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Get Ready for Bed with Me!

When I was younger, I suffered from really bad insomnia, sleeping about 2-3 hours a night, for a whole year. I tried everything, from tea, to baths, to prescription sleeping pills and nothing worked. Ultimately the installment of a night ritual helped me to fall into a normal sleep cycle. This is the beauty portion, but the entire night cycle lasts about an hour, and I follow it religiously. When I don't, I suffer huge migraines, puffy eyes, dark circles, and major cranky fits. This is really more for all ya'll than me, no one wants to spend time with no-sleep me. It's a blood bath, anyone who has witnessed it knows.

I go to bed at the same time every night, and wake up at the same time every morning as not to disturb my own natural circadian rhythm. When I pay heed to my bed time, I can wake up naturally without an alarm. (Though I do set one just in case, but I usually wake up before it can go off). I start this bit of the nightly ritual about an hour before I want to go to bed, so in this case, 11pm.

It's called "Beauty Sleep" for a reason ya'll.

Okay, first things first, get dat hurr up outta your pretty mug! A loose bun and thick headband works best for 
this, as you want to get all of those baby hairs out of the way when you're washing your face. It doesn't matter how it looks, because we'll be taking this down and using the headband for a sleep style later on, so keep it close and relatively dry!

I don't wear makeup on a daily basis, but when I do, I like to use a face wipe to remove my makeup prior to washing my face. I love using Alba Botanica's Hawaiian 3-in-1 Clean Towelettes, for a few reasons: 
1) It's an all-organic, all-natural, cruelty-free brand that's relatively affordable, and super accessible, as you can buy it from any local drugstore and most grocery stores 
2) On nights when I just can't get to the sink to wash my face, either because I'm at someone else's place, traveling, or post-show and too damn tired, these are 3-in-1 and do a pretty good job of getting my face clean and moisturized in one step, and of course, they're prepackaged and super portable.  I don't recommend doing this all the time, but when you're in a pinch, these are awesome. 
3) It has pineapple extracts which feel tingly and works as a natural astringent to really break up oil and flush those pores
4) They smell absolutely amaaaazing. Nuff said.

After getting all of my icky makeup off, it's time to steam your face! I like to do this because it helps to open my pores, and give the cleanser easier access. My mom taught me how to make these washcloths, and I like them better than regular terry cloth ones because they're smoother, and softer. This one in particular is made from organic cotton yarn, which is great because they're machine washable, and just get softer after every wash. I just one of these babies under some hot water, squeeze out a bit of the excess water, and smooth it out on my face. I leave it there for 20-30 seconds, or until the cloth is no longer hot. 






Now it's time for face wash! Not going to lie, I have a bit of a fetish for Lush products as you'll soon learn, and I have yet to find a product that I don't adore. They're a primarily vegan company that specializes in crafting handmade products that are all natural, organic, and cruelty free. Right now I'm working my way through a pot of Lush's Herbalism, which smells like an herb garden! I have combination skin that is a bit oily in the T-one area, and dry on my cheeks, and this really helps to regulate it. It comes in this green paste, and you have to mix it with a bit of water prior to using it. It says to mix it half and half, product with water, but I find that the best consistency actually comes from two parts product to one part water. Mess with it, and see what you like best! Work the product in using circular motions for about 40 seconds to a minute. Take that cloth back out and gently wipe the product off. Rinse the cloth and hang it to dry. 

Next up is toner! Toner is crucial ya'll, and not a step to be skipped! Depending on your skin type, this can either be moisturizing or astringent based on your own particular needs. This is a toner by Lush called Breath of Fresh Air, and it is DELIGHTFUL. It has sea water and algae extracts and it smells like the ocean! (In a good way, not in a dead-fish kind of way). The algae extracts are incredibly nutritious for your skin, imparting moisture and fighting acne without the harmful chemicals found in over the counter spot treatments. You can either spray this directly onto your face, or onto a cotton pad. I personally use a cotton pad just because of the way it feels, but you do you boo!

You always need to seal in moisture with your favorite skin cream. Right now I'm in love with Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream. Kiehl is an older brand founded in 1851, and most of their products haven't changed their ingredients since the company's first batch. It's a company that strives to use all natural and sustainable ingredients, and is tied with multiple charities benefiting children, HIV/AIDS survivors, and of course, the environment. I use this cream because I generally hate the feeling of moisturizer just sitting on the top of the skin, and this one is super light and sinks right in without any oily residue. It's also fragrence free, which is great for my sensitive skin. 

