Aly AJ Michalka Swear by These “Magic” $12 Whitening Eye Drops and 12 Different Body Washes

Beauty routines are integral to getting In The Mood—not for any other person, but for you. Here, get a glimpse into the products, habits, and mantras that help powerhouse women slip into the sexiest version of themselves.

As a '90s baby, I naturally know every single Aly AJ song and movie verbatim. And while I’m incredibly tempted to make some terrible puns leveraging one-liners from Cowbells, “Potential Breakup Song,” or “Do You Believe in Magic?” I am making the very mature decision to restrain myself. Because the sisters, who are currently on their Places to Run tour, are no longer Disney stars; they’re all grown up.

Aly has a new baby boy. AJ is gearing up for season four of White Lotus. And, they’re starring in Lumify’s new campaign. For the initiated: Lumify is the best invention ever, with one FDA-approved eye drop in each eye making redness disappear in just a minute. The sisters travel with “10 to 15 bottles,” and frankly, that’s just the start of their Tour Bus Beauty Closet. They have some of the most extensive, well-rounded beauty routines I’ve ever heard of—from medical-grade skincare and long-wear eyeliners to drugstore shampoo and what appears to be a remarkably large body wash collection.

Obviously, I scooped up all their beauty and self-care recommendations for In the Mood. You’re in for a treat—and probably a shopping spree.

Aly: My mantras really shift because I'm a new mom. I'm usually getting yanked and pulled. My son wants to breastfeed. So every morning is different, but I get to wake up with him in bed next to me, and that’s so special. It always put me in a really happy mood, and he’s always super stoked when he wakes up, so it set my mind on the right path for a good day. Mantra-wise, though, AJ and I have been trying to manifest a bit more in our lives about the things we’ve dreamed about. I try to do that later in the day, whether it’s a writing session or when I’m rehearsing.

AJ: Not to be cliche or corny, but I try to just lead with positivity. I feel like having a positive outlook on life brings more positive opportunities your way. I also try to have the mindset of doing something ultra-creative every day, whether that's picking up the guitar, reading a great book, or, you know, even being out in nature and taking a beautiful hike.

Aly: I love a bath and I love a shower. I kind of switch it up. I have my tried-and-true products that smell great and just work. I’m a big fan of Kristen Ess—I love all of her hair products. Then there's a scrub that I love that my friend actually makes; her brand is called Dewyer. I'll probably do it once a week. I'm a big soap collector, so I just have a huge shelf in my bathroom that I'm still going through. But I probably have enough for another like five years.

AJ: So, I’m a product fiend, especially when it comes to skincare. And some of that I end up doing in the shower, like my cleanser and my scrub. I’m obsessed with Zo Skincare. I’m a huge fan of Dr. Obagi and his son and what they’ve done with the brand. It’s ridiculously good; like magic. When it comes to skin, you're just testing all these different products and not knowing which ones are going to land and which are going to work. But with Zo, I got three months, and it was like, oh, that was epic. For hair, I love Kristen Ess, Oribe, and Kevyn Murphy, too. Oo, I also love Dove’s Lavender Sensitive Skin Body Wash. I’m such a Dove girl; it’s the only soap that I use. For travel I also love Dr. Bronner’s. We really have a high-low thing going.

Aly: I actually think it is sexy, but many people would not think eye drops are sexy. Lumify eyedrops are the sexiest thing to me. The product just works, the marketing is really cool, and they’re cute. Purple is my favorite color, so when I see the purple cap, I’m like, "Cool, it’s Lumify time." As a performer who is under hot lights or on screen or stage for hours on end, they’re such a game-changer.

AJ: I feel like we got introduced to them because makeup artists were always using them on us. Then I remember going to my eye doctor, who I do like a yearly exam with, and she was saying that they’re the best brand to use because they’re FDA-approved and it actually works. I was literally never skeptical of the product. We’ve always thought they were magical.

Aly: It’s funny, but a lot of times I don’t actually wear fragrance. I have moments though. I still wear Le Labo Santal. I feel like it smells great on everyone.

AJ: I’ve been wearing the same perfume for a few years now. It’s the Hermès Un Jardin. It’s very citrus-forward. I love the fragrance of orange or tangerine. It’s my number one, I wear it every single day.

Aly: I mean, I love pinky-nudes. I like [OPI] Funny Bunny, [Essie] Ballet Slippers, anything in that category. It just works well with any outfit, any look. It works all year, day, and night. A lot of times I don't do nail polish on my nails just because of playing guitar and they get chipped so easily, but neutral is safer.

AJ: I’ve actually been really into the French tip. Ballet Slippers at the base, creamy white, and that feels the best.

Aly: I have naturally wavy hair. I'll kind of let it air dry and put little front clips in it, and I'll do my makeup first and let it kind of dry. Then I’ll hit it with a diffuser. I really like Kristen Ess’s Curl Up Gel and this great Sun Bum sea salt spray. I’ll put maybe a dozen curls in with my T3 just on the top and then flip my head. Klorade is probably the best dry shampoo that’s ever been created, too.I rarely wear my hair straight.

AJ: I’m the exact opposite. My hair is wavy, but it’s wavy in all the wrong places. It gets knotted; it’s just very unfortunate. For the most part, I almost always blow dry my hair with the Harry Josh blow dryer. It’s my favorite blow dryer by far, and it’s discontinued, so I don’t know what I’m going to do if this one ever breaks. I’ll use the T3 if I want to add some texture.

Aly: Oh, girl, I makeup wipe it. It’s probably infuriating to a lot of people. But I’ve been lucky. I don’t have bad skin, and I’ve just been able to use a face wipe, put on some moisturizer, and go to bed.

AJ: I never break the flow because I already have kind of acne-prone skin. For me, the Zo regimen has saved me, especially on the road. I have a lot of redness, and these products have been such a game-changer. So yeah, I do the full takedown.

Aly: I'm looking forward to more freckles. I’m looking forward to continuing to be at peace with my body and the things that are not completely perfect about it. I think as we get older, we start to fight against that idea of perfection. My body will be bringing so many memories with it, and I think there’s something so cool about that.

AJ: The first thing that comes to mind would probably be smile lines. I absolutely love people who have smile lines because they tell a story. Life is obviously not perfect, but we are living it every day, and it's beautiful that we get to see that with age. I already have them, but I’m so excited to embrace them more and more as I get older.

Aly: I think mine would be warming up like the bridge of the nose and putting a little blush there. I’ve been doing that for years, and it makes me look like I’m just a little sun-kissed.

AJ: I’ve been filling in my lower and upper waterline with black eyeliner. It can be so pretty where the base of the lash is. I’ve known about it forever, and that’s been my longest trick on stage. My favorite is Mineral Fusion, and Merit makes a great one as well.

Shop Aly AJ's Routine

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