Beauty Influencer Katie Fang’s Back-to-School Beauty Routine

Photo-Illustration: by The Cut

There’s pressure every September to start over: new routine, new hair, new “you.” But over the summer, I stopped chasing that. I noticed I kept reaching for the same handful of products morning after morning, and instead of feeling boring, it felt grounding. Showing up for my skin every day stopped being about vanity and started feeling like a form of self-respect: a small, consistent way of taking care of myself. The goal quietly shifted from fixing what I saw in the mirror to simply maintaining what felt good. That’s the moment it clicked: The glow-up wasn’t going to come from something new. It was already happening in the routine I’d built without even trying.

When I’m building a skin-care routine, I think about three things: hydration, brightening, and restoration. My skin tends to run dry and dull by the time fall hits, so everything in the lineup below is chosen with that in mind — products that layer easily, absorb quickly, and don’t clog pores, because between classes, errands, and everything else, I don’t have time for constant retouches. Most of these products are travel- and dorm-room-friendly.

A lot of this has also been shaped by a recent trip to Japan, where I went a little feral in the skin-care aisles (no regrets). I picked up some of the viral rice face masks everyone’s been talking about, and I have been loving them. My pores look smaller, and I’ve had this constant glow ever since I started using them. That trip also deepened my K-beauty obsession, and one product I can’t stop reaching for is the Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Cream, which I also picked up while I was in Japan.

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This product has become a staple for a hydration boost, especially as the weather starts to shift

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I’ve found it to be great for prepping and cleaning my skin, giving me a fresh face in the morning. But I just use it every so often, as it can be harsh

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Which is hydrating and gives me a glowy base for my day

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The Papaya Milk Serum is exactly what my skin needs heading into fall: It hydrates, refreshes, and gives me that lit-from-within glow without feeling heavy

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This has become my recent obsession. It has the perfect consistency — thick but gel-like and lightweight — and leaves my skin feeling hydrated and dewy

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This product is one of my all-time favorites. So incredibly hydrating and comfortably thick on the lips (and it works great as a gloss too)

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Beauty Influencer Katie Fang’s Back-to-School Beauty Routine