Hi, I'm Mairys!
Hey all! My name is Mairys Joaquin (pronounced my’ris wa-keen) and I’m a 31-year-old actor/singer/writer/educator/creative who’s been a devout skincare and fashion follower since I picked up my first Teen Magazine at 10 years old.
I started this blog because of COVID. Like many people, COVID gave me the chance to launch an idea I’d been noodling with for a long time. I’ve wanted to create a space to share my passion for fashion and beauty since I studied journalism in college at Penn State University.
Life post-PSU took me down a different path, allowing me to serve NYC middle schoolers for over 7 years as a special educator and school administrator. Then in 2017, I said goodbye to the classroom and hello to the life of a full-time performing artist.
Before COVID, I was on the broadway national tour for “A Bronx Tale",” playing 17-year-old Denise, singing my face off every day since October 2019. It was a dream job and I loved every second of it—the costumes, makeup, audience, storytelling, music, dancing, cast, and crew. I felt so lucky to be living my dream.
Then in January of 2020, my mom passed away from Lupus complications. It was pretty sudden and she’d only gotten really sick the previous Fall, coincidentally around the time I started “A Bronx Tale.”
Losing my mom has hands down been the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through. It’s one of those things that nothing really compares to.
However, another painful and frustrating problem was arising as a reaction of all of this: My skin.
As a result of crying 24/7, wearing heavy stage makeup every day, and traveling through a dry, cold, and blistery winter, my skin started to FREAK THE F*cK OUT.
My eyes became scaly, dry, and itchy. It was downright painful to wear any eye makeup, and my skin was swollen and red most of the time.
I tried everything: changing my makeup and brushes, switching cleansers and moisturizers, increasing my water intake, and steaming my face.
And thus my quest for beauty products that could work for this new chapter for my skin commenced. I’ve now become obsessed with finding the best skincare and beauty products for dry, sensitive skin that’s also in it’s 30’s (and thriving thank you).
As your skin grows and matures, it needs different things to stay healthy.
Navigating those changes can be really challenging and there’s so much information out there, it can be overwhelming to sift through and find what really works for you.
And so “31 playing 17” was born: I made my first Instagram IGTV sharing my nightly routine this past July, and I have gotten so much love and positivity in response. It reminded me that sometimes there are times you can be of service to others in unexpected ways.
Maybe it’s because I’m such a Libra. Or maybe it’s because I believe our life is a canvass, waiting for us to splash color and life onto them.
Regardless, how we present ourselves to the world is a way in which we show up for ourselves. It’s one way of showing a little extra love for ourselves. (And honestly, who doesn’t need a little extra love in the time of Covid?)
I also don’t think being a beauty or fashion fan means you have to fill up your medicine cabinet with lots of useless products, filled with chemicals and made by tone-deaf and culturally insensitive companies.
Our $$$ is one of our greatest powers in this country. Where we spend our money matters, so why spend it on products or companies that don’t align with your values?
I believe EVERY human has the right to be their most beautiful and authentic self and NO ONE has the right to infringe on anyone’s right to live, thrive, and find love in this life.
My religion is LOVE. The most important person you can love in this life is YOURSELF and you show that in the way you care for yourself, what you feed your skin and body, what you wear, what you consume, and nourish your mind and body with.
I’m hope this space can provide a little goodness for your soul while sharing with you the products and styles that I adore, and that inspires me. I’m not an expert, a dermatologist, or a beauty professional. I am someone who hopes to inspire you to live more brightly, more boldly, more beauti-fully in your own skin.