Welcome to Take the Edge Off, a series that breaks down the beauty and self-care routines of influencers, CEOs, experts, and celebrities. Find out how they unwind and decompress, while taking a closer look at the holy grail essentials they're currently raving about.
Even if you don't own a Peloton, chances are you've heard instructor and Dance 100 host Ally Love's encouraging voice in one of the brand's TV commercials. While she's become a viral sensation in the fitness world, Love says that she initially had ambitions of becoming a professional dancer, a passion that ultimately led her to accept as position as Master of Ceremonies on a trending new Netflix competition series.
"I host a new show on Netflix called Dance 100," the star tells BAZAAR.com. "I went to Time Square, and saw it on a big billboard—it's amazing." Leading the Netflix series isn't Love's first hosting rodeo: Last month marked her 10-year anniversary sharing the stage as the Brooklyn Nets's arena host. But, the hair, makeup, and manicures she wears on Dance 100 are slightly more glam than usual.
More From Harper's BAZAAR
Love notes that she planned each beauty moment from the top of her signature bronde curls down to the vibrant colors on her pinky fingers. "I am serving you all looks: I am giving a variety of hair, outfits, and peep the nail art. Every episode for six episodes, I have a different nail shape and art that you see when I'm holding the mic and interviewing folks. I represent my creativity through my nails, so that was really important to me. It's showing up, and not only doing a great job, but feeling good and looking good."
Positive thinking is a small part of what the star encourages her Love Squad to do, a lifestyle group she created that's centers around Love's "three Cs equation": conversation, which she feels everything is rooted in; camera, or expanding globally; and community, as in cultivating it. "In all of my jobs I do talk a lot," she says. "But, it's mostly around women's empowerment, and empowering folks in general, to be the best that they can be in that moment. Encouraging them to know that they're already good enough." The seemingly effortless way Love has transitioned her interests in community, fitness, and dance into literal dream jobs gives many the inspiration they need to do the same.
For a closer look at the beauty and wellness essentials she keeps in frequent rotation—including the brow gel Love can't live without and a wide variety of teas to combat Zoom fatigue—read on for everything the host and Love Squad CEO uses to Take the Edge Off.
What are you reading these days?
Audible is one of my favorite things in the world. I'm currently reading this book called Contagious by Jonah Berger. I also just finished reading No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model by Richard Schwartz Ph.D.—there are so many books that I've read recently.
Richard C. Schwartz, Ph.D. No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model
What are some of your go-to bath and/or shower products?
I'm very environmentally-friendly, but I actually do use a lot of oils from Saje that are perfect for moments when I want to feel energized or relaxed. I usually put a few drops in my shower in the mornings or evenings when I'm taking my time. And when I'm getting dressed for an event, I usually turn on my diffuser and add a few drops of oil to it and allow its aroma to influence my energy. In terms of body soap, REN Clean Skincare has an invigorating Atlantic Kelp and Magnesium Body Wash that's my go-to and it smells good. And again, they're environmentally-friendly in terms of upcycling or recycling all plastic that they use, which is important to me. I'm old school: I love a good rag and give the body a great scrub. I feel like if you have a rag you don't need to do all the dry brushing and all that—your grandma said use a rag, use a rag.
Do you have a favorite hand sanitizer, soap, and/or cream right now?
I do have a favorite hand sanitizer that I've been using since the pandemic: Noshinku Refillable Pocket Hand Sanitizer, it's my favorite. The sanitizers are really thin, fit inside my big and small bags, and come in scents like lavender and bergamot. You know you got to have hand sanitizer when you go to events—we all take those little bags, so I have to make sure that I'm shaking hands but also staying clean. I'm very mindful of that for sure.
Noshinku Refillable Pocket Hand Sanitizer Discovery (4-Pack)
What beauty or self-care products do you use on a regular basis to help combat Zoom fatigue?
