Too Smart For This

Style is strategy: Your guide to finding your look in 2026


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ABOUT THIS EPISODE


We’re back for Week 5 of the Alignment Edit and this week is allll about your look. And before you think this is going to be some superficial beauty standards thing, it's not. Well, mostly. This is about the mental energy you're spending every single day either actively criticizing how you look or passively not showing up the way you want to because you haven't figured out what actually works for you.


When Alexis talks about "your look," she's not just talking about clothes. She's talking about the entire vibe you give off – your style, your beauty routine, your accessories, your hair, and the way you show up when you walk into a room. Two people can wear the exact same thing and have completely different looks.


This episode is about removing the friction between who you are right now and who you want to be, getting back the time and mental energy you lose when you spend three hours deciding what to wear, finding your signature pieces, your color palette, and your style words. Listen ladies, you’re allowed to care about how you look! And this is your permission slip to do just that. 


What You'll Learn:


  • Why your appearance affects your confidence more than you think
  • How to find your style words and color palette
  • Getting rid of fantasy self clothes and the 20% rule
  • Dressing for your proportions and body type
  • High maintenance to be low maintenance beauty philosophy
  • Skincare routines, laser hair removal, body care, and treatments that actually work
  • Why caring about your appearance isn't vain and is actually about getting time and energy back



EPISODE CHAPTERS


[00:00] - Welcome to Week 5: your look 

[07:30] - Finding your style ethos

[13:45] - Style tips: style words, color palette, and signature pieces

[21:20] - Fantasy self clothes, proportions, and the things you actually wear

[26:50] - Beauty and appearance: laser hair removal, body care, skincare routines

[32:15] - Deciding your personal commitment to beauty 


WHERE TO FIND ALEXIS & TOO COLLECTIVE


Follow along with Alexis:


Instagram:


@alexisbarber: https://www.instagram.com/alexisbarber/?hl=en

@toocollective: https://www.instagram.com/toocollective/?hl=en


Substack:

Too Smart For This Newsletter: https://toocollective.substack.com/


TikTok:

@alexisbarber_: https://www.tiktok.com/@alexisbarber_


YouTube:


Subscribe here: http://www.youtube.com/@alexis_barber

Shop the Episode: https://shopmy.us/shop?Curator_id=250549


Book Office Hours: Work with Alexis Here:


https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=22112790&appointmentType=79833937


Get the Journal: Too Smart For This: A Guided Journal Here: 


https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761193/too-smart-for-this-by-alexis-barber/


Questions, thoughts, or want to collaborate with Alexis or Too Collective? Email Alexis at [email protected]


ABOUT TOO SMART FOR THIS


You're ambitious. You're overwhelmed. And you're definitely too smart to keep sacrificing your well-being for someone else's definition of success.


Too Smart For This is the show for ambitious material girls just like you who are learning how to channel their chaotic energy into a more intentional and fun life.


Join your host, Alexis Barber (author, Wharton MBA, former Google/YouTube strategist, and certified ambitious material girl), every Monday for the frameworks, authentic conversations, and tangible tools you need to build a life that's both driven and deeply enjoyable. Because self-care is part of the business plan—and you're too smart to settle for anything less.


Subscribe now and follow @alexisbarber and @toocollective for more.


ABOUT YOUR HOST


Hello, love!



I'm an ambitious material girl obsessed with wellness, business, consumer culture, and the creator economy. I write from New York City, where I'm busy enjoying being young, gifted, and Black, oversharing online, and remembering that self-care is part of the business plan.


This show is supported by Other Kind Media — otherkindmedia.com



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Too Smart For ThisBy Alexis Barber

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