Maximize your morning shower
We know: It’s early. You’re tired. But if you’ve come this far—as in, there’s a steady stream of hot water raining down from above, and myriad beautifiers within reach—why not make the most of it? The extra effort will save you in the long run—promise. So, where to begin? While we’d love to celebrate the time-saving goodness of two-in-one shampoo/conditioners, it turns out “these combos will never give you the same benefits as the individual products, and they tend to build up faster on hair,” says cosmetic chemist Ni’Kita Wilson. That means you’ll need to start using a clarifying shampoo on the regular. No thanks. Instead, turn attention to skin. The beauty editors at refinery29.com suggest wearing a moisture mask in the shower, where the ambient steam can help ingredients penetrate deeper and work better. (Don’t wash it off; just blot excess with a tissue post-shower, then skip your usual face cream.) While waiting for your face mask to work its magic, slather on an in-shower body moisturizer after cleansing. Curel Hydra Therapy is loaded with healing ceramides; Jergens Natural Glow Wet Skin Moisturizer is a double-duty gem that bestows hydration and a subtle hint of smudge-free color. And if you want to skip the shower, hey, that’s OK too. Wipe down with SweetSpot-on-the-Go Wipes for a quick, water-free refresher.
Test-drive a hybrid (moisturizer plus tint, that is)
Equal parts efficiency and luxury, the latest skincare-makeup fusions will jump-start your a.m. routine, delivering translucent (read: goof-proof) coverage, serious sun protection, and turbo-charged anti-agers in a single tube, saving you countless steps (and precious shelf space in your medicine cabinet). Elizabeth Arden Prevage City Smart pools DNA repair enzymes, antioxidants, and SPF 50 in a satiny tinted moisturizer that gives a seamless finish without brushes or blending. It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better CC Cream SPF 50+ touts collagen-boosting peptides and hydrating hyaluronic acid, and comes in five blemish-veiling shades. But if selecting one seems too big a chore, rub on a colorless blur cream instead. Milk Makeup Blur Stick nourishes skin and obscure flaws to silky, matte effect.
Go for monochromatic makeup
In about the time it takes to rub on some Chapstick, you can create a luminous, pulled-together look by applying a sheer, creamy multipurpose makeup stick, like Nars The Multiple in Riviera, to lips, cheeks, and lids, and softening the edges with your pinky. “A single-shade look means never having to think about coordinating eyes with lips and cheeks,” says makeup artist Ashleigh Ciucci. (Plus, fingertip clean up is way easier than washing your makeup brushes.) Rose hues flatter most skin tones, Ciucci adds, imparting a pretty, energized glow, and making eyes pop—even when you’ve gone a few rounds with the snooze button.
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Be a loud mouth
If you only have the time (or willpower) for a single makeup move—hello, moms everywhere—slick on a bright lipstick. “I skip eye makeup almost every day, because I don’t want to deal with the touch-up detail it demands, and I’m always too tired to take it off at night,” says makeup artist and mom Emily Warren. “But I can get away with it by wearing a vivid pink or berry lipstick that makes it look like I made a major effort.” Go for one like Glossier Generation G in Zip, a see-through, shine-free poppy that requires neither a mirror nor an ounce of precision to apply—on your way out the door, of course.
Score low-key evening eyes
A shadow in a pencil, like low key Make Up for Ever’s Aqua Matic, glides on and stays put. You can smudge it out with your finger, plus it has a built-in sharpener, so you’ll never have to hunt for yours at the bottom of your makeup bag. Opt for a gold or nude shade for a quick, highlighting effect. In lieu of mascara—and the requisite curling, priming, declumping—pop on a pair of magnetic falsies by One Two Lash. According to allure.com, you simply sandwich your own lashes between the two synthetic strips, allowing them to lock together for a sexy, winged look—with no messy glue or anxiety-riddled removal. Just slide the magnets apart with your fingers to release their connection, and store them away until next time.
