Fashionable February: 5 makeup and hair tricks for lazy people

This post is the second in a series on quick and easy grooming tips for DIYers. To read Part 1, click here. 

I’ve said this a few million times before, when it comes to makeup and hair styling, I’m a tad lazy. Frankly, I’m usually chomping at the bit to get started on some DIY or craft project. If I’m not careful, I can still be sporting PJs and no makeup at 2 p.m. – a scary sight for the UPS guy, to say the least.

So I’ve tried to get in the habit of forcing myself to get dressed in non-frumpy clothes and to do my hair and makeup before I head downstairs in the morning. My goal is to get all of this accomplished (plus make the bed and get a load of laundry put in the washing machine) within 45 minutes. Here are some tricks I’ve found that work to speed up my grooming process.

1. Mix moisturizer with foundation and apply them together.

Hold on. I know what you’re thinking. “Hey lady living under a rock, you know they make moisturizer with foundation already built in, right?” Well, I’ve tried a few of these tinted moisturizers and I’ve found the coverage a bit heavy for my taste. When I mix my own concoction, I can control the ratio of both products and adjust the coverage/moisturization as needed. It creates a flawless-looking, dewy finish on my skin. I honestly haven’t found anything that makes my skin look better. Some of my favorite moisturizers are from Shaklee, Mary Kay and Oil of Olay. I’m also digging the Redness Solutions foundation by Clinique.

2. Make your dark circle corrector do double duty.

One of my biggest beauty problem areas is dark circles under my eyes. So after I apply my moisturizer/foundation combo, I need to add a dark circle corrector. I’m currently using the CoverGirl and Olay Simply Ageless Corrector. I then use this same product as my facial highlighter and concealer. Reducing the number of bottles to open saves me time. When I’m finished with the corrector, I slap on some powder makeup and my skin is ready for the general public.

3. Use a lip stain to reduce the need for touch-ups.

When lip stains first hit the market, I danced a little jig. These suckers last and last and last. I apply my lip stain in the morning, add some gloss over it, and I’m good to go until after lunch. I’m currently using the CoverGirl Outlast version.

4. Become best friends with a hair straightener/flat iron.

If you are one of those people who can hop out of the shower, add some product to your hair and go, consider yourself blessed and skip this tip. But if you’re like me and you have hair that needs a little extra assistance to be fit for public, you may want to consider using a hair straightener. I have probably tried every.single.hair.tool out there in an effort to reduce my styling time. The flat iron wins the prize for getting the job done the fastest. I don’t even pin up my hair. I do a few swipes all over, then a few more on top for lift and I’m done. Next in line for my favorite speed-styling tools are jumbo hot rollers or a blow dryer.

5. Minimize blow-drying time.

When I want to glam it up a bit, I trade my straightener for a blow dryer and style my hair that way. It makes for a more salon-quality finish. But it can also require more time.

One of the tricks I’ve learned to speed up the process is to wait until my hair is almost completely dry before I style it with the blow dryer. I still get the same results but in half the time. Plus it causes less damage to my hair. So post-shower, I first get dressed, make the bed, put on my makeup, and put a load of laundry in the washing machine. This gives my hair a chance to dry. If it’s still too wet, I’ll also do my quiet time before I style it. In addition, I’ve learned to choose a haircut that works with my hair’s texture. I have baby-fine, straight hair, so a short, inverted bob is working well for me right now. In the past, when I had long hair, I often put it in a ponytail then used one large hot roller to give the tail a styled look. