Sponsored by Shiseido
As a fashion and beauty writer working for Grazia Daily, no day is the same: depending on what’s hit the headlines that morning, there might be a breaking story to write up, an interview to conduct, or a new ‘it’ beauty product or super food to test out. This can sometimes mean early mornings, late nights, and a lot of screen time - so I find it’s particularly important that healthier habits and choices are ingrained into my routine to give me a bit of a boost.
This is why I work Shiseido products into my day-to-day life. Ultimune is the one I particularly can’t live without. Your skin has it’s own immune system which protects against the environment, emotional stress and ageing – Ultimune treats the skin from within, making sure this system is working effectively. Living in London and working in a particularly stressful job, this is precisely what I need.
WAKING UP
Thanks to social media, fashion and beauty news moves pretty fast. In the morning, I check Twitter for news stories and have a quick scroll through Instagram before getting started on my skincare routine. My job means that I’m regularly testing out different make-up products, so I like to keep my skincare regime relatively simple and streamlined to counterbalance this. I always look out for products that give fast results (keeping dehydration lines at bay throughout the day is a particular concern of mine) and sit well under make-up – Shiseido’s Ultimune concentrate fits the bill on both counts. After cleaning my face I massage it into my skin, (and apply the Ultimune Power Infusing Eye Concentrate around my eyes) before moisturizing. It’s lightweight and absorbs into the skin without leaving you feeling greasy and heavy, as some serums do.
MORNING MEETINGS
As part of my job, I often meet fashion and beauty PRs before work for a breakfast meeting, which is a great chance to learn about new product launches - and play around with make-up samples… It’s a cliché that everyone in lifestyle journalism is running round powered on triple shot Starbucks coffees (thanks, Devil Wears Prada), but I tend to opt for a peppermint or decaf green tea – it wakes me up without that telltale post-caffeine slump.
FRESH AIR
One of the best things about journalism is that no day is the same, so I often find myself dashing across London to get to a product launch or to do an interview. If I’m not out and about during the day, I try to always make time to take a proper break from my desk at lunchtime. Ideally, I’ll have been organised enough to book on a quick exercise class (OK, this has happened at least twice in my working life) or go for a quick walk to clear my head and get some fresh air.
SWITCHING OFF
One of the best things about working in digital journalism is that the Internet never sleeps, but while this means that there’s always another story breaking (case in point: those Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston pictures) or another trending topic doing the rounds on Twitter, it can sometimes make switching off a little difficult. To make sure that I’m ready to drift off to sleep, I try to limit my screen time in the evenings and stay off social media – however strong the temptation is to work my way through Orange Is The New Black or see why I have 154 new notifications on that Whatsapp group.
When I’m researching beauty features, I often chat to skincare experts to provide me with quotes, advice and recommendations. While their opinions and favourite products can vary, they all agree on one thing – the importance of taking your make-up off properly at the end of the day. A proper night time skincare ritual can work wonders when it comes to de-stressing, too. I like to use an oil based cleanser before applying Shiseido’s Ibuki Beauty Sleep mask – it feels moisturizing and nourishing, but isn’t too heavy for my combination skin.