Mornings In: Italy

Red lips, smoky eyes, delicious pastries – those Italian women seem to have it figured out! Today Turin resident (and total babe) Benedetta is telling us alllll her secrets – including the $13 Italian beauty product us non-Italians can buy on Amazon!

Name: Benedetta Albano
Hometown: Torino, Italy
Age: 22
Occupation: Third year Law student
My alarm is set for: 7:30

My Italian breakfast

In Italy, we usually have a sweet breakfast – which is why whenever we travel we are always surprised to see that salty breakfast options are so common everywhere else!

We usually make our own coffee at home with the moka, the typical Italian machine, and eat cookies (we have a famous brand called Mulino Bianco which produces most of them; the most popular types are Pan di Stelle or Gocciole), milk with cereal, or bread with jam.

My go to breakfast usually consists of coffee and fette biscottate, a type of crunchy bread, topped with cherry jam.

However for most of us it’s rather common to just go to a café to get espresso and a croissant – or cappuccino, which we drink only in the mornings or afternoons, and never after a meal! In the last few years lots of places have started serving brunch, but it’s not yet a habit.

My Italian beauty routine

Italian women have lots of different beauty routines, but for me the most important thing is having a clear, healthy skin.  My face cleanser is from a French brand called Melvita (one specifically designed for combination skin) and then put on Roberts rose water: an item I recommend getting if you’re ever in Italy – it costs only a few euros and the results are amazing!

Most of my beauty products are from a lovely natural, cruelty free, vegan brand called Neve Cosmetics (which happens to be Italian). I recommend their setting powder in Hollywood, works wonders in the summer heat, and their natural bronzer which gives you a healthy and radiant glow – and their lip pencil collection is to die for.

I usually use lipstick but their colors are so vibrant and feel great, and now that it’s getting warm I feel they work better. My summer lip is the one in the DuoBaci collection, color Masquerade. I would recommend their brand in general for great work ethic, quality, and prices!

I don’t use foundation, only concealer. My classic day look consists of a cat eye with lots of mascara, pink blush and nude lips – although I go crazy for MAC lipsticks, especially Russian Red. We usually wear more make up in the evenings, and smoky eyes and dark lips are very popular right now!

My Italian commute

I live near my university so it takes me ten minutes with the bus to get there, but I prefer to use my bike – it was my dad’s, and it’s a lovely cobalt blue, plus it saves me lots of time which I would otherwise spend waiting. Biking in the morning is one of my favorite moments of the day!

Thanks so much for sharing your morning routine, Benedetta! Any other Italian readers care to chime in?

P.S. Morning routines in The Netherlands, Slovenia, and Costa Rica!

photo credits: toa heftiba // yoal desurmont // taymtaym // wikipedia // vanessa porter // cc