GET READY LIKE A CEO.

It’s not every day that we get the chance to step into the shoes of a scientific skincare brand founder and CEO. But Devanshi Garg Sareen (she/her) was kind enough to open the doors to her world as the brains (and beauty) behind Motif. This is how she does it all, starting bright and early at 5:30 A.M.

What’s your role at Motif?
I’m the Founder/CEO at Motif. We’re a small (but mighty) team. My role ranges from strategy to product development, marketing to customer service, and operations to distribution.

What time do you usually wake up?
I wake up around 5:30 A.M. to our three-and-a-half-year-old crawling into our bed. Ever since we moved her out of a crib to her “big girl bed,” she’s been finding her way to us. We’ve just given into it, and have been enjoying the early morning snuggles.

What’s the first thing you do out of bed?
As soon as I wake up, even while lying in bed, I will breathe—consciously. I’ve found it to be really calming for my parasympathetic nervous system. Deep breathing reduces stress and brings more oxygen to the thinking brain, which is great for preparing for a day full of creativity and important decisions.

My husband and I both have demanding careers and busy days and often evenings, and so our mornings are to spend time with our children and to catch up with each other. We’ll check our phones but keep them away. We’ll skip coffee and sip warm water with lemon or ACV.

What’s your morning beauty routine like? What products do you use?
Since becoming a mother, I plan my time in minutes instead of hours. I am able to complete my  morning beauty routine in five minutes by prioritizing and using products that are clean, multi-functional, well-designed, and performance focused.

I love starting the morning with our Abundance Plumping PhytoCeramide Cleanser. I leave it on for a minute and then rinse it off. The gentle exfoliant particles really help with circulation, and leaves my skin soft and supple while the scent grounds me. I follow by patting two to three pumps of our Power Brightening Bicelle Serum on my face, neck, and chest. It imparts dewiness and is a great antioxidant-rich primer. Most days I’ll skip my A.M. moisturizer and go straight to my SPF.

The Saie Slip Tint is another multifunctional product I love—it’s smooth, moisturizing, with the right amount of coverage and has SPF 35. My only shot of caffeine for the day is the Kosas Revealer Concealer. I shape my brows with Kosas Air Brow Treatment followed by a couple of strokes of the Ilia Mascara. Then I use the Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush which I also dab on my lips and eyelids, finishing with the Tower 28 Lip Jelly in the color Wild.

What time do you have breakfast? What do you usually make in the morning?
On most days, I’ll skip breakfast. But when I do have it, I eat around 10 or 10:30 A.M. and have Skyr yogurt which is high in protein with some grain-free granola, or two eggs with avocado and gluten-free bread.

Do you have a go-to outfit or style?
I love pairing a nice top with jeans or even more slim athleisure-style pants if I’m working from home, which I’ll pair with a blazer or a sweater, depending on the day and weather. I love a great cut but also color (which is no surprise when you look at our brand Motif), but I still like to keep it elevated. Like my beauty routine, I like to have high-quality, evergreen pieces in my wardrobe that I turn to time and time again.

What time do you start work?
I’m online by 9 A.M., checking emails and Slack, but I prefer not to start meetings till 9:30 A.M. so I’ve had a moment to catch up and prepare for the day ahead.

Is there anything else that you do that helps you get ready for your day?
A few days a week, I’m able to get a yoga class, workout, or walk in the morning which feels very energizing. I also think the practice of just looking and thinking ahead at my day, my week, and my goals before jumping into them helps me get ready for my day. I find it helps me see the forest through the trees, which is perhaps my most important role as a founder.