Former Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan magazine, Carly Cardellino and her other half, Gio, chat with us about holiday rituals, skincare routines and more.

Meet Carly Cardellino. You might recognize her name from her most recent role as the Beauty Director at Cosmopolitan magazine, amongst many other well-known publications. Carly‘s beauty tips have graced the pages of Elle, Harper's Bazaar, Byrdie, Into the Gloss, and Coveteur, just to name a few. 

In 2020, she took a leap into content creation and social media and partnered up with brands that resonate with her. She has a cult following, from celebs to industry insiders and beauty enthusiasts all over the globe. To put it quite simply, Carly's the it-girl of all things beauty and fashion. 

With the holidays approaching, we sat down with Carly, her other half, Gio, and their two little ones to chat about cozy rituals, beauty tips, nightstand must-haves and more. 

'Tis the Season

We’re getting ready to celebrate the holidays. What are you all looking forward to?
I love the holidays, as many people do. But the incredibly cozy, warm, and magical feeling that comes over me during this time of year is unmatched — it’s like all I want to do is put up holiday decorations, hang with our family curled up on our couch in super soft PJ’s, watch fun movies, and drink a hot toddy by our fireplace! So that’s exactly what we’re excited to do – that and seeing the kids’ faces when they open their gifts on Christmas morning. They only get a few but we do our best to make them the most meaningful.

You reside in upstate New York and your house is so cozy! What holiday traditions do you have with your family at home?
We have two that I love: 

We pick a day and all decorate the tree together — it’s so fun (and stressful, since I’m trying to make sure the kids don’t break the bulbs), but they love being in on the action and I want them to have that memory…I just try to breathe through it! Haha 

And then we also get a gingerbread house kit from a local bakery and sit at our dining room table, fusing all of the pieces together with the frosting you make from the kit. Then, we decorate the house with all of the little candies—while eating them, too, of course!—that come with it, and I leave it out all season for the kids to be proud of! It's such a fun tradition, and we'll do it for years to come.

What is your favorite holiday memory?
When I was young, my dad's side of the family would gather every Christmas Eve, and we would have a big Italian dinner. Then, all of my cousins and I would wait (impatiently) to open our stockings and presents from extended family. I just remember my nanny and pappy's home—it was so cozy, the tree was perfectly decorated (with all of that silver tinsel that made such a mess but was so magical, glistening in the lights that were strung all around it). I'd do anything to go back to that time in life. It was so pure and simple. I only hope to create moments like that that my kids can remember!

All the Rest

We love celebrating the holidays in PJ’s. How does Eberjey make your family feel when you’re in them?
Even when we were on the shoot, all we kept saying was, "they're just the softest pj's!" And then, they literally are. Like, the fabric maintains this cool temperature; it doesn't feel hot or heavy while you're wearing it. They're just really worth it. I was first introduced to the brand from a beauty gifting when I was at Shape magazine, and I still have the same PJ’s 15 years later, and they're in great shape. It's insane!

Name something that is similar to the feeling of being in Eberjey - please include feelings from each family member. (ie, feels like a warm hug, floating on a cloud, etc)
Carly: “Honestly, they make me feel like I’m wearing something super soft and also nothing at all, in the best way possible.”

Gio: “They make me feel rich and expensive, the fabric is just so luxe and soft. They’re the best pajamas I’ve slept in.” 

Delfina: “Like a unicorn hug!”

Sandro: “Good and snuggly, cozy, cozy, cozy!”

Carly, you’re the beauty queen. Tell us your favorite winter rituals in your Eberjey PJ’s.
I've whittled my routine down a bit, but the most important things for me are exfoliation and hydration. So, at night, after I slip on my PJ’s, I cleanse my skin with a hydrating cleanser like Clean Clean Cleanser by Sofie Pavitt. I pat on Alpyn Beauty Pore Perfecting Toner to keep my cell turnover working optimally for glowy skin and follow that with Pillowtalk Derm by Shereene Idriss (my derm!) Major Fade Active Seal Moisturizer. This helps lighten any sun damage caused from summer months. I also use Dieux Air Angel and Rhode Peptide Glazing Fluid, kind of toggling between the three of them. Every other night, I use BioEffect's EGF Serum, which helps trigger collagen production from barley. It replicates the effects of retinol since retinoids are too strong for my skin right now. And then, if/when I get a zit, I cover it up with StarFace cutie pimple patches. And that's really it!

What can’t you live without on your nightstand?
Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment in Salted Caramel, fish oil that I get from my facialist Sofie Pavitt (I take this right before I go to sleep to keep my skin supple), and a glass of water.