The Day I Fired My 10-Step Routine - And My Skin Finally Got That “Glazed” Glow
It happened on a morning I didn’t have time for “self-care”.
You know the kind: you’re already running late, your hair is doing something chaotic, and your bathroom counter looks like a skincare aisle exploded overnight - toner, serum, exfoliating acids, retinol, facial oil, mist, night mask (because you forgot it was night-only), and a half-used jar you swore would change your life.
I was chasing glass skin like it was a full-time job.
And yet… my skin still felt tight.
My foundation would oxidise by lunchtime.
Dry patches would show up around my nose like they were on payroll.
And my “glow” lasted about 20 minutes - the rest of the day was a cycle of cakiness, patchiness, and frustration.
That morning, I finally admitted what my skin had been trying to tell me:
I wasn’t lacking products.
I was lacking hydration - the kind that actually stays.
The Scroll That Changed Everything
Later that day, I was doing what we all do when we’re tired of our own reflection: scrolling.
And there it was - a quick, no-fuss routine that didn’t feel like a chemistry experiment. Just two steps. Two products. The kind of simple that almost feels suspicious.
But the logic was undeniable:
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Hydrate deeply
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Seal it in
Then finish with SPF, because we’re not undoing all our effort with sun damage.
The combo was clear - Rhode’s Glazing Milk + Country of Glow Hyaluronic Cream.
I decided to try it the next morning. Not because I expected a miracle… but because I was genuinely tired of doing the most and getting the least.
Step 1: Rhode Glazing Milk - The “My Skin Can Finally Breathe” Layer
The first time I pressed Rhode’s Glazing Milk into my skin, I expected it to feel like every other lightweight hydrating step I’d tried: nice, but gone in seconds.
Instead, my skin drank it in.
It didn’t sit on top.
It didn’t feel greasy.
It didn’t sting the way your face sometimes does when you’ve been a little too enthusiastic with exfoliating acids.
It felt calm.
Like my skin finally unclenched.
And almost immediately, that soft light-catching finish showed up - not oily, not sweaty - just dewy skin that looks healthy, hydrated, and quietly expensive. The kind of glow people describe as clean girl aesthetic or glass skin.
For anyone who’s dealing with the usual “why is my skin doing this?” lineup - dullness, dehydration lines, redness, sensitivity, uneven texture, oily-but-tight skin, barrier damage - this first step makes sense because it’s hydration without heaviness.
Step 2: Country of Glow Hyaluronic Cream - The “Seal the Shine In” Move
Here’s the part I used to skip.
I would hydrate… and then wonder why my skin felt dry again two hours later.
Because hydration without a seal is like filling a glass with water that has a crack in it.
That’s where Country of Glow Hyaluronic Cream became the hero step. It’s designed to be deeply hydrating with a fast-absorbing, non-greasy texture and a finish made for that smooth, dewy, glass-skin look.
When I layered it on top of the Glazing Milk, everything changed:
The moisture didn’t evaporate.
The tightness didn’t creep back in.
The glow didn’t disappear by the time I’d made coffee.
My skin looked plump, bouncy, and almost reflective - that viral glazed donut skin effect people swear is highlighter… but is actually just proper hydration locked in.
Tiny tip that makes a big difference: I apply the cream while my skin is still slightly damp from the Glazing Milk. It makes the whole thing feel like it melts in, instead of sitting on top.
Step 3: SPF - Because Glow Without Protection Is Just Temporary
I finish with SPF. Always.
Because the biggest glow-killers are the ones people forget about until it’s too late: hyperpigmentation, dark spots, uneven tone, fine lines, sun damage.
Hydrate.
Seal.
Protect.
That’s the routine.
The Makeup Test - The Day My Foundation Stopped Fighting Me
A few days into this routine, I did the real test: makeup.
Normally, foundation clings to dryness, separates around the mouth, and turns weirdly orange by mid-afternoon (hello, oxidation). I’d tried primers, setting sprays, “hydrating” foundations - nothing fully fixed it because the base problem was always the same: dehydrated skin.
But this time?
My makeup glided on like my skin had been professionally prepped.
No pilling.
No cakiness.
No patchy zones.
No oxidising halfway through the day.
It didn’t look like makeup sitting on my skin - it looked like my skin, just smoother, brighter, and more even.
And that’s the thing people don’t talk about enough:
When your skin barrier is supported and your skin is properly hydrated, makeup doesn’t have to work overtime.
And Yes - Rhode Is Finally in Australia (Hello, MECCA)
If you’re in Australia and you’ve been watching Rhode launches from afar like it’s a long-distance relationship, this is your sign.
Rhode is finally in Australia and officially available at MECCA this February.
That means the glazed skin routine you’ve been saving is now easy to shop locally - no international shipping, no waitlists, no hoping it drops soon.
What I Learned (And Why I’m Not Going Back)
We’re constantly told to add more: more actives, more steps, more treatments.
But a lot of the problems men and women search daily -
Why is my skin dull?
How do I fix a damaged skin barrier?
Why does my makeup look cakey?
How do I stop dry flaky skin?
Why is my skin oily but tight?
How do I get glass skin?
Often come back to the same core issue:
Dehydration and barrier imbalance.
This two-step pairing works because it’s intentional:
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Rhode Glazing Milk = hydration + glow boost
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Country of Glow Hyaluronic Cream = locks it in for that plump, glazed finish
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SPF = protects the results
And suddenly, skincare feels easy again.
Not a 10-step performance.
Not a bathroom counter full of guilt.
Just healthy, hydrated, glazed skin - with makeup that behaves.
The glow I was trying to buy in a hundred bottles?