Stephany Writes

Categories: About Me

Stitch Fix | September 2021

My third Stitch Fix arrived at the end of last week. What a fun surprise! I asked for casual tops and, since it’s still hot in Florida up until late November, nothing too warm. Shorts and light tees are still necessary for a few more months!

While I loved everything when I took the pieces out of the box, this Fix was not a huge winner for me. Let’s review:

Kut From the Kloth Cuffed Boyfriend Shorts ($68)

I had high hopes for these jean shorts and they felt great on me, but they were just a bit too long for my liking (7″ inseam). I think they would work well on someone taller, but with my short legs, the shorts nearly reached my knees and they just looked awkward on me. These were a return.

Papermoon Reece Mixed Material Top ($38)

I really liked this top! It was a fun color and print, although the sleeve style (cap sleeves) wasn’t my favorite. I’d prefer either a sleeveless shirt or one with longer sleeves. But I’m willing to overlook that one flaw because I love the way this shirt fits and it felt comfortable on me, so I opted to keep it.

Daniel Rainn Quin Keyhole Crochet Top ($64)

Man, I had so many mixed feelings about this top! When I first put it on, I didn’t love it. I’m not keen on wearing white because it seems to “show” everything in a way that darker colors do not. (Perhaps my own fatphobic tendencies rearing their head there!) But I did really like the style, the fun crochet detailing, and the way it fit me. It was flattering in every other way! (Looking at the Stitch Fix website, there are lots of other colors for this top. If only my stylist had opted for another color!) Ultimately, I had to decide if I wanted to spend $64 on this top and eh, I didn’t. It was a return.

Pink Clover Daisee Knit Tee ($32)

I’m always looking for great casual tees, and this one was perfect! And with a fun detail of a lining of buttons up the back, the style is just a little bit fancier than a typical casual tee. Also, I think horizontal stripes are supposed to be slimming? Always a plus! As the cheapest item in my box, this was an easy keep.

Daniel Rainn Becru Lace Detail Blouse ($68)

Oh man, I was so excited to pull this blouse out of the box. It was beautiful and stylish and the more black lace blouses I can have in my wardrobe, the better. When I put it on, I was so happy to see that it fit great. Unfortunately, the problem with the shirt is the neckline: It was so itchy! It irritated my skin and just felt uncomfortable, so sadly, I had to return it. What a bummer!

All in all, not my most successful Fix to date but I got two great shirts to add to my wardrobe and I’m considering purchasing the keyhole crochet top in a different color (that $64 price tag is just making me hesitate, gah!). I’ve scheduled another Fix for mid-December and I asked for some cold-weather essentials. Or, Florida cold-weather essentials, haha. I asked for a pair of booties (after seeing Kim get a pair in her last Fix and loving them!), a light jacket or cardigan, and some long-sleeved casual tees. Here’s hoping it’s a 5/5 Fix!

Categories: About Me

What’s In My Bag?

I’ve seen these “What’s In My Bag?” posts floating around since the dawn of blogging, but I’ve never done one myself because I used to carry really small purses that only held a wallet, my phone, and my keys. But I recently upgraded my bag to something bigger because I wanted it to carry more of my life and ensure I’m ready for (almost) any emergency.  And I think it might be semi-interesting to go through it with you guys! So let’s do that.

This is the purse I’m using now. I got it at T.J. Maxx for, like, $25. It’s Jessica Simpson and I like it because it’s big enough to fit my life and has some great little compartments to stuff my keys and phone in. Mainly, I use one of the side pockets for my keys and throw my phone in the bigger section. The purse came with two straps, too: a long one to wear the purse as a crossbody and a short one to wear it slung over your shoulder. At first, I wore it as a crossbody but lately, I’ve just been using the shorter strap and I really like it.

Let’s go through what’s in my bag:

  1. Tiny umbrella – I love this little umbrella; it’s definitely come in handy more than a few times! It’s small, so it doesn’t take up a ton of space in my purse, but it opens up to a nice-sized umbrella (but wouldn’t fit more than one person).
  2. Face mask – While I have been going maskless indoors, I still keep a face mask in my purse at all times just in case I come across a business requiring it. (Although I may start wearing face masks indoors again, as this Delta variant is no joke!)
  3. Warby Parker prescription sunglasses – I always have my trusty prescription sunglasses with me! My eyes are so sensitive to light that I even wear sunglasses when it’s cloudy outside.
  4. Wallet – Another TJ Maxx find! Actually, I think my mom found this first and was going to get it, but she found one she liked better. Yay for me! I love this little wallet. It’s small and compact, but opens up to a nice-sized card organizer and I can fit all I need in there.
  5. Keys – Nothing too exciting here. I loved having a wrist-sized lanyard for my keys since it makes hanging them up (and finding them in my purse!) so much easier. I just bought this one, replacing the other one I had for, like, 3 years?! I was well overdue.
  6. Necessities pouch – I’ll go through this pouch in greater detail below!
  7. Responsibility pouch – Ditto.

