I do not know about you, but my morning routine is essential to get my day started. I am a type A person, so I like to have a routine which I keep the same. Because I love, even need, to be so organized, I would consider my morning routine a self-care necessity.
When I skip out on a major step in my routine, I feel far more sluggish and lazy. Additionally, I almost always have a slower start to my day and am far less productive. Getting my days started out right is a must. My morning routine laid out simply includes brushing my teeth, skin care, sometimes makeup, getting dressed, taking care of my bearded dragon, and finally, getting breakfast and caffeine. Let’s look deeper into my morning routine and all the amazing products I use
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Step One: Brush Teeth
You could say that I am very adamant. I am adamant that I brush my teeth first thing every single morning. I can’t really get anything else done if I don’t. This is because I HATE the feeling that my mouth is dirty and my breath stinks. I don’t drink coffee, so, I don’t have to worry about staining at all.
My Tooth Story
According to my dentist, I have thick saliva (sounds gross right??). Having thick saliva means that my teeth require more effort while brushing to get clean. He recommends that I use a nice electric toothbrush.
So, I went to the grocery store and picked up a cheap store brand electric toothbrush. It wasn’t amazing but it did the job. Until my sister knocked it off the counter and it broke. I used a regular toothbrush for a while then I discovered Quip. I actually really enjoyed quip and its convenience. It’s a nice cheap option.
However, Smile Brilliant contacted me to see if I was interested in working with them again (I worked with them on teeth whitening before, read here). I enjoyed the teeth whitening. But, at my last dentist visit, my dentist recommended that I don’t use any more whiteners explaining that I have very white teeth and he doesn’t want my teeth’s strength compromised.
I was sad to tell Smile Brilliant that I could not work with them again. However, this time they wanted to know if I’d be interested in trying out their electric toothbrush. I was ecstatic, and I still am.
My Toothbrush
When I received my cariPRO Ultrasonic toothbrush, I was pumped to have a high-end electric toothbrush finally. The cariPRO has five settings, clean, white, massage, gum care, and sensitive. My favorite setting is white, but massage is probably a close second. I have strong teeth, so the more gentle gum care and sensitive settings don’t work for me. They would be fantastic if I had sensitive teeth or gums! The clean setting is slightly slower than clean, so I also enjoyed that setting.
In addition to the cool settings, the toothbrush lasts forever! I charged it when I first got it about two weeks ago; I haven’t needed to charge it yet! The charging stand makes charging easy, but the battery life makes charging such a rare task.
Since I already have pretty white teeth, the before and after comparison is nothing noticeable. However, for my teeth, this is good! The cariPRO has kept up with my dental hygiene swimmingly and leaves my mouth feeling phenomenal every time I brush!
Flossing
I am really bad about flossing, but I know it’s important. So, I try to remember to floss every morning. I do this by making my floss very visible and palcing it right by my tooth brush. I’d say I’m succeessful 50% of the time. However, 50% is always better than none at all!
Step Two: Wash My Face & Make-Up
The next step in my morning routine is to wash my face and (sometimes) put makeup on. Every single morning I use a cleanser, serum, and moisturizer on my face. My skin care routine immensely helps me to feel fresh and clean to get my morning started. I do not have any skin problems to note, so skin care has never been about cleanliness for me. However, I do love to feel fresh and washing my face helps me to feel like I am getting a fresh start.
Then, when I finish washing my face, I sometimes put on make-up. Since I work from home most of the time, I won't put on make-up. My only problems are short blonde lashes and dark circles under my eyes. So, most of the time my make-up routine consists of mascara and a mineral powder foundation. If my circles are particularly dark, I’ll use concealer.
Products I Use & How You Can Get Them
The products I use, are all part of Younique’s new YOU-OLOGY personalized skin-care line. These products are personalized to your skincare needs. You can manually personalize them or you can take the quiz to allow Younique to personalize them for you. I allow the quiz to create my products.
