A morning beauty routine can range anywhere from a 10-step skin care regimen to throwing one's hair up in a messy bun and calling it a day. What's most important isn't the number of minutes spent or the amount of leave-in conditioner used, but how your routine prepares you for your day so you can be your most comfortable, confident (and perhaps moisturized) self. From a basic soap and water face-washing ritual to several applications of brow gel, here's how five SheKnows editors tackle morning beauty.
"My skin care routine is a morning ritual. I wake myself up with a foaming cleanser followed by a gentle scrub. Once out of the shower, I lightly pat on an essence and a brightening moisturizer. Depending on the day of the week, my makeup routine changes, but if it’s a workday, I’m trading in my liquid foundation for a powder formula. I love thick eyebrows and bold lips, so I can’t live without my brow gel in black and a matte-finish lipstick for a pop of color. Depending on how much time I have, I’ll also throw on mascara, a bit of blush, and some highlighter. My hair routine is less complicated and consists of parting my hair into 4 to 6 sections and curling it with a 1-1/4-inch wand for a loose, messy look. To add shine, I run whatever hair serum I have laying around through it." — Laura Valecia, assistant producer
"I have the beauty routine of my late grandmother. I shower, put a moisturizing cream on my face and use Vaseline or lip gloss on my lips. Then I straighten my hair. Unless I’ve given up on life for the day. Then I just go full-on bed-head curls and people think, 'Oh maybe she’s having a nervous breakdown or just came from the beach or can’t afford a hairbrush. I don’t regularly wear make up other than gloss, but when I have to go out, I’ll attempt eyeliner." — Reshma Gopaldas, vice president, video
"My morning beauty routine takes no more than five minutes. I wash my face with a gentle cleanser then apply an SPF 20 hydrating cream. My makeup is minimal — just nude BB cream, waterproof mascara and brow gel. I work from home, but if I'm heading out, I'll add some highlighter on my cheeks and a red lip color. Morning hair is definitely low-maintenance — if I do anything at all, I'll scrape it back in a ponytail." — Claire Gillespie, parenting editor
"I live in Arizona, and the climate completely dries out my skin, so staying moisturized is priority No. 1 for me. I start with a luxe $90 cleansing foam. I wouldn't normally drop that much money on cleanser, but it was gifted to me and it's amazing. As soon as I hop out of the shower, I balance my skin's pH with a toner and then reach for a hydrating serum. While my serum dries, I dab on some eye cream. Next, I use a cruelty-free antiaging moisturizer that's free of sulfates and parabens. I don't wear a lot for makeup because it really makes my skin break out. (If I wear any foundation, I can guarantee you I'll have at least two pimples the next day — seriously). I usually brush on a little bronzer and blush, apply a nice, thick coat of mascara on my lashes and head out the door."— Kenzie Mastroe, community editor
"First disclaimer: I have been obsessed with skin care since my late teens and obsess over it probably more than is healthy. Second disclaimer: I have insanely dry skin, so the products I use and tout are ones that have helped me see an actual difference. I usually wash my face with a gentle exfoliator — occasionally using a buffing/exfoliating sponge to remove dry skin (I'm telling you — it's so bad). Three days a week, I wash my face using a pro-collagen cleansing balm followed by facial oil. I can't live without facial oil now. It's changed my life and that's not an exaggeration. After I massage the oil into my face (counterclockwise circles around my eyes), I top it off with pro-collagen cream." — Lauren Kelly, entertainment editor
This post was sponsored by Nature's Way Alive!®