Men: I swapped beauty routines with my little sister…

I don’t go in for all that grooming stuff.  The only toner I ever used was the one in my printer. *chuckles in manly fashion*

When I was asked to swap morning beauty routines with my sister  for two weeks I knew I would struggle if the  process was more than 2-3 steps. I start work early and the last thing I want to do is add extra time on when it isn’t completely necessary. Let’s just say it took a lot of persuading to get me to do this – she owes me big time.

Original routine: What routine?

New Routine: My sister says she uses a cleanser toner and moisturiser, then she uses a tanning cream to ‘even out her skintone’ before applying make-up – is she Beyonce?  I’m obviously not going to use the make up, but I opted for a 4-step process of Man Cave products:  Willowbark facial wash, Miscellar cleansing water, Anti Pollution serum and Orignial moisturiser. For me, that’s ALOT of products.

Brand of choice: Man Cave (because I liked the name).

Morning Routine Diary:

Day 1: I’m up earlier than usual because I know I have to get through four products before I leave the house. The first hurdle was finding cotton wool for the cleanser – which I finally find in my wife’s stash of toiletries. I am not sure whether to shower before or after but I don’t have time to ponder. I get straight in with the facial wash, then rush through the rest. By the time i’m finished I am surprised at how refreshed I feel. My skin feels light and invigorated…Oh man, did I just say that?!

Day 5: I have to remember to get cotton wool every morning – it’s not kept in the bathroom – and this is proving to be a real pain in the proverbial.  When you have limited time in the morning and you are using so many products you have to be organised. I am starting to miss the days of when I just grabbed whatever soap was in reach and rinsed my face under the shower hose. That said, not sure if it’s the recent improvement in the weather but my skin is glowing. The serum and moisturiser seem to be working, I just have to get used to the process.

Day 9: It’s been really cold and I walk to the station everyday, the face serum is great for keeping my skin from getting too dry.  I am actually appreciating the products more now that the temperature has dropped… (no, I am not telling my sister).

Day 14: It’s the end of the two weeks and I am converted. Man Cave products are great quality and I actually look forward to using them – my skin is protected and nourished, especially on colder days. My favourite product is the moisturiser – I used to use cocoa butter but it often left my skin greasy. This moisturiser keeps my skin hydrated without the grease and shine.

Results: In all honesty, I’m surprised at how quickly I got used to the new routine. I’m going to continue with the products…although i’m not sure if I am going to go out and buy more. In all, the extra time added to my morning routine worked out to 15 – 20 minutes – my skin looks great, but is it worth it?

Check out my current process:

I’m a blogger so OF COURSE I love products. *rolls eyes*

I get sent loads of beauty items and I am a sucker for a new line so my morning routine is…well, you can imagine. My brother on the other hand is somewhat of a minimalist when it comes to grooming products. Taking on his morning routine is going to be great on my purse strings but hard on my crows feet – I am not looking forward to the cocoa butter AT ALL.

*To make thing worse, in the interest of making this as authentic as possible I am going to go make-up free – let’s see how long this lasts.

Original routine: Cleanser, toner, moisturiser, Dove Summer glow tanning cream. Make-up includes concealer, foundation, eyeliner, lipgloss and blush – all from MAC.

New Routine: Any ‘random soap’ and Cocoa Butter

Brand of choice: Palmers Cocoa Butter

Day 1: It’s a Saturday, the only day I really have for a full morning beauty routine – I have kids, nuff said. Instead of my usual multi-step process I jump in the shower and wash my face with body soap then rinse. My face feels so dry! I grab the cocoa butter and it actually feels great to use such a heavy moisturiser after the drying effects of my shower gel. Cocoa butter is not as greasy as I thought it would, but the smell is intense.

Day 5: I haven’t worn make up in a week and my skin has improved dramatically. Do I even need all those products I use everyday? Getting in and out of the bathroom takes minutes, I have more time and I care less about my appearance generally. The only issue I have is with the cocoa butter, the smell is alot to deal with every morning – unless you like to smell like a chocolate bar. I have a meeting tomorrow so I am not sure I can maintain the whole no make-up thing. We will see.

Me with and without make-up: This is after a successful meeting, despite wearing greasy cocoa butter under my foundation. Ugh!

Day 9:   I have given in and gone back to using make-up.  Look, I had a meeting AND it was just me AND it was with a beauty company AND I had to present AND…don’t judge me. My skin looks great after avoiding the slap for so long, but I like the confidence boost a flawless beat will give you – make-up is back on the agenda. I am getting used to the cocoa butter but I miss my facial wash. I have cheated again and swapped out the shower gel for a gentle all over soap – it’s better on my face. I MISS MY OLD ROUTINE.

Day 14: Thank goodness it is over.  Not wearing make-up was the toughest part. I also missed the glow my tanning products gave me. That said, I had so much more time in the morning…I filled it by watching Youtube so I wouldn’t call it progress.

Results: My skin improved alot by not wearing make-up but it is not something I really want to maintain. I had more time in the morning but I missed the process of getting ready. Definitely going back to my old routine.