I wasn’t sure what to label my brown pouch; it’s just a zippered pouch where I put necessities that I don’t want to get lost in the depths of my purse. So, “necessities pouch” it is. In this pouch, I have:

  1. An extra mask, which used to be my “emergency mask” for those times when I walked into a store and forgot my mask in the car
  2. An Invisibobble hair tie because what’s worse than needing to pull your hair up and not having any way to do so?!
  3. A microfiber cloth to quickly clean sunglasses or eyeglasses
  4. Gum because priorities
  5. Sunglasses (non-prescription) that I wear when I have my contacts in

My “responsibility pouch” has a silly name, but it’s something I read about years ago in a book: that you should keep a waterproof, zippered pouch in your purse at all times with all kinds of supplies you need when you’re out and about. Here’s what this pouch consists of now:

  1. Cleansing cloths for the times when I just need to refresh my face
  2. Eyeglass wipes for the times when my glasses are looking grimy
  3. Hand sanitizer, because duh
  4. Advil, because there’s nothing worse than having a terrible headache when I’m far from home
  5. Tampons, just in case my period hits at an unfortunate time
  6. Rewetting drops for contacts because dry contacts are miserable to deal with
  7. Eyedrops for those times when my eyes start watering for no good reason

And that’s what’s in my bag! My bag is also big enough that I can throw in my Kindle or a large hardcover book if I don’t want to be without reading material while out and about. One needs a purse big enough to fit both, I think.

Categories: About Me

Stitch Fix | June 2021

I ordered another Stitch Fix box this month (my last one was in March and I have been eagerly anticipating this delivery!) I asked for summery-type clothes, stuff that I could wear during our long, humid summers. I was also looking for some new shorts because I only really have one pair of shorts that fit me right now, and that’s definitely not enough! Unfortunately, this box wasn’t a total hit for me, but I did keep some great items that I’ve already worn a few times since getting this delivery (which was about 10 days ago).

Item #1: West Kei Knot Detail Blouse ($42)

I wasn’t sure how I felt about this top at first. I like my shirts to be a little longer in front than this one is, but I loved the bold color and it felt really good on me. It’s lightweight and since I mainly wear t-shirts or tank tops these days, it’s something a little more fun and flirty to wear when I want to be fancy. Originally, I put this shirt in my return pile because I wasn’t overly impressed. I put it on for the first time to take the picture and then twice more to decide if I wanted to keep or return it. Ultimately, this was a keep. (Surprise?!)

Item #2: STS Blue High-Rise Capris ($59)

I immediately knew that these jeans weren’t going to work for me. For one, capris are never the right length for me and, as you can see in this picture, these are ankle-length on me and they just have an awkward fit. For another, ripped jeans? What am I, 16?! I put these on and immediately said, “Nope!” These were an easy return.

Item #3: STS Blue Cut-Off Distressed Shorts ($45)

I really liked the way these shorts felt on me when I tried them on. They fit easily over my waist and weren’t too tight anywhere. So I immediately decided to keep them. I’ve worn them a few times since then and I don’t know if I love them as much as I thought I did. I think I was just happy that they felt good, but didn’t pay attention if they looked good on my frame. I’m heavier on top than bottom (I have serious chicken legs, and I’m not complaining) and I do better with slim-fit shorts that mold a bit more to my thighs. These just fan out from my thighs and just make me feel, well, frumpy. Oh well, these can be my “I’m feeling frumpy and I don’t care” jeans, I guess.

Item #4: TOMS Classic Printed Alpargata Espadrilles ($59)

I love TOMS shoes—they’re one of the few I can wear for miles and miles and my feet won’t cramp. And I really liked these shoes but they were hard to walk around in as the back of the shoe rubbed against the back of my foot uncomfortably. I know TOMS take some time to break in, but I just couldn’t fathom ever wearing these shoes enough to do that. They were too painful! So they were a return.