Get brows on fleek—for weeks
Strong, shapely brows can carry a whole look, making a nearly nude face seem somehow “done.” And the fastest, most fuss-free way to get them, says makeup artist Ramy Gafni, is with a clear or tinted brow gel, which adds instant definition without ever looking draggy or drawn-on. A good pick: Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel. You can prolong the effect—and skip a step each day—by getting arches professionally tinted with a semi-permanent vegetable-based dye to enhance not only their color, but shape and thickness, too, says refinery29.com. The dye coats each individual hair, boosting its diameter a bit, and grabs onto even pale, ultrafine, all-but-invisible hairs, accentuating each one to make brows appear full and groomed. Semi-permanent tints gradually fade over two to four weeks, requiring monthly touch-ups at $8 to $25 a pop. Here’s how to determine the best eyebrows for your face shape.
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Touch up your makeup—without touching your makeup
Thank you, allure.com, for the intro to GlamGlow Glowsetter Makeup Setting Spray, which, yes, does exactly what the name suggests when spritzed on right after makeup. But it also doubles as a skin-refreshing antioxidant-infused mist, recharging your dewy glow and refreshing faded hues mid-day—so you don’t need to lift a finger applying a stitch more color.
Wash your face—in bed
On nights we’re totally wiped, and can barely manage two minutes of teeth-brushing, bhg.com suggests shortening your time at the bathroom sink by stashing cleansing cloths and facial moisturizer in a bedside table. (Even better: Try a ultra-hydrating overnight mask, like La Neige Water Sleeping Mask, to fake a facial in your sleep.) If you’re more of a micellar-water girl, but can’t imagine anything more absurd than hunting cotton balls at midnight, there’s Simple Micellar Make-Up Remover Wipes, which dissolve grime without leaving skin sticky. Checkout these 15 more ways to get gorgeous while you catch some zzzs.
Style hair in your sleep
Veteran lazy girls are beyond familiar with the joys of p.m. showers—skipping the tedious blow-out, first and foremost. But as we’ve reported before, wet strands can easily fray and frizz as we toss and turn through the night. Sleeping in braids, however, can prevent damage while delivering soft, beachy waves come sun-up. To tweak this trick on nights you forgo showering, mist a boar-bristle paddle brush with water, and use it to dampen hair before tying in two semi-tight braids, suggests hair stylist Nunzio Saviano, owner of two eponymous hair salons in the New York City area. If roots look dirty when you wake, “dry shampoo is a quick and easy fix,” he adds. A new foam versions (from Ouai Haircare) de-greases hair while amplifying texture and movement. Plus, it works on contact—no waiting for powders to sop up oil before brushing through—and leave behind zero dulling residue. Here are some more smart dry-shampoo strategies.
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Speed-dry your mane
Your hair type will determine exactly how you do this, but absolutely everyone can kickstart the process by wrapping just-washed hair in an absorbent microfiber towel, like the Aquis Lisse Luxe Hair Turban, leaving it on until you’re ready to style. “Rubbing hair with a regular towel creates friction, leading to frizz and breakage,” says Dana Tizzio, a hair stylist at New York City’s Butterfly Studio Salon. “But microfiber towels are very gentle, and remove a ton of water, shortening the time your hair will be exposed to searing heat.” Once you take off the turban, work in a heat-shielding spray or serum, plus your favorite body-building or curl-defining potions. Those with fine to medium hair that’s not overly textured can then “pre-dry” strands, lifting the roots with your hands while applying heat to remove about 80 percent of moisture before going in with a round brush to add style and volume. “Pre-drying will cut your styling time in half and minimize damage,” notes Tizzio, explaining that hair is most fragile when wet, and should never be stretched over a brush and blasted with heat straight from the shower. For those with thick or bendy hair, allure.com recommends spending three to five minutes with a diffuser to get hair halfway dry and forge a curl pattern, before letting it air-dry the rest of the way.
