I feel like every summer I start cutting corners in my makeup routine. I don’t know if I’m busier or lazier or just wanting to be outside instead of in but on days like these I need a set of strategies (above and beyond moving fast and staying on task) so I can have my cake and eat it too.
1. Separate and conquer:
Searching through a makeup bag can eat up an awful lot of time for nothin’
So my advice is to first, go through and take out every piece that you don’t use daily and stash it elsewhere in a “special occasion” makeup bag.
Keep what’s left in plain sight so you can grab what you need when you need it. Like this:
2. Smokey shortcut
In this tutorial I show you how to get a smokey eye in 60 seconds. It’s always my go to on busy mornings.
3. Skip the shampoo
I’m always getting asked how I go so long between shampoos. For my 3rd challenge in my Allure contest I showed my favorite tricks.
4. Get a new blow dryer!
I’m not a huge advocate of blow drying in the first place but if you are gonna do it, don’t let it take up your whole day!
I’d say 9 times out of ten when I stay at a friends house and borrow her blow dryer I am sitting there thinking, “will this ever actually get dry!?”
If you don’t feel like your being whipped around by gale forced winds it’s probably taking you more time than necessary.
Good news is it doesn’t have to cost you a bunch to get a new one:I LOVE this one
5. Get tinted!
I just tinted my brows and I can’t figure out why I didn’t do it sooner!
I still like to fill them in when I have time but when I don’t I look totally normal (this is especially helpful if your hair is much darker than your brows!
It’s also awesome for those of us with light lashes, get some built in color on those babies!
Most stylists offer this so I’d say just ask around in your area. My friend Liz informed me that it isn’t actually legal in every state so if you are in one of those my deepest apologies!
6. Get your hair did while you’re sleeping!
Nothing is better than waking up with your hair done. I’m no early bird so in highschool I would come up with every idea I could to figure out how to sleep in longer. I’d make bran muffins for a grab and go breakfast, sleep in my outfit for the next day and do curlers or other overnight hair tricks.
The first two were a passing fancy but the last one stuck. I’d be doing sleep hair when I’m 80.
Here’s my favorite one, but there’s also a bunch on pinterest I need to try soon, so if you’ve had success with any others, let me know!
7. Multitask
I’ve talked about this before but using the same product for various uses on your face can really save you time.
For instance use:
Cream blush on your lips or eyes.
Lipstick on your cheeks
Bronzer on your eyes
Eyebrow shadow on your lids and even for your contouring (if it’s light!)
Highlighting concealer on your brow bone instead of shadow
Illuminator on your lips and eyes
8. Curl your hair tight on the first day.
When I do this curl it looks the very prettiest when I use a 1 1/2″ barrel curling iron. The cool thing is that if I use a 1″ it looks tighter at first but by the 3rd day it is still holding and has fallen out gorgeously. In order to get it to hold and stay silky I skip the hair spray, only use it if it’s absolutely necessary. (if you’ve got a wet climate or uncontrollable hair to deal with)
9. Use a BB cream
This way you can skip the primer and the SPF which will cut down on minutes!
I love this one, it’s a quick inexpensive solution to an even skin tone.
10. SUNNIES!
Like these. I know this one’s a no-brainer but, A. I feel like I really only had nine so I had to dig cause…I’d already made the graphic and B. They really do make you look all kinds of put together when you are SO not. You can fool everyone!….as long as you are outdoors if you must go inside…. the jig is up.
