As shown in his video, the former college athlete takes care of himself to an impressive degree.

One repeated element of his routine is dunking his face in ice water, or cold water immersion, a practice long championed by pro athletes.

Some of the potential benefits of cold-water plunges include improved blood flow, muscle relaxation, stress reduction, and reduced muscle soreness and pain, although there is limited research into the positive health effects of ice baths.

Some dermatologists and famous figures, like Bella Hadid and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, have specifically promoted face-dunking in cold water, with some suggesting it increases blood flow, tightens pores, and reduces puffiness by contracting blood vessels. When performed in the morning, cold plunges can also help people feel energized and awake.

I decided against waking up at 3 a.m., taping my mouth shut, and rubbing banana peels over my face. Instead, I tried incorporating the seemingly more simple part of the influencer's morning routine into my own: submerging my face in ice water.

Not being a morning person, I wondered if the face plunge could help me fight the chronic morning grogginess that so often keeps me in bed. I hoped it might help me start my mornings earlier, although perhaps not as early as Hall.

I have some experience in this realm. Years ago, as a teenager following beauty tips from the early years of YouTube, I routinely used frozen metal spoons to help with undereye puffiness in the mornings. So I knew there was one thing I could expect from the ice-water facials: It'd be very cold.

The cost of a workweek's worth of ice facials — one bottle of Saratoga a day for five days — was more expensive than I anticipated, especially considering Hall appears to go through multiple bottles in just one day.

I paid a little over $15 for five bottles of the fancy water, with each 28-fluid-ounce bottle costing $2.99 before tax.

For that price, I could've bought an affordable skincare product from the drugstore from science-backed and doctor-approved brands.

(Saratoga water's CMO confirmed to Business Insider that the video wasn't an ad, but said Hall's use of its product in his "meticulous" morning routine was "amazing.")

Placing the bowl in my bathroom sink in the morning was intimidating. I grabbed some ice, making my hands numb before I could even pour the water.

It probably took me some five minutes to convince my still-sleepy brain to dunk my face in the bowl of ice and cold water.

Hall's routine for face-dunking, which, according to the video, includes using a glass bowl, a couple of cups of ice, and a whole bottle of Saratoga water, shows the face dunking taking him three minutes between 5:46 a.m. and 5:49 a.m. and then again between 9:06 a.m. and 9:09 a.m.

I submerged my face in the ice bowl a couple of times for a total of 30 or so painful seconds. Still, the process of mentally preparing, recovering between immersions, and drying my face off probably took closer to Hall's three-minute slot.

The temperature shock was the hardest part, and it was challenging to keep my face in the water for more than a couple of seconds at a time.

The change in blood flow was apparent immediately. As soon as I dried my face, I noticed just how much redder my skin looked and how tingly it felt.

My skin did feel smoother to the touch right away… perhaps because the extreme cold had caused me to lose sensation in my hands.

My skin is sensitive and reacts strongly to temperature changes (my nose always gets bright red in cold weather), so this didn't surprise me, but it did concern me how aggressively my skin reacted to such an extreme temperature.

Thankfully, the redness went away after a while, and the tingling stopped once my skin returned to a normal temperature.

The first thing I thought when I woke up on day two was, "Do I really have to do this again?"

Avoiding thinking about it too much, I practically sleepwalked through the process of gathering the bowl, the ice, and the blue Saratoga bottle.

Day two was probably the harshest for me: I knew what was coming, and no fiber of my being wanted to partake in it.

Still, I did it. Once I was over with it, I just tried to forget about it.

I'll admit it did make me feel a lot more awake in the morning and helped snap me out of my post-sleep sluggishness, but it was not an enjoyable experience.

By day three, I decided I couldn't wake myself up with ice if I wanted to be a likable person that morning, so I went for a long walk and workout class instead.

After an hour and a half of walking outdoors in the Miami weather and 50 minutes of exercise at a barre class, I could see the appeal of face-plunging as a way of cooling down before transitioning into the rest of my morning.

Sweating before dunking my face in ice water definitely made the facial feel more enjoyable, but it was still not something I'd do every day.

On day four, I tried incorporating the ice water into my existing morning routine rather than forcing it into being its own step.

After I had given myself time to wake up, take a hot shower, and start getting ready for the day, I dunked my face in the water as a step in my skincare routine, trying my hardest not to let the physical reaction to the extreme temperature shape the experience.

While it reminded me of my former frozen spoon habit, which I eventually grew used to, it wasn't the same. The spoons' spot treatment under my eyes had the benefit of being contrasted by the rest of my face's natural temperature and by the metal quickly warming out of its iciness — the water had no such mercy.

