Cleanse, treat, moisturize, prime. Twelve products in the order I actually use them, from the cheap wipes to the one splurge I do not regret.
This routine took me years to settle into, and the order turned out to count for more than any single product in it. Clean first, treat second, moisturize third, prime last. Once I had that straight, getting ready stopped being a decision every morning.
Most of what's on this page is cheap. One of them is a real splurge. The wipes on my nightstand cost almost nothing and have saved my skin on a hundred exhausted nights. The Charlotte Tilbury cream is the most I have ever spent on a moisturizer. They both earned their spot the same way, by being something I actually reach for.
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This is a primer by Peter Thomas Roth called Instant FIRMx No Filter Primer. It has a matte finish, and it's going to tighten, blur and firm those fine lines and imperfections. Shop the No-Filter Primer →
My Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base moisturizer is the best way to start off any day, whether it's a light makeup day or a heavy makeup day. It hydrates your skin and preps it for the makeup. Shop the Face Base → The second product I use is the bouncy plump hydrating primer, which makes your skin look hydrated and plump and grips any makeup you put on it so it stays for the rest of the day. Shop the bouncy plump primer → Third is PUR 4-in-1 pressed mineral powder foundation with SPF 15. This covers beautifully with a brush and it's buildable, so I can go light or heavy depending on my mood. Shop the PUR powder foundation → Fourth is Mario Badescu's lip balm, which leaves you with a nice hydrated pout. Shop the Mario Badescu lip duo → Fifth is my NARS Afterglow Liquid Blush. I love it in Dolce Vita, and I use it on my cheeks, lips and eyes for a pop of color on quick makeup days. Shop Afterglow in Dolce Vita → Sixth is my Anastasia dual brow powder, to make my eyebrows frame my face. Shop the brow powder duo → And of course I end with my Benefit mascara, They're Real. This is a light makeup day, and it will stay put, making you look refreshed even though you did it in five minutes. Shop They're Real →
My favorite is Dr. Brandt Pores No More. It's a pore refiner primer. It minimizes the look of pores, absorbs the oil and mattifies the shine. Shop Pores No More →
"These are what stand between me and sleeping in my makeup."
What it does:
I keep these on my nightstand. On the nights I have nothing left, this is the difference between washing my face and not.
Why I like it: They're cheap, they work and they've saved my skin on a hundred exhausted nights.
"A powder exfoliant gentle enough for every day."
Why I like it:
This is a powder you activate in your hands, which sounds fussy until you use it. It has papaya enzyme and salicylic acid in it, so it exfoliates without the scratchy scrub feeling that leaves my face red. It evens out my skin tone and leaves things looking brighter, and it is mild enough that I can use it daily instead of saving it for once a week.
"Glycolic acid pads for the nights I want more than a cleanse."
Why I like it:
Glycolic acid pads that do a lot of jobs in one step. They clean up oil, help with the look of blemishes and dark spots, and smooth out texture and the look of fine lines. It is essentially a mild at-home peel in a jar. I use them at night, and a jar lasts a long time because you only need one pad.
"What I reach for when my skin is having a week."
Why I like it:
These are the calmer cousin of the glycolic pads. Madecassoside is the soothing ingredient, and these clean deeply while leaving my skin hydrated and looking bright instead of tight. You get a lot of pads for what they cost, which is the other reason they stay in my rotation.
"The toner step I skipped for years and now do not."
Why I like it:
This lifts off the dirt, pollution and leftover oil that a cleanser misses, and it sweeps away the dull flakes that make skin look tired. My face feels comfortable afterward instead of stripped, and makeup goes on smoother the next morning. It is one of those steps I did not think I needed until I saw the difference.
"My at-home version of a facial I am not paying for."
Why I like it:
This is my at home facial. It has a few different modes, and you use it with whatever skincare you already have on your face, so there is no special gel to buy on top of it. It takes a few minutes while I am sitting on the couch. My skin looks tighter and brighter afterward, and more to the point, I have kept using it, which is more than I can say for most gadgets I have bought for my face.
"My retinol, and the reason I started paying attention to my skin in my 40s."
Why I like it:
Retinol is the ingredient with the most research behind it for the look of fine lines and uneven tone, and this is the one I settled on. It has hyaluronic acid in it too, so it does not leave my face as dry and irritated as retinols usually do. I use it at night, and I started slow, which is the advice I would give anybody.
"Three sprays, and I use all of them for different things."
Why I like it:
The aloe, cucumber and green tea one wakes up my face when it looks tired. The rosewater one is the cult favorite and I understand why. The vitamin C one brightens. I keep one at my desk and one in my bag, and on a long day it is the fastest way to feel like a person again.
"My winter cream, for when my skin gets dry and cranky."
Why I like it:
A rich cream with hyaluronic acid that goes deep instead of sitting on top. It was made with sensitive skin in mind, so it calms the itchy tight feeling I get when the heat is running all winter in this house. This is the one I reach for when my skin is genuinely unhappy.
"The splurge moisturizer that doubles as a makeup primer."
Why I like it:
This one is a splurge and I know it. What it does for me is immediate: skin looks hydrated, smoother and like it has a glow instead of a shine, and makeup sits on top of it beautifully. On days I want to look put together with barely any effort, this is the step that does it.
"Moisturizer and primer in one jar, which saves me a step."
Why I like it:
A 2-in-1 that moisturizes and preps at the same time, so I am not layering two products when I am already running late. It plumps and nourishes, and foundation goes on smoother over it. It has been a bestseller for years, and it earned that.
"This is the one product where I've made peace with the price."
What it does:
This primer costs more than anything else in my routine. I said no to it for years. Then I tried the 1.5 oz size, which lasts me months because you use a pea-sized amount, and the cost per day stopped bothering me.
Why I like it: My makeup looks better and stays put, and one tube lasts long enough to justify it.
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