You May Work at Home, But You Should Never Skip Your Morning Routine — Here's Why

Whether you’re a freelancer working at home or just a snooze button abuser, having a quick and efficient morning skincare and makeup routine can make all the difference in how you feel about yourself the rest of the day. So learn from contributing editor Sheryll's freelance beauty routine and get your (at-home) life.

I’m a freelancer. So this means nine times out of 10, I’m sitting at my desk in my room and doing one of three things:

1. Teaching little kids English

2. Copywriting and/or copyediting

3. Writing for Beautytap (HAY GURL)

I love working from home most of the time because I work for myself, which means no bosses, nosy coworkers, and less temptations to eat out for lunch. HOWEVER.

Working from home sometimes equals lazy. It takes real effort to look presentable because really, the only people who see me for a vast majority of the day are my boyfriend and my dog. This means sometimes (most of the time) I don’t wear makeup, I may or may not do my morning routine until 2 pm (gasp), and black sweatpants with a messy bun are pretty much my lifeline.

But I’m working on getting my life together because I’ve realized that when I have a little beauty routine in place, it makes ME feel better. Just because I’m not going outside to work doesn’t mean I have to look like a bum. I like to look good for me. So I’m changing my life. How? Let’s talk about it.

I start teaching my students between 6 am to 7 am every morning, which means I’m waking up pretty early every day. Until recently, I’ve been waking up 15 minutes before class (SORRY) and rushing to get ready. But now, I’ve started going to bed earlier and waking up at least 45 minutes before class so I can get in a good morning skincare routine and throw on some basic makeup. My current freelance beauty routine is looking a little something like this.

Morning skincare

 1. Cleanse: Cleanse face with Purito Defense Barrier pH Cleanser.

 2. MIst: Mist my face with the COSRX Low pH Barrier Mist (gotta keep that acid mantle intact, OKURRR)

 3. Mask: Then I use my newest favorite, the Saborino Morning Face mask. This is a J-beauty find, and it’s a 3-in-1 mask meant to cleanse, hydrate, and prep the skin for makeup. You wear it for one minute (I brush my hair while I wear it) and then gently tap in the essence. It also has a cooling sensation and smells like peppermint, so besides getting your skin together quickly, they also really wake you up. I LOVE them.

(See how they work here:)

 4. Treat: I mix The Ordinary 100% Vitamin C powder with the Purito Green Level Buffet Serum (GASP SO GOOD) and gently press it into my skin. Depending on the time, I may wait five minutes and go make my coffee before I move on to the next step.

 5. Moisturize: I then use the SanDaWha Ultra Rich Hydrating Camellia Floral Water Cream. I know you’re like … SHERYLL, ULTRA RICH?! Don’t you have oily skin? But trust me, this cream is incredible. It isn’t heavy and sinks into the skin super quickly. It doesn’t have a matte finish, but it leaves this really healthy glow. To be honest, I think all of the products that claim to be mattifying actually contain ingredients to make your skin oiler, but hey … this is just my opinion.

 6. SUNSCREEN: Even if I don’t plan on leaving the house, I wear sunscreen. At this point, it’s more out of habit than anything else. But my office desk is right by a window so I gotta protect myself at all times. The Earth’s Recipe sunscreen is my current favorite.

 7. Oil: The last step is a facial oil. Yes, a facial oil. In the morning. Even during the summer. I am not insane, I promise. My AM oil of choice is squalane oil. It’s a quick absorbing oil that hydrates and balances your skin. I’ve found that by incorporating this oil into my morning routine, my skin produces less oil throughout the day. What a concept!

Morning makeup

Then I move on to a very basic makeup routine that helps me look put together without much effort.

 1. Concealer: I use a small concealer brush and my NARS soft matte concealer to cover the hyperpigmentation around my chin, jaw, and mouth. I tap it in with a slightly damp beauty blender.

 2. Foundation or powder: Depending on my mood, I’ll put on foundation (I use the Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Foundation), but most of the time, I’ll just tap on a bit of translucent powder around my T-zone to help with some of the shine. I really try not to wear foundation unless I’m going out out. Besides the PIH around my mouth and jaw, my skin is pretty even so I don’t neeeeeed to wear foundation all over.

 3. Palette: The Sephora Contour Spice Market Blush Palette is my entire life. You need it. I use it for everything from this step forward. I use the orange and brown shades on my eyelids, I use the warm copper shimmer shade as my highlight and the burgundy matte for my blush. It literally does everything and it’s PERFECT for traveling.

 4. Finishing touches: Last step is to throw on some mascara and eyeliner and lip gloss, and BOOM. I am done, and I feel confident and ready to get some work done.

What’s your freelance beauty routine? Do you have a rushed-morning version of your beauty routine? Let me know in the comments!