My morning routine

I'm not a morning person. However, I need to get up at 7:30 am on week days to get to work on time. I start work at 9 am and the ride to the office takes around 20 minutes on my moped. This meant I had to fit my daily morning routine within the hour.

Rise and shine

Once my alarm rings at 7:30 am, I get out of bed and open the curtains. The morning sunshine gets rid of the sleepiness in my bones and gets me energised for the day. On cloudy or rainy days where there's less sunlight, I'll turn on the lights. The light tells my body that it's time to get out of bed and forget about the comfortably bed.

Drink water

The first thing I do after washing up is to drink a glass of water. It's a habit I've had since young. I'm sure I don't need to tell you about the benefits of drinking water first thing in the morning.

Even my dog has picked up the habit. Xiaobao will go for a drink in his bowl when I get out of bed.

Warm beverage

Depending on my mood, I would go for a cup of coffee, hot chocolate or oatmeal to start the day. My preferred coffee is some aromatic Malaysian white coffee. I used to have Swiss Miss hot chocolate but I've since switched to Horlicks. On days that I don't have sweet potatoes, corn or eggs for breakfast, I would have a cup of Quaker oatmeal with milk instead.

Morning skincare routine

With my stomach satiated, I start my daily skincare routine.

1. First, I wash my face with clear warm water to cleanse my skin and open up the pores.
2. Next, I apply my moisturiser first, then the essence. After applying the essence, I put on skin lotion on my face and neck, then massage it in with the guasha to improve greater absorption by the skin.
3. Then comes what I regard as the most important step: applying sunscreen. I'm always told that I'm very fair, and that because I'm very diligent with my sunscreen application and I ensure I'm in the shade or have my UV-blocking umbrella out when I'm in the sun. Using sunscreen is one of the most important ways to protect your skin from damaging sunlight. Proper use of sunscreen can help reduce skin ageing to some extent.
4. Finally, I do my makeup. I prefer a light makeup. I wait 30 minutes after applying sunscreen before putting makeup. I start with the makeup base. The primer is a protective layer that seals the moisturiser in and provides a smooth surface for applying foundation. I usually go with light fine power because I like how it enhances the look of my skin. Then, I will draw my eyebrows and put on light eye shadow. I have several different sets from Beauty Diary. The look I go for depends on the schedule for the day and my mood, of course. I finish up with lipstick that matches the look of the day.

I don't fuss my hair too much because it generally looks alright. I brush it a little after my skincare routine, but not much since I'll be putting on the helmet when I ride the moped anyway.

Once that's done, I'm all set for my ride to work at a comfortable pace with time to spare.