The face dunking was still difficult. At this point, I could stand the extreme cold for a few seconds longer at a time, and my skin didn't get as red afterward, but it was just something I did not want to put myself through again.

After four days of torturing myself with the influencer-backed practice, I gave up.

Other than making my mornings more difficult to get through and making my skin redder for the first hour of the day, I didn't notice any differences in my skin or mood, although it's possible I would notice changes if I kept up with the routine.

While the initial energy boost was a nice — although challenging — start to my mornings, as I grew more used to the practice, the cold didn't wake me up or snap me out of my morning groggy as much.

Instead, it made me start the day in a physically uncomfortable state that felt useless. Rather than helping me ease into the morning, it made me start my mornings with physical stress.

Beginning my morning by drinking a big, cold bottle of spring water was simply a much more appealing idea.

There are more than 30 different types of yoga, so if you don't like a class, I suggest you keep trying to see if another style suits you.

I've tried 20 varieties, including aerial, chair, restorative, hatha, prenatal, yogalates, and even a floating sound bath. I still like to try new practices to challenge myself, but hatha and aerial are my favorites.

Hatha yoga is great for finding balance between the mind and body to prepare myself for meditation. Aerial yoga is a fun challenge that involves doing different poses from silk strands attached to the ceiling.

Vinyasa yoga, also referred to as flow, is one of the most popular kinds of classes. It's probably the first thing that comes to mind because it's the main type of practice I see on TV and social media.

Typically, a class consists of a continuous series of poses matched with the breath.

Over the years, though, I've figured out it's my least favorite way to practice yoga. I prefer to hold poses instead of constantly flowing from one move to another.

I used to get frustrated when I couldn't do the poses that my instructor or the person next to me in class pulled off with ease. However, eventually, I accepted that everyone's body is different.

After 25 years, I still can't get my heels on the ground in a downward-facing dog. Some days, I can ease into a half-moon pose, and others, my balance is so bad I stumble while doing a basic warrior one.

Get to know your body and listen to it. Good practitioners offer modifications to make moves easier or harder and explain how a move should or shouldn't feel so you can prevent injury.

This also means doing yoga from a mat on the ground isn't going to work for everyone. I love that practices like chair yoga and aqua yoga make it more accessible.

I used to have a hard time meditating — the second I laid down, my head went into overdrive thinking about kids, work, to-do lists, and my next project.

However, at the end of a good yoga practice, I can more easily calm my mind, take deep breaths, and just be.

When I started yoga in my 20s, it was all about burning calories. Now, I know it's not about perfection or doing difficult poses. It helps me build a mind-body connection that improves my physical and mental health.

Savasana or corpse pose, where you lay flat on your back with your arms and legs slightly splayed out, is often done at the end of a practice to help put the body in a meditative state.

Unfortunately, I keep a lot of my stress in my neck and shoulders, so lying flat is uncomfortable.

When I started doing yoga, I used to think it was the only pose for meditation, and I was just out of luck. However, I've found some great Savasana alternatives, like putting my legs up on a wall or sitting cross-legged.

Downward dog is a resting pose that's used in all kinds of practices.

Before I started regularly practicing yoga, I thought it was a calf stretch, but I now know it's much more about lengthening the back. Unfortunately, my stressed, tense shoulders take a hit whenever I try to get my heels down on the floor in the position.

I eventually had to admit that the pose just isn't restful for my body. Now, I'm not afraid or ashamed to substitute it for something else, like child's pose.

Some hardcore yogis despise props, but I love them.

When I have sore muscles, I ask if I can use a foam roller during class. A foam block brings the floor closer and makes difficult moves possible for me. A yoga strap can help keep me from overextending in stretched-out poses.

You're not weak or a failure if you use a prop during class. In fact, there are some yoga positions that can't properly be done without them.

To get the best shade matches, I needed to identify the exact colors of my skin, hair, and eyes. To do this, I went to a website called ImageColorPicker.com and uploaded a photo of myself I'd taken in natural lighting.

Then, I clicked on each feature I wanted to capture — my hair, eyes, and skin — to get their hex codes, a unique combination of letters and numbers specific to a certain hue.

I copied my hex codes and pasted them into a prompt I'd written out to send to ChatGPT.

I added my hex codes to my ChatGPT prompt and sent the following message:

Pick makeup that will best flatter me based on the following HEX codes for eye color, skin color, and hair color. Choose five of each: foundation, lip product, and eye-shadow palette. Limit options to products available at drugstores like Walmart and Target.

