I’m not very good at paying compliments to myself, but would say that I have pretty decent skin, which in recent years I have started taking much better care of. What follows is my morning routine (I, shamefully, do nothing at night and sleep with my makeup on, which is really bad, I know), starting with Bioderma, which I use to clean my face. It’s so much more hydrating than a foaming cleanser or something along those lines. This Garnier formulation is supposed to be good too, and costs less.

I apply the Bioderma (and the product directly below this one) with cotton pads from Japan, because I read once that Japanese and Korean cotton pads are better than American ones—they don’t pill on your face and are less abrasive. Also, they don’t absorb as much, so your products last longer.

I am a total convert to Biologique Recherche’s Lotion P50W, which smells like hell and costs a small fortune, but exfoliates like nobody’s business. I use the formulation for sensitive skin, because that’s what I have. This stuff is supposed to be pretty good too, and it costs less.

Next, I use Good Genes by Sunday Riley, which I know some of you don’t like because the people at Sunday Riley were caught writing positive reviews of their own items, but I think this stuff really works. The lactic acid plumps up my skin, exfoliates, and smells dreamily of lemongrass, which offsets the stink of the P50W. This stuff from The Ordinary apparently performs the same function for a lot less cash, but it is endlessly out of stock everywhere.

Into the Good Genes I shake a little Vitamin C Powder from True Botanicals, which a beauty editor I trust swears by. It costs more than a lot of Vitamin C  formulations out there, but Vitamin C degrades in water, so it’s supposedly much more powerful in powder form. I think it does a good job of brightening my skin. Here’s another powder that’s much cheaper, if you’re interested.

The next three items I mix together and apply to my face, starting with this Vitamin B serum, which hydrates nicely.

This moisturizer is meant to be used in the evening, and I can see why: it is pretty rich. But it works for mornings as long as I take enough time for it to sink in before applying makeup.

Marula Oil is supposed to be good for aging skin, so I add a few drops of this to the mix.

As for sunscreen, I use this stuff, which goes on nice and light and is slightly tinted, for a subtle glow.

Once a week, I’ll use this Drunk Elephant mask, which stings for the first minute or so, but leaves my skin so smooth and glowy.

And for very, very special occasions, I’ll go into my cache of SKII sheet masks, which are deeply hydrating and altogether beautifying.