Growing up in Sweden, Gucci Westman, the makeup artist responsible for Jennifer Aniston’s and Gwyneth Paltrow’s glowy looks, learned to treat bedtime as a reward—and she never broke the habit. “All day, I’m thinking about things that will enhance my sleep,” she says. It makes sense. Her beauty line, Westman Atelier, which she launched in 2018 with her husband, David Neville, formerly of Rag & Bone, employs lightweight, transparent textures that reveal skin rather than hide it. For Westman, it all begins with her beauty sleep—including feather toppers, multiple pillows, and a Hästens mattress.
When do you start getting ready for bed?
If I’m not going out, I would say between 9:45 and 10:30 P.M. I probably start thinking about getting ready for bed at 8:45. Is that weird?
WHAT DOES YOUR NIGHTTIME ROUTINE LOOK LIKE?
My biggest indulgence would be devices. I recently got a sonic-dermaplaning tool. It’s one of those things that takes off peach fuzz, and it also has a light element to it. That’s not every night. I like House of PLLA’s Time Master Pro [a machine providing low-frequency ultrasound, L.E.D. light therapy, and electrical muscle stimulation]. I’ve given it to friends and actresses I work with. I also like the TheraFace Depuffing Wand, from Therabody. Sometimes I’ll use a scalp-massage tool from ReFa. A scalp massage without getting your hair oily is such a treat.
If I’m at a hotel, I will definitely have a bath, and I’ll wear a mask. I’m obsessed with pore cleaning. And I’ll have a ginormous bottle of water. After that I might exfoliate, and then I’ll use some sort of re-surfacing product, our Skin Activator Serum, our Suprême C Serum, and some form of eye product. I’m also obsessed with this eyebrow serum called Neubrow.
This is a full-on indulgence, but I like to have a great massage right before bed. That’s my dream: to have teeth brushed and everything sorted before so I can just hop into bed.
Do you REad or watch TV?
If my husband and I have a good TV show, then I’m super into that. Or reading a good book. We try to watch something together so we’re not living separate lives, but finding a new one that you both agree on … We haven’t aligned on that quite yet.
Do you eat or drink anything?
I love dark chocolate, but I can never have it at night because then I can’t sleep. I found this one from Lagoon called Night Bites, and I like a bit of that. It’s magnesium-based and has L-theanine. I have a quarter of it with a cup of tea, or hot water with lemon or ginger.
How about supplements?
The Juna Nightcap Sleep Gummies are excellent, and I take these Anima Mundi Herbals drops called Relax. I always have them when I travel. This Live Healthillie mineral blend really helps me sleep.
What ARE SOME OF THE THINGS you HAVE TO do before bed?
I have to fully fluff up my two feather toppers. I lift up my whole side of the bed to make it feel like Princess and the Pea. I also put a silk pillowcase from Slip on the Hästens pillow that I sleep on, and have two bigger pillows—one for between my legs, and one for under the silk pillowcase. It’s pretty precise and elaborate. I also like to burn a candle. It helps calm me down.
How do you decompress?
I go for a seven- or eight-mile walk. And I like going to Relaxation Spa near me in Mount Kisco to get acupressure or reflexology for $1 a minute. Sometimes I bring my daughters, Gray and Petal. That feels like a nice reward. Sometimes I like going for a cocktail with friends, or just something that’s unrelated to what I’ve been busy with.
Do you add any steps when you’re preparing for an event?
If I have something where I want to look better, I will definitely be low-sodium and no-alcohol and do a lot of infrared sauna and Pilates and walking. All day, I’m thinking about things that will enhance my sleep. I know exercise does, and I know not having caffeine after two o’clock is also helpful. I try to be mindful of those things.
Are you particular about your sleep conditions?
I like it to be dark, and it has to be 67 degrees. I went to this summit once, and there was a sleep doctor, Dr. Matthew Walker. He said the ideal sleeping temperature is 67, so I never could escape that.
On to your pajamas …
Oh, I love pajamas. I have a lot of Schostal and Olivia von Halle. My most cozy sleeps are in Olivia von Halle cashmere pajamas. That’s the most beautiful feeling.
In the winter, I’ll wear cashmere socks. And I love slippers. Jenny Kayne’s Shearling Moroccan Slipper, Ugg ones with shearling on the outside, and, weirdly, L.L. Bean ones.
How about your bed?
We have a Hästens bed. It’s a newer one that isn’t made with horsehair. And my sheets are Sferra. I also have some Boll & Branch sheets that I like, but Sferra are my ultimate ones. We have two goose-down toppers; they’re legit, high-end. Our pillows are long, king-size, and firm. I think what you sleep on is such a good investment.
How long does it take you to fall asleep?
If I’m reading a book, it goes pretty quick. If we’re watching TV, within 15 or 20 minutes.
What’s your strangest nighttime habit?
All of it. I mean, it’s so elaborate. My husband’s like, “Oh my God,” when I’m fluffing the feather topper and everything. The other thing I do in the winter is lie in a Higher Dose infrared Sauna Blanket while I’m watching TV. I have it tucked under my bed so I feel nice and toasty. And what’s also really nice is a hot-water bottle.
What is your all-time favorite place to sleep?
I love my bed when all conditions are perfect. If it’s a hotel, the Four Seasons has a really nice mattress situation. The Bristol hotel in Paris has super-cozy beds, and so does Fouquet’s in New York and Heckfield Place, in England.
What’s the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had?
I’ve been going through menopause, so it’s been challenging to sleep. I’ve really done a lot to understand what my body responds to and how to sleep better. Usually, the best ones happen when I’ve been a bit sleep-deprived.
And this sounds like I’m completely batshit crazy, but I’m really sensitive to smell. Growing up in Sweden, I had a lilac tree outside my bedroom. In the spring, with the window open, the smell was so potent and memorable. So now in the spring, I’ll just get loads of lilac branches and have them next to my bed. Some people think it’s polarizing to do that, but I just love it. I was in Florida recently, and I went to sleep with a bunch of gardenia flowers that I had picked on a walk. I slept so well. It has this calming effect.
Jeanne Malle is the Assistant Editor at AIR MAIL LOOK