I love Ceremonial Grade Matcha from Matchaful, which I take with me, and there's another brand, Pique, those are really important to me. I will also often times keep tea in my bag. I have energy tea, digestion tea, throat tea, all the tea—I think I'm British. I always keep a canteen that I fill up with hot water and have tea throughout the day. In my regular tea, I put nothing in there. I'll put sometimes add an oat milk or help milk in my tea during the evenings.
The reason for so much tea is it helps like with de-bloating and I speak a lot, so it coats my throat, and just having the ability to calm down with something warm, even if it's hot outside. Something warm to ground you is really important, and the matcha is good for fatigue. Also, this is probably going to sound weird, but I also like to keep a cold metal spoon and rub it on my face. I know we have these really fancy products now, and I have one of those, too that I'll rub on my face when it's cold just to, again, center me and de-puff my skin on-the-go.
Do you ever light a candle or stick of incense to decompress? If so, what are some of your favorites?
I have a morning routine where on the days that I'm not teaching—where I have to get up at 4:30 am to teach at 6 am—what I do is get up and light candles, burn Palo Santo, walk around my entire house, and then I pray. Palo Santo is known to clear out bad energy while bringing good energy in. But, it's more about doing something in action. If I burn the Palo Santo, it's a it's a physical reminder for me to pray. And most times, I don't forget to burn my Palo Santo because I like lighting my candles, and I want the house to smell good.
What was the last beauty product you put on today?
The last thing I put on today was the YSL Rouge Pur Couture Satin Lipstick, but the lipstick I wear on all my rides is MAC from the Black Panther collection in Story of Home. Also, the one product I can't live without and I probably put on the most in one day is Benefit's Gimme Brow+ Volumizing Eyebrow Gel. I brush my eyebrows up all the time; I'm a brow girl. You know when you put on a shirt and the hairs move out of place? I can't, I have to fix them right away. I'll even get a hair brush or a toothbrush and brush them up.
Are you into bold makeup, no makeup, or no-makeup makeup right now, and why?
I'm not a no makeup-makeup kind of person: When I put on makeup, I want to get credit for it. Like, "You did your makeup and it looks nice," like, thanks girl, give me the compliment, it took me time. So, I'm a light makeup kind of girl—it's the type of makeup where you know I have on makeup, but she's not going out all the time. It's easy makeup, something I can do in three minutes or less is the kind of makeup that I do. I live my life in front of the camera, but on days that I'm not teaching a class or have to technically look presentable, I'm as all natural as possible—outside of my brow gel.
What's the last fitness class you taught or attended in person?
This morning I taught a 30-minute Country Pop and a 15-minute Classic Rock. Most Tuesdays, I teach Tabata, and I think the rides that I'm known for at Peloton would be my Feel Good Ride, Sundays with Love, and my Tabata classes.
What's one piece of self-care advice you'd recommend to our readers?
No matter how productive or busy, you are on a certain day, I would encourage folks to take a break. And most times, it can happen in the morning before your kids or the entire house gets up, before you have to be somewhere.
Roll into the bathroom, sit on the bathroom floor for five minutes, and ask yourself, "How or what do I want to feel today?," and let that answer guide your entire day. You can say I want to feel energized, productive, I want to get everything done, I want to clap back—whatever it is, establish and anchor your day in how you want to feel, because that means you set the metric for success. And you can literally apply that to everything that happens in your day, so you're being proactive instead of reactive. When you answer that question, you're literally being proactive in protecting yourself and doing that self-care, instead of being reactive to everything around you.
Tiffany Dodson is currently the associate beauty commerce editor at Harper’s Bazaar, where she specializes in trend forecasting, building relationships with major and emerging brands, and crafting shopping stories—from holiday gift guides to product road tests. Tiffany's work has previously been featured in outlets like SELF, Bustle, and Teen Vogue, and she's been quoted as a commerce and beauty expert in publications and platforms like The Business of Fashion and NPR’s Life Kit podcast.
