Alix Earle went from being a normal University of Miami senior to a social-media sensation with more than six million TikTok followers in 2023. Her “Get Ready with Me” videos—in which she shares anecdotes about nights out at Ultra Music Festival and tailgates before her N.F.L.-wide-receiver boyfriend’s games—are actually relatable. When she launched her podcast, Hot Mess, last September, she briefly ousted Joe Rogan as the No. 1 most listened-to show on Spotify. Here, she shares her bedtime routine, including a seven-step skin-care rundown and midnight pickles.
When do you start getting ready for bed?
Every night looks different for me because my schedule is all over the place. But I’m honestly not the best at getting to bed early. I’m usually up very late at night—11 or 12 would be great, if I could get myself sleeping by then.
Take us through your nighttime skin-care routine.
If I wear makeup during the day, I’ll use Cosmedix Deep Cleansing Oil to take it off. Then I use two different types of face wash, Vivant Green Tea Cleanser and Pietro Simone Compulsory Cleanser. I’ll do Vivant Toner with a cotton pad to exfoliate and clean my skin. Then I will go in with an acne serum, Vivant 8% Mandelic, iS Clinical Hydra-Cool Serum, and Face Reality Acne Treatment. I’ve been pretty religious about all these products for the past four or five months, and it’s really helped my skin.
Do you add any extra steps the night before a big event?
I have a few different face masks that I like to switch between. One is the Vivant Sulfur Clay Mask, which is really good for acne or any breakouts. I also love a good hydrating sheet mask. The ones I’ve been using recently are 111Skin.
Do you eat anything before bed?
I find myself in the kitchen searching through the fridge at, like, midnight. Usually it ends up being pickles.
What’s one thing you have to do before bed?
I always like to fill up my Stanley cup with some nice ice water. I’ll try to drink some of it before bed. Most importantly, in the morning, when I wake up, I force myself to drink the water. Otherwise I will probably just go straight to coffee.
How do you decompress after a long day?
Recently, I’ve been really loving a good bubble bath or a hot shower.
Onto your pajamas …
I used to just wear an oversized T-shirt, but I’ve been really trying to be good about a matching PJ set. It makes me feel more put together. I really love Skims’ sets.
Are you particular about YOUR sleep conditions?
Light doesn’t really bother me when I’m sleeping, but temperature—it has to be freezing cold in the room. If there’s a fan, I love to have the fan on. I usually sleep in silence, but if I do have something on, it’s white noise or a rain [noise] app. Now even the iPhone has a white-noise button that I’ll use sometimes.
How about your bed?
My friends always say I have the comfiest bed. I use the Cozy Earth sheets, and my mattress is a random mattress that I got on Amazon four years ago. It does the job, and it’s really comfy. I have four pillows, but I only sleep with one. I’m the type of person that likes my pillows super-flat and deflated and basically feel like nothing is there. I could be fine sleeping without a pillow.
How long does it take you to fall asleep?
I would say 30 minutes. My brain always goes all over the place, and I start overthinking right before I go to bed.
Most bizarre nighttime habit?
I will go to the bathroom and pee, like, 10 times before going to bed. I have to make sure I don’t have to pee at all. Otherwise I can’t sleep.
Where’s your favorite place to sleep?
My bed in Miami. I end up staying in hotels a lot, so every time I go back to Miami, I’m just grateful to be in my bed.
What’s the best night’s sleep you’ve ever had?
This past fall, I slept for 16 hours straight. I basically went into hibernation. I had a really long weekend with work and travel, and I got back home, had the blackout blinds down, and I woke up at four p.m. I was so confused and lost. I didn’t know what day it was. I couldn’t believe I had slept that long. But I felt very good after.
Clara Molot is an Associate Editor at AIR MAIL