New seasons bring new routines (although it still feels like Winter here in Toronto, let’s pretend Spring is really here). I always like to create a new routine for myself every few months, or every new season, to bring fresh changes to my day. Whether it’s beauty related, how I clean my apartment, or reading a book vs. listening to a new podcast, it is important to keep your routines changing every so often to keep you feeling excited for the next day!
When it comes to my spring night-time routine, it is definitely my favourite part of the day. Nothing feels better than taking off your makeup, having a glass of wine, cuddling up with your pup for the night & watching the latest episode of Riverdale (yes, it’s my guilty pleasure).
I wanted to walk you through some of the things I have been doing lately, along with my favourite products, in my spring night-time routine that always leave me feeling super relaxed and ready for my next day!
1. The 20 minute apartment clean-up
I had to put this tip first because I literally can’t start my night time routine without doing this. I was recently watching a vlog by YouTuber, Claudia Sulewski, who shared this tip with her viewers, and since I work from home, my apartment naturally gets messy by the end of the day. Start by setting a timer on your phone for 20 minutes, throw on a good playlist, and start tidying up your apartment/home within that time frame.
What I love about this is, is that it kind of makes it like a game to finish cleaning in time and also stops you from getting too obsessive about cleaning (which I can get lost in sometimes). Try it out – it’s actually kind of fun (or maybe I’m just crazy for thinking cleaning can be fun).
2. Spring Night-Time Routine: Skincare, skincare, skincare
When it comes to skincare at the end of the day, I don’t waste any time getting into my skincare routine. It just feels so good to wash your face and take off your makeup. So, here is my general skincare routine and the products I have been loving:
Cleanse: Lately, I have been loving Clinique’s, “Take the Day Off Cleansing Milk”. It’s super light and does an amazing job of easily removing your makeup while cleansing your skin at the same time.
Exfoliate: Usually, I exfoliate about 3 times a week because anything more than that can be harsh on your skin. The nights that I exfoliate I get so excited because it feels so refreshing! Lately I have been loving the L’Oreal Paris Smooth Sugar Clear Kiwi Face and Lip Scrub. What I love most about it is that it doesn’t apply too rough on your skin, having more of a smooth feel. Some exfoliants I find are super rough, which can actually cause aging of your skin. It also smells like some kind of Kiwi candy, so I’m definitely down for that!
Moisturize: In terms of moisturizers, I have been obsessed with Philosophy’s Renewed Hope In a Jar. It’s super light and leaves your skin feeling refreshed and renewed every morning and evening!
3. Turn on that salt lamp & grab a glass of wine
After my skin routine, I will most likely (aka always lol) grab a glass of wine and turn on my salt lamp to get settled in for my next step of the evening. I recently posted a photo of a salt lamp on instagram stories asking you guys your thoughts about them. So many of you responded with how much you love them, whether it helped with your anxiety, falling asleep, or the overall freshness of the air.
I definitely have to agree with you guys because I have been using it for a bit over a month now and absolutely love it! When you shut off most of the lights in your room and just have the salt lamp turned on, there is something about the aura that it gives off which is super therapeutic! I highly recommend grabbing one if you don’t already have one (I got mine for $15 at HomeSense, and it was the best $15 I’ve spent in a while).
4. Watch/listen/read something mindless (& put your phone away)
This step is super key in my Spring night-time routine because it’s really what starts my relaxation. Putting your phone away is so important because your brain can’t really relax if you are still scrolling through Instagram and checking emails. I’ll usually charge my phone across the room so that I won’t get up to check it (lazy girl problems actually coming in handy here).
When I say watch/listen/read something mindless, I mean to consume something that doesn’t make you think about work or anything that might be stressing you out. Whether it’s an episode of Friends, or a book about a fictional story, something that will get you lost in that moment and not thinking about anything else!
5. 5-10 minutes of meditation
When you mention meditation, I feel like people’s minds immediately go to sitting cross legged and saying “ummmmm” in the process. When I meditate, it doesn’t look anything like this. Here’s how it really goes…
Once I get tired from watching a show, or reading a book, I put everything away, turn all the lights off, and just sit quietly in bed for a conscious 5-10 minutes. The trick is to focus on having your brain think about nothing in that moment (it’s actually really hard and takes practise). Rather than focusing on thinking, try focusing on relaxing your body, you will be amazed at how much quicker you will fall asleep! I challenge you guys to try this step out in your spring night-time routine, it’s life changing!