Item $5: Fortune + Ivy Mixed Material Blouse ($38)

I loved this shirt! It’s such a beautiful blue color that I would never select for myself and it fits me perfectly. I love the way it drapes over my hips in a flattering way. It’s just perfect! The mixed material of the shirt is that most of the front is a silky material and right below the shoulders (in the picture on the right, you can see a horizontal line right below my left shoulder and that’s where the material switches) and down the back, it’s cotton. I didn’t even have to think about this one: keep.

***

In the end, I paid around $114 for two shirts and a pair of shorts, which is a lot more than I typically pay for clothes. (A few days after going through this delivery, I bought two pairs of shorts and four shirts from Old Navy for $70, lol.) So I’m going back and forth on whether or not I want to continue with Stitch Fix. I signed up to get another box in September and I plan to reevaluate if I want to keep doing it after seeing what’s in that delivery. It’s not cheap, but it’s also super fun to have a stylist pick out clothes for me! So, we’ll see!

Categories: About Me

Reading Habits (v. 3)

Every few years, I like to spend a week tracking the time I spend reading to see if I notice any trends or changes I can make to my reading life. I did this for the first time in 2014, then again in 2018, and I spent last week tracking my reading time to see how things have changed. Here are some things I noticed that I used to do to get extra reading time throughout my day that I no longer do:

  • I used to read whenever I was in the bathroom. This is probably TMI, but this is a habit I picked up as a kid (I used to keep a library book on the back of the toilet and would only read that book when I was in the bathroom) and only when looking over my 2014 post did I realize I stopped doing that.
  • I used to read on my lunch break, but now I either take a nap, do chores, or fall down Internet rabbit holes.
  • I don’t always read during my bubble baths, which is something that used to be a staple for me. Usually, I’ll play Candy Crush while listening to a podcast.

Another change I noticed from this experiment is that I read a lot less on weekdays. I’ve actually become one of those adults who only reads right before bed now. (I’m so sorry, Younger Steph, who shuddered at being a boring adult who had actual RESPONSIBILITIES and couldn’t read copiously throughout the day.)

So, without further ado, here is how the week shook out for me:

Monday, June 14

  • 9:11pm-9:54pm: Malibu Rising (49 pages), The Count of Monte Cristo (1 issue)

Total reading time: 43 minutes

Thoughts: The only reading time I managed today was right before bed, but I was able to get in an issue of TCoMC as well as knock out almost 50 pages of Malibu Rising, so I’m considering it a win. I try to read at least 50 pages per day on weekdays!

Tuesday, June 15

  • 11:01am-11:56am: Glass Houses (10%)
  • 12:25pm-12:54pm: Glass Houses (5%)
  • 9:38pm-10:12pm: The Intimacy Experiment (42 pages)

Total reading time: 1 hour, 58 minutes

Thoughts: I started an audiobook today (Glass Houses)! I was able to listen to 15% of it during my day: while I was doing a brainless work task, while making lunch, and when I took a quick break to put together a shelf that just got delivered (one of those Target cube bookshelves; this is the fourth one I’ve put together and I’m an old pro at them now.) The only other reading I did was right before bed, so if I wasn’t listening to my audiobook, that would have been the only reading I got done that day! Praise be to audiobooks. (Typically for audiobooks, since I also love listening to podcasts and always have a very full queue, I try to listen to at least 1 hour a day of the book—sometimes 2 hours, if it’s a longer audiobook like Glass Houses was. I listen on 1.75x speed, though, so it’s never a full hour. For example, today, I listened to 2 hours of Glass Houses but it amounted to less than an hour-and-a-half of reading time.)

Wednesday, June 16

  • 10:59am-11:08am: Glass Houses (2%)
  • 11:12am-11:18am: Glass Houses (1%)
  • 11:31am-11:36am: Glass Houses (1%)
  • 12:30pm-12:41pm: Glass Houses (2%)
  • 1:07pm-1:15pm: Glass Houses (1%)
  • 6:18pm-6:35pm: The Count of Monte Cristo (2 issues)
  • 9:06pm-9:34pm: The Intimacy Experiment (17 pages), Malibu Rising (21 pages)

Total reading time: 1 hour, 24 minutes

Thoughts: I ran some errands today during my lunch break and I listened to my audiobook while driving around town. I only got through 4% of my book but that’s 4% more than I would have otherwise! I also listened to my audiobook while playing Happy Color on my phone (still obsessed with this app!) and tidying up my apartment during a work break. And then the only other reading I did (other than TCoMC) was at night! I switched between my romance (The Intimacy Experiment) and my fiction book (Malibu Rising).

