PERFECTING YOUR DAILY BEAUTY REGIMEN

Perfecting your beauty regimen can be a challenging task. You’ve tried face wipes, micellar water, soap, a full face of makeup, no makeup, crazy I-just-woke-up hair, and hair styles fit for a queen. You’ve slept with cucumbers on your eyes, looked into vampire facials, and walked around with socks full of moisturiser. And let’s be honest, most of these things just aren’t worth the time or stress, especially when compared to bulletproof, tried-and-tested morning and evening regimens. Whilst finding the ideal routine takes time and work, Oxford’s well-loved beauty therapists told Oxford Prestige what their must-have treatments are, so that you can make morning and pre-bed rituals as stress-free as possible.

Skincare solutions

In an age where glowing skin is the goal, getting your skincare regimen down to a tee is a necessity. Before you hit the beauty counter, consider your skin type, as this will have a huge influence over the products that work for you. There are four skin types: normal skin, which is well-balanced; dry skin, which doesn’t retain moisture and feels tight; oily skin, which feels greasy and shows pores; and combination skin, which is different on the T-zone and the cheeks. Seeking out products that are specifically tailored to your skin type is vital, though drinking water and having a healthy diet can help you towards achieving a ‘normal’ skin type.

The holy trinity of skincare – cleanse, tone and moisturise – is pretty fail-safe, providing that your chosen products are skin-friendly and aren’t full of nasty chemicals. Where cleansing is concerned, a product like micellar water is ideal (not face wipes, which irritate skin and don’t actually remove makeup, dirt and dead skin). SPF-rich moisturisers will also keep your skin safe even on a cloudy day, so look out for a minimum of SPF 15 when you’re shopping for moisturisers. For long-term happy skin, Timeless Lines in Wantage offers chemical peels, dermarolling and mesotherapy, which can help to cut precious time off your morning and evening routines!

Morning makeup

As you roll over in the morning and curse Mondays, the last thing that you want to do is spend hours on your makeup routine. We know that morning makeup needs to be quick and stress-free, all whilst allowing you to look like an iconic office babe rather than an extra from Shaun of the Dead. One rule that all beauty lovers on a tight schedule will know is that a focal point is vital. Focus on strong colours for the eyes with natural or nude lips, or a strong lip with more natural shades on the eyes. This will allow you to save time on a full face of makeup, and it’s also just a tried-and-tested beauty secret that will never fail you.

If you want to uphold your skin-friendly mantra, look for natural cosmetic products that won’t harm your skin, and use a good base for your makeup such as a primer. Aside from protecting your skin, this will also ensure that your makeup is long-lasting. As makeup mavens everywhere will attest, washing your makeup brushes every seven to 10 days is a fundamental part of makeup success, so make sure you’re committed to makeup hygiene. And finally, check out some permanent makeup solutions that could save you time in the morning. In Witney, Felicity Denham offers eyebrow microblading, permanent eyeliner and permanent lip liner and colour, which could all shorten your lengthy makeup routine.

Hair styling & care

Let’s be honest, we’re all familiar with the dreaded bad hair day. Days where your hair refuses to cooperate, and the only options you have are donning a hat to the office or just hoping that nobody makes direct eye contact with you for eight hours. Nevertheless, there are some ways to keep bad hair days to a minimum, and look… we’re not going to judge you for using dry shampoo. There is also a lot to be said for embracing the messy bun, or going for a fringe-only wash. If you want to have long-term good hair, however, then make sure that you have your hair cut regularly, and you’re opting for a style that isn’t a nightmare in the mornings.

Styling your hair the night before is another option if you’re a time-saving queen. Wash your hair in the evening, and opt for a braid or bun whilst it’s still damp so that you wake up with envy inducing waves (and hopefully, you’ll only have to run your fingers through your hair to complete your look). Of course, this all depends on your hair type and how you choose to style it, and some days you may wake up and feel ready to spend some extra time on styling. For those days when you don’t, Headington favourite Cut n’ Create offers restyle and blow-dry services which will see you out for a few days.