7 Beauty Time-Savers Helping Me Reclaim My Time

I'm busy. You're busy. Let's cut some corners.

When I’m getting ready for a fancy event, I love taking my time for full glam. There’s something meditative and artistic about layering everything on, getting the lashes curled just right, the eyeliner nice and crisp. But in my everyday life, I’ve become pretty minimalistic about my hair and makeup. Especially these days. Between work and life and kids (our preschooler has been sick every other week since school started!), I’m finding that there just aren’t enough hours in the day. So I’m always pleased to find ways to shave a few minutes off of any routine.

Wander Beauty Double Date Eyeshadow Duo

Those giant multi-pan eyeshadow palettes used to get me so excited but these days, all I want is a well-curated quad or even better a duo or a single color. This matte plus shimmer stacked duo from Wander Beauty is perfect for everyday wear and I’ve realized, all I need. The Crush + Eye Candy shades look pretty with my coloring. Works well whether it’s applied with a brush or just fingers.

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Merit Beauty Solo Shadow

Another pared-down eye product. I’ve become a big fan of the Merit Beauty Solo Shadows. The shades are so chic and add depth without being too fussy. My only issue personally is that cream shadows sometimes get on my lashes a little bit and make it harder to get—and keep—a defined curl on my lashes. So I just have to be extra careful when I apply.

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Nudestix Cream Blush All-Over Face Color

Oh, I love a multistick and these Nudestix all-over colors have been some of my favorites for years. With clean fingers (very important!), you can use this creamy, blendable balm on cheeks, lips, and eyes. And there’s a little brush on the other end for easy blending. I find that any of the nude-rose shades (Nude Buff, Naughty n’ Spice, and Cherie) look nice with my skin tone.

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Roz Milk Hair Serum or Moroccanoil Hydrating Styling Cream

If there’s one thing I’m laziest with, it’s my hair for sure. I air-dry it most days and it inevitably ends up in a messy, looped-up ponytail by the end of the day. My hair is naturally straight but ends up frizzy and poofy if I don’t style it. So I’ve found a good styling serum or hydrating styling cream to be very helpful. When my hair is half-dry, I’ll run a few drops of serum or cream from the mid-lengths to ends then scrunch it up a bit for movement. It’s done wonders with making my hair look a touch more finished even though I’ve done almost nothing with it.

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READ: How I Finally Faded My Dark Spots

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Zoya Fast Drops

My friend Miss Pop introduced me to these magical quick-dry drops years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since. The most time-consuming part of painting your nails is letting them dry. Just drip one drop onto your wet polish and rotate your hand so the droplet covers your entire nail. Boom. Your polish dries much faster and you’re less likely to get dings. So helpful.

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Brow Microblading

This is the before and after of the first time I got microblading. The process was done by hand and looked so subtle and natural.

“High maintenance to be low maintenance” has been trending on Tik Tok recently but it’s certainly not new. Think: laser hair removal to reduce time overall shaving or waxing; having a keratin straightening treatment to cut down on daily styling time; a lash lift and tint to replace daily curling and mascara.

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READ: How to Hydrate Your Skin, Really

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I had my brows microbladed years ago and then got them nanobladed more recently. (Side note: Are you interested in this as a longer post in the future? Tell me in the comments!) Depending on the oiliness of your skin, microblading can “take” better on certain people. For whatever reason, my left brow took to the nanoblading better than the right. So I do still need to fill in a bit of the right brow but it’s still been a huge timesaver since the shape of my brow is already semi-permanently tattooed on. In the 90s, I remember thinking that permanent makeup sounded crazy. But I’ve seen the light. Next up, I’m going to try a lash lift for the first time. Stay tuned for more on that!

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