Last but not least, you're never too young to start using wrinkle cream. I'm 20, and in my field, it's crucial to look and feel young and vital for as long as possible for casting purposes. The best way to fight aging, is prevention, which means sun care in the morning (ALWAYS!) and wrinkle cream at night. My mom worked for Estee Lauder back when she was in college, and swears by this product. Estee Lauder's Resilience Lift Creme is technically supposed to be used on your entire face, but being as young as I am, I tend to focus on the thinnest skin on my face, because that will always show the signs of aging first: this means eyes and lips. I take a tiny dab and apply it to the entire surface of my eyelid and under eye, and a bit on the outer bit of my lip. A little goes a long way, so be sure not to over apply! This product won't work if your skin can't breathe through the product. 

You're done with your face! Awww yeahhh so soft, like a baby's ass, yeahhh. (Who decided that was a compliment by the way? Isn't a baby's tummy or hand just as soft? I'd rather be as soft as a baby's tum really. Let's start using that instead yeah?)

But wait! There's more! 

Brush your teeth and get that nasty business out of the way. Typically I mix up my own paste using one part baking soda, one part water with a drop of peppermint oil,  but since I'm at my mom's right now, I'm using a more travel-friendly option. These are Dirty Toothy Tabs by Lush, and it's the next best thing to making your own paste. They come in these Altoid size bits, that you just chew up and brush all across your teeth. No weird chemicals! These are super compact and since they're dry, you can take them pretty much anywhere. I have a pack in my suitcase, my purse, and my gym duffel at all times. You'll never know when the craving for garlic bread will strike and you've GOT to be prepared! DON'T FORGET TO FLOSS!

You gotta do your hurr right? Girl. Get your weave in order, that shit is a messss. 

Take your hair out of whatever ratty bun it was in before, and remove your headband. (Keep it close, you'll need it in a bit). Go ahead and brush those knots out! I have naturally wavy/curly hair, so I avoid brushing my hair in the morning as not to give my self a big pouf of frizzies or break up whatever natural texture I have going on that day. I like this little brush, because the plastic bristles are pretty spread apart and really flexible so it won't damage my hair. Plus it looks like an Easter egg!

Wet your hair, and apply a bit of leave-in conditioner or oil. I've almost demolished this bottle of It's a 10 Miracle Leave-in Product, because it is the SHIZ. It's super moisturizing and light, and it smells super yummy, but not overwhelming. I have decently thick hair, so I use about 5 spritzes, but you adjust that to whatever your hair needs. 

Now it's time for the magic! I learned about this method of night-styling online and it is the best thing I've every learned. Once you get the hang of it, it only takes two minutes to do, and you wake up with gorgeous, tangle-free, soft, curly hair, without any heat damage! Ready? OKAY!
 
First thing's first, be sure to choose the right headband. I usually use a green bamboo terry cloth band, but it's in the wash right now, so this will have to do! Use something that is about 2 inches wide, flat, stretchy, and absorbent. Make sure it isn't too tight, as you will be wearing this all night, and no one like to wake up with a headache. This headband is one I made myself out of some ratty yoga pants I had lying around, and is so soft and comfortable to wear. Position it on top of your hair, sitting at about your crown. 






Next you need to take a 1" to 1-1/2" section of hair and simply loop it up and over the headband, pulling through so that it's flat. Literally that's it. Simply pick up more and more pieces and wrap it around the headband until you get to the back. Tuck whatever's left in the back bit, and if needed, secure with pins. My hair is medium-long, so I need a pin or two, but if your hair is longer than mine, you most likely won't. They call this the "Friar Tuck" and I think you can see why. 

I know this may seem like a lot, but really this only takes me about 5-10 minutes. That's even with brushing the full two-minute amount, and flossing like your dentist keeps bugging you to do. Yeah. I floss. I'm pretty sure I get an A+ in life for just that. Like I said, this routine takes a full hour, and after I'm all cleaned up and prepped for bed, I play a bed time mix, and read a book on my tablet until lights out! Right now I'm reading White Teeth by Zadie Smith, and following up on my all-female summer reading list, and I'm loving her writing, she really has a way of enveloping you in the environment by painting these super vibrant and real characters. I absolutely recommend it! I also find that spacey-synth lullabies really help to put me out, and Songza is stocked to the brim with great mixes for every activity. They have super long mixes curated by actual music professionals (DJ's, critics, radio show hosts, the like) , and you can listen to HOURS of music without a single ad- It's my favorite. I have Songza downloaded on both my phone and tablet, and bookmarked on my computer, and I'm streaming from there almost 24/7. No matter what your taste in music, they'll have something just for you.  

Well that's it folks! Take out your contacts and dream sweet dreams!