Skin color: [d5916f]

Eye color: [494956]

Hair color: [353942]

When I sent my prompt to ChatGPT, the software recommended five drugstore makeup products for each category, all from an impressive variety of brands.

ChatGPT even explained why each product might work for my skin tone, noting the specific undertones and coverage levels where applicable.

ChatGPT's response seemed promising, but I was surprised to find that many of the recommended shades either didn't exist or weren't stocked at my Canadian-based stores.

For example, recommended products like the Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Cocoa Bronze only seemed to be available from online resellers, and I couldn't find the L'Oréal True Match super-blendable foundation in N7 Classic Tan — though the foundation is available in a shade called N7 Medium Deep on L'Oréal's website.

Finally, after some searching, I was able to find a lip cream and eye-shadow palette in the shades ChatGPT recommended at Shoppers Drug Mart. However, I couldn't find any of the suggested foundation shades in-store, so I ordered one on Amazon.

I had the Maybelline FitMe matte and poreless foundation in my kit when I first started doing professional makeup, so I was most excited to try this product again.

Though I was skeptical when I saw shade 338 in the bottle, after applying it to my face with a brush, it was a perfect match. The foundation's natural, matte coverage was also exactly what I wanted for an everyday makeup look.

I'll definitely be reaching for this product again. 

Out of all the recommendations I tried, the CoverGirl TruNaked nudes eye-shadow palette was probably the most disappointing.

ChatGPT described this palette as having "versatile neutrals and browns to create everyday or smoky looks," but when I examined the colors, I thought the shade range looked too cool-toned or gray for my skin tone.

The palette didn't have a diverse range of shades, which seemed limiting, and I had a hunch that the color payoff — how much pigment would be left on my skin — wouldn't be great.

I applied a brown-toned eye shadow to my lid with a brush. As I suspected, the shades looked too cool-toned for my complexion. Even the deepest-brown shade ended up looking too gray, instantly washing me out and aging me.

Though I've used the Nyx soft matte lip creams before, I've never tried the shade Abu Dhabi. ChatGPT said this color was supposed to be "a soft nude that complements warm skin tones without washing you out."

In the bottle, the lip product looked similar to the nude shades I usually apply. As a Black woman, I knew I'd have to pair the light color with a darker brown lip liner to create more dimension, so I followed my usual process.

Unfortunately, even pairing the product with a liner couldn't save this color. When I applied the product, it looked like I had concealer on my lips, which washed me out. I wouldn't go out of my way to find this shade again.

Overall, the biggest limitation I noticed with ChatGPT was its inability to correctly identify items in existing shades or recommend products that are still in stock at drugstores (and not just resale sites).

I had to look up the recommendations online to confirm they existed, so using the software didn't save me much time, either.

Though giving ChatGPT the hex codes for my skin, hair, and eye colors seemed like the easiest way for the chatbot to determine appropriate shades, I don't think this method can accurately assess warmth or capture the depth and dimension of one's complexion.

The foundation I tried looked good and matched my skin tone, but the eye shadow and lip cream weren't flattering on me at all.

In the future, I'll probably use ChatGPT to pinpoint prices or get generic product recommendations for oily or dry skin. However, I'm going to leave the shade-matching to the humans.

The beauty of professional makeup artistry lies in understanding that every face is a unique canvas. If you ask me, ChatGPT offers a paint-by-numbers approach in a world that demands custom artwork.

"I get up really early, I'm an early bird," Cook said on an episode of the "Dua Lipa: At Your Service" podcast that aired in November, noting that he generally wakes between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m.

He's said that at that early hour, he has the freedom to spend his time as he sees fit.

"I can control the morning better than the evening and through the day. Things happen through the day that kind of blow you off course," he told The Australian Financial Review in 2021. "The morning is yours. Or should I say, the early morning is yours."

On an episode of the podcast "Table Manners with Jessie and Lennie Ware" released in January 2025, he added that the morning is "the part of the day that I can control the most."

"As the day starts to unfold, it becomes less predictable," he said. "So I love the part of the day that I can kind of block out the world and focus on a few critical things and just be silent for a while."

The first thing Cook does in the morning is check his iPhone, on which "he reads email, reviews overnight sales reports and studies countries where numbers are changing to keep his finger on the pulse of the business," The Wall Street Journal reported in 2024.

"I spend my first hour doing email, and I'm pretty religious about doing this," he said on Dua Lipa's podcast. "I read emails from a lot of customers and employees, and the customers are telling me things that they love about us or things that they want changed about us. Employees are giving me ideas. But it's a way to stay grounded in terms of what the community is feeling, and I love it."

