How to Slash Your Morning Beauty Routine in Half
Go ahead, sleep in. (Photo: Getty Images)
Aside from the rare variety of people who pop out of bed in the morning instantly ready to tackle the day, the rest of us need a little push in the a.m. hours. Let’s face it: We love to hit the snooze button, even if it means cutting into the time we’ve set aside for hair and makeup. But do you really need a whole hour to feel fresh-faced and fabulous throughout the day? Nope. We asked beauty pros to share their best-kept secrets for streamlining your morning routine.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
SKIP THE MORNING SHOWER
“Hair washing, drying, and styling are the biggest time-wasting culprits,” says Caitlin Picou, makeup artist and founder of Kismet Cosmetics. “Even if you wake up with a little grease, you can fix it easily by applying some mousse to your scalp. Most brands contain alcohol, which is drying and helps eat up that excess oil, allowing you to go an extra day without washing.” If mousse isn’t your thing, use dry shampoo—just be sure to apply properly so you’re not left with white streaks from the powder. Hold the bottle about 10 inches away from your roots, lifting your hair into sections, says Picou. Spray lightly, and rub in the areas with your fingertips to work in any excess product into your strands. Then brush it out.
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STORE YOUR MAKEUP IN ONE PLACE
If your bathroom’s medicine cabinet is where you keep your foundation, concealer, and bronzer—but your eye shadows, eyeliners, and mascaras are stashed away in your dresser drawer, it’s going to take time to set up in both spots. “I have a container that holds all my get-ready products—from skin-care to hair-care—so that after my shower, I just pull out the bin and everything’s in the order of how I use them,” says Jacob Hyzer, makeup artist and creative director of Alcone Company. “No searching, no thinking—it’s easy and saves time.”
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PREP YOUR SKIN THE NIGHT BEFORE
“If you wash your face at bedtime—which you should to remove makeup, exfoliate, unclog pores, and minimize oxidative damage due to grime and environmental toxins—you shouldn’t need much more than water or a gentle cleanser in the morning,” says Tsippora Shainhouse, M.D., a Beverly Hills-based dermatologist.
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STYLE YOUR HAIR WHILE YOU SLEEP
There’s a lot you can do at night to guarantee a good hair day the next morning. If you’re looking for volume, a braid is a great option. Once you wake up, put a curling iron to your hair to fix up the front pieces only and then finish with a smoothing serum or oil, like Davines MINU Hair Serum, ($24, birchbox.com). Want large waves? Sleep with your hair in a high bun. In the morning, it’ll be smooth with big curls at the ends, says Hyzer.
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USE PRODUCTS THAT MULTITASK
Some products can be used in a whole bunch of ways to save you time, space, and (bonus!) money. “You can use the same matte eye shadow color to fill in your brows: as an eyeliner with an angle brush and as an eye shadow with a soft blending brush,” says Hyzer. We like NYX Nude Matte Eyeshadow ($5, ulta.com). “Another great multi-use product is lip color, which easily doubles as a cheek color and gives a nice creamy and healthy glow to the skin as well,” he says. Apply by tapping with your ring finger and blending it in by using a clean middle finger until there are no visible edges.
(Photo: Shutterstock)
OPT FOR BB CREAM OR TINTED MOISTURIZER
“It’s a multi-use product, so it’s really all you need for face makeup if you’re in a rush,” says Picou. “Not only does it even out your skin tone and act like a foundation, but it also moisturizes and primes your face for the rest of your makeup.” Our favorites: Too Faced Tinted Beauty Balm ($34, toofaced.com) and Honest Beauty Everything Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 ($28, honestbeauty.com), which both come in a wide range of shades.
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SAVE LIP COLOR FOR YOUR COMMUTE
Applying at home is only going to cut into your time, and you’ll most likely need to reapply once you reach your destination anyway. “Instead, prep your lips with a good moisturizer—my favorite is Lucas’ Papaw Ointment, ($8, amazon.com)—so that when you’re ready to put that color on, your lips are plump and soft,” says Hyzer. For a long-wearing, natural color that doesn’t require much touch-up, Hyzer suggests Limelight by Alcone Enduring Lip Color in “Wedding Cake,” ($18, alconeco.com).
