My Nighttime and Morning Routine; a.k.a., How I Totally Cheat and Look Well-Rested

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Let’s talk beauty routines. I’ve always been a fan of face cream and sleep, and of course I love my makeup, but lately, all I really want to do is combat aging and looking “tired.”

Ugh, this topic. I know no one really wants to talk about that dirty word. You’ve heard it a million times before. The word “tired.” Any time someone tells me I look “tired,” I automatically assume I look like butt. And worse still, as I’m getting older, I worry that “tired” is synonymous with “old”. I shudder at the thought. I’m old, it’s cool. But I sure don’t want to look old.

So I’m digging in, getting personal and sharing my morning and nighttime routine, and how I totally cheat to look well-rested, including some of my all-time FAVORITE beauty products.

USING A NIGHTTIME CREAM

Looking well-rested starts the night before.

I recently started using Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream and I’m totally impressed. I’ve always tried to use a nighttime cream before bed. My Grandma has been covering her face, arms, and hands with lotion for as long as I can remember, and she has the most unbelievably soft skin. By high school, I was lathering up too.

Once I hit the big 3-0 I really started committing to a nighttime lotion routine. I’ve been curious about retinol and this was the most perfect introduction to it. Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream is an anti-aging face cream with retinol to

Retinol works to continuously renew the look of your skin by helping smooth wrinkles and diminish the look of age spots. Neutrogena’s formula also contains ingredients that result in rapid improvement in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, hydrates and plumps your complexion, and replenished and rejuvenates the look of dull skin.

Do you have a favorite night cream? Have you ever tried retinol?

SLEEP

Trust me, as a mama, this one gets tough. I’ll be the first to admit it. But this mama needs her beauty sleep. And it ain’t called “beauty sleep” for nothin’. How about we call this one, sleep and coffee?

So here’s my tip for sleeping well: Read before bed. Anything; a few pages of a book, a magazine you’ve been dying to dig into – just something to take your mind off of the noise and chaos of the day. This has made a huge difference for me. Before I started reading before bed, I would always run through the things I had to do the next day again and again in my mind, scrambling out of sleep to write something down or text myself something to remember. Now, so long as I read a few pages out of a good book or magazine, I fall asleep thinking about the story, and I sleep so much easier.

A BEAUTY ARSENAL

I have a self-prescribed beauty arsenal that’s part of my morning routine, and it really helps to get an even, flawless glow.

Let’s tell the truth: coffee isn’t always going to cut it. And enough sleep just doesn’t always happen. And no amount of awesome cream is going to wake you up. A few tried and true makeup products can really come in handy.

Avon MagiX Face Perfector: Shout out to my own Mama who sent me a tube of Avon MagiX Face Perfector. I am obsessed. Obsessed, I tell you. I’m also through with my first one and I’m thinking of having her order me two at a time, you know, just in case. I’ve always put sunscreen on my face, so the fact that this primer has a built in SPF 20 is perfect. It’s also oil-free and you can wear it alone or under foundation. It almost turns to powder when you glide it on your face – it’s so soft and sheer and makes your skin matte and glowy at the same time. (I’m making no sense, but it’s magic.)

Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk UV Foundation SPF 20: This is hands down one of the most popular foundations on the market. (Just read the reviews!) It’s expensive, and I’ve tried so many other brands hoping to find a cheaper alternative, but no dice; this foundation wins every time. It’s got SPF (awesome), wears like a dream, has great build-able coverage, but still feels lightweight, and actually lasts all day. I just can’t quit the stuff.

Algenist REVEAL Concentrated Color Correcting Drops: Algenist recently sent me these drops and I’ll admit, I was skeptical at first. I mean, why would I add green drops to my foundation? Umm, this stuff is brilliant. All you do is add a drop or two onto your foundation brush to instantly color correct, treat skin, and cover imperfections. It works. It’s fascinating.

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Illumination: Dark circles are usually the giveaway that you’re more tired than usual. I love all of It Cosmetics’ under eye formulas. They’re full-coverage, waterproof, and do the job. This one is particularly awesome because it’s infused with subtle radiance and helps to brighten underneath the eyes. (I also love and use this one regularly.)

Remember to pat your under-eye cream gently beneath your eyes, working from the inner corner outwards

Then using your favorite foundation brush, cover your whole face, including over your dark circles, with a thick formula foundation, and then pat – don’t rub – lightly with your finger just under your eyes until it blends.

Yves Saint Laurent Anti-Cernes Multi-Action Concealer: This little stick is great to cover any blemishes, dark spots, you name it. It’s also convenient so I can throw it in my bag for the day, and the stick application makes it pretty goof-proof.

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So there you have it, my nighttime and morning routine; a.k.a., how I totally cheat and look well-rested. You know … most of the time. Do you have any tricks for staying and looking rested? (Especially when a good night’s sleep isn’t an option!)

Photos by Annie Watts Photography

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