Following up on Monday’s post about my morning skincare routine, today I’ll be sharing how I care for my skin in the evenings. Below I’ll talk about my current favorite products, how I use them, and a few of my thoughts on skincare in general.

I would love to say I am one of those people who is disciplined enough to come home and immediately wash off my makeup and whatever other mess (dirt, sweat, pollution, etc.) has ended up on my face during the day, but I am not. Sometimes my husband has to drag me out of bed because I’ve fallen asleep watching something and still need to take out my contacts and get ready for bed.

I do, however, strongly advocate for washing your face every night before you turn in, even if you don’t wear makeup. My favorite cleanser for about three years now is the First Aid Beauty Pure Skin Face Cleanser, thanks to a recommendation from one of my dear friends, Gina. I love that this cleanser is gentle enough not to strip my skin of all moisture (what little it has) and packs enough punch to remove a full face in one cleanse. If it’s been a day where I’ve been sweating or went a bit more glam, I’ll take just a tiny dab more product and do a second cleanse. I love this cleanser so much that I purchase the 8 oz value size of it from Sephora. (Only the 5 oz version is at Ulta. Sephora carries 2, 5, and 8 oz sizes.)

Next, I choose what face mask I’m going to use for the night. This year I’ve challenged myself to use a face mask every day, so depending on the type of mask I’m using that evening, I do things in a different order. If I’m going to use an overnight mask, then I’ll tone or exfoliate first, and then apply the mask and my eye cream. If I’m using a sheet, peel-off, or wash off mask then I use the toner, apply the mask, remove it, and apply a moisturizer or oil and eye cream.

• My current toner is the Clinique Clarifying Lotion 1 – For Very Dry to Dry Skin. I added this into my Project Pan in my most recent update because I’m trying to incorporate this more often. I can’t say I’ve been super successful yet, but I am trying to remind myself to use it more frequently!
• On days where I want more of a physical exfoliation, I use the L’Oreal Pure Sugar Scrub – Nourish & Soften (the one in the dark brown jar) instead of the Clinique toner. I received this for free from Influenster a couple months ago, and both my husband and I have been loving it. I really love how moisturized my skin feels after this is rinsed off. This smells very nice and makes a beautiful scrub for your face and lips – I’ve even used it on my hands and loved it! My husband likes to use this about once a week before he gets in the shower to exfoliate his face, particularly the skin under his beard, and we’ve seen great results doing that.
• My favorite evening moisturizer for post wash- or peel-off mask is the Korres Wild Rose Vitamin C Active Brightening Oil. I really feel like my skin reacts well to rose ingredients, and I really enjoy the scent and feel of this. It is very moisturizing, but it’s a drier oil, so I don’t worry about my hair getting oily overnight or my pillow feeling gross. When I use this, I wake up and can’t stop touching my face for how soft it feels. I also notice I’m more likely to go for a lighter coverage foundation on days when I’ve used this oil the night before.

My final step is always to apply my eye cream. My current favorite is the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Eye. I’ve been using this consistently since the November VIB sale, and I feel like my undereyes are brighter in the mornings after I wear this. I truly notice a difference when I’ve forgotten to apply this, so I am officially hooked!

I think the most important thing about skincare is finding products that work well for your lifestyle and skin type – ones that you enjoy using and provide a bit of relaxation in the evenings. From there, you can mix and match products each night based on what your skin is telling you it needs. You don’t necessarily need a complex system, and you certainly don’t need to use a face mask every night. At the least, wash your face every evening and apply some kind of non-SPF moisturizer. I plan to share updates on my skincare routine in the future to show how it evolves (especially after I’ve completed this year of face masks).

What is your favorite way to treat your skin? Share your favorite products, tools, and methods in the comments!

– Natalie

P.S. Here’s some referral links to some of my favorite sites. Use if you’d like!

• Ebates – This is a great way to earn cash back from online shopping (that you’re already doing) at many of your favorite stores! (Including Sephora & Ulta!) If you join through this link and make a purchase of $25 or more, you’ll get an extra $10 cash back and I’ll get $15, as well as your own referral code.
• thredUP – I love using thredUP to clean out my closet and shop for new pieces at a discounted price – sometimes they’re even brand new with tags! When you join thredUP through this link, you get $10 to spend and I get $10 to shop after you place your first order.
• StitchFix – This is a great way to try out some new items for your closet, without the hassle of going to the stores and the bonus of a personal stylist. If you sign up with this link, you’ll get a FREE styling fee (usually $20) on your first Fix, and I’ll get $25 credit once it ships.