Finding Your Glow with Style Mavens and Lifestyle Bloggers Alex and Mike
Mike and Alex, a dynamic duo navigating the world of lifestyle and design, met during their health sciences studies at Lock Haven University. While their initial encounter wasn't love at first sight, their partnership today is defined by a deep commitment to each other and their shared passion: lifestyle blogging as a creative outlet and a platform for their expertise across fashion, skincare home decor, and more.
That creative spirit led them to launch their blog, Alex and Mike, in 2015. Initially an outlet for their interests beyond their respective careers in healthcare and real estate, the blog expanded in influence and reach over time. This robust page shares the pair’s latest and greatest tips and recommendations for skincare, home design, fashion, and lifestyle.
Alex and Mike at the Philadelphia Magazine Influencer Awards
Photo by Abhi Sarkar Photography
Courtesy of @alexandmike
The Blog Begins
JL: Tell us how you met, and how you went from classmates to business and life partners.
Alex: Thinking back to our first few years in college is almost like a movie. We were so young and so different. We weren’t out yet when we first met, either. Since those first days, we’ve grown so much independently and together.
Mike: We both graduated with degrees in premed. I entered an accelerated nursing program, and Alex pivoted into real estate. With our busy careers, we both wanted a creative outlet, and wanted to partner on something together. First, we thought that outlet would be a YouTube channel because we loved watching YouTube together. But it was so expensive to start that process, from getting the right lighting to cameras and filming. So we began as bloggers instead, and were posting about five times per week.
Their original blog was a far cry from the polished pieces we see today: Mike and Alex were among the first to explore the blogging format, writing long-form content and sharing posts with their moms on Facebook.
Mike: At that time, the term “influencer” wasn’t even in our vernacular. It was just something fun to do together and share. We’d block out our weekends to create fun content to post throughout the week, entirely unrelated to our careers.
Alex: We had just moved to the city and it was so much fun to create together.
Alex and Mike in the backyard they renovated together
Courtesy of @alexandmike
Alex and Mike started by writing about anything they were passionate about in their lives. Eventually, as they started expanding onto new platforms like Instagram, they homed in on their content pillars: skincare, home design, and lifestyle.
Q: Tell us about your lives beyond the blog. How do you balance everything?
Mike: We divide and conquer everything and are both passionate about the same types of content, which is helpful so that we don’t feel burnt out maintaining this platform in addition to our separate careers.
Alex: I left my real estate career in 2021 and Mike recently went part-time at the hospital. This helps us balance everything!
Home and Interior Design
Once Alex and Mike started to identify their key focus areas, lifestyle, and home design loomed large. From sharing their own renovation and decorating wins to collaborating with brands, the duo inspires their audience with an unrelenting passion for beautiful living.
Q: You’ve come so far together, both as a couple and as content creators. What are some of the big milestones from your journey together?
Mike: A pivotal moment for us was signing with management in 2020. It was something we initially resisted - because we were so used to doing everything on our own, and were apprehensive about the benefits of management - but that choice significantly impacted our career trajectory for the better. It provides valuable business guidance, like bringing in new business to us proactively in addition to what reaches us organically, and helps us envision long-term growth. Shout-out to Cait, our lovely manager and friend!
Alex: Another incredible step for us was buying our first house in 2019, just before the pandemic. That was a game-changer for us. It truly catapulted our creative vision in home and interior design, which is now huge for us.
Post remodel! Alex and Mike’s updated primary bathroom
Courtesy of @alexandmike
Q. What are some other big upcoming projects for you?
Alex: We’re considering doing a coffee table book at some point to celebrate and share our interior design style. We’d also love to do a skincare collab at some point with a brand we love. Our first design project together - outside of our house, of course! - was creating an iPhone case for Speck.
Alex and Mike’s case design for Speck
Q: Who do you think about when you create content?
Mike: Our tagline for our content is “Make every moment an experience.” We don’t really see anyone as NOT part of our audience - but we primarily reach a lot of young professionals, both men and women. Personally, we care about all the big and little things in life and hope to bring that ethos to our audience, too.
Skincare for the win
Fortunately for the growing world of men’s grooming, Alex and Mike have also extended their considerable expertise into the arena of skincare. Sharing the treatments that really work (as well as the duds that don’t) makes Alex and Mike’s platform a goldmine of tips and tricks for the at-home skincare lover.
Q: What are the products you always keep in your toiletry kit?
SPF: We love that Jaxon Lane Rain or Shine absorbs so nicely into the skin, and doesn’t leave a white cast. It’s perfect for men with facial hair since it’s so lightweight and doesn’t feel heavy, even though it’s got a high SPF.
Vitamin C: Our favorite Vitamin C options are Sunday Riley and Skinceuticals. We just started using a new serum called Skinbetter Science. Vitamin C serums leave your skin looking more glowy.
Sunday Riley C.E.O. Brightening Serum
SkinCeuticals Serum 10 Vitamin C Serum
Cleansers: One of our go-to's is the La Roche-Posay cleanser line. In the past few weeks, we’ve been using the Korres Cream Cleanser, which we also really like.
La Roche-Posay Effaclar + M Purifying Foaming Gel Cleanser
Moisturizer: In the winter, we use a hydrating moisturizer from Dr. Jart Ceramidin for winter hydration. Then we like the Dieux Skin Instant Angel for everyday use.
Dr.Jart+ Ceramidin™ Skin Barrier Moisturizer Face
Dieux Skin Instant Angel Moisturizer
Skincare tools: We also love a lot of different great face and skincare tools to supplement our go-to products. We like the depuffing tools from ReFa and the Nuface Trinity Facial Toning Device. We’ve also recently started incorporating red light therapy into our routine.
Nuface Trinity Facial Toning Device
Q: Have you tried out any skincare treatments lately that you’d recommend?
Mike: We recently did Fraxel laser treatment. It was probably the most painful thing we’ve ever done, even though we were numbed for 45 minutes beforehand. The results were so amazing that I’d do it again, even with the pain and the healing time (2-3 days of redness, and then peeling for about a week). Another similar advanced treatment we did is Moxi. We’re starting to learn more about these types of treatments so that we can share what’s been working for us.
Alex: Cross Medical Group in Philly is the best. We do all our advanced treatments there. What we like is that they understand skincare at such a high level, and are very conservative in their approach. They also focus on educating you about why treatments work for you on an individual level.
Tips for winter skincare
Q: Now that winter is here, what kind of skincare do you use to keep your skin healthy?
Mike: Hydration is super important. In the winter, we stay away from exfoliating toners and reach for exfoliating pads and facials instead to get exfoliation effects. Other great hydration go-tos are hydrating toners, thicker moisturizers that aren’t water-based, and lip balms.
Dr.Jart+ Vital Hydra Solution™ Jelly Bear Lip Mask
Q: What are your favorite Jaxon Lane products, and how do you incorporate them in your routine?
- Bro Mask: It’s the OG for sure. It’s a favorite for both of us, and is really hydrating, which is great for winter weather.
- Bro Mask Eye Gels: We love the gels in the morning when you need a little extra help to wake up. You can also use it on the go.
- Rain or Shine: We love that Rain or Shine gives you a really dewy look. We’re all about that glow.
JL: Thanks so much to you both! We loved hearing your story, and look forward to putting your great tips into practice.
Mike and Alex's journey exemplifies the power of pursuing passions and building a successful partnership. Their dedication to creating authentic content and exploring new avenues has solidified their position as influential voices in the lifestyle and design space. We can’t wait to see what’s next!