Every autumn I get the same feeling.
Summer is basically over, my wardrobe suddenly feels wrong, my skin starts behaving differently and Christmas goes from ages away to wait… how is it already getting close?
And then the internet starts doing its thing.
New wardrobe. New skincare. New body. New morning routine. New personality, apparently.
Nope.
I’ve done enough dramatic “from Monday everything changes” plans to know exactly how they usually end — with me exhausted, slightly poorer and back to my old habits by Thursday.
So this autumn I’m doing something much more realistic: five small things between now and Christmas.
Nothing extreme. Nothing that requires becoming a 5 a.m. Pilates girl overnight.
I want healthier-looking skin, more energy, clothes I actually enjoy wearing and that whole she looks really put together but I can’t quite work out why feeling.
That’s the vibe.
And yes, there are a few beauty products, a little celebrity inspiration and a tiny bit of vanity involved.
We’re allowed.
1. I’m Going Skin-First
I used to think a glow-up meant buying more skincare.
New serum? Obviously. Another acid because TikTok said so? Add to basket. Some tiny bottle promising “glass skin” by Tuesday? Tempting.
But the older I get, the more I realise my skin usually looks best when I stop messing with it so much.
This autumn I’m going back to basics: gentle cleansing, hydration, moisturiser, SPF, lip care and body moisturiser.
That’s pretty much it.
I actually love that Hailey Bieber has talked about simplifying her beauty routine too. Her whole Rhode aesthetic is basically built around glossy, hydrated, healthy-looking skin rather than covering everything up.
One product I keep seeing everywhere is Rhode Glazing Milk, a milky hydrating essence that fits perfectly into that glazed-skin look.
But do you need it?
Absolutely not.
I’m not going to pretend a pretty bottle is the missing piece of your personality.
For something more straightforward, CeraVe Moisturising Cream is one of those boring-but-good products that just quietly gets on with the job.
Another product I constantly see people rave about is La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5, particularly when skin feels dry or irritated.
Honestly, sometimes boring skincare is exactly what your face wants.
My autumn beauty routine is simple: one moisturiser I actually use, SPF every morning, lip balm permanently living in my bag, body cream after a shower and one hair treatment a week.
For hair, Olaplex Nº.3 Hair Perfector is another product worth looking at if your hair has had a rough summer of heat styling, colouring, sun or basically being thrown into the same bun every day.
The biggest change for me, though, is consistency.
Not owning 15 products.
Actually using five.
2. I’m Moving My Body — Without Making It Miserable
This is probably the biggest difference between my old idea of a glow-up and my current one.
I don’t want exercise to feel like punishment. I want to feel stronger, less sluggish and more comfortable in my body.
That’s it.
So my rule this autumn is ridiculously simple: move for around 20–30 minutes.
Walk. Do Pilates. Lift weights. Dance around the kitchen. Stretch. Go swimming. Walk around a new city for three hours and call it sightseeing.
It all counts.
Even the World Health Organization emphasises that some physical activity is better than none, which is much more encouraging than pretending we all need to become professional athletes by Monday.
I think this is where a lot of us go wrong.
We decide we’re suddenly going to train six days a week when we currently do… zero.
Of course it doesn’t last.
I’d much rather start with:
“I’m going for a walk today.”
Then do it again.
If you’re starting from scratch, try my 30-Day Walking Plan for Beginners.
I’ve also written about Strength Training for Women and Why It Matters at Every Age, because getting stronger is something I increasingly think matters far more than simply trying to become smaller.
And yes, cute gym clothes can help with motivation.
I get it.
Alo Yoga, Lululemon, Nike and Adidas all somehow make a 20-minute workout feel slightly more glamorous.
But you genuinely don’t need the full matching set.
YouTube works. Dumbbells on your bedroom floor work. Walking works.
Cute leggings are nice.
Strong legs are nicer.
3. I’m Creating My “Put-Together” Outfit Formula
I love clothes.
I also somehow manage to stand in front of a wardrobe full of clothes saying:
“I have absolutely nothing to wear.”
Every. Single. Time.
So this autumn I’m stealing something from women whose style always looks effortless.
They repeat formulas.
Not necessarily the exact outfit — the formula.
Straight jeans + fitted top + oversized blazer + loafers.
Wide-leg trousers + knit + simple jewellery + trainers.
Leggings + long coat + sunglasses + clean trainers.
Mini skirt + knit + boots.
Whatever works for your body and your actual life.
Not your imaginary life where you attend Fashion Week every Tuesday.
Your real life.
I love looking at people like Zendaya, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Hailey Bieber and Sofia Richie Grainge for this.
Their wardrobes can obviously be ridiculously expensive, but the actual styling formulas are often surprisingly simple.
