okay so like

mornings. ugh.

i don't know about you but i am NOT one of those people who wakes up all refreshed and ready to conquer the world. nope. i wake up and immediately regret every life choice that led me to this moment. especially when it's dark outside still. like why.

so my "beauty routine" is basically just me trying to look like i'm not a total zombie before i have to interact with other humans. which honestly is a low bar but sometimes even that feels like too much.

anyway.

first thing i do is stare at myself in the mirror and just accept my fate. puffy eyes, bedhead, all of it. then i splash water on my face. sometimes i use cleanser. sometimes i don't. depends on how lazy i'm feeling tbh. i used to think you absolutely HAD to wash your face every morning with like fancy stuff but then i realized water is fine most days. your face isn't that dirty when you've just been sleeping. save the heavy duty stuff for night.

moisturizer. this was a whole thing for me because my skin is oily and i thought adding moisturizer would just make it worse. but no. turns out if you don't moisturize your skin freaks out and produces MORE oil. so now i use this gel stuff that's super light and it actually helps. who knew.

sunscreen. okay i'm gonna sound like your mom but seriously wear it. every single day. even when it's cloudy. even when you're inside all day. uv rays go through windows. they don't care. spf 30 minimum. takes two seconds. do it.

makeup. i keep it so minimal. like tinted moisturizer or a light foundation. and i just use my fingers to put it on because i cannot be bothered to wash brushes all the time. concealer under my eyes because i have permanent dark circles. like i literally look like i haven't slept in years. mascara because my eyelashes are blonde and basically invisible without it. blush because i'm pale and look dead otherwise. that's it. done in like three minutes.

brows. this was a game changer for me. i used to not do anything to them. then one day i filled them in a little and my face looked so much more put together. not like crazy drawn on brows, just a little pencil in the sparse spots. makes a huge difference.

lips. chapstick if they're dry. tinted balm if i want color. nothing fancy.

hair. okay hair is the bane of my existence honestly. some days it behaves. most days it does not. if it's cooperating i just brush it and go. if it's being difficult i throw it in a bun or ponytail. sometimes a braid if i have two extra minutes but that's rare. i've learned not to fight my hair. it wins every time so why bother.

one thing that actually helps is doing stuff the night before. i know it's like the most basic advice ever but it works. picking out clothes. putting products where i can find them. deciding what to do with my hair. less decisions in the morning means less stress. and i'm all about less stress.

when i REALLY oversleep though and have like no time, i do the bare minimum. water on face, moisturizer, sunscreen, concealer, mascara, lip balm. hair in a bun. out the door in like four minutes. and honestly? i look fine. not amazing but fine. good enough to get through the day without anyone asking if i'm sick.

and i used to buy everything. every new product that went viral i was like YES i need that. and then it would just sit in my cabinet forever because it didn't work or i was too lazy to use it. now i'm more careful. if something works i stick with it. i try new things slowly. one at a time.

also like comfort is important. if a hairstyle hurts your head stop doing it. if a product stings stop using it. if your whole routine feels like a chore make it simpler. you're not supposed to suffer for beauty. that's just silly.

We're going to beat this thing.