Morgan Riddle on Her Saturn Return, the Ultimate Day-to-Night Fragrance, and Spraying Magnesium on Her Feet
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A few months ago, I had a lovely chat with the incredible Carol Han, founder of Nette, a brand that has won not one, not two, but three Marie Claire Fragrance Awards. Her brand is just that good. At the time, she let me in on a little secret: Nette was collaborating with Morgan Riddle on a day-to-night fragrance called Mr. Cloud. Fast forward to today, and the delicious skin scent, a mix of fresh tuberose and a cold milk accord, is officially here.
To celebrate, I sat down with Riddle to discuss All The Things—fragrance included. We covered a ton of ground: from psychics and her Saturn Return to the underrated brow gel she swears by and the Russian manicure spot she found in New York City for just $75. She’s certainly not a gatekeeper of beauty secrets, so to get the scoop on all her favorite products, places, and wellness habits, keep reading.
I basically jump out of bed and take my dog straight outside. This is so random, but I listen to this guy on Spotify called ATOON. He basically creates these songs that merge 200 different instruments to create a sound wave that changes the waves in your brain. It’s supposed to put you in a good mood, and it makes my walk feel magical. I walk by the water every morning, and in a weird way, it shuts my brain off. I’m not really thinking about anything. I like being out in nature and feeling the sun and nature as much as I can in New York.
I'm not a bath girl. I get too bored in them. I’m a very quick showerer. Maybe once a week I'll do the long everything shower, hair mask, sort of thing. I’m always in a rush to do something, so I don't usually take my time.
I spray magnesium spray on my feet at night. I’m not a fan of my feet or other people’s feet or touching anyone's feet. It’s really gross to me. But spraying it is supposed to help you sleep better. I don’t know if it works, but it’s become part of my routine that I don’t even think about before I go to bed.
I’ve always liked perfumes—I have a very large collection. But I’ve always been more of a candle girl. Nette is one of my favorite brands—I’ve been burning them for years. Through that, I got connected to Carol, the founder, and we ended up collaborating on creating Mr. Cloud. The main goal that we had in creating it was that it could be a perfect daytime perfume and a perfect nighttime perfume. It’s the mix of floral and skin musk that balances it out. I feel like the florals bring the daytime vibe, and the skin musk, with the tuberose and blonde woods, makes me think of nighttime.
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I’ve had the same makeup routine for five years—it’s an all-or-nothing sort of thing. I have one go-to look because I don’t know how to really do anything else. I use the Dior Backstage Face and Body Foundation, the Ilia Concealer, and the Refy Brow Gel.
I'm a Dyson AirWrap girl. I’ll do a rough-dry, then use the big-barrel Airwrap and pin it for five to 10 minutes. That’s my go-to. I do that every two or three days, depending on my workouts. Right now, I’m using the Wella Miracle Repair—honestly, I’ve been using it since it came out in 2021. I’m also using the Gisou five-in-one styling cream. It’s a heat protectant with styling benefits
I am into the French ombré nail. I do a Russian manicure with hard gel. I used to go to Asya in Flatiron, but now it’s a little bit of a hike for me. I just started going to Nail Aug in Tribeca—it’s only $75, which is unheard of for a Russian manicure. And, if you’re able to go in the middle of the day, they’ll take an extra $15 off. They have huge massage chairs that you can sit in and get a pedicure, too. It’s my favorite place.
I always do a full regimen. I just started using the Good Molecules Dark Spot Serum—it’s one of the best products I’ve ever used. They’re super affordable and it lasts me almost a year. Then, I’m using the Allies of Skin copper peptide system and the Tatcha Indigo Night Cream. It’s very hydrating, which is great because my skin gets quite dry here in the fall and winter.
I’m looking forward to my 30s. I say that because most of my close girlfriends in the city are in their mid-30s and every single one of them says that life just gets so much better. All of them consistently had difficult Saturn Return years around 28 or 29, which is right where I am right now. Everyone keeps saying it gets better. I’m like, ok, please.
I don’t think a dermatologist will like me saying this, but a dermatologist told me to do this. You can order these lancets on Amazon for at-home extractions. I have really bad closed comedones, and I was paying so much money to get extractions. Now, these are my go-to.
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Samantha Holender is the Senior Beauty Editor at Marie Claire, where she reports on the best new launches, dives into the science behind skincare, and shares the breakdown on the latest and greatest trends in the beauty space. She's studied up on every ingredient you'll find on INCI list and is constantly in search of the world's glowiest makeup products. She's constantly tracking the biggest nail and hair trends to pop up in the beauty space, going backstage during fashion weeks, tracking celebrity looks, and constantly talking to celebrity hair stylists, nail artists, and makeup artists. Prior to joining the team, she worked as Us Weekly’s Beauty and Style Editor, where she stayed on the pulse of pop culture and broke down celebrity beauty routines, hair transformations, and red carpet looks. Her words have also appeared on Popsugar, Makeup.com, Skincare.com, Delish.com, and Philadelphia Wedding. Samantha also serves as a board member for the American Society of Magazine Editors (ASME). She first joined the organization in 2018, when she worked as an editorial intern at Food Network Magazine and Pioneer Woman Magazine. Samantha has a degree in Journalism and Mass Communications from The George Washington University’s School of Media and Public Affairs. While at GWU, she was a founding member of the school’s HerCampus chapter and served as its President for four years. When she’s not deep in the beauty closet or swatching eyeshadows, you can find her obsessing over Real Housewives and all things Bravo. Keep up with her on Instagram @samholender.