Cook said on the "Table Manners" podcast that he gets "probably 500, 600" emails per day although that number can be far higher on "days where there's something extraordinary going on."

"I get notes both that are positive and some that are not so positive because people feel free to reach out and voice their opinion and I think this is great because it keeps my hand on the pulse of the company," Cook told WSJ in 2024. "I try to internalize it and ask myself, well is that accurate or not, and not just quickly put up a defensive shield and say, 'Why? What we've done is right.'"

Employees, too, have experienced Cook's early-morning emails.

"I spend an hour in the gym, usually doing strength training, and I've got somebody to really push me to do things I don't want to do," he told Dua Lipa. "I do no work during that period of time at all, I never check my phone, I'm just totally focused on working out."

The Wall Street Journal reported in 2014 that Cook didn't work out on Apple's campus, opting instead for a gym where he was less likely to run into his employees.

Cook told Axios in 2018 that working out helps "keeps my stress at bay."

Cook told the Journal in 2024 that he drinks "many cups" of coffee a day.

He'll typically have some "protein-based" cereal like Kashi with unsweetened almond milk, he said on the "Table Manners" podcast.

The Journal's 2014 article reported that Cook's weekly operations meetings could last five or six hours and that he was known to relentlessly question employees.

"'Talk about your numbers. Put your spreadsheet up,' he'd say as he nursed a Mountain Dew," the Journal wrote.

Cook has since said he's a big fan of Diet Mountain Dew, though Apple's campus doesn't stock it.

Mike Janes, the former head of Apple's online store, told CNN Money in 2008 about an afternoon meeting with Cook.

"A number of us had tickets to see the Mets that night," Janes said. "After hours, he was still drilling us with question after question while we were watching the clock like kids in school. I still have this vision of Tim saying, 'Okay, next page,' as he opened yet another energy bar. Needless to say, we missed the Mets game."

He also has no problem sitting in silence until he gets a suitable answer.

"In meetings, he's known for long, uncomfortable pauses, when all you hear is the sound of his tearing the wrapper of the energy bars he constantly eats," CNN Money reported.

As a result, the Journal said, employees had learned to be prepared, cramming for the meetings as if they were tests.

The Journal reported in 2014 that besides the energy bars he was snacking on throughout the day, he stuck to meals such as chicken and rice for lunch.

Cook has been known to eat his lunch in the cafeteria with employees, unlike his predecessor Steve Jobs, who would typically eat with then-design chief Jony Ive.

"I have lunch in Caffè Macs and I take a dinner home from Caffè Macs during the week," he said on the "Table Manners" podcast. "I typically go for the fish."

"I'll divide the day in terms of spending time with product teams or spending time with marketing teams or spending time with the executive team, and we're either handling issues of the day or hopefully our balance is more on working on future stuff, and thinking about what's next," he said on Dua Lipa's podcast.

When he was COO, he was known for being one of the first people in the office and one of the last people to leave.

We don't know much about how Cook spends his weekends and evenings, though he's said he's outdoorsy and enjoys hiking, rock climbing, and cycling.

He usually goes to national parks on vacation, he said on the "Table Manners" podcast. 

He has also vacationed at the Canyon Ranch resort in Arizona, where guests spotted him keeping to himself, often dining alone and reading on his iPad, Fortune's 2012 profile of Cook said.

More recently, he went caving in Slovenia in the summer of 2024.

He's also talked about using the Vision Pro when at home to watch "Ted Lasso" and other TV shows while stretched out on the couch.

Áine Cain contributed to an earlier version of this story.

I highly recommend checking out all of the Sephora Collection lines. Sephora is owned by LVMH (Louis Vuitton) and though the brand's packaging is simple, the formulas are amazing.

The Best Skin Ever foundation is one of my favorite base products because it's the perfect formula for my dry skin.

This $22 long-wearing foundation has light to medium coverage and a natural, dewy finish.

The $14 Sephora Collection Colorful blushes are absolutely beautiful. If a shade you like is in stock, I recommend picking it up because they sell out quickly.

The blushes come in matte and shimmer finishes. The pigmentation is great, the texture is soft and buttery, and the application is smooth. 

If you're looking for a good eyebrow pencil, the Sephora Collection has got you covered.

The $13 Retractable brow pencil is waterproof and smudge-proof and has an ultra-fine tip for easy application. I love to brush the spoolie through my brows to soften the look. 