Tank top.
Jeans.
Blazer.
Long coat.
Good shoes.
Simple jewellery.
Done.
Rihanna is another one who can make simple colours such as chocolate brown, navy, cream, charcoal and deep denim look incredible because she plays with proportions and accessories.
You don’t need to copy the designer labels.
Copy the idea.
Personally, I always browse places like COS, Mango, Zara, Uniqlo, Massimo Dutti, & Other Stories and H&M before deciding I need to spend more.
But before buying anything this autumn, I’m doing one thing first:
shopping my own wardrobe.
Pull everything out. Try things on. Steam the clothes. Clean the boots. Find the belt you forgot existed. Put your jewellery somewhere visible.
And take mirror photos of outfits that actually work.
Honestly, this makes getting dressed about 100 times easier.
It fits perfectly with something I already believe in: you don’t have to spend loads of money to make life feel nicer.
I wrote more about that in This Is How I Romanticise My Life on a Budget.
Sometimes the glow-up isn’t buying more.
It’s using what you already own properly.
4. I’m Fixing My Energy Before Buying Another Wellness Product
This one is slightly annoying because it’s true.
The boring stuff works.
Whenever I start feeling tired, sluggish or generally a bit meh, my first instinct is sometimes to wonder whether I need a supplement, green powder, electrolytes, a wellness gadget or whatever TikTok has decided we’re all deficient in this week.
And then I ask myself the less glamorous questions.
Did I sleep enough?
Have I eaten properly?
Have I had water?
Have I been outside today?
Have I actually moved?
Yeah.
Usually there’s my answer.
So this autumn I’m focusing much more on energy than restriction.
I’m trying to add things rather than constantly take things away: more protein, vegetables, fruit, water, sleep, fresh air and movement.
And less midnight scrolling while telling myself, one more video.
We all know how that ends.
Suddenly it’s 1:17 a.m. and you’re watching somebody organise their fridge in Ohio.
Sleep has made such a noticeable difference to how I feel that I wrote a whole article about it: Why Sleep Changed My Life: The Health Habit I Ignored for Years.
And I’m not aiming for some picture-perfect wellness routine either.
Sometimes breakfast is eggs, fruit and yoghurt.
Sometimes it’s coffee and whatever I can grab.
Sometimes I’ll do a proper workout.
Sometimes my exercise is walking around shops.
Real life is allowed.
The goal is simply to make the better choice more often.
Not perfectly.
5. I’m Doing the Glow-Up Nobody Can See on Instagram
This might actually be my favourite part.
Because looking prettier is fun.
I like skincare. I like clothes. I love freshly washed hair. And I swear having nice nails gives me a completely unjustified level of confidence.
But I don’t want to arrive at Christmas with shinier hair and exactly the same habits that were making me stressed.
So I’ve been asking myself:
What am I leaving behind this autumn?
Maybe it’s constantly comparing yourself online, saying yes when you want to say no, buying things because someone on TikTok has them, doomscrolling, leaving everything until the last minute, talking badly about your body, waiting for January to change something or feeling guilty whenever you rest.
Some of this sounds very Pinterest-quote-ish.
I know.
But sometimes a cliché becomes a cliché because there’s a bit of truth in it.
Maybe your glow-up isn’t adding something.
Maybe it’s finally dropping something.
People-pleasing.
An old habit.
A toxic routine.
That constant feeling that everyone else is ahead of you.
If your brain feels more cluttered than your wardrobe, you might also like 10 Simple Habits That Can Improve Your Mental Wellbeing.
Because genuinely, the best glow-up is when you start feeling better in your own life.
Not just looking better in photos.
My Very Uncomplicated Autumn Glow-Up
So this is it.
Not 75 habits.
Not becoming a completely different woman by Christmas.
Just five things: simplify your skincare, move your body, create a few outfit formulas, protect your energy and leave one unhelpful habit behind.
That’s enough.
And maybe that’s what I like most about this version of a glow-up.
It doesn’t feel like I’m trying to fix myself.
It feels like I’m paying attention to myself again.
A little stronger.
A little glossier.
A little less tired.
A little more confident in my clothes.
A little less bothered by what everyone else is doing.
Basically:
still me — just with better habits and moisturised legs.
I’ll take that.
Read Next
If you’re fully getting into autumn mode, read The September Reset: 15 Simple Ways to Get Your Life Back Together This Autumn.
For something softer, try How to Romanticize Your Life: 21 Simple Ways to Enjoy Every Day More.
And if your week already feels chaotic, read The Realistic Sunday Reset Routine for Busy Mums Who Feel Overwhelmed.
Because your autumn glow-up doesn’t need to look dramatic.
Sometimes it’s just feeling a little more like yourself again.
