My Nighttime Skin-Care Routine

The older I get, the more I realize just how important a nightly skincare routine truly is. For one, it makes my morning makeup regimen so much simpler when my skin is fresh and clear and there's not much that needs covering up. (Read: I'm able to sleep in a little more.) I've also found that it's healthy to have some sort of ritual before climbing into bed.

Thanks to this blog, I've received many, many skincare products so I've gotten to try out a plethora of different lotions, serums, cleansers, toners, etc. Some made my skin feel greasy. Others worked but didn't play along too well with other products I was trying out. Some made me break out for a week straight. (That was not a great time.) After trying out what feels like a hundred combinations, I found one that not only works for me, but works really, really well.

*Just about all of these products (with the exception of two) were gifted to me but all of the opinions are my own. In fact, with a few of them, I'd tried them out then loved them so much that I bought some more.

For me, having a skin-care routine that's not only effective but also not too time-consuming is one of the most crucial elements to keeping it going. I know myself. If it was any more than ten minutes, I'd probably skip it altogether and resign to the fact that my pillows were doomed to be mascara-stained until the end of time. Luckily, I've gotten this regimen down to a quick four or five minutes.

First things first, the cleanser. I started using Philosophy's Purity Made Simple cleanser a few weeks before my wedding and though I've tried a few cleansers since then, have always returned to it. It's a one-step cleanser and also tones but I also like to use Kneipp's Almond Blossom toner (c/o) because it leaves my skin feeling incredibly cool and refreshed. I also love The Makeup Eraser afterwards to make sure that all of the old makeup is gone. I know I might be overdoing the cleansing part of my routine but my skin can get pretty oily and this has mitigated any potential pimple disasters so I'm going to stick with it.

After cleansing, I focus on my eyes first then my face as a whole. I wake up between five and five-thirty every morning and don't stop until about ten o'clock in the evening so I have to do everything in my power to keep my eyes looking bright. Algenist's Complete Eye-Renewal Balm (c/o) works WONDERS. After massaging the cream around my eyes, I apply Perricone M.D. Multi-Action Overnight Treatment (c/o) to my entire face. To finish it off, I splash the tiniest amount of Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (c/o) into my hands and let it work its overnight magic.

At this point, my face is looking and feeling fresh but my lips tend to get chapped fairly easily so I make sure to exfoliate them at least once a day. I know addiction is no joke and don't take it lightly so when I say that I'm addicted to LUSH's Lip Scrubs, I'm admitting to you that I sort of have an actual problem. I have one in the bathroom, one in our room, one in my handbag, and one in my car. (And I somehow still manage to lose them all the time.)

What do you think? I had so much fun putting this list together so I think I might have to share my morning makeup routine soon. Stay tuned!

xo, e.m.