My Sunday Night Beauty & Sleep Routine

I wish I was one of those people that when their head hits the pillow they fall asleep immediately. But unfortunately I tend to be more of a night owl and hit my stride in the evening, finding it hard to stop and make myself go to bed a decent hour. But now that I am in my 30s, getting enough sleep is much more important to me than it was when I was younger, and seeing that it can be tricky for me to actually put myself to bed and get that important rest, I decided I needed to start somewhere and begin a weekly routine so that when Monday rolls around, I feel refreshed, hydrated, rested and ready to take on the week. So what better time to start than on a Sunday night, right? Here we go!

1. I started with a detoxifying mask to rid my pores and skin of any pollution that might have built up from traveling and being in the city and chose this one from L’Oreal. I could actually feel areas of my face pulsing slightly, which made me think it was working it’s magic. After leaving it on for 15 minutes, I hopped in the shower to rinse it off a bit more easily and continue on with my evening routine.

2. In the shower, I used this cleansing oil, which is really soothing especially after a deep cleansing charcoal mask.

3. I have been using color-safe shampoo and conditioner from ARROJO, which really helps maintain my now blonde hair and keeps it from getting brassy. Every other day I use either this purple shampoo or this one from Aveda.

4. Afterwards I did a Nexxus hair mask, which I try and do at least once a week, especially now that my hair is so light and blonde. It locks in moisture and keeps it from getting dry and brittle.

5. I am a huge fan of the brand This Works and they have a great shower gel that is meant for evening showers. It has vetivert, camomile and lavender and is really calming plsu the coconut oil softens and protects my skin.

6. Now it’s time to begin my skincare steps. Once I pat my face dry, I fist use this serum to balance out my skin before applying any oil or heavier moisturizers.

7. My skin can get pretty dry, especially in the winter, so I like to apply pure Marula oil after the serum, which leaves my skin feeling so soft.

8. I love a heavy duty moisturizer (hello dry skin) and this one by This Works has an intensely hydrating natural moisturizer that accelerates the skin’s repair mechanisms and sets the skin’s night-time detox in motion. Also, I just received this silk pillowcase and can’t wait to try it out. It’s an anti-aging, anti-sleep crease, anti-bed head pillowcase for the ultimate beauty sleep.

9. Next up, eyes! I have been using Intensive Vitalizing Eye Essence before putting on my night eye cream. It depuffs, brightens and lifts while promoting circulation.

10. For eye cream, I have started using Cold Plasma Eye by Perricone MD, which has neuropeptides to help boost the appearance of suppleness and firmness so that the next morning my eyes look less puffy and tired.

11. I’ve never used anything to help my lashes grow, but I recently got RevitaLash Advanced Eyelash Conditioner in a gift bag and have heard people swear by it, so I just recently started using it. You just apply a thin line to clean and dry eyelashes above the level of the skin once a day. I think I am going to do it at night so that I don’t have to worry about applying mascara or eyeshadow afterward.

12. Now that my face is all taken care of, I begin prepping my hair. I try and give my hair a break from blow drying it, but I still spritz it with a primer in case I plan to straighten or curl it later on in the day. Then after I brush my hair, I take three sections in the back of my head and twist them up using plastic clips. I’ve found that by letting my hair dry while tied up in little twists, creates natural, slightly messy waves.

13. My Mom bought me this great body lotion and because my skin is so dry, I love how I feel after applying it. I use it all over my upper body but because my legs get really itchy after the shower, I use a body oil to reduce irritation.

14. I love this body oil by Neutrogena for my legs because it nips any dryness or itchiness in the bud, plus it smells really good too.

15. I find having tea around bedtime is really comforting and Sleepy Time tea really helps me prep for bedtime. Plus drinking it out of my favorite Cat Mom mug makes it more fun.

16. This is the Sleepy Time tea I have been drinking – it’s so soothing.

17. Once I’ve brewed my tea, said goodnight to Susan (my cat) and locked up the apartment, I go into my room and light whatever candle I am loving at the moment. This one by Nest smells amazing.

18. I have such a bad habit of being on my phone at night, so I’ve been trying to read more before bed. I love “Just Kids” by Patti Smith and have already read it a couple of times, but it’s actually really relaxing to ready something I am already familiar with – it helps shut down my brain a bit. I leave new reads for riding the subway or when I am traveling.

19. Robes are one of my favorite things and I love wrapping up in one under the covers, especially because I usually keep the bedroom pretty cold, so layers are necessary.

20. Once I am sleepy enough to actually try and fall asleep, I spritz my pillow with a calming pillow spray that promotes better sleep patterns and deeper sleep, so that hopefully I can wake up feeling well rested and better equipped to face the morning ahead.

21. I keep a big glass jar of water by the bed with a straw for easy access and consumption to make sure I stay hydrated in case I wake up in the middle of night.

22. To keep my lips moisturized during the night, I find that Aquaphor lasts all night and I wake up with super soft lips in the morning!

23. Even though my bedroom is already pretty dark by nature, a sleep mask blocks all light and helps my eyes relax.

24. Can’t forget about the feet! I use a thick lotion and slather my feet before slipping on plush socks to lock in moisture overnight so that my feet stay soft and hydrated just like the rest of my face and body!

This is obviously quite a long evening routine, but by taking time for myself on Sunday nights, it really helps me relax, and feel calm and centered before Monday rolls around. I also like to meditate for a few minutes before heading to my room, to set my intentions for the week ahead.