The Comfort Files: Miriam Alden | ELLE Canada Magazine

What are the wellness and/or beauty products that are a regular part of your self-care routine?

“For me, it’s all about sleep and a cozy space at home. So, a beautiful pair of sheets—nothing means more to me before bed than clean, nice sheets. I recently got a linen set from a Canadian brand, If Only Home, and they are honestly incredible. My husband asked me after the first night sleeping with them, ‘What’s with these sheets, why are they so nice?’ I love a rose candle in the summer and a woodsy one in the fall. My go-to’s are Roses and Feu de Bois from Diptyque. I take magnesium before bed every night and swear by the Arrae capsules. I love a skincare routine and recently started using all Zo products from the Vanity Lab here in Vancouver. I cannot live without the AOX serum, renewal cream and Growth Factor serum. It has entirely changed my skin. I am a quick 5-minute makeup girl, so I always do a lip liner and gloss. Right now, it’s Makeup Forever Wherever Walnut with a Biologique Recharge Biokiss or a Summer Fridays gloss, Westman Atelier facial glow drops—best product on the market—Hourglass concealer, Makeup by Mario bronzer, Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk shadow and YSL mascara. That’s all I need.”

What’s your comfort meal?

“There are a few restaurants in Vancouver that are our comfort spots. We have different things for different times, depending on how we want to feel in our home. We have a family tradition of always stopping at our favourite Vietnamese spot for peanut satay pho on our way back from the airport after being away.

There are two local Italian restaurants in our neighbourhood, called Cafe La Tana and Pepino’s, that we frequent because we love how we feel there. They are family restaurants, and we are regulars. If we have had a tough day and want to change the mood, we always go there. We have the same thing, a nice glass of wine, and it changes our vibe.”

What’s something in your home that brings you comfort?

“I actually find that adding small things into your life at home makes a bigger difference than anything outside you can ever do. For me, it is the lighting in my home, the record player we use to play our favourite music, the art on the fridge my son made, and cozy blankets on the couch. I love gardening and recently made my own little Parisian garden at the front of my house, where we buried an animal family member we recently lost. I wake up and sit outside to read my book in the morning with the birds chirping, and it brings me so much peace. For someone who has to manage a lot of stress, I used to travel more to relax and recharge, but since we have had our son, we have travelled less. Instead, I have spent the last few years trying to set myself up for comfort in my own home, and it has made the biggest difference.”