Sundays are my beauty reset day; self care Sunday, if you will. The one time I slow down long enough to remember that my skincare routine should be more than just testing products for work and reviews. I light a candle, queue up a podcast I likely won't finish, and take a breather.
As a beauty editor, I spend all week trying new launches and hyped-up products that are supposed to give me glowing, flawless skin overnight. Serums, creams, mascaras, foundations, you name it—I test it. So by the end of the week, my skin and scalp are begging for a detox. On Sundays, I go back to my staples—the products that I've used for years and have never failed me. It's when I do a deep wash, throw on my favorite hair mask, and chill for a second. Somewhere between exfoliating and a little bit of TLC, I begin to feel like a functioning human again.
As the weekend haze begins to lift, my skin feels smoother, my hair looks shinier, and I'm ready to go for another week of testing and slathering. Ahead, the five beauty steps that make up my Sunday reset routine.
The Deep Clean
Sunday begins with a soak in the bath to really soften my skin before I drain the tub and begin my deep exfoliating treatments. I use a clarifying shampoo to erase a week's worth of dry shampoo, followed by a gentle chemical exfoliating face wash, and finally a scrub with my tan-removing mitt to bring my skin back to a clean slate.
I'm not usually one for a physical exfoliant, but Briogeo's charcoal scrub uses gentle microbeads that really get in there and do some work. After using it, it's as if I hadn't spritzed on dry shampoo for the majority of the week.
Cyklar is the brand I turn to when I want body products that smell and feel luxurious. The combination of chemical exfoliant lactic acid and physical exfoliation—and sometimes a mitt—removes residual tanner from the week. And if you've ever used fake tan before, you know how difficult it can be to remove.
A Mask Moment
Once I'm all fresh from my scrubbing, then it's the part of the night where I turn into a glazed donut (if that's still a thing). My hair is slicked back and braided with an overnight hair mask and oil, and I have my favorite sheet mask on my face. On occasion, I'll have a glass of wine and lie there scrolling on my phone until the mask is ready to come off.
I enjoy applying sheet masks after washing my face and before any nighttime moisturizers. I feel it locks in hydration with its serum-like formula and also feels like a dream to apply for a brief time.
I live and breathe by this overnight treatment that completely transforms my hair into a glossy, shiny dream in the AM.
The Gradual Glow
Now, for my favorite part of the routine: gradual tanning lotion. It's the lazy girl's self-tan, and my newest obsession. It builds a believable, even color over a few days, doesn't smell offensive, and, most importantly, doesn't stain your sheets.
Want a self-tanner that will transform even the palest skin into a bronzey, glowing, natural shade? This delicious-smelling moisturizer is your best bet.
I will never stop raving about the iconic Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Glow Pads. They chemically exfoliate your skin for the smoothest, softest base, while the tanning process evens out your skin tone for a serious glow.
Zen Zone
This is the part of the routine where I layer my skincare and then whip out my sculpting tools. It's a mini massage, and it makes the application feel intentional and relaxing. Lymphatic drainage is a real thing—I've really seen a difference since I've started incorporating it into my routine.
I love this luxurious massage tool for my face, which requires just a bit of oil. It hits all the pressure points for serious relaxation and sculpting.
I'm relatively new to body brushing, but it's become a staple in my routine. I love this one from Barbara Sturm because it's soft enough that I don't feel like my skin is being too exfoliated. Just remember to brush towards your heart to maximize your lymphatic drainage benefits.
The Clean Slate
To finish it off, I clean and swap out everything: new sheets, clean makeup brushes, a spritz of linen spray, and organize all my beauty products. This way, I can go to bed feeling accomplished and ready for the week ahead...before I do it all again next Sunday.
Don't underestimate the power of a pillow mist. It may seem like an unnecessary luxury, but I promise, at least for me, it adds that final step that clicks my brain into bedtime mode.
I used to only use olive oil and dish soap on my makeup brushes (an old-school hack, for sure), but I recently discovered Soaq's cleaner, which washes everything from jewelry to makeup brushes. It's made cleaning my brushes every week so much quicker.
Why Trust Marie Claire
For more than 30 years, Marie Claire has been an internationally recognized destination for news, fashion, and beauty trends, investigative packages, and more. When it comes to the products Marie Claire recommends, we take your faith in us seriously. Every product that we feature comes personally recommended by a Marie Claire writer or editor, or by an expert we’ve spoken to firsthand.
