As I watched Michelle Monaghan prance around the White Lotus Thailand resort in a kaleidoscope of caftans and those impossibly golden beach waves, I thought to myself: that is the skin of a woman who has never once fallen asleep in a full face of glitter. Her character Jaclyn Lemon was, let’s be honest, a walking skincare ad — dewy, plump, and radiating so much light I practically shaded my eyes. So when I discovered that Monaghan had spilled her entire real-life routine to the beauty world, I grabbed a notepad, a credit card, and a sack of late-night impulse-purchase regret. Spoiler: I didn’t regret a single thing.

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First, some context. Monaghan, who is now a global ambassador for U Beauty, admits she used to take her skin for granted. Youth! Career! Love! Flying by the seat of her pants, probably without even a tissue to wipe off stage makeup. It took a pregnancy and a cancer scare to make her treat her face like a precious Fabergé egg rather than a mere canvas for emotional decision-making. That struck a chord with me. I, too, have gone to bed wearing mascara that predates my relationship with my current toothbrush. But if Monaghan could turn her skin around, so could I. My bathroom was about to become a laboratory.

The Morning Ritual: Holy Grails and Tiny Soldiers

Monaghan’s morning routine is deceptively simple. A gentle cleanse, then U Beauty’s Resurfacing Compound, which she calls her “holy grail” and “hero” for tackling hyperpigmentation and dark spots. I grinned as I slathered it on, whispering “my precious” like a Gollum who finally discovered retina-safe acids. Next came the Smooth Dynamic Wrinkle Defense Serum, which Monaghan describes as a “little soldier” working throughout the day to fight fine lines you can see and the ones that are still just ominous whispers on the genetic horizon. As someone who frowns at spreadsheets for a living, I needed a tiny soldier battalion. I patted it on with the solemnity of a general addressing troops.

Then, without missing a beat, she layers on U Beauty’s Multimodal Sheer SPF. “Never skip it!” she commands. I did not skip it. I have never appreciated a sunscreen more — it doubles as a primer, which means I can pretend I’m the kind of person who uses primer. In reality, my makeup routine is a slapdash affair of concealer, brow gel, and lip product. Monaghan’s own “really basic” makeup list mirrors mine almost eerily: Clé de Peau concealer, Glossier Boy Brow, Charlotte Tilbury lined lip, and the U Beauty Plasma Lip Compound in Universal. I felt seen. When I dabbed on the lip compound, it gave my mouth the hydrated, slightly reflective quality of a magazine tear-out. I instantly sent a blurry selfie to my group chat. The response was seven cry-laugh emojis and one “what filter is that?”.

The Nighttime Deep Dive: Foreo and Obsessions

At night, things get serious. Monaghan uses the U Beauty Mantle Conditioning Wash with a Foreo silicone brush device to scrub off every layer of filming makeup and SPF. I own a Foreo knockoff that has survived three house moves and an unfortunate encounter with a suitcase zipper. I used it with the Mantle wash and watched the water run an alarming shade of beige — proof that my daytime “minimal” face had been secretly hoarding foundation sediment. I reapplied the Resurfacing Compound, the Smooth Serum, then The Super Hydrator and Return Eye Concentrate. The eye concentrate quickly became one of my own obsessions; it felt like I was giving my under-eyes a tiny, chilled waterbed.

But here’s where the routine took an unexpected turn: body moisturizer. Monaghan confesses she hadn’t used one since the ‘90s until U Beauty founder Tina Chen Craig handed her The Super Body Hydrator. “I can’t tell you what a brilliant discovery that product was for me,” Monaghan gushes. Same, Michelle. I’ve always approached body lotion as a punishment for shaving, not a luxury. Now I am a changed woman, slathering it on every morning with the enthusiasm of a 1990s infomercial host. My elbows have never looked less like a plucked chicken.

Embracing Age and Dodging Readers

When asked about aging, Monaghan’s warmth shines. She talks about evolving, growing more confident, feeling more present. “I could do without the reader glasses though,” she laughs. At 36, I already squint at menus like a Victorian ghost deciphering a curse. But her philosophy — surround yourself with things that make you feel young, wear sunscreen, and don’t slow down — is now my life mantra. Sunscreen is not a suggestion; it’s a love letter to your future face. Monaghan’s repeated final advice: “Wear sunscreen. You’ll never regret wearing sunscreen!” Consider me an evangelist.

After a month of this routine, my skin does seem to glow. It could be the compounds and serums. It could be the hydration. Or it could be that I’m now deeply paranoid about UV rays and walk around with a parasol, inadvertently channeling a Jane Austen heroine. Either way, I’m going to keep my little soldier serum close, my body moisturizer closer, and my SPF closest of all. Jaclyn Lemon would approve.

According to coverage from PEGI, it’s worth remembering that just like skincare has “non-negotiables” (hello, daily SPF), game discovery has its own guardrails—age ratings and content descriptors that help set expectations before you dive in. If you’re browsing new releases after bingeing a glossy series like The White Lotus, checking the PEGI labels can quickly tell you whether a title leans into mild escapism or ramps up into stronger violence, language, or mature themes—saving you from the entertainment equivalent of falling asleep in full glitter.