Morning Routine: The JinJa Edit
Meet JinJA Birknebeuel, Founder & CEO of Birk Creative, brand and media strategist, and podcast host. A long-time lover of Alchimie Forever products, JinJa recently interviewed our Co-Founder and CEO Ada Polla for The Honest Field Guide. The two women had to take this conversation further, talking all things beauty and morning routine. JinJa’s morning routine is filled with fire, tea, and her favorite Alchimie Forever products.
On the very first two things she does in the morning: “I drink my filtered lemon water, which is on my nightstand (I prepared it the night before). It smells delicious, and allows me to start my day with hydration. Then I give thanks and express gratitude for being alive, for waking up to experience another day.”
On lighting a fire: “I love fire. I light a fire every morning, mostly regardless of temperature or time of year. It is like mediation to me.”
On morning beverages: “I have been a tea drinker my entire life. Except for maybe a short stint of coffee drinking during my all-nighters in college to complete my art portfolio work. I prefer English breakfast tea. Brewing hot tea is like foreplay, like a relationship, it is an act that is thoughtful and full of imagination. Coffee is instant gratification; there is no symbolism or mysticism in coffee.”
On what she doesn’t do in the morning: “I don’t eat breakfast unless I am on vacation. And I don’t exercise in the morning, I am definitely an afternoon gym person.”
On the days of the week: “My office is generally closed on Mondays for business meetings or customer calls. I get up around 8 am, and plan my week, look at my to-do list, and take care of household things. I believe Mondays are absolutely the worst days to try and be productive at work. Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my “lock in” days. I get up between 7 and 8 am, and work until the late evening, sometimes until midnight, usually at my standing desk. I reserve Fridays for lighter work, client appreciation lunches, emails or calls and interviews on my podcast which gives me inspiration and joy.
On her favorite Alchimie Forever products: “I spend a lot of time on camera, so it is really important to me that my skin look good. The first Alchimie Forever product I discovered was the Kantic Brightening Moisture Mask, and I use it religiously a few times per week, both overnight or for 15-20 minutes depending on how my skin looks and feels. I love the Gentle Cream Cleanser to wake up my skin, I want hydration in all of my skin care steps! I spend a lot of time on my eyes, and the Tightening Eye Gel is my go-to. My neck also always shows on camera, which is why I never skip the Firming Gel for Neck and Bust.”
On her beauty philosophy: “I don’t think about beauty often. But when I do, it’s because I have found it in the small things like lighting a candle on a rainy day, riding a train through the countryside in Italy, watching my apple tree bloom and shed throughout the 4 seasons, looking at photos of my children or sitting by my mom’s crackling fireplace in early spring.”
On her life philosophy: “I believe in seizing the day. Never put off tomorrow what you can do today. Do the thing, apologize later (as long as no one gets hurt). Stay curious. And straighten your back and neck and look up sometimes.”
