Belle's Sunday Night Beauty Routine

Jul 6, 2011

Like many professional women, I don’t know what my weekday evenings will be like. 

Will I get home at 6:30 or will it be closer to 10:00? 

Will I need to meet a colleague for a drink or attend an event with my Boss? 

Will I simply be so wiped out from a marathon committee hearing that I don’t want to do anything but sit on the couch and sulk? 

It’s tough to predict.

To combat this uncertainty and start the week off on the right foot, I like to hit the proverbial reset button on Sunday night.  I clean my apartment.  I do my laundry.  I empty the refrigerator of all the expired food.  I set my DVR for the week.  And I tend to all of my personal grooming. 

Here’s my Sunday Night Beauty Routine:

Shower.  This is my time to deep condition my hair.  Shave my legs very well, and exfoliate until my skin begs for mercy.  Products of choice include PhytoCitrus Restructuring Mask ($38), Philosophy Coconut Salt Scrub ($25), and, instead of spending money on shaving cream, I use cheap conditioner.  Works wonders, and it’s…well, cheap.

Hair.  Once I’ve rinsed the deep conditioner and dried my hair, it’s time to trim the split ends.  I like to use an eyebrow scissor for this instead of a regular shear because this is a precision operation and control is key.  After that, I apply Moroccan Oil ($30) on the ends and give it a good once through with a paddle brush.  This massages the scalp and evenly distributes the oil. 

Face.  First, I apply GlamGlow or Borghese to refresh my skin and deep clean my pores.  Then I apply a 24k gold collagen mask and relax for an hour ($21 for 5). 

When the mask is done working its healing magic, I apply a liberal coat of Ole Henriksen Truth Serum ($48) for vitamin C and then add moisturizer. Once this is done, I break out the tweezers and clean up my eyebrows. 

Teeth. While my face mask sets, I also whiten my teeth.  I like Crest Whitestrips ($28) professional series in Vivid White for Sunday nights.  And I use GoSmile ampoules for touch ups during the week.

Clean Up.  While I wait for my facial mask to do the voodoo that it does so well, I like to clean my brushes, my makeup bag and my Clarisonic.  For a tutorial on brush cleaning, click here, but note that I now use organic baby shampoo instead of brush cleanser. 

I wipe down the makeup bag and brush case with a disinfectant wipe.  And I soak the Clarisonic brush head in vinegar to kill the bacteria while I clean the device with warm soapy water, paper towels and Q-tips.

Nails. I usually paint my toenails every Sunday.  This involves scrubbing my feet with a Ped Egg (yes, it works) and moisturizing my heels well.  Nothing is uglier than cracked heels poking out of cute sandals.  Proper foot maintanence is important. 

And even though I don’t usually paint my finger nails, I always clip, file and trim the cuticles. Because there’s unpainted and then there’s unmanicured.  The former is a choice, the latter is laziness.

Ask The Edit, Makeup, Tips and Tricks

share this post

Leave a Reply to AD Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. glad to find another blogger in DC, seems so rare, anyway I need some sort of Regime these days! My skin is so crazy because of the summer sun! I have pimples that aren't even coming up to the surface of my skin. I really want to try that gold facial mask! I've heard great things about it.

    Michelle

    https://www.chellbellz.com

  2. Jessica says:

    Wow, I'm impressed and amazed by your beauty regime. I'm lucky if I remember to paint my nails on the weekends and wash my face before bed.

  3. AD says:

    Belle! It's like you were reading my mind. I've been wondering how others clean their clarisonic brushes to keep from having to buy new ones so often. Thanks so much for the tip.

    Also – the 24K gold collagen mask reminds me of Olmec from Legends of the Hidden Temple 🙂

  4. Jessica says:

    I'd actually been wondering what your routine was that you reference so often and had been tempted to e-mail. Thanks for sharing!

    For curiosity's sake, how long does this process take?

  5. Belle says:

    Jessica,

    If I do the gold mask, I like to leave it on for an hour so two hours. If I don't, I can usually be done in an hour. But sometimes, I lose motivation and trudge my way through it at a snails pace.

