Most nights, I make a promise with myself that I’ll wake up early enough to wash my hair, style it nicely, and do my make-up properly. But more often than not, come morning, my warm bed takes priority over my beauty routine.
This leaves me with about 20 minutes to shower, slap my ‘face’ on and throw my hair into a topknot. Sound familiar? Well, thankfully there are a few shortcuts you can take to not only speed up your everyday beauty routine, but also help you to leave the house looking fresh (and like you actually put in effort)…
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THE LONG WAY: SHAMPOO AND CONDITION YOUR HAIR
THE SHORTCUT: TRY SPOT WASHING
Dealing with a greasy fringe? Wish you could just wash the top layer of your hair? You can! Simply pop your head under the sink tap and shampoo and condition that section only. Then towel-dry your hair, blast it with the hair dryer, and get on your way.
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THE LONG WAY: SPEND AN HOUR HEAT-STYLING YOUR HAIR
THE SHORTCUT: EMBRACE THE OVERNIGHT AIR-DRY
Wash your hair the night before, then apply a leave-in treatment and loosely plait it. In the morning, undo the plait and rake your fingers through your locks for smooth waves.
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THE LONG WAY: USE AN OIL ON YOUR FACE AND A SERUM TO TAME FRIZZ
THE SHORTCUT: APPLY AN OIL TO YOUR FACE AND HAIR
After massaging your facial oil into your skin, smooth the excess over the lengths of your hair to nix frizz. You could even skip washing your hands afterwards and let the oil sink in for a hydrating hand treatment!
Image credit: adyesha.com
THE LONG WAY: USE A SPONGE OR BRUSH TO BLEND FOUNDATION
THE SHORTCUT: USE YOUR FINGERS
Using your fingers to blend foundation is a sure-fire way to cut down time rinsing your sponges or brushes and worrying about precise strokes. Just make sure you wash your hands first! Leave the brushes and sponges for occasions when you need an absolutely #flawless make-up base.
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THE LONG WAY: CURL YOUR LASHES, THEN APPLY MASCARA
THE SHORTCUT: GET A LASH TINT AND CURL THEM
Instead of curling your lashes and coating them with mascara, book in for a lash tint and simply curl them before heading out the door. A lash tint lasts four to six weeks, and will give your lashes a whole lot of definition. On a budget? You may prefer to tint your lashes at home the night before.
THE LONG WAY: APPLY BLUSH AND LIPSTICK
THE SHORTCUT: USE A CHEEK AND LIP TINT
Skip your blush and lipstick steps and opt for a multi-tasking lip and cheek tint instead. It’ll give you a flush of colour where you need it, and last all day long so you can forget about touch-ups. Genius!
How do you fast-track your beauty routine? Will you be trying any of these tricks?
