skincare routine while my kids are bathing. Then I put on my nightgown and get them out of the bath. After I put them down I like to get in bed and catch up on work while watching something mindless on my iPad. 

I recently got a little bedside alarm clock so that I can see what time it is without looking at my phone at night, so I try and charge my phone in the bathroom overnight so I don’t look at it during the night or first thing in the morning. I have to always know what time it is, and I realized that a lot of my screen time on my phone started with a time check. I started wearing a watch and looking at a clock instead and it has definitely helped.

If I’m feeling indulgent (basically every day) I take half of a 5mg THC edible while my kids are still in the bath. It starts to work its magic about an hour later, and by that time I’ve finished everything I need to do and can melt into bed. I like to go to sleep EARLY – ideally at 9. 

What do you wear to bed?

The least sexy thing in the world – I love a midi-length white cotton sleeveless nightgown. I have three and I rotate between them. Something about putting it on signals the day is over and I can just totally let go. If not that, then just a t-shirt, but I travel with one of my nightgowns, I love them so much.

What is on your bedside table?

My alarm clock, my Susanne Kaufmann lip balm, a tube of Weleda Skin Food for my hands and heels and my iPad. I sleep with my Kindle under my pillow. 

Are you a night owl or an early bird?

I thought I was an early bird, but since having kids I would love a few mornings to sleep in! I wouldn’t say I’m a night owl though, I just love to sleep. 

Which scent makes you think of bedtime?

The Nue Co Forest Lungs – I’m so not a fragrance person until I got this one. I certainly never wore fragrance to bed previously,  but this one really smells like a damp forest – kind of muddy and green – and I love falling asleep with it on. 

Are you reading or watching anything good at the moment?

I’m reading Hanya Yanigihara’s To Paradise, but very slowly considering I’m typically so tired when I go to bed and more than occasionally micro-stoned. 

My husband and I also love to watch one or two episodes of Curb Your Enthusiasm before bed. It’s so funny but also totally mindless and relaxing, it’s rare that we can agree on a show and we both love it.

What are some nighttime items you cannot live without?

My Phillips sonicare toothbrush, my Augustinus Bader skincare routine, which I picked up from Erin Lee Smith at ByGeorge, and my weighted blanket. I like to build a pillow fort on three sides of my body and then sleep under a weighted blanket like I’m in a tomb.

What is your guilty pleasure?

My edibles… not very professional, but I don’t like to drink at home, so this replaces a glass of wine for me.

Are there any health & wellness trends you’re interested in trying?

Oy, honestly I’d like to just find time to go for a walk by myself. Between my kids and my job my life is packed.

What are your favorite fashion trends at the moment? Which do you hope are short lived?

I tend to not think in trends. It might just be my age group, but I see a lot of people leaving that idea behind and focusing on the things that make them feel the most them. That said, I do enjoy the Y2K revival from afar, though I’d never try it for myself. I tend to skew more minimal, classic, and tomboyish, though I really love sequins and glitter! My style is very Lauren Hutton-inspired, both daytime Lauren Hutton and evening disco Hutton. She’s my north star. 

How do you engage in self-care?

I don’t do the best job at this. One of my guilty pleasures is turning on a movie for my kids. I love to give them that break and we all pile up on the couch together and snuggle, it’s just the best. I feel super close to them in those moments but can also turn my own brain off. Separately from them, I like to take a bath with Susanne Kaufmann bath stuff and Epsom salts while I watch something dumb. I love RuPaul’s Drag Race and that show definitely factors into my self-care.

What is your favorite way to de-stress?

I have to talk through everything. I talk to everyone about all my weird thoughts and anxieties and it makes me feel so much better. I spiral and spiral and let everything out and then I feel calm again. 

What is your favorite workout at the moment?

I don’t really exercise, sadly. Living in LA now I spend so much time in my car, so I try and go for a walk every so often. I also just started doing little online yoga classes and breathing classes with my son, but it’s like, the most basic basic basic stretching and breath. It’s sweet to do together though.

What do you consider the single most important thing for a good night’s sleep?

Having a dark, cool and quiet room and a big puffy comforter.

What was your favourite childhood bedtime story?

My mom reads out loud really beautifully, I loved it when she’d read Roald Dahl books, and my dad used to invent stories that were super entertaining. Now I love reading to my kids before bed – my current favorite book to read to them is The Octopus Escapes. 

What is your skincare routine like? Do you have any holy grail products?

I just started using Augustinus Bader, and I am fully drinking the kool-aid. I use the cleanser, essence, cream, and oil at night, and then I use RapidLash on my eyelashes to make them grow longer and thicker. I don’t wear much if any makeup, so I like having really lush full natural eyelashes. The Bader Essence and Cream are unbelievable – I saw an immediate difference in the texture and tone of my skin. 

How would you choose to spend one hour of free time?

Oh man, I don’t even know. I’m never alone in my house, so I’d love an hour to just lay on the couch and read with the windows open. Before kids I read so much and loved a lazy weekend afternoon to read.

If you could choose a song to wake up to every morning, what would it be?

I think if anything I’d choose to wake up to silence – I usually wake up to one of the kids yelling for me, so to wake up to quiet one morning would be a true luxury!