You’ve probably taken Bobbi Brown’s word as gospel on more than one occasion. Heck, her Teenage Beauty was practically our bible in the early aughts. And okay, so it’s pretty much a given that that applies to anything makeup, but just one conversation with the beauty mogul turned...well, she hasn’t quite decided what her new “title” will be since departing from her namesake beauty brand, but you’ll realize she has a few other totally relatable things to share. Like, say, when we sat down over macchiatos and burrata salad to talk about her new wellness book, Bobbi Brown Beauty From The Inside Out, where she confessed to loving vodka and french fries (us too!), why she adds this unexpected thing to her water, and how not taking things too seriously is her secret for staying sane.

What wellness means to her:

“My definition of wellness is feeling good. There is nothing if you don’t have your health. My idea of wellness has definitely changed over the years. I think I feel better now than when I was younger—I have learned more tricks that work for me. When I was younger, I was on and off many different plans, depending on what was happening at the time.

“What works for me is balance. I always know when I get unbalanced with work, and there’s too much going on, I need to take a break, go back, and reset.”

How she resets:

“I try to have a day or two by myself or with my family and my girlfriends. I put my hair in a ponytail, I take a walk in the park, or I go to the gym. I drink a lot of tea. I try to take a break from espresso and alcohol, that’s the hardest.”

When she knows she needs a break:

“My general wellness goal is not about gaining or losing weight; it’s about really making sure that my body doesn’t feel inflamed. When my body feels inflamed, it’s not just that my pants are tight, my clothes are tight, but my brain doesn’t work as well. My body aches a little bit, I don’t have clarity, and that just means I need to take a break from everything.”

What she needs to start her day with:

“I drink a lot of water. I put lemon in my water. If I get up and do two glasses of water first thing, it’s a good start to the day. If I was just to have a coffee first, I probably wouldn’t drink most of the day. I make it my business to drink water.”

Her trick for getting in her requisite cups of water:

“I sometimes put Himalayan sea salt in my water because it helps get into your body. Sometimes water doesn’t register in the body—you drink a lot of water and you still feel thirsty. One of my doctors, my many experts, gave me that tip. It really does work. It’s better than Gatorade and all that stuff.

“I like to drink warm water. I’ll order tea at restaurants and ask for no tea bag—it’s just really soothing to me. I also make big pots of herbal tea at home, and I drink that. I find that warmer liquids are easier for me to put in than cold.”

How she keeps it together:

“I think I am one of the most sane people I know because I don’t take any of it seriously. I know the things that really matter are not what it appears. It’s not just about–it’s about life and not about work.”

Why she’ll never eat plane food:

“It’s not easy being healthy on the road. I often pack things to bring with me, especially on the airplanes; I have been taking these collagen protein shakes. They are powder, and you just mix them with water. I’ll grab nuts in a pinch if I have to, and I just don’t eat plane food. Plane food just messes you up. When I go away, it’s not about being perfect. Last night we went to the Soho House. I got a burger, no bun, I had mustard on the side and, of course, the french fries came out, so I ate someone else’s. You know what, I’m not going to beat myself up about it. It’s okay.”

Her guilty pleasures are like yours:

“My guilty pleasures have to do with alcohol and some not-so-good carbs, like french fries or potato chips. You can keep the cookies and cakes and pastries. I found out a long time ago, if I eat sugary desserts with alcohol, I can’t get out of bed for two days. If I have alcohol and hydrate, I’m okay. I may be bloated, but I’m okay.”

How she gets over a hangover:

“Vitamin B’s are really good in the morning and definitely hydrating. I am not one that is going to eat a greasy hamburger with fries the next day. The good thing is, when you do have a hangover, it reminds you to not do it as much next time.”

Her advice for anyone looking to be healthier:

“I will tell anyone that wants to lead a healthier life that it is not an overnight thing; it’s a work in progress. We’re all different. We all have certain things that we can’t live without. I could not believe that I could live without bread, I couldn’t believe I had to give up frozen yogurt and sugar. I don’t even crave those things anymore. It takes a while to change your habits. Right now, my espresso and my alcohol are my habits, but every once in a while, they don’t serve you, so you have to take a break. It takes time.”

This story was originally published on The Coveteur.