Jake Shane’s High-Low Beauty Routine Includes 2-in-1 Shampoo and Baccarat Rouge Body Wash

Do you know what “ISHFY” means? It’s an acronym for “I’m so happy for you,” and it’s exactly what my friend said to me when I told her I was going to chat with the one and only Jake Shane. (ICYMI, the internet personality is famous for crafting a good “nym.”) Honestly, I was SHF me, too. On one hand, I was about to get a firsthand look at Shane’s Jellycat collection. On the other, he cracks me up. And who wouldn’t want to chat with the greatest poet of our generation?

At this point, many people can’t remember how life felt without TikTok… which means we don’t remember an existence without seeing Shane’s face every day. In March 2023, the novice octopus reviewer’s career absolutely boomed when he went from 60,000 TikTok followers to a million in a very short amount of time. “I was an assistant, and my boss at the time always made this joke. He was like, if anything ever happens, I’ll manage you. And then he started managing me,” Shane tells Byrdie. Today, he’s up to three million followers, is the face of many a brand (just wait ’til you see what he has cooking with Laneige), and hosts a hit podcast: “Therapuss with Jake Shane.”

This is all to say, having seen his face time and time again, hopping on a video call with Shane felt oh-so familiar. And while the recognition was one-sided (I can only dream of being part of the comedian’s elite friend group, which includes the likes of Sofia Richie), the comfort was there. Part of his charm—and online success!—is the ability makes you feel like you’re always viewing his close friends story.

Ahead, the famously funny guy and octopus connoisseur opens up about his high-low beauty routine, how he deals with anxiety, and the wonders of the exclusive Alo Gym. Keep reading for more musings from this Byrdie Boy.

What does your daily beauty routine look like?

“I’m really, really, really basic with it. Like, I really just focus on cologne. Does that count?

“I’ll wake up and I’ll shower. And—I’m the worst—I use a Head & Shoulders two-in-one shampoo. But then on the flip side, for my bodywash I use Baccarat Rouge. Then I’ll put a little moisturizer on my face and my arms. And then I take my medication and then I brush my teeth. And then I go about my day!

“I’ll shave once every few days; I use just like a Gillette razor.”

How about your travel routine?

“I don’t have one! The one thing I do do is bring my Laneige Lip Mask. I always want to kiss someone when I’m traveling, and I want them to be like, ‘Ooo, he’s cute.'”

You said that you use Baccarat for body wash. Is that your signature scent? 

“My scent is actually from a perfume company called Noyz. I use one called Shitty Day; that’s my go-to. It’s a little woody, and then it just smells kinda like, fancy. That’s how my friend described it, and I like it. I recently discovered what top, middle, and bottom notes are. It’s like, the top is what you smell at first. There’s the middle, and then the third is what lasts. I think that’s cool.”

I also just saw your Instagram story about being in Sephora trying on makeup as a kid…

“Yeah, I used to go to Sephora. It was when either Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift released their perfume. I would go in and I would buy the perfume and then I would also sit in the chair and have them do my makeup. That’s the best.”

Do you have a different routine when getting ready to film a TikTok?

“I come as I am with filming, unless I’m on set or something. And then, if there’s a makeup artist, I usually just trust them.”

You have a lot of very cool friends, specifically girlfriends. Have you gotten any beauty tips from Sofia Richie?

“What I’ve learned from Sofia is that a really, really, really, like a really good beat can be done in five minutes or less. She’ll be like, ‘Okay, give me five minutes’ and she’ll sit down and it’s just… I mean, she’s beautiful as it is, but […] she sits down and is like, ‘Well, let’s go!’ I’m like, ‘How’d you do that?’

“Also, I used to use a little bit of concealer under my eyes. They had this one for men called War Paint, ’cause that’s the only way you could get men to wear makeup. I bought it at my hair salon and I was putting it on and she’s like, ‘No, you have to go in, you can’t like just, rub. You have to go in and blend, in and blend, in and blend.'”

What’s been inspiring you lately?

