Getting ready in the morning is such a catch-22 for me. It’s one of the most dreaded parts of my day and favorite, all at the same time. I thought I’d share what a day in the life is like for me because it’s so much more difficult at times than
Here we go…
1. Wake up and snooze about 6 times. Pray that I actually reset my alarm properly and try to find my way back into the dream I was having.
Real #1. Roll out of bed and wash my face. I use Rodan + Fields reverse regimen a few times a week or Bliss triple oxygen foaming cleanser every day/night.
2. Apply Clarins firming eye serum under my eyes with fingertips and Dr. Lewinn by Kinerase daily moisturizer because it serves as a day and night moisturizer and never makes me feel oily.
3. Let my face dry and do my hair. I’m lucky in that I often do have pretty solid 2nd and 3rd day hair. I use Oribe dry texturing spray as dry shampoo (because it smells like perfume and works like a charm) to keep it looking fresh even when it’s not. I also like Drybar’s detox dry shampoo and I’ve used a sample size of Paul Mitchell that I liked as well.
4. If I am curling my hair, I use a 1 1/2″ barrel curling iron and sweep away from my face and hold for a few seconds. I use clips to roll the hair up and fasten in place. It makes a HUGE difference in the curl lasting all day at work. If you have shorter hair I’d recommend the 1″ version and Hot Tools is a great brand that isn’t as hard on your hair. If I want a looser curl, I’ll roll the curled pieces up in self grip rollers and then clip. I have a set from Target that I use all of the time.
5. I spray with L’Oreal stronghold UV hairspray for color treated hair (I discovered b/c certain hairdressers swear by it) and let it sit while I do my makeup. A good rule of thumb is to wait until all of the pieces of your hair are cool the touch again.
6. I start by applying MAC prep + prime (my sister just got me hooked) and MAC pro longwear concealer under my eyes. I’ve never been able to find a competitor for that one, by the way despite trying because I hate the pump on the bottle.
7. Once those dry I buff in Bobbi Brown mineral foundation – in ‘Light to Medium’ most of the year and I mix in some ‘Medium’ during the summer when I’m more tan. If I’m needing to be out and about after work and won’t have time to freshen up, I’ll sometimes swap powder foundation for liquid. I love Lancome Teinte Idole Ultra 24H foundation and apply with a Lancome #2 foundation brush. I spent a summer testing liquid foundation samples when I finally decided to give them a try and fell for this one because it doesn’t leave you shiny or oily and is light on your face (plus it has SPF).
8. I let that sit and brush my teeth and start thinking about my outfit – I pull up my weather.com app because my outfit for work is largely based on how tired I am and what the weather’s like. I’m also simultaneously checking the bus schedule to see how long I have before I’m stuck in my neighborhood and have to cab to work (sadly, a regular occurrence).
9. I use a MAC paint pot in soft ochre on my eyelids as a primer if I decide I’m wearing eyeshadow that day. I use my fingers and then put on Cargo bronzer on using the MAC blush brush. I learned that a longer handle is better because it’s easier to apply lightly. Short handles can lend to a heavier hand… which can escalate to ‘yikes’ really quickly.
10. For eyeshadow I have a few palettes that I stick to and typically blend in browns and gold tones because I’m boring like that. My favorite eyeshadow for highlighting below my brow line is MAC ricepaper. Probably one of the best things I discovered in 8th grade outside of side parting my hair and sarcastic humor.
11. If I’m going out or feeling fancier, I will fill in my brows with the Diorshow brow styler (magic, I’m telling you) and then I’ll use either Covergirl or MAC fluid liner on my lids. I finish with a few coats of L’Oreal voluminous fiber mascara which I’ve found to be the best combo of lengthening and thickening. I’m pro-drugstore eyeliner and mascara.
12. Last but not least, I’ll add a swipe of Vincent Longo nude lipstick, or perhaps a shade of pink or coral these days (because it’s summer) and spritz my Kate Spade Live Colorfully perfume on. That’s it and then I’m off for the day!
I’ve included all of the products I mentioned below in case there were some you wanted to check out yourself. I will say, it has taken me a long time to develop my routine. I don’t buy new makeup often and am a creature of habit, so whenever I’m introduced to something new it’s exciting! What is your beauty routine like?
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