Mornings like me
Recommendations from my brain to your inbox
Actually Good Things is a Friday-morning newsletter in which I, a mortal woman, expert commerce writer, and product tester, offer curated recommendations based on the zillions of things I’ve tried.
This week, while dissecting the Euphoria szn 3 trailer for crumbs about Cassie and Nate’s chaotic suburban marriage, I’m chronicling my morning routine.
Pardon the cliché, but good days start with good mornings.
Research shows that things tend to seem better in the morning. A new day can feel like a mini fresh start and give you a more positive outlook. To me, mornings are optimism. And to scientists, optimism is a predictor of a good life.
Here are actually good things I use on an ordinary weekday morning.*
6 a.m. alarm
Upon waking, I cherish the fact that I can see immediately without contacts. (I had PRK eye surgery in September because the LASIK I did 10 years ago didn’t hold up through my pregnancies.)
I never sleep with my Fitbit but put it on first thing.
6:10 shower
I typically shower every other day. On days I do, we’re double-washing with this dandruff shampoo—same active ingredient as Selsun Blue—and Pureology, then conditioning with Dove. (On an Abbey Yung kick at the moment.)
A pump-bottle face wash is preferred for the shower—currently this soothing Korean cleanser.
If you’re into the warm, grapefruit-vanilla scent of Amika’s hair products (🙋🏻♀️), you’ll be delighted to learn the brand now makes bodycare with the same signature smell, including a skin-softening body wash.
Oh, and lately, I’ve been making my early-morning shower a dark shower.
(The everything shower happens occasionally on weekends or evenings.)
At some point around here, the kids will wake up and sweetly congregate around the shower, sit at our feet while husband and I quickly groom ourselves, or cuddle up on our bed to watch a 10-minute show. (Or, yeah, sometimes they fight or otherwise cause a ruckus—still cute, though.)
6:20 hair + skin
After showering, I reach for a bond-repair treatment—currently combining this little guy from Living Proof (thick and creamy) with this serum-like bonder by Redken.
(Btw, I heard Costco now sells the elite K18 mask in a massive 5-ounce size, so I might be picking some up this weekend.)
Ouai’s anti-frizz cream has also scooted to the top of my roster recently.
(My hair’s thicker now, thanks to my obsessive multi-year efforts, so I feel like I can use more styling products.)
Next, I grab a Kent comb to part and smooth, tuck my hair behind my ears, and let it air-dry, baby! (Don’t care if air-drying is never normalized—I’m doing it anyway.)
My morning skincare routine is like this:
Apply pH-balancing toner with the world’s best cotton pad.
Tap on a gentle depuffing eye serum.
Swipe minoxidil solution over eyebrows with a Q-tip.
Apply serum that heals and hydrates.
Slather on moisturizer, currently Obagi’s barrier-replenishing formula. This Korean cream is also quite nice.
Apply SPF. I prefer chemical sunscreens but am into this hybrid formula (mineral + chemical) by EltaMD at the moment.
On days I don’t shower, I start my skincare routine with my ride-or-die Dr. Dennis Gross two-step exfoliator pads. These drastically changed my skin in 2018, and I haven’t looked back.
Most workdays are makeup-free. However, when I need a little glam, this is how I’m doing my makeup now:
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6:30 normal human things
At some point, I get dressed in clothes I laid out before going to bed. I swear by this ritual—as they say, a strong morning routine starts the night before.
While brushing my teeth, I sometimes march around to get a head start on my step count.
The bed will also be made. This takes 30 seconds—no top sheet, easy folding, maximum fluffiness.👇🏻
6:40 kid breakfast + a very special coffee
Once everyone’s dressed, I make the kids a quick breakfast and brew coffee.
I stand by the xBloom Studio as a top-tier brewer that’s undoubtedly worth the cost.
After adding a couple heaping spoonfuls of this powdered protein creamer and a teaspoon of ghee (salted, please) to my giant See’s mug, I brew the coffee directly on top.
Next, I add a little unsweetened soy milk—soy might be out of fashion, but it’s the original plant-based protein milk. Then I blend it all together with a few zzzzt-zzts of an electric hand frother.
The finished product is a hearty, nutrient-dense (not low-calorie) concoction that keeps me full for a few hours and is enough to keep my first round of supplements down.
7:15 see ya, kids!
The kids are out the door by 7:15 or 7:30. Thank you to our daycare and before-school programs—you’re the glue that holds our busy family together.
If the weather’s good, I’ll walk my 7-year-old to school and might tack on a few blocks on my way back.
8 a.m. and beyond
Before starting work, I take a few minutes to straighten up so we can start with a clean kitchen and living room in the evening.
Two mornings a week, I stream a 15-minute strength workout on the Lululemon Studio Mirror. (The Mirror is sadly discontinued, but people who own them can still stream on them using the Peloton library. If I didn’t have it, I’d use a smart TV fitness app or find something on YouTube.)
By around 10 a.m., I eat a banana and a slice of whole-wheat toast spread with manuka honey, a drizzle of olive oil, and a light sprinkling of flake salt.
I also light a candle (No. 6 from Choice Blooms) to set the mood while I work—plus, I’m too scared to use real candles when my kids are home.
*Some products with affiliate links might earn me a small commission. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
What I’m reading lately:
Clutch, a novel by Emily Nemens
Wired | My Blissful, Unbothered Life as a ‘Do Not Disturb’ Maximalist
The New York Times | The Billionaire, the Psychedelics and the Best-Selling Memoir
What I’ve written lately:
The Daily Beast | Abercrombie Has Entered Its Grown-Up Era, and It’s Better Than Ever
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Love a morning routine roundup, thanks for sharing!