Rare Beauty has quickly become one of the best brands at Sephora. The brand's easy-to-use products and packaging and the mission alone make it worth checking out.

I recommend starting with the $23 Soft Pinch Liquid blush. It's extremely pigmented so you need the tiniest dot to blend into a beautiful blushed look.

I didn't use to be a cream or liquid-blush person but once I started using formulas like these, I fell in love.

If you don't apply your liquid or cream makeup with a damp beauty blender, you're missing out. After working in the beauty industry and using this sponge for seven years, I can never go back.

I know $20 for a makeup tool may sound like a splurge but something about the design of the original beauty blender and its soft texture blends my base to a flawless finish.

Though there are more affordable alternatives that create a similar effect, I've used other sponges and brushes and still think nothing beats the beauty blender.

I used to be a matte liquid-lipstick girl, but as I got older I thought it made my lips look dry and crusty. Now, I want my lips as glossy and juicy as possible and the $21 Fenty Beauty Gloss Bomb in Fenty Glow is the most perfect lip-gloss shade and formula.

This gloss looks great on every single skin tone, age, and lip shape. I would recommend this to anyone who was looking for the perfect nude lip gloss.

I also love the shade FU$$Y, which is a soft pink. The formula is thick and moisturizing without being sticky and has a soft watermelon-like scent and a high-shine finish.

If you're looking for a great lip gloss from a "clean" beauty brand, I recommend the $16 Tower 28 ShineOn lip jelly gloss.

This unscented, lightweight formula isn't sticky and has the perfect amount of shine. This gloss looks amazing with or without makeup, and there are a variety of natural-looking shade options.

Clinique may not be a brand I use a lot, but I've always loved the .5-ounce $23 Acne Solutions clearing gel.

This gel is a lifesaver if you have a pimple that you want to get rid of quickly. It has salicylic acid, witch hazel, and laminaria-saccharina extract to eliminate blemishes and prevent new ones from forming.

I apply this gel at night and see my minimized pimple in the morning.

If you want to shop at Sephora but can't quite justify a splurge, check out the mini-sized, more affordable items in the Beauty on the Fly section by the register.

Though a lot of these products aren't a better value per ounce than the full size, they're still a good way to try something at a lower price or pick up if you need something TSA-approved.

Personally, I loved the $22 Supergoop Glow-Screen Sunscreen SPF 40 for the summer. I'm a fan of its dewy finish, how it works on its own as a primer, and the way it gives my skin radiance without makeup. I usually throw the mini size in my purse to reapply throughout the day.

This story was originally published on September 6, 2022, and most recently updated on December 12, 2024.

When I need coverage that looks like my skin but better, I reach for this Make Up For Ever foundation. It's lightweight, makes my skin tone look more even, and doesn't feel heavy even after hours of wear.

I don't like the feeling of having a ton of product on my face, so this foundation is perfect. It blends seamlessly and provides the right amount of coverage for both my professional and personal use.

The Danessa Myricks blurring balm powder is hands down one of the most innovative products I've used this year. It's like a magic eraser for skin imperfections.

The texture of the balm-to-powder formula, meant to prime, add coverage, or set products, is incredible — it's soft and silky and blurs everything in its path.

Whether I'm prepping skin for a glam look or creating a no-makeup moment, this balm is my secret weapon.

When I want a more dramatic, pigmented cheek moment, the Haus Labs blush in the shade Dragon Fruit Daze steps up to the plate.

Its pigmentation is incredible — a little goes a long way. Though it's intense, it blends beautifully, allowing for both subtle and bold application on various skin tones.

I spent most of 2024 searching for a product that would give me a perfect, natural-looking glow, and the Saie Glowy Super Gel illuminator is exactly what I needed.

This serum, meant to add luminosity to the skin, is lightweight, absorbs instantly, and leaves the most beautiful, dewy finish.

I love layering it under makeup or wearing it by itself when my skin needs extra love. I use the shade Sunglow.

As a makeup artist who doesn't always want to look "done up," this Maybelline skin tint, which lasts up to 24 hours, has become my go-to.

It evens out my skin tone and blurs imperfections, but it's so lightweight that I almost forget I'm wearing anything.

I apply it when I want to run errands or grab a coffee without looking like I'm heading to a photo shoot.

This One/Size mattifying primer has been a game changer in my kit. It creates the perfect canvas for my oily-skinned clients and helps product stay put all day.

I particularly love using this on my brides. I've recommended the primer to countless clients, and it's yet to disappoint.

This Saie product provides the most beautiful flush, so it looks like I'm naturally glowing from within. The formula blends seamlessly into the skin, giving me the perfect "I woke up like this" cheek color.

