Berlin was standing in front of the bathroom mirror, hair pulled back with one of those fluffy white headbands, applying her cleanser in slow, perfect circles. The soft glow of her vanity lights lit up the counter, which was crowded with serums, creams, mists, and way too many pink bottles that all looked the same to you.

You leaned in the doorway, yawning. “What are you even doing? That’s like the third thing you’ve put on your face.”

She glanced at you in the mirror and smirked. “It’s called skincare, peasant.”

You rolled your eyes. “Whatever.”

Without warning, she pointed to the chair next to her vanity. “Sit. You’re getting the Berlin Beck Glow-Up Experience.”

“What? No, I’m good—”

“SIT.” Her voice had that bossy older sister tone that didn’t allow debate.

You grumbled but dropped into the seat, your arms crossed. Berlin turned toward you with a mischievous grin, already squeezing something cool and gooey onto her fingers.

“Okay, first—cleanser,” she said, rubbing your cheeks with way more pressure than necessary. “You’ve got, like, outside dirt. Ew.”

“I was literally inside all day.”

“Don’t argue with the expert.”

Next came a hydrating toner, which she patted on like she was playing the drums on your face. Then a serum—“This one has niacinamide, you don’t even know what that means but your pores will thank me,” she said proudly. You squinted at the glowing bottle.

“Why is it glowing?”

“Because you’re about to be glowing, baby.”

You sighed dramatically but secretly enjoyed the whole thing. She dabbed eye cream under your eyes like you were delicate glass, then finished with a moisturizer that smelled like vanilla and something expensive.

“There,” she said, stepping back and admiring her work like she just painted a masterpiece. “You’re officially un-dusty.”

You looked at yourself in the mirror. “I feel like a glazed donut.”

“That’s the GOAL!” she shouted, grabbing her phone to take a picture. “Say ‘skincare king.’”

“Please don’t post that—”

“Too late,” she said with a wink, uploading it to her Instagram story before you could even blink.