“Chappell Roan’s rise has just been so awesome to see. All the pop girls, really, like Sabrina [Carpenter]—all those pop girls have really been inspiring me. I’ve been watching a lot of TV. I’ve been watching the show Hacks. I started the show The Other Two. Half-hour comedies have been inspiring me, and honestly just hanging out with my friends.”

What does confidence look and feel like to you? When do you feel the most Jake?

“Oh my God, I don’t know. I struggle so much with confidence. I’m so insecure—I’m constantly tugging at my body and looking at myself in the mirror, and I just always feel like shit. I think I feel the most confident—this sounds so dystopian—but when I take really, really cute photo.”

No, I agree.

“I’m like, ‘If I look like that I can go out for the night.’ Actually, I think I feel the most confident right before I go out for the night. You know, when I look tan—I’ll put on a little Good Weird Bronzer—and I put my cologne on and I put my outfit on and my hair’s a little wet. That’s when I feel my most confident.

“I’ve lived so much of my life inside my own head. When that’s how you go about and perceive life, confidence is few and far between. But I’m trying. I also feel confident when I do a good job at whatever work I have; I always feel really good about, like, if I get like a ‘good job, Jake.’ And I feel really confident when I’m onstage.”

Do you have a marker for when your career boomed? How does success like that feel?

“It feels good, but you know, I was watching an episode of The Other Two the other night. [The main character] Cary Dubeck was supposed to play the night nurse, and he gets the role taken away from him. He’s complaining, complaining, complaining, and his friend says to him, ‘A year ago, you would have literally killed to do [what you’re doing right now].’ He’s like, ‘Your goalpost keeps moving, which is great. But sometimes you need to stand there and recognize how far you’ve come.’

“I think sometimes I’m so preoccupied with making sure this doesn’t go away that it’s hard for me to realize how far I’ve come. But then there are moments where I’ll be like, ‘Oh my god’…like when I had Ed Sheeran on my podcast. I’m very, very proud of everything me and my team have created over the past year, just because, at the end of the day it’s just supposed to make you laugh.”

Do you feel like you’re the same person that you were in early 2023?

“I think my preferences have changed and I might like different things. But I don’t think anything about my character has wavered.”

Okay, but…have you tried better octopus since then? 

“My favorite octopus in the world was at this place in Los Angeles called Angelini, and now it’s at this restaurant in Florence. So that’s the only thing that has changed. And then, I guess, my octopus collection has grown. But you know, I keep the same OGs around, like Pussandra. I actually have to wash her. She was on a plane.”

[Editor’s note: Pussandra is his Jellycat-brand stuffed octopus and she doesn’t look dirty, she looks great.]

Do you know of any skincare benefits that can be derived from octopus, or is it just a glow that emanates when you eat it?

“It’s a lifestyle! It’s the puss lifestyle. And it’s just a glow that, as you said, emanates from inside of you when you eat it or when you’re around them. I mean, I’m sure if they suctioned your face, I feel like that would have its benefits. But it’s unclear to me if that’s the case.”

Are you into any wellness practices, like vitamins or meditating?

“Cold plunging and cryotherapy are the two wellness things that I’ll do. I usually do them every single day after my workout. I also have this breathing alarm that goes off at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. every day that reminds me to breathe. I never breathe, but it’s there.

“I also have therapy, of course. That reminds me, I have therapy tomorrow.”

Do you have any current style or beauty icons?

“I love the way Jacob Elordi and Kit Connor dress. I really, really like their style right now. It feels very effortless and preppy and European and chic, and I like the way Jacob carries around purses and bags.”

What’s bringing you joy right now?

“Hacks on HBO! The season 3 finale specifically is bringing me joy. Brat by Charli XCX, specifically the ‘Girl, So Confusing’ Lorde remix. And seltzer water.”

Any specific flavor?

“Raspberry Lime from Polar Seltzer Water! Mm mm mm. That’s my go-to. And it would be stupid to say the Alo Gym isn’t bringing me joy.”

Okay, last question. What’s a beauty or skincare nym that we can tell the people?

“LIMP. Laneige is my product. Hopefully that gets approved.”