Whether I'm going for a minimal-makeup look or adding a pop of color to a full-glam moment, this Saie Dew Blush in the shade Dreamy has been my go-to.

As someone with combination-oily skin (meaning only some parts of my face get oily), finding the right primer is like striking gold.

This Danessa Myricks serum is a mattifying product that transforms from water to powder. It's made with kaolin clay to absorb excess oil without leaving the skin feeling dry and tight — a constant struggle I've had with other mattifying products.

The Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream, meant for smoothing and plumping, has been my skincare indulgence this year.

It's great for priming the skin before makeup, though I also use it as a stand-alone moisturizer on no-makeup days. It's refreshing, hydrating, and luxurious-feeling.

This Topicals balm has been one of my favorite lip-care products.

It's more than just an average balm — this treatment keeps my lips feeling soft, hydrated, and healthy. I spread it on my lips before any makeup application.

Like his fitness routine, there's a good chance Mark Zuckerberg's morning habits have evolved over time. But in an old Facebook Live Q&A, the Meta CEO said he wakes up at 8 a.m. and immediately checks Facebook, Facebook Messenger, and WhatsApp on his phone.

His social media browsing usually lasts only a few minutes, he said at the time, though it sometimes stretches out longer depending on the day.

"It's a pretty sad situation, to be honest," he said. "I have contacts, and I can't see very well. And before I put my contacts in, I often look to see what is going on Facebook."

Zuckerberg then usually follows up his screen time with gym time. Although he used to work out at least three times a week, usually running, he told Joe Rogan in 2022 that he didn't like how running gave him time to "think a lot."

Instead, he wanted to find something "that's both super engaging physically but also intellectually" where he is unable to focus on anything else.

"MMA is the perfect thing because if you stop paying attention for one second, you're going to end up on the bottom," Zuckerberg said.

The Facebook founder said on Lex Fridman's podcast in 2023 that he did three to four jiu-jitsu and MMA sessions weekly, along with strength and conditioning work and mobility training.

The Apple CEO likes to start his morning as early as 4 a.m. to 5 a.m. and spends his first waking hour on emails.

Cook is "pretty religious" about reading a lot of emails from customers and employees, he said in a 2023 episode of "Dua Lipa: At Your Service."

"The customers are telling me things that they love about us or things that they want changed about us. Employees are giving me ideas," he said. "But it's a way to stay grounded in terms of what the community is feeling, and I love it."

Cook then said that he spends an hour at the gym, usually doing strength training.

"I've got somebody to really push me to do things I don't want to do, and I do no work during that period of time at all," he said. "I never check my phone."

Although it's unclear if he eats breakfast daily, he reportedly "dug into scrambled egg whites, sugar-free cereal, unsweetened almond milk, and bacon" during a 2017 interview with Andrew Ross Sorkin, a columnist at The New York Times.

OpenAI's chief executive wrote in a 2018 blog post that the first few hours of the morning are his "most productive time of the day," so he makes sure to keep those periods free of meetings.

Altman said in the blog post that he rarely eats breakfast, instead opting for a big shot of espresso after waking up. As a result, he said he gets around 15 hours of fasting.

Another early riser, the Snap CEO wakes up at 5 a.m. for some alone time, Spiegel said in a 2018 interview that appeared in the Entrepreneurship Handbook.

"I get up really early, because that's the only time that's 'Evan Time' for me, when people aren't really awake yet," he said. "I get a couple hours between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. to do whatever I wanna do."

Spiegel likes to check the app and his email after waking up and then drinks a double espresso. Then, he goes to the gym for 45 minutes or meditates.

Spiegel told Vogue Australia in 2022 that his wife, Australian model Miranda Kerr, got him "hooked on Kriya meditation," which he called "life-changing."

Kerr, founder of Kora Organics, has also reportedly put Spiegel on the brand's brand's turmeric brightening and exfoliating mask.

"He doesn't use it as an actual mask; he keeps it in the shower and uses it as an exfoliant," Kerr told New Beauty in 2019.

She added, "What he loves about it is that it has peppermint oil in it, so it's so invigorating. He says he can't be without it because it's his little boost of aromatherapy in the morning! It gives him energy!"

The former Amazon CEO seems to have a slightly more relaxed start to his day and said he likes to "putter in the morning," Axios reported in 2018.

"So I like to read the newspaper," he said. "I like to have coffee. I like have breakfast with my kids before they go to school."