Thursday, June 17

  • 6:52am-7:27am: Glass Houses (6%)
  • 8:04am-8:21am: Glass Houses (3%)
  • 8:49am-8:55am: Glass Houses (1%)
  • 10:10am-10:27am: Glass Houses (3%)
  • 5:16pm-5:31pm: The Count of Monte Cristo (2 issues)
  • 9:13pm-9:28pm: Malibu Rising (21 pages)

Total reading time: 1 hour, 45 minutes

Thoughts: I got in a lot of early-morning audiobook time, as I went for a walk this morning. I also listened while showering, getting ready for the day, and puttering around (making breakfast, feeding the girls, doing my skincare routine, etc.) And tonight, I was exhausted so I only read for 15 minutes! Yet again, audiobooks FTW because without them, I would have barely gotten any reading time in today!

Friday, June 18

  • 6:39am-7:22am: Glass Houses (8%)
  • 2:32pm-2:52pm: The Intimacy Experiment (25 pages)
  • 7:09pm-7:45pm: Malibu Rising (50 pages)
  • 9:02pm-9:15pm: The Count of Monte Cristo (2 issues)
  • 10:37pm-11:11pm: The Intimacy Experiment (46 pages)

Total reading time: 2 hours, 26 minutes

Thoughts: Another early morning of audiobook listening. I’ve started waking up around 6 on Fridays so I can get started on work a bit sooner (and since I get to take a nap every Friday, it’s no biggie!) I spent the morning puttering around my apartment, eating breakfast, and playing games on my phone. I read for about 20 minutes in the afternoon before taking a nap and had a reading date with a friend in the evening! We ended up spending more time chit-chatting than reading, but that’s never a bad thing! And then there’s my usual evening reading: some issues of TCoMC and my “before bed” reading time.

Saturday, June 19

  • 8:18am-9:01am: Glass Houses (8%)
  • 9:36am-9:58am: Glass Houses (4%)
  • 10:49am-11:06am: Glass Houses (3%)
  • 11:07am-11:46am: The Intimacy Experiment (54 pages)
  • 11:55am-12:02pm: Glass Houses (2%)
  • 1:10pm-1:33pm: Malibu Rising (36 pages)
  • 9:34pm-10:06pm: Malibu Rising (58 pages)
  • 11:00pm-11:40pm: Malibu Rising (70 pages)

Total reading time: 3 hours, 43 minutes

Thoughts: Busy reading day! I love weekends. A lot of this was audiobook time: I listened while making breakfast, playing games on my phone, going on a short walk, showering, getting ready, doing some chores, etc. I also finished up The Intimacy Experiment while lying on the couch after I took a shower. And the rest of my day was spent finishing Malibu Rising! I read some of it before I took a nap, and then laid on the couch reading while waiting for laundry to finish washing so I could transfer it to the dryer. Then I did my nighttime routine and snuggled in bed to finish Malibu Rising!

Sunday, June 20

  • 12:04pm-12:36pm: Glass Houses (6%)
  • 12:45pm-12:56pm: People We Meet on Vacation (12 pages)
  • 10:07pm-10:40pm: People We Meet on Vacation (19 pages), The Count of Monte Cristo (2 issues)

Total reading time: 1 hour, 16 minutes

Thoughts: I usually read a lot more on Sundays, but that was not the case today! Maybe it’s because I started a new book? Anyway, I got in a bit of audiobook-listening time while unloading my groceries, doing laundry, and tidying up the apartment. Then, I read a bit before I took a nap and again before bedtime. Nothing too crazy to report here!

***

So that’s a regular week of reading for me in a nutshell! All in all, I spent more than 13 hours reading: 6 hours of that was audiobook listening and 7 hours (and 13 minutes) was reading physical books/ebooks. My longest reading period was the 55 minutes I spent listening to my audiobook (but I was working, so I can’t say I was fully engaged, haha). My longest non-audiobook reading period was the 43 minutes I spent reading before bed on Monday.

