Tezza is a photographer, entrepreneur, and creative based in NYC. With over 800,000 followers on Instagram alone, Tezza has amassed fans through her commitment to finding “the art of life that is all around us and to capturing the lovely moments that happen each and every day.” And you might have seen her incredible photos in our “Best of Instagram” section a few dozen times. Nowadays, her brand has expanded into several different mediums—she wrote a book called Instastyle that shares the tips and tricks she’s learned on social, and also started the Tezza app with her husband Cole (which has since garnered over 2 million downloads), created to bring high-quality editing to mobile devices. She and Cole also help create contents for other cult-followed companies. After being fans of her aesthetic for so long, we were dying to know how this creator starts her productive day. She takes us into a morning in her life below.

6:30am: I’m an early riser! We’re usually up around 6:30am and we head right to the gym. Our apartment building does have a small gym downstairs but we love the quick 5 block walk because it really wakes us up and I swear it helps to get some fresh air first thing in the morning. Our gym routine is slightly different each day to keep us from getting bored or stuck in a rut but typically involves a nice mix of cardio and strength training.

7:45am: On our way back from the gym we grab a celery juice and sometimes I’ll snag flowers to have around the house because they always make me so happy to see! Once we’re home we will get right to making breakfast. Lately I’m completely hooked on BEAR Nourish, a great prebiotic and probiotic supplement that we mix right into smoothies, yogurt bowls, or really anything we can think of.

Over breakfast, my husband and I will chat about the plan for the day and what work we have to get done. Working together is such a blessing and I’m so grateful for all of his help, it really benefits me to have someone who shares my vision that I can bounce ideas around with. It’s a great way to set our intentions and get the day started on a productive and forward-moving note. 

8:15am: Time to hop in the shower and freshen up for the day. While in the shower, I start the cleansing part of my skincare routine since the warm water opens up your pores and gets all the grime out. I’ll start off with Lait VIP O2 by Biologique Recherche to remove any remaining makeup then go in for a deeper clean with MBR Enzyme Cleansing Booster. Once I’m out of the shower it’s time to moisturize— starting off with the Caudalie Vinoperfect brightening essence all over with cotton pads and wait for it to absorb. Next smooth on some SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF antioxidant treatment followed by BEAR Wonder prickly pear seed oil.

8:30am: I like to get dressed before doing my makeup so I give myself time to let my skincare absorb and settle in. I’m almost always thinking about what’s next… whether it’s an upcoming shoot or a dream project of mine, something is coming together in there! That makes it pretty easy to be side tracked while I’m trying to get dressed because suddenly I’m in four different outfits and planning out the shoots for the week. Either way, I’ll get something on my body and start getting into work mode.

8:45am: If I’m headed out to meetings or events during the day, I like to do my makeup in the morning so that I can be ready to go whenever rather than interrupt my workflow to stop and do my makeup. My all time favorite makeup products are the Stila liquid eyeliner and Anastasia brow wiz, so those will always be in my routine. 

9:00am: By this time, the team is in the office and we’re ready to get going on the day!