At Verdoie, we believe care doesn’t have to be complicated to be meaningful.
Often, it’s the simplest things — a quiet morning, steady movement, enough water, a product that genuinely supports you — that make the biggest difference.
Under the Surface is about stepping away from the pressure to optimize everything, and instead listening more closely to what your body, skin, and nervous system are asking for.
For this edition, we sat down with Monica Mendal, a travel writer whose work is rooted in curiosity, observation, and lived experience. Constant movement shapes her life — but so does a deep love for routine, home, and the grounding rituals that make travel sustainable rather than draining.
Photography by Dimanche Creative.
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Monica Mendal is a former fashion editor turned travel writer and brand consultant, currently based in Paris. With a trained editorial eye, she approaches storytelling with nuance, drawn to how places, objects, and people reveal themselves over time. Formerly an editor at Condé Nast, Monica now contributes to leading fashion and culture titles, guided by curiosity, observation, and a deep appreciation for the spaces in between.
Q&A with Monica Mendal
What are the best and hardest parts of your job?
The best part of being a travel writer is obvious — getting to experience incredible places. Funny enough, the hardest part is also the travel. As spontaneous and curious as I am, I’m also a huge homebody who really craves routine. Balancing those two sides of myself has always been a little tricky.
When you’re stressed, where do you feel it first?
Stress shows up for me as anxiety. It affects my mood and energy more than anything else. I try to address it as soon as I notice it instead of letting it linger for days. Especially lately, a lot of my stress has been within my control, which means I have to be honest with myself about slowing down.
That might look like taking a full day to rest, hydrate, do breathwork or yoga, watch silly shows, read, write just for myself, and completely step away from work. Then the next day, I regroup and focus on what actually needs to get done. Stress is usually a pretty clear signal that something needs to soften.
What does taking care of yourself look like right now?
Movement is a big one for me. There are months when I get so busy that I forget to intentionally move my body, and I really feel it when that happens. Right now, I make it a priority to set aside at least an hour every day to move — whether that’s running, yoga, weight training, or just a long walk. I always feel more like myself afterward.
I’m also very serious about hydration. I use one of those giant water bottles marked with every hour of the day and make sure I finish it before bedtime.
How do you remind yourself you’re already doing enough?
Honestly, if I could go back and tell my 12-year-old self about the life and career I’ve built, she’d think I was pretty freaking cool. That’s enough validation for me.
Is there a part of your day that feels sacred?
Mornings, always. I’m a huge morning person. I love waking up early, making breakfast — my favorite meal — and drinking coffee before I look at my phone or answer emails. If I have a rushed morning, it really throws off my entire day.
Are you Type A or Type B?
Type A to the max. I wish I could be more Type B sometimes — I definitely exhaust myself. I actually polled my group chat recently, and the verdict was 90% Type A, 10% Type B because I can be chill “sometimes.” So… there’s hope.
Something you’ve been loving lately?
My Verdoie supplements. I have very sensitive skin and I’m extremely careful about what I use, but these have genuinely helped reduce flare-ups. I don’t say that lightly.
Why it matters
Spencer’s approach reminds us that real support doesn’t always look dramatic — it looks like calm, comfort, and consistency. The best rituals are simple ones done with intention. The kind that soften you. That ground you.
At Verdoie, we’re here to make products that slot into your routine like second nature — intelligent, nourishing, and just indulgent enough.
Try La Crème Hydratante — clinically shown to boost skin hydration by +64.8% in just one hour.
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Follow along on @verdoieskin as we share more stories that inspire and ground us.