Jelly Loves: Carly Cardellino

Carly Cardellino, former Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan, has written for all of our favorite beauty publications: Byrdie, Elle, Harper’s Bazaar, Into the Gloss. Her style alone is worth a follow, but what makes her one of our favorite follows is how she clearly and playfully explains beauty trends and wellness fads. She makes it all feel approachable, dare we say…fun?  (Carly is the reason we started dry brushing and it’s 10/10 a ritual worth keeping.) 

Below, Carly talks about her routines, her relationship with wellness, and how both have shifted since becoming a mother.

1. As an editor, you’ve had access to every beauty and wellness treatment under the sun. Has that ever felt overwhelming since becoming a mom, or has it made you more selective about what’s actually worth it? 

It’s definitely opened an even wider scope of beauty for me, in terms of products, as well as my thinking. Obviously, I was only thinking about beauty products for myself before becoming a mom, but not only has becoming a mom opened my eyes to the formulas that are available for little ones and what we’re putting on their bodies, but it’s made me an even more thoughtful consumer regarding what I’m putting on my skin and into my body (food-wise). There’s honestly just so much sh*t out there and if you don’t know how to be a discerning purchaser, you can find yourself just really wasting money on things that won’t (or don’t) work or are too active for your skin, which creates reactions and sensitivities.

2. What’s the most surprisingly effective thing you’ve done or tried for postpartum recovery or regulation, physical or emotional?

Microdosing mushrooms. I don’t do them often but a friend of mine introduced me to them, they get them from a safe, reputable distributor, and when I have taken them (at night, after my kiddos are sleeping!!!), I have felt super calm and not overwhelmed from the day. It’s honestly game-changing. And while taking mushrooms sounds intense, and different experiences can be, the low dose I have consumed in the past has made me very relaxed, while making my mind feel crystal clear. Also, I really got into box breathing (inhaling for 4 seconds, holding for 4 seconds, exhaling for 4 seconds and pausing for 4 seconds before inhaling again) and highly recommend it! When you’re a parent, you can easily lose it and get into a habit of yelling, but it really is about reparenting ourselves, getting control of our emotions to do so—whether you need to tag yourself out and have your partner step in until you regain your cool, take a few breaths solo or with your kids (it’s great to teach them, too!) I love to get a work out in as well like Sculpt Society and Pvolve.

Whatever your go-to is, turn to that instead of yelling (if possible) because your message gets lost with an elevated voice, and then there’s just too many tears on both ends, you know? It’s about doing your best to remain in control of your emotions to be able to kneel down, look your kids in the eyes, and help them handle their own, because their emotions feel so big, especially when they’re small and they often don’t have the tools to express their feelings in a way us adults somehow expect them to.

3. If you had a weekend alone and zero guilt, what’s the first wellness-y thing you’d book: massage, facial, silent retreat, etc? 

I have this practitioner who comes to my house and does lymphatic drainage on me, her name is Adriana Jorge, and her massage physically changes my body and gets rid of stagnant fluid in my body like no other. I’d book a massage with her because it’s such a simple thing but it makes the biggest impact on how my body looks and feels. 

4. What’s something you do for yourself now that your pre-motherhood self would’ve never predicted?

One of my favorite things to do in the morning is to walk around our home and cut fresh flowers to enjoy in our kitchen, living room, our entryway, etc. One of my home’s previous owners was a master gardener who planted a ton of gorgeous flowers, so during the spring, summer, and fall, we always have flowers popping up on our property and it’s just magical. It’s so calming; if I can start my day like that without first answering 100 questions (lol), I feel so grateful.

5. What’s your “can’t travel without it” wellness item or hack?

My “can’t travel withouts” are the items I use every day: my Omnibiotics Stress Release Probiotics, my De La Heart face and body dry brush, my Sofie Pavitt Mandelic Acid, and Ultra Violette Blue Screen SPF. I don’t change my routine when I travel, because I don’t want to have to reboot myself when I get back home—and I definitely don’t want to have to nurse my skin back to what I consider healthy if I don’t continue to maintain it the way I do when I’m at home.

6. You’re in your Roman Empire era: What’s the one niche product or practice you think about way more than anyone else does?

I think a lot of people are thinking more about this one, to be honest, since there is such a conversation going on about inflammation in the face and body, but my Roman Empire is lymphatic drainage. I first learned about it many years ago through Flavia Lanini, an expert in the space who does this daily out of her clinic in LA on celebrities like Lizzo, Shay Mitchell, Elsa Hosk, etc. But then I really got into it in 2020 through dry brushing after I interviewed Melissa Wood Tepperberg for a story on Byrdie about lymphatic drainage. It changed my life and my morning routine and now I don’t skip a day doing it!

7. Any tips that make it easier to travel with kids? What are the must-pack items in your suitcase? 

Snacks! Different ones that your kids aren’t used to. We also allow them to bring their travel headphones and watch a special movie in-flight, so that is always fun and I surprise them each with one little, new toy so that they are excited and occupied. Also, coloring books and the clear markers that don’t make a mess are crucial!

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