Right now, everybody's lives are disrupted in one way or the other. It is not lost on me that I am incredibly lucky to have a job that allows me to continue working, and to do so from home. In light of my new working situation and the crushing anxiety that I am feeling surrounding COVID-19, all of my routines look drastically different than they did a month ago.
My beauty routine and my wardrobe choices are especially different. In the first week of WFH, I continued my makeup routine each morning. I was applying at least moisturizer, a swipe of mascara, eyeliner, and lip color. Over the following weeks my routine has changed quite a bit, makeup only in the event of a video conference. My one holdout from my makeup routine is my lips; I may not be throwing on a coat of Ruby-Woo in the morning but I do continue to apply a tinted lip balm. My obsession right now is the Winky Lux Flower Balm which I ordered as a splurge with some home office essentials from Target. It is super hydrating and gives the prettiest pink tint to my lips and it is just beautiful to look at. Applying a tinted lip balm is one thing that I can easily do to feel a semblance of normality in an otherwise upside down world.
In the spirit of pairing down my beauty routine, I have also been choosing to lighten up my skin care routine. I have traded in my usual routine including toner, serum, and traditional face wash for a mild soap, a wash cloth, and hot water followed by a creamy moisturizer. I have found that this has been an incredible opportunity to let my skin breathe; because I am not applying makeup through out the day I don't need to do as much at night to cleanse it off. The result: my skin has been thanking me. I have far fewer breakouts and my skin is calmer and happier than it has been in years.
Another big change, my wardrobe has consisted of leggings, tee shirts, and sweatshirts. I have worn only sneakers in the past month when I venture out for a walk. One thing I have done to mix it up and keep it fresh is TIE-DYE! My husband and I, in an effort to keep ourselves busy, decided to order basic white sweatshirts and tees along with a tie-dye kit. I chose a baggy hoody, removed the pouch, cropped it to hit just below my belly button, then dyed it a fun mix of pink and yellow. It is the most fashionable thing that I have in my WFH wardrobe right now and it was so much fun to create! While I am looking forward to wearing real outfits and heels again, I don't mind trying to create fashion statements out of lounge wear for now.
One of the the lessons I have learned in this time of self-quarantine: sometimes taking a step back from your routine can be good for you.
I hope you are staying safe and healthy!
xx- Kaelyn