    Fast completion is all about maximizing time, while the mask sets I clean brushes. While the toes dry, I do my eyebrows, etc.

  6. LS says:

    I second Jessica's comment, wow! Thank you for sharing your routine. I'm out of town so frequently that Sundays are normally hectic, but I'm a bit more inspired now.

    Question: Do you clean your makeup brushes during the week? If so, what do you use? I've been looking for a quick way to remove excess foundation. I tried baby wipes, but the wipes dried out very quickly. Thanks!

  7. Katherine says:

    This is so motivational! I used to do a similar routine on Sunday nights but have gotten out of the habit. I'm going to start it up again.

  8. VA says:

    Amen to the amazing powers of the Ped Egg. I was so doubtful about it at first but I'm a complete convert now.

  9. BB says:

    Wow! I enjoyed reading about your beauty routine but for any working woman with kids, there is no way we'd have this kind of time. An hour to relax and enjoy a face mask? I'm jealous!

  10. amy b.s. says:

    i am totally stealing much of your sunday night routine.

  11. I swear by my Moroccan Oil and my Ped Egg even though my boyfriend makes fun of the latter! He can laugh all he wants. It works wonders! Totally using your routine as inspiration to NOT be so lazy on Sunday. 🙂 Adding one more thing to the list: leisure reading even if it's one chapter. I love to read, but it's hard to find time. For some reason I always find Sunday night to be the perfect night to go to bed early with a good book.

  12. R says:

    Thanks B. The Mia suggestion was so mega-super that I now plan to print this and try all.

  13. Belle says:

    The Mia suggestion is fab, so fab in fact, that even though I have a full size, I'm tempted to buy the hot pink Mia for sale during Nordstrom's Anniversary sale. That way I have one for travel. So addicted.

  14. R says:

    Stopped at walgreen's on my way home. Ped Egg is awesome. I feel so enlightened now.

  15. […] out what you need to look presentable and what is a luxury and prioritize them accordingly. Belle for example, doesn’t usually paint her nails, but does clip, file and trim the cuticles […]

Join The List

Stay up to date on the latest from Capitol Hill Style!

sUBSCRIBE

Ask Me Anything: March 2024

It’s almost the end of March, so let’s get to some of the reader questions that came in through Instagram last night. Time for Ask Me Anything.

1

READ MORE 

Recent Posts

The Find: A Cute Spring Dress

Need a cute dress for a spring event? Something simple and easy to wear, something you can dress up or down? This is the dress for you.

1

READ MORE 

Beauty Review: Bondi Boost

As I age, I notice many changes in my body. Most are fine. Some are frustrating. Like many women, I lost a lot of hair in my postpartum phase. Being anemic for more than a year after, it didn’t grow back in to its former glory. So I’ve tried any number of shampoos, pills and […]

2

READ MORE 

VIEW ALL POSTS

Ask the Edit, Style, Top Posts | March 28, 2024

Ask Me Anything: March 2024

It’s almost the end of March, so let’s get to some of the reader questions that came in through Instagram last night. Time for Ask Me Anything.

1

READ MORE 

Fantastic Finds, Posts, Style | March 28, 2024

The Find: A Cute Spring Dress

Need a cute dress for a spring event? Something simple and easy to wear, something you can dress up or down? This is the dress for you.

1

READ MORE 

Beauty, Posts | March 27, 2024

Beauty Review: Bondi Boost

As I age, I notice many changes in my body. Most are fine. Some are frustrating. Like many women, I lost a lot of hair in my postpartum phase. Being anemic for more than a year after, it didn’t grow back in to its former glory. So I’ve tried any number of shampoos, pills and […]

2

READ MORE 

Fantastic Finds, Posts, Style | March 27, 2024

The Find: Shirts That Don’t Gape

I remember when Rochelle Behrens launched The Shirt — a button-down blouse with anti-gape technology (a patented internal button that keeps the look smooth). The idea seemed brilliant, but at the time, my bust didn’t require an extra button. One baby later, I understand the need for some extra security.

6

READ MORE 

RECENT POSTS

©2023 CAPITOL HILL STYLE | SITE BY LEIGH THE STUDIO