In my previous reading updates, I was someone who spent a lot of time reading in short periods of 15 minutes or less, but I find myself doing that less frequently now. Now, if I have 10 minutes to myself, I’ll probably just get my phone and open Happy Color and my latest podcast episode. Is this a problem? Should I start limiting how much time I spend playing games on my phone? (Probably; those screentime reports are always embarrassing.) One thing I have restarted is reading a book in the bathroom! (Sorry to get TMI again.) It’s nice to read a few pages of my book throughout the day, rather than being on my phone. And maybe I’ll get back to lunchtime reading again. It would be much more refreshing to sit on my patio and read for 30 minutes, rather than scrolling through Reddit. I know the cats would be happy about it! And I really do miss sneaking in reading time throughout the day. It just doesn’t feel natural to me to only read before bed!

This experiment was fun to do and who knows, maybe I’ll do it again a few years from now, and my reading life will look entirely different again! That’s what’s so fun about doing these posts. 🙂

Where/when do you get most of your reading done?

Categories: About Me

My Current Skincare Routine

I’ve been wanting to write this post for a long time, but I forced myself to wait until I was in a consistent skincare routine for at least six months so I could give some honest thoughts about the products I’m using and my routine in general. And since I started following a skincare routine in December of last year, that means it’s time! (I want to preface this post by saying none of the links in this post are affiliate links. You can feel safe clicking, ha!)

I’ll start by talking about my skin. There are five things I’m addressing with a skincare routine:

  • Oiliness – My skin is naturally oily, which is why I have to constantly reapply powder whenever I wear foundation. (I get so shiny by mid-day!) I want to be able to control the shine somehow.
  • Breakouts – There’s not much skincare can do for my breakouts since they’re hormonal (I always get 1-2 pimples around my period), but I would like to lessen their severity if possible.
  • Skin redness – My esthetician told me that I have very fair skin with red undertones, which is why my face can get red and splotchy throughout the day. This is why I never went to work without my foundation in place because it never failed, every time I went without, someone would ask me why my face was so red. Ugh.
  • Acne scars – All of the experts were right: I definitely came to regret popping and picking at my zits. I have dark spots all over my face (mostly around my chin and jawline) from old acne scars and they drive me crazy.
  • Aging – I’m 33 so it’s time to think about anti-aging products.

When I decided to get serious about skincare in December, I started by buying Murad Acne Control Clarifying Cleanser, OleHenriksen Balancing Force Oil Control Toner, and Murad Skin Perfecting Moisturizer. I enjoyed all three products, but I eventually switched over to Paula’s Choice since everyone raved about them. I also listened to an episode of 10 Things to Tell You with Jamie Golden, who talked all about her skincare routine. Jamie is the queen of skincare and I learned so much from that episode. I scribbled down notes the whole time and listened to it twice to be sure I didn’t miss anything.

I want to echo what Jamie said at the end of that episode, too, which is that you don’t need to have a skincare routine if you don’t want to. And having a skincare routine is the ultimate privilege because, at this point, I’m spending upwards of $100 per month on products—and that’s something I definitely couldn’t have afforded earlier in my life. But now I can and, more importantly, I want to do this for myself. If you don’t care about this stuff, that’s absolutely fine! You do you. For me, I genuinely enjoy learning all about skincare and products to use, and I find the 10 minutes I take at the beginning and end of every day to take care of my face to be incredibly rewarding.

So, without further ado, here is what my skincare routine looks like right now:

Step 0: Pre-cleanse (only at night)

I only ever do a pre-cleanse (or double cleanse) at night and only on days I wear makeup. I just feel like my face needs a little extra cleansing whenever I’ve slathered foundation into my pores. I use Palmer’s Skin Therapy Cleansing Oil, and it’s pretty good. I feel like my face feels really clean after I use it.

Step 1: Cleanse

Right now, I’m using Paula’s Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser, which is for acne-prone skin. I’m in the process of switching over to their Redness Relief line to see if that makes an impact on my redness. But I like their cleansers. They just feel so good going on!

Step 2: Toner

Toner always feels so good on my face after I cleanse, because my face can feel a little tight afterward. I started using Paula’s Choice CALM Redness Relief Toner last week, although I was using the CLEAR line before and liked it. It feels really soothing on my face with none of that stinging sensation that some toners have.

Step 3: Exfoliate (only at night)

I skip this step in the morning, as I don’t think it’s necessary to do it twice a day. I use Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant and it does an excellent job at unclogging my pores (my esthetician rarely has to do any extractions during my facials!) It’s gentle and soothing and I really like it!

