INTERVIEW NO 28
Christine
ENOUGH SLEEP
“I'm living in Los Angeles. My car is pretty special to me. I take naps there quite often.”
Christine lives in Los Angeles. She has always loved makeup & skincare, and made a job out of her hobby and started a YouTube channel. We talked about daily routines and how freelance life affects sleeping habits.
JANUARY 2017
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
INTERVIEW: VM
PHOTOS: CHRISTINE MAY NGUYEN
“I can sleep anywhere, even standing up!“
WHAT ARE YOU DOING DURING THE DAY?
Everyday is different for me. I recently starting freelancing so I do loads of meetings and running in and out of the house. A bulk of my time is spent on my computer. I have a background in e-commerce, making email blasts, updating digital content, and building product pages. My routine is a lot different in that I don’t have a set schedule so I have to rely on my own discipline to be productive and make a living. It’s a bit more stressful in that sense but more rewarding and fulfilling for me at the end of the day.
HOW DID YOUR DAILY ROUTINE CHANGE SINCE YOU STARTED FREELANCING?
I don’t feel more relaxed because I constantly have work on the back of my mind; always trying to find ways to improve what I’m currently doing. When it comes to the amount of sleep I get, I definitely get more now. Not having an alarm changed my quality of life so much more for the better.
ARE YOU AN EARLY BIRD?
I don’t usually get out of bed until around 8. If I’m staying at my boyfriend’s house, he usually leaves for work with his roommate pretty early so I’ll let his roommate’s dog, Wednesday, in the room to catch up on cuddles.
WHAT ARE THE FIRST THINGS YOU DO?
I always hop in the shower to wake myself up every morning, do my skincare and makeup if I plan on going out, then make coffee or tea and sometimes breakfast, depending on how much time I have. I love breakfast. Sometimes I’ll just make a quick smoothie and run out the door. If I have time, I’ll fry an egg and have that with avocado toast. I recently introduced vitamins into my breakfast routine for a boost.
CHECK OUT CHRISTINE'S AVOCADO TOAST RECIPE.
ANY FAVORITE BREAKFAST / BRUNCH SPOTS?
Sqirl for brunch; their rice bowls are amazing. Kitchen Mouse in Highland Park when I want something filling but healthy. Ramen of York because I’m always craving Ramen and it’s the closest place to home. Good Girl Dinette for Vietnamese food; I’m Vietnamese so naturally, I always try to find the closest Viet place everywhere I go.
WHAT TIME OF THE DAY ARE YOU MOST PRODUCTIVE?
I'm the most productive during the day, which is unfortunate because when I'm editing, it can take hours. By the time I finish, it may be dark out, so I'll unwind by watching Netflix on my laptop or YouTube videos on my phone. I can spend an entire day behind a screen sometimes – that can’t be healthy!
DO YOU THINK YOU GET ENOUGH SLEEP?
Absolutely; I usually get about 8-10 hours of sleep. Sometimes I even take naps!
WHERE DO YOU SLEEP BEST?
I can sleep anywhere, even standing up!
DO YOU HAVE ANY RITUALS BEFORE GOING TO BED?
I have a pretty intense skincare routine (around 10 steps) that I thoroughly enjoy doing every night. It’s the best part of my day and I love reading the labels on the back of bottles while I do it. Kind of like when I was a kid and I loved reading the back of cereal boxes during breakfast.
WATCH CHRISTINE'S 10-STEP KOREAN SKINCARE OR 10-STEP WESTERN SKINCARE ROUTINE.
DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR DREAMS?
I only remember the dreams that are grim, more like nightmares; I can’t recall a happy dream so I prefer not to share them.
DO YOU CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU WEAR FOR SLEEPING?
No – absolutely depends on the temperature. I’ll layer up when I need and strip down when necessary.
YOUR BED IN 3 WORDS.
Minimal, neutral, practical.
THE WEIRDEST SPOT YOU’VE EVER SLEPT IN OR FALLEN ASLEEP?
I'm living in Los Angeles. My car is pretty special to me. I take naps there quite often. The weirdest was probably the backroom of my work on the desk during my lunch break.
WHAT DO YOU THINK HAPPENS WHEN WE SLEEP?
We recharge our batteries... Gee, I really didn’t think this one through!
WHAT DO YOU KEEP ON YOUR NIGHTSTAND?
Always a cup of water, my phone, and sometimes but not always I’ll have a hand cream and lip balm within arms reach.
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DREAM ABOUT TONIGHT?
I’d like to swim in an infinity pool full of Golden Retriever puppies.
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Sand & Such is a magazine dedicated to sleep and everything around. The moments before and after, rituals, snoozing, slumbering, drifting, breakfasts, brunches, the night, the morning, insomnia, dreams and snores ... read more.
Sand & Such is a magazine dedicated to sleep and everything around. The moments before and after, rituals, snoozing, slumbering, drifting, breakfasts, brunches, the night, the morning, insomnia, dreams and snores...
Sand & Such is a magazine dedicated to sleep and everything around. The moments before and after, rituals, snoozing, slumbering, drifting, breakfasts, brunches, the night, the morning, insomnia, dreams and snores...
Sand & Such is a magazine dedicated to sleep and everything around. The moments before and after, rituals, snoozing, slumbering, drifting, breakfasts, brunches, the night, the morning, insomnia, dreams and snores...
Sand & Such is a magazine dedicated to sleep and everything around. The moments before and after, rituals, snoozing, slumbering, drifting, breakfasts, brunches, the night, the morning, insomnia, dreams and snores...