He and his fiancé, Lauren Sánchez, have a no-phone rule during the mornings and share a "magic moment" before the kids wake up, Sánchez told People.

The two also try to journal together, she said in 2023 interview with Vogue, though admits that they're "not quite there" yet and do it three times a week. They also enjoy coffee together, with Bezos drinking his morning brew in a self-heating Ember mug.

The billionaire then likes to get in some gym time almost every day. On a good day, Bezos said in a Lex Fridman podcast that he does 30 minutes of cardio and 45 minutes of weightlifting or some kind of resistance training.

"I have a trainer who you know I love who pushes me," Bezos said in the podcast. "Which is really helpful."

Bezos then sets his first meeting at 10 a.m. and said he likes to do his "high-IQ meetings" before noon, according to Axios.

"Like anything that's going to be really mentally challenging, that's a 10 o'clock meeting," he said. "And by 5 p.m., I'm like, 'I can't think about that today. Let's try this again tomorrow at 10 a.m.'"

The Scholastic CEO previously told BI that he wakes up between 5:30 a.m. and 6 a.m., drinks coffee, checks emails, and scans the news to start his day.

For world, political, and business news, Warwick turns to The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Financial Times. He also likes to keep up with the English Premier League as an Arsenal fan, so he'll check up on The Guardian, The London Times, and the Daily Telegraph to keep up with his team.

At 7 a.m., Warwick and his wife will do some "vigorous" walking or jobbing along The High Line or Hudson River Park — a ritual that the two have done nearly every morning for over a decade.

Warwick then leaves for work at 8:30 a.m., opting to walk 25 minutes to and from his office in SoHo, barring bad weather or late nights. By around 9 a.m., he gets an avocado toast and skinny latte from Cliffords, Scholastic HQ's rooftop café and coffee bar, to enjoy at his desk while going through emails.

The Salesforce CEO likes to start his day by meditating for 30 to 60 minutes to manage his stress.

A big fan of the wellness practice, Benioff has worked with monks and nuns from Plum Village in France, even hosting them at his home in 2015.

"I am very interested in keeping a clear head," he said in a 2005 interview with SFGate. "So I enjoy meditation, which I've been doing for over a decade — probably to help relieve the stress I was going through when I was working at Oracle."

He has extended his love of the practice to his employees by having meditation rooms on every floor at a Salesforce building in San Francisco, an idea he said was inspired by the Plum Village monks.

CEO of space company Rocket Lab, Peter Beck, previously told BI that he starts his day between 4:30 and 5 a.m. in New Zealand by immediately going through emails.

He also completely forgoes breakfast and coffee.

"I can't drink coffee," Beck said. "It completely knocks me out and puts me to sleep."

But sometimes, his mornings can start hours before his already early schedule depending on his company's projects — which can have sporadic timing as a rocket business.

"The rocket launches when the rocket needs to launch," Beck said. "So if that's 2 a.m. in the morning, it's 2 a.m. in the morning."

When the Disney CEO gets up at 4:15 a.m., he tries to avoid looking at his phone until after his morning exercise routine.

Iger said at a summit hosted by Vanity Fair in 2018 that he tries to exercise and think before he reads.

"Because if I read, it throws me off, it's distracting," he said. "I'm immediately thinking about usually someone else's thoughts instead of my own."

Iger added that he likes being alone with his own thoughts and said that it gives him "an opportunity to not just replenish but to organize, and it's important."

To further protect from distractions, Iger said he works out in a darkened room with the TV on mute, which he watches while his own music plays.

Jack Dorsey, the cofounder of Block and X, formerly Twitter, used to wake up at around 5 a.m. and start his day with 30 minutes of meditation and then a series of seven-minute workouts, he said in a 2015 live chat.

Although he had built a very consistent routine during his time running Twitter, Dorsey said in a 2018 podcast interview with Ben Greenfield that he now wakes up at 6:15 a.m. and begins with an hour of meditation and then a cup of coffee.

"I'll say that my routine today is completely different than my routine three years ago but I feel like I have a lot of it dialed in based on what I'm currently experiencing in terms of stress and just what I have to do every day," Dorsey told Greenfield.

The JPMorgan CEO starts his morning at 5 a.m. and spends two hours reading five newspapers, analyst and internal bank reports, and even speech transcripts, The Wall Street Journal reported.

He then exercises for 45 minutes, doing aerobics, light weights, or stretches. Despite his voracious appetite for reading, Dimon said he tends not to be hungry in the morning.

