My At-Home Beauty Essentials & Minimal Routine

In times like these beauty products and routines might seem trivial – and to some they are – but to me, they are one of the tiny habits that I include in my day that make me feel good. And that’s what we really need right now. Binging Married At First Sight Australia? Making finding the perfect brownie recipe your number one mission in life? Pausing The Devil Wears Prada to recount the most meme-able moments to your uninterested partner? WHO CARES?! If it makes you feel good – DO IT (and yes I have done all three of those things and so far this recipe wins). So today I thought I’d recount the beauty items that are part of my daily and weekly routine that make me feel just that…

SKINCARE

It’s a no-brainer, but when I keep up with my skincare and complete it diligently AM and PM my skin thanks me for it. Plus it’s also a physical indicator to my body to wake the hell up and when it’s time to simmer down – it’s just nice isn’t it? My morning starts with a warm flannel and the Kiehl’s Centella Sensitive Facial Cleanser* – it’s lush. Then I do a spritz of the Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator*, followed by a hydrating serum – I’m currently using the PSA Skin ‘The Most‘* (ad – gifted), and then more of a treatment-based serum – like the Allies of Skin Prebiotics & Niacinamide Pore Refining Booster*. I moisturise with the Allies of Skin Peptides & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment (ad – gifted), then top it off with a decent dollop of the Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream SPF 30*. My evening routine incorporates many of the same products, but it starts of with the Face Halo* which is just amazing at removing makeup. Love it. Then I cleanse, spritz, use the same hydrating serum, but then this time follow it up with a different treatment serum that’s more suited to the evening, like the Allies of Skin Mandelic Pigmentation Corrector Night Serum*. Finally I use three pumps of the Allies of Skin Promise Keeper Blemish Sleeping Facial*, which is perhaps my greatest skincare find of all. This cleared up my persistent chin spots in a matter of months and has seen them off since.

EVERYDAY HAIR & BODY

Ok this is real simple and I’m sure you’ve heard me talk about this combination of products before but for my psoriasis-prone snake-like skin, these work wonders for me. In the shower I use the Kiehl’s Made For All Body Wash* which never leaves me itchy and dry which is a miracle for me, and for my hair the Bumble & Bumble Sunday Shampoo* – I mean, I know, this is probably it’s 1789th mention on here. Shaver-wise the Estrid Razors (ad – gifted) really are as lovely as everyone says they are. Then when I’m out I brush my hair with my WET Brush*, rough-dry it with a blow-dryer and pretty much leave it at that. If I ever feel like it’s looking dry or I need to calm any fly-aways, the Sisley Hair Rituel Regenerating Hair Mask* (ad – gifted), which is the most ridiculously expensive thing but I’ve used it now for almost a year and I think it’s got another two years worth left in it at least. Nuts. I use it as a leave-in conditioner. Hair sorted. For my body I slather on the Biossance 100% Squalane Oil* which doesn’t clear up my psoriasis but it does seem to soothe it and it doesn’t make it worse which is a plus in my books. If I can be bothered to tan I use the Tan-Luxe The Gradual*, it’s a rarity, but every single day I oil up my body – no excuses – and it just makes me feel fab in the winter months and takes like two minutes.

MAKEUP

If I didn’t do what I do as a job I’m not sure makeup would have graced my face at all for the past 12 months and I have friends that think it’s absolute madness that I still reach for a concealer and a bronzer from time to time. But bizarrely my job means I spend a lot of time looking at myself and sometimes I just fancy looking at myself with a bit of colour in my cheeks and a gel through my brows – you know? A full-blown makeup routine isn’t something that I do every single day, but I often find myself reaching for the basics. For me this means some kind of super dewy base, which is either my foundation of choice with a squirt of Glossier’s Futuredew* added in, or something glossy all over like the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter* (I use the shade 2). I’m back on the Glossier Stretch Concealer* train, as it just has the nicest amount of sheen to it so doesn’t emphasise dry patches at all. Then I go in with some kind of bronzer, either a cream or powder – just something to add a bit of colour to my pasty chops. For eyes I keep it simple using the Refy Brow Sculpt to groom my unruly caterpillars, then curling my lashes and using one of my mascara favourites like the Giorgio Armani Eyes To Kill WET Mascara*, or a new fave like the Lancome Idole Mascara* (ad – gifted). Pop some balm on the lips to keep it simple and I’m done.

THE SUNDAY PAMPER

It’s just a nice way to prep yourself for the week isn’t it, plus it’s a good time filler for the weekend and I am ALL about the time fillers right now. If I’m feeling a true ‘do everything and spend two hours in the bathroom‘ session then I follow all the steps from this video. But if I fancy something a little shorter then I do all the steps from usual weeknight routine, along with a full body shave will leaves me feeling like a dolphin, a clarifying and exfoliating face mask like the Drunk Elephant T.L.C Sukari Babyfacial*, followed by something ridiculously hydrating like the Josh Rosebrook Advanced Hydration Mask* (I actually leave this on overnight and always feel like my skin is *SO* soft come the morning), and some kind of nail maintenance, either doing them from scratch if needed, or just massaging in a good dollop of a foot and hand cream and a brush with a cuticle oil or cream. Leaving me as ready as I can be for Monday AM.

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Photos by Mark Newton