How InStyle Beauty Editors Really Prep Their Skin in the Morning

I really don’t wash my face in the morning. I just splash cold water on it. I always start with SPF. I use SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion defense Sunscreen SPF 50 ($34; dermstore.com) or Peter Thomas Roth Max All Day Moisture ($42; sephora.com). If my skin is feeling really dry I will add Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream ($100; nordstrom.com). Then I’m off. I do school drop off in no makeup. 

When I get to my desk, I feel like I’ve lived an entire life already. I prep my skin with Glossier Priming Moisturizer ($25; glossier.com). I only discovered priming my skin in the last few years and it’s made such a difference. It’s lightweight, never sticky and really smooths out my complexion. Lately I have been using Charlotte Tillbury Magic Foundation in 5 ($44; nordstrom.com). I mix it with just a small squirt of the Estee Edit Flash Illuminator in Morning Light ($28; sephora.com). Next is my most important step – the concealer. My two favorites are Cle de Peau in beige ($70; nordstrom.com), which I apply directly under my eyes. Lately I’ve been getting into Glossier’s new Stretch Concealer in medium ($18; glossier.com). It sounds strange but my last step over all of my makeup, I dab Orlane B21 ($120; bergdorfgoodman.com) on my t-zone and cheeks. It kind of mixes everything together for a really dewy, blurred effect.  Also, the Orlane is very active and keeps my skin hydrated throughout the day.

In the shower, I use a gentle scrub to get my skin glowing (Sonia Kashuk Resurface Gentle Exfoliating Wash, $15; soniakashuk.com) and to remove any flakes. Post shower, I like to mix together my Elta MD Sunscreen (UV Clear SPF 46, $32; lovelyskin.com) with a bit of hyaluronic acid ($69; pestleandmortarcosmetics.com) and Dr. Brandt Power Dose C vitamin C serum ($69; drbrantskincare.com). This mineral sunscreen goes on completely invisible, even on my dark skin, and it gets a boost of a moisture and antioxidants from the serums I cocktail it with. Then I apply my base: I typically skip foundation for daily wear and instead just apply concealer. I like Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer ($29; sephora.com), and I apply it with my Beautyblender sponge ($20; sephora.com) on any trouble spots, like my under eye circles and any blemishes. Lastly, I spritz a little Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist ($24; jurlique.com) so my skin looks dewy and hydrated. 

I have breakout-prone skin, so I’ll usually start my morning by washing my face with Erno Laszlo’s Anti-Blemish Cleansing Gel ($45; dermstore.com). After I dry off my face, I’ll pat a few drops of the the SK-II Facial Treatment Essence into my skin, and follow with Kenzo’s Kenzoki Belle du Jour White Lotus Serum ($105; sephora.com) all over. I’m honestly the worst at applying eye cream, but when I do remember, I’ll use Givenchy’s Hydra Sparkling Eye-Reviver Gel ($49; barneys.com). Once all of my skincare is done, I move onto makeup. I’ll blend on two pumps of Laura Mercier’s Candleglow Soft Luminous Foundation ($48; nordstrom.com) over the entirety of my face – it’s really fluid, so just a little bit goes a long way – and I’ll jam a damp BeautyBlender ($20; sephora.com) into Bare Minerals’ Concealer in Tan ($20; bareescentuals.com) and buff it over any areas that need extra love. I’ll set everything with the Physicians Formula #InstaReady Filter Trio Powder ($15; physiciansformula.com), which, in addition to making it look like I’m wearing a Valencia filter, also has SPF 30 infused into the formula—handy, since I always seem to forget. To finish (finally), I’ll do some slight contouring with Benefit’s Hoola bronzer ($29; sephora.com), and highlight my cheekbones and cupid’s bow with Anastasia’s Glow Kit in Gleam ($40; anastasiabeverlyhills.com).

Since I’m typically in a time crunch in the morning, I let my nighttime skin care do the heavy lifting and keep it simple with my daytime routine. After cleansing in the shower with Eve Lom’s cult-favorite balm ($80; sephora.com), I swipe my face with an exfoliating pad—I’m completely devoted to First Aid Beauty’s lactic and glycolic acid-laced Facial Radiance Pads ($30/60 pads; sephora.com)—before applying a layer of SkinMedica HA5 Rejuvenating Hydrator ($178; skinmedica.com). (It’s a moisturizer/primer hybrid that smoothes skin texture and keeps my flaky forehead at bay throughout the day.) Finally, I blend in NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30 in Terre Neuve ($44; sephora.com) which evens out my slightly-pink skin tone and, of course, delivers my daily dose of SPF.

I cleanse with Shiseido Future Solution LX Extra Rich Cleansing Foam (a little goes a long way) ($55; nordstrom.com), tone with La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion (I just don’t feel totally clean unless I use it) ($170; nordstrom.com), apply BeautyRX Ultra Nourishing Eye Cream (allow to sink in for a few minutes while I brush my teeth) ($85; beautyrx.com), and moisturize with a mix of Nerium Age-Defying Day Cream (nerium.com) and Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare CC Cream SPF 18 in Medium (this way I get extra hydration plus tint and sun protection) ($36; beauty.com). After I’ve finished with skin care, I cover under eye circles and redness around nose with Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Longwear Foundation Stick ($42; lancome-usa.com).

I’m not a morning person so I like to streamline my routine as much as possible without sacrificing any essential parts in skin care, and keep my more in-depth regimen reserved for night. I usually only cleanse before bed, but if I wake up and my skin looks and feels really oily, I’ll apply Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser ($10; drugstore.com) and rinse it off in the shower. If my eyes look extra tired, I’ll dab Dermalogica Intensive Eye Repair ($56; dermalogica.com) on my under eye area to plump it up. Next, I apply a layer of Glossier Priming Moisturizer ($25; glossier.com). This moisturizer-primer hybrid really helps makeup stay in place throughout the day and also hydrates your skin so you have an amazing dewy, glow. I’m prone to red, hormonal breakouts so I dot Smashbox Color Correcting Stick in Get Less Red ($23; sephora.com) on any blemishes or spots that I want to give a little extra TLC to before applying concealer. After color-correcting, I blend NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla ($29; sephora.com) over any blemishes, dark spots, and my under eye area using my fingers. This concealer is super lightweight but packs enough pigment to cover my worst blemishes without a cakey finish. Finally, I blot MAC Cosmetics Select Sheer Pressed Powder in NC15 ($26; maccosmetics.com) all over my face to help set everything and make it last throughout the day. I’ve been using this powder for years so it’s more out of habit, but I like that it completely doesn’t matte out your complexion when you use it.