Early Morning Pep Start with Clinique

Posted on February 9, 2016 in Outfits

Skirt The Rules / Cutout Workout Outfit

Forever 21 ‘Mind Over Matter’ graphic tank (only $8, say what?!) / Forever 21 space dye sports bra / Lou & Grey active leggings (old, but love this printed version!) / Nike ‘Free’ training sneakers / Clinique ‘Pep-Start’ eye cream

Let me preface this post with the following: in my nearly three decades of existence, I have never been a morning person, but with the help of my friends at Clinique, I think we’re finally making some progress here.

The snooze alarm and I have always been as thick as thieves. On any given day, I’ll set three alarms in 15 minute intervals (with snoozes in between). Maybe five alarms if I have to wake up extra early (read: any time before 7:00 AM). After a few rings and an aggravated nudge from my husband, I’m finally up and throwing on a little Pep-Start eye cream to brighten my face before I run out the door.

Skirt The Rules / Cute Workout Outfit

I’ll admit, it’s not the best way of waking up. When you’re hitting the snooze button 2-3 times like me, you’re actually disrupting your sleep cycle and are more likely to wake up gross and groggy. With this in mind, I made a few changes to help me wake up in the morning. I set more realistic expectations, shutting off my first “optimistically early” alarm that I usually snooze through anyway so that I actually wake up when my first alarm goes off at a more reasonable time.

Skirt The Rules / Cutout Workout Outfit

Since our bed is up against the bedroom wall, I switched to sleeping on the outer edge so that it’s easier to get up in the morning. Side note: this is probably only a problem if A) you live in a tiny NYC apartment or B) you’re in a college dorm. In other words, my living situation is nearly equivalent (at least in square footage) to a pair of 18-year old roommates. Depressing, but I digress.

Skirt The Rules / Clinique Pepstart Eye Cream

The most important thing is waking up with something to be excited about. It might be as simple as a brewing a cup of coffee or a checking out new fitness class that I signed up for later in the day, but it’s that positive thinking that really gets me up in the morning.

Skirt The Rules / Cute Workout Outfit

Last week, Clinique invited me out to a morning movement called Daybreaker. It’s essentially an insane dance party that runs from 7:00 to 9:00 AM in the middle of the work week. I’m talking about the kind of rager you would have on a Saturday – except it was a Wednesday. I woke at 5:30 AM (on my first alarm!), headed over to a club in Midtown West and found myself on stage hyped up on positive energy with a dash of coffee (there’s no alcohol at Daybreaker, FYI).

Skirt The Rules / Clinique Pepstart Eye Cream

By the time I got to my office around 9:30 AM, I was beyond wide awake (a dab of Pep-Start also happens to help in that department). I couldn’t believe how much had happened before my day even got started and now I’m kind of hooked on that feeling.

Skirt The Rules / Cutout Workout Outfit

I wouldn’t call myself a morning person quite yet, but I’m making small steps to accomplishing earlier on in the day. That also happens to be the movement behind the Pep-Start lifestyle: energized, positive and up for anything.

Thank you Clinique for sponsoring this post!

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