Pivotal Ventures founder Melinda French Gates' Monday morning starts around 6:30 or 7 o'clock, and her first step is coffee. French Gates told The Wall Street Journal that she "doesn't really like to eat breakfast," and she prefers to have quiet time in the morning.

She moves her body with stretching, exercise, or her Monday morning walks with three friends (a 20-year tradition). In the summer, French Gates said she enjoys kayaking, and she hits her Peloton during the winter months.

Cold plunges have been a part of her routine for 10 years, she said, especially ahead of a "tough workday."

"If you can get through that, you're like, OK, 'I can basically do anything today,'" French Gates said.

As for skincare, she said she keeps it simple despite all the skin products she's received from her daughters or dermatologist. She also does not wear makeup unless there's a big meeting ahead of her.

The Haus Labs by Lady Gaga Triclone Skin Tech foundation creates a natural medium-coverage look. This product has an amazing formula with skincare ingredients like fermented arnica, which can help reduce redness.

The brand's concealers are also fabulous and can even be used as foundation.

Full disclosure, I work as a brand ambassador for Ilia at some Sephora stores — but I genuinely love the Ilia Super Serum skin tint because it has great skincare ingredients.

The SPF 40 product contains ingredients like niacinamide, which can treat acne, and squalane, which hydrates the skin. It's a beautifully tinted serum with dewy light-to-medium coverage.

I usually point clients who want voluminous lashes to the Dior Diorshow 24h buildable-volume mascara. Personally, I prefer the waterproof formula for building volume.

My lips always feel hydrated and plump when I use the OleHenriksen Pout Preserve hydrating peptide lip treatments.

I love the Strawberry Sorbet shade because it leaves a beautiful hint of pink on the lips.

I was wowed when I first tried the Urban Decay Vice Bond glossy long-wear lipstick.

The highly pigmented colors stay on my lips longer than the rest of my makeup. To use it, shake the lipstick, apply it to your lips, and let it dry while you keep your mouth open.

Because I was encouraged to sell Sephora Collection makeup when I worked in the store, I've tried many of the products.

My favorites were always the setting products because they lock down makeup for a reasonable price.

I'd even say the Sephora Collection translucent loose setting powder is comparable to the pricier Laura Mercier translucent one.

Similarly, the Sephora Collection all-day makeup setting spray is just as good for setting your face as the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless spray.

I always tell my clients that sunscreen is like health insurance for the face.

I swear by the Ilia C Beyond triple serum SPF 40 because the tinted formula, which comes in three shades, can cover redness without leaving a white cast. It also layers underneath foundation beautifully.

The Tula Skincare Protect and Glow daily sunscreen gel SPF 30 gives the skin a gorgeous glow while protecting it from sun damage.

Double cleansing, or washing your face with two cleansers, starts with removing makeup and sunscreen with balms or oils.

I recommend the Farmacy Green Clean makeup-removing cleansing balm or the Dermalogica Precleanse cleansing oil. Be gentle when massaging these products on the skin, especially around the eyes, so you don't lose any lashes.

I recommend choosing a basic cleanser according to your skin type and concerns.

For example, I have combination skin (oily and dry), so I use the gel-based Shani Darden cleansing serum. The cleanser feels luxurious with how it foams up. I also felt like how it removes dirt and oil without drying out my skin.

If your skin is dry and sensitive, I recommend a cream-based product like the First Aid Beauty pure-skin cleanser. The fragrance-free cream formula even doubles as a makeup remover.

I usually recommend an enzyme exfoliant for those with dry or flaky skin and a chemical exfoliator with glycolic or lactic acids for clients with textured skin.

The Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant exfoliant is an enzyme powder that's activated when mixed with water.

This gentle yet effective scrub helps even skin tone while cleansing and reducing the appearance of pores. It's a great step before applying foundation.

When I want a chemical exfoliant that nourishes my skin, I use the Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta extra-strength daily peel pads.

I also loved using the First Aid Beauty facial radiance pads when prepping clients' skin at Sephora's Beauty Studio. They're a staple for preparing a good base to apply makeup to, and I've even found they work for people with sensitive skin.

I suggest people with dry skin go for a cream-based moisturizer because it has a thick consistency that will lock in moisture.

I like a few Skinfix products, but the Barrier+ strengthening and moisturizing triple lipid-peptide cream hydrates and helps to restore the skin barrier.

My all-time favorite eye cream is the Biossance squalane-and-marine-algae product.

It's the ultimate one-and-done eye cream because it can firm and instantly brighten the under eyes. For an extra refreshing application, chill your eye cream in the fridge.

This story was originally published on March 18, 2024, and most recently updated on November 22, 2024.