Cleanse
First, I cleanse my face. I boosted my cleanser using replenishment, oil-control, and exfoliating. My first round had pore diminishing instead of exfoliating, but Younique sold out when I went to re-order. I love exfoliating cleansers, so I just swapped. After I lather my face and rinse, I pat my face dry with a clean towel. I keep a white towel in the bathroom that is for ONLY my face.
Serum
Next, I use the serum. My serum is boosted using Firming, Brightening, and Glow. I always make sure that I use the serum and moisturizers on my neck as well for aging.
Moisturize
Last, I use my moisturizer. YOU-OLOGY comes with two moisturizers. One for daytime and one for nighttime. While we are talking about my morning routine, I will detail both moisturizers here for you just in case you were curious. I boosted my daytime moisturizer with Pore diminishing, Tinting, and Environmental shield. While I boosted my night cream with Hydrating, Puffiness reducing, and Time correcting.
When I finish with skincare, I might put my contact in. Though sometimes I prefer to wear my glasses instead.
Make-Up (Sometimes)
Next, I might put on my make-up. My make-up routine is fairly simple. If I decide I need makeup, I will always use two products. I use Epic Mascara and A Mineral Power Foundation. Occasionally, I might use concealer under my eyes. Again, I recommend browsing Younique or talking to me directly if you are interested.
I generally use the Epic mascara. However, if I am feeling bold, I will use the whole 3D Fiber Lash Enhancing kit. I love how these products give my eyelashes some oomph!
Because I am messy with my mascara, I will ALWAYS have to clean up my mess afterward.
Then, If I feel like it, I'll add concealer. I am the lightest shade, naturally. But there are quite a few shades to choose from! If I don't add concealer (and if I do), I will use a Mineral Powder Foundation all over my face and under my eyes.
Vuala! I am done!
Step Three: Getting Dressed
This next step is the hardest most complex step. Just kidding, next I just get dressed. Getting dressed is important for all of the obvious reasons. But I find that once I have finished the first two steps I am generally pretty cold, so my main objective is to warm up and be prepared for the day. I work for home, so this step is pretty basic.
Step Four: Say ‘Good Morning’ to Fella & Feed Him
Next, I have a Bearded Dragon named Fella. His lights automatically turn on at 8 AM; however, he is not a morning fella so when I come around to say good morning he is usually still trying to sleep. I won’t let him sleep in though, so I drop him a couple of crickets so that he can get his morning exercise in. While he is wiping the crusties from is eyes to find his tasty crickets, I will grab him some fresh greens, which he won't eat until lunchtime at least. He usually opts for his dish of dried bugs for breakfast.
This step in my morning routine is actually really important for my self-care. I am a caretaker, so I love taking care of things. I have countless houseplants to take care of and a crested gecko too. However, Fella required the most care and attention. I thoroughly enjoy talking to him and taking care of him every day, starting in the morning. Additionally, he is on my way to the kitchen for the next step in my morning!
Step Five: Get Breakfast & Caffeine
This final step is to get breakfast and caffiene. This step gets neglected ALL the time; however, it's essential. I often skip breakfast or don’t have caffeine like coffee so I don’t worry about making any. I either drink Coconut coffee or an energy drink (which was probably store-brand and on sale). For breakfast, I try to make bacon and eggs or something, but I often end up with a pastry or some yogurt.
Regardless of how good I am at this step, I do notice a difference from when I eat breakfast and when I don't. If I eat breakfast I am easily more productive in the morning and less hungry around lunchtime. But, I am lazy. Additionally, I generally try to stay away from caffeine unless my to-do list is ungodly and overwhelming for that day.
Conclusion
A mornig routine is essential to start a day off right and take care of yourself. My day often feels unproductive and incomplete if I am not able to finish my routine. My routine includes dental hygiene, skin care, getting dressed, feeding my pet, and eating breakfast. However, my favorite parts are my dental care, skin care, and pet care. What does your routine look like? Let me know in the comments below!