Step 4: Mask (once a week, at night)

Once a week, I do a face mask. I typically just buy something that strikes my fancy at Target; I love their collection of $2 or $3 face masks! I’m currently using up a clay mask sample from Freeman and also really like Yes to Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Face Mask. Both leave my skin feeling so soft!

Step 5: Niacinamide serum

One of the main things I learned from Jamie Golden’s episode on 10 Things to Tell You is all about serums, which is an area of skincare I hadn’t explored. Basically, every skincare routine should include vitamin A (retinol), vitamin B (niacinamide), and vitamin C. All of the serums I use come from Paula’s Choice and while they can be pricey (a .67-ounce bottle of Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster is $44), it’s not something you’ll have to buy too often.

The main benefits of niacinamide are anti-aging, reducing pores/fine lines, reducing redness, and brightening skin and I have to say, I do think I’ve seen a difference in my skin since I’ve started using it.

Step 6: Retinol (only at night)

Everyone’s talking about retinol these days, but it’s probably the most important part of any skincare routine if you’re concerned about aging. I learned from Jamie that retinol must be added veeeery slowly to your skincare routine. (Retinol is basically stripping away old skin cells to form new ones, which can be quite the process!) It’s not something to do every day at first. For me, since I have sensitive skin, I started with once a week for about a month and then moved up to twice a week, three times a week, and so on. I’m still not ready to use it every day, so right now, I’m putting it on every third day. Hopefully, I can move that up to every other day soon, but I’m still feeling a stinging sensation the morning after I use it when I put on my moisturizer. I’m not sure if it’s the product (I use Paula’s Choice CLINICAL 1% Retinol Treatment) or just my skin sensitivity.

Step 7: Vitamin C serum

I use Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster (it has 15% vitamin C) and while most skincare experts say you only need to use it once a day (in the morning), I use it twice a day so I can get the most bang for my buck with its benefits (evens out skin tone, brightens skin, fights signs of aging, etc.)

Step 8: Moisturizer

I use two different moisturizers, as my morning moisturizer has SPF (which is a must if you’re using retinol/serums, as your skin is going to be much more sensitive to UV rays) and my evening one does not. I’m using up my bottle of Paula’s Choice RESIST Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Moisturizer with SPF 50 and then will switch over to Paula’s Choice CALM Redness Relief SPF 30 Mineral Moisturizer; that’s obviously my morning moisturizer. In the evenings, I’m using Paula’s Choice CLEAR Oil-Free Moisturizer.

Step 9: Eye cream (only at night)

I don’t use eye cream faithfully because I don’t know how much I believe that these products work. And I only use sampler—whatever comes in my Ipsy bag or if I can add on a sample for free in my Paula’s Choice order. Currently, I’m using Paula’s Choice CLINICAL Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream, which I got for free in one of my orders.

Step 10: Spot treatment

Whenever I feel a zit coming on, I’ll dab on spot treatment. I use ClarityRx ClearZit On The Spot Blemish Control, which is what my esthetician recommended for me and this stuff works. It comes with an applicator that looks like a lip gloss brush and it usually dries up the zit fast. I get whiteheads or pustules (painful red bumps that take for-freaking-ever to go away). It doesn’t work quite as well on the pustules but is very effective for whiteheads.

As a recap, here’s what my routine looks like in the morning vs. nighttime:

Morning

  • Cleanser
  • Toner
  • Niacinamide
  • Vitamin C
  • Moisturizer with SPF
  • Spot treatment (as needed)

Night

  • Cleanser (double-cleanse on days I wear makeup)
  • Toner
  • Exfoliator
  • Face mask (once a week)
  • Niacinamide
  • Retinol
  • Vitamin C
  • Moisturizer
  • Eye cream (when I remember to do it; usually 1-3 times a week)
  • Spot treatment (as needed)

If this seems like a lot of work, it can be! I am not faithful to my routine every night, but I have been surprised that it’s something I do about 90% of the time. Maybe it’s because I’m spending so much on skincare these days that I don’t want my products to go to waste! But it’s also something I enjoy. I put on a podcast, bring out all of my supplies, and go to town. It’s a soothing routine for me!

What does your skincare routine look like? (No judgment! I’d love to know what yours looks like, even though I know it won’t look like mine and that is just fine!)