How much does your daily beauty routine cost? Welcome to The Klog’s Beauty Diaries. Inspired by Refinery29’s Money Diaries, we thought it would be fun to recap a day in the life of people with different occupations and highlight their beauty routines. Here, we feature a meeting and marketing manager who shares parts of her routine with her daughter.
Age: 38
Occupation: Meeting & Marketing Manager
Industry: Association Event Planning
Location: Mechanicsburg, PA
Full Disclosure: I didn’t want to let you guys down, so I promised myself that I would not have a #lazygirl day, and commit to my normal skin care/beauty routine. Are there days that I don’t wear makeup? Yes. Are there days where I smear on three layers of toner after a single step cleanse and call it a day? Definitely. I’m a busy, working mom after all, and after a long day of work and having to deal with a grouchy 6-year-old’s temper tantrum, sometimes, “I don’t wanna” either.
5:45 a.m. – Alarm is faintly buzzing in my dreams…hit snooze.
6 a.m. – Is that an alarm I hear? Hit snooze again.
6:15 a.m. – After overcoming my denial that I seriously need to get out of bed, I stumble to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I’m running late, so my morning skin care routine is straight to the point. Quick one-step cleanse with Missha’s Near Skin Ph Balancing Cleansing Foam, and while my skin dries, check in on my daughter to make sure that she’s officially out of bed and that the outfit that she chose actually matches today. Next up, two quick skins of Klairs Supple Preparation Toner, and I head back to the bedroom to change into something presentable to wear to work.
6:30 a.m. – Call “dibs” on the bathroom, as my husband impatiently waits for me to finish getting ready. Head back to the bathroom to apply Goodal’s Moisture Barrier Eye Cream and COSRX’s Oil-Free Moisturizing Lotion.
6:33 a.m. – While my moisturizers soak in, I head downstairs with my bags and laptop to pour a cup of coffee, grab my lunch, give big hugs and kisses to my husband and daughter, and head out the door.
6:40 a.m. – While my car is warming up—yes it’s still freezing here in April—I prime my T-zone and chin with NARS Pore & Shine Control Primer SPF 50 and the remainder of my face with NARS Radiance Primer SPF 35 and allow that to soak in during my drive to work.
7:10 a.m. – Arrive at work. Set up my laptop, grab my makeup bag, coffee mug, and lunch, and head down the hallway. Put my lunch in the fridge and brew a pot of coffee.
7:15 a.m. – With my makeup bag in hand, I head to the restroom. I start with a quick spritz of Neogen’s H2 Dermadeca Serum Spray and follow with CLE’s Essence Moonlighter Cushion in Glinting Buff (which I received complimentary in an Allure Beauty Box)—on my cheekbones and up towards my temples. This highlighter is pretty fierce, but if you apply it under a foundation or a skin tint, it provides this amazing, subtle glow. I follow by patting in the NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SP 30 in St. Moritz on my entire face with my fingers and Missha’s The Original Tension Pact (Intense Moisture SPF37/PA) Frida Kahlo Edition in No. 27 as an under-eye concealer and to my T-zone for a little bit of extra coverage, and also because my tinted moisturizer is a tad too dark for me (I’m in denial of how light I am right now).
I add a super quick pop of color on my cheeks with NARS Liquid Blush in Orgasm, fill in the sparse areas of my brows with Anastasia Brow Wiz Pencil in Dark Brown, add a coat of Benefit’s BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara, and add a bit of NARS Light Reflecting Pressed Setting Powder to my T-zone with Japonesque’s Kumadori Powder Brush, which I’m not a big fan of because it sheds more than my dog. While I love a glass skin, glowing look, my combination skin does not, so I tend to keep the glow away from the center of my face. The NARS setting power is amazing at eliminating shine, but not making my skin look super-matte.
7:25 a.m. – Back to my office, fresh cup of coffee in hand. Spritz with more Neogen Serum Spray.
8 a.m. – Finished catching up on emails and my first cup of coffee, and realized that I forgot lip balm. I apply Too Cool For School’s Dinoplatz Lip Balm in Melony Peony that I scored from Marshall’s for only $3.99. I love this stuff; it smells amazing.
11:07 a.m. – This dry heat in the office is torture. Spritz on more Neogen Serum Spray and more Dinoplatz balm.
12:46 p.m. – More lip balm…
6:30 p.m. – I’ve managed to have another productive, busy day at work, stopped for groceries (and wine), my daughter’s homework is done, and dinner’s ready.
6:35 p.m. – Set my daughter up “picnic-style” on my bed with an after-dinner treat and turn her favorite movie on so I can jump into the shower.
6:50 p.m. – While I wet my hair, I double-cleanse with E Nature’s Moringa Cleansing Balm and Missha’s Ph Balancing Cleansing Foam. I then double-cleanse my hair with British M’s Ethic Shampoo (you get a better lather if you shampoo twice) and then it’s hair mask time. I have really dry hair, so I only wash every three days, alternating between a moisturizing hair mask and Briogeo’s Charcoal + Coconut Micro-Exfoliating Shampoo. Today, it’s moisture, so I use Amika’s Soulfood Nourishing Mask, another great find at Marshalls for only $12.99, simply because Amika re-branded the packaging.
While my hair marinates, I wash and shave with Shea Moisture’s Peace Rose Oil Complex Sensitive Crème Body Wash, which I’m seriously afraid that they’ve discontinued. I found this at Marshalls for $4.99, so I bought all four bottles on the shelf. My legs are really dry and sensitive, so this crème wash is perfect, and it actually smells like fresh cut roses. Rinse off the Amika hair mask to find buttery-soft hair and my eight minutes of peace and solitude in the shower has officially ended.
7 p.m. – Pat off my skin with a towel while my face air dries. Apply the Body Shop’s Moringa Body Butter which I purchased in a 13.5 oz. tub for only $7.99 from TJMaxx (seeing a trend here?) and Inhibitif Deodorant. I’ve only used this deodorant twice, so I’m not sure about the results yet, but if this stuff works and I don’t have to shave my armpits every day, I’m a happy girl.
7:10 p.m. – Ask my daughter to get ready for bed. Like many 6-year olds, it’s like pulling teeth asking her to wash her face, and brush her teeth and hair, but if I include her in my evening skin care routine, she’s game. While she’s putting on her pajamas and brushing her teeth, I comb my hair with Paul Mitchell’s Detangler Comb and then evenly distribute two drops of British M’s Organics Annatto Hair Oil to my hair. I want my scalp to be as healthy as my skin, so I add three generous drops of Briogeo’s Charcoal + Tea Tree Scalp Treatment and massage into my scalp.
7:15 p.m. – We get “skin-care-ready” with our Memebox I Dew Care Headbands. After I’ve rinsed any remaining hair oil from my hands, I swipe a Klairs Toner Mate 2 in 1 Cotton Pad soaked with Acwell’s Licorice pH Balancing Cleansing Toner all over my face. I follow up with a small handful of Missha’s Time Revolution First Treatment Essence and pat into my skin. I typically use the newer version, Intensive Moist, but since Missha reformulated, Target had the original formula on clearance for $24.99!
While that soaks in, I help my daughter rinse her face with water and then apply Cetaphil’s Gentle Skin Cleanser. After rinsing, she pats her skin dry with her hands (I’m such a proud mama) while I press three layers of Klairs Supple Preparation Toner into my skin, focusing on my cheeks and cheek bones. I help daughter apply a thin layer of Cetaphil’s Daily Facial Moisturizer, a thick coat of Aquaphor’s Healing Ointment to her lips, send her to her room to pick out a bedtime book to read, and I’m ready for the final steps of my nighttime skin care routine.
7:30 p.m. – I apply my latest skin care concoction: a pea-sized amount of First Aid Beauty’s Eye Duty Triple Remedy with a drop of The Ordinary’s Caffeine Solution 5% EGCG. Next up, I apply COXRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid to my T-zone.
8 p.m. – Sheet mask with Leaders’ Brightening Recovery Mask. Put laundry away, clean up the kitchen, and pack tomorrow’s lunches while my sheet mask works its magic.
8:20 p.m. – Greet my husband with slimy sheet mask kisses as he walks through the door. Remove sheet mask and scrape every bit of serum out of the packaging, patting onto my neck and arms.
8:45 p.m. – Dry my hair with Milk Makeup’s Hair Dryer, which I got on sale a couple of months ago for only $30. I live for the thrill of finding a good bargain…
10:30 p.m. – I brush my teeth and apply a thin layer COSRX’s Ultimate Nourishing Rice Overnight Mask. I dab The Ordinary’s 100% Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil on my cuticles, smear on a thick coat of Nooni’s Lip Mask, and snuggle up for some late-night TV (binge-watching The Chef’s Table again).
Daily Total: $911.02
Skin care: $345.06
Makeup: $308.99
Hair, Nails, Body: $256.97
+ What do you think of the bargain’s this mom got in this Beauty Diaries? Who should we feature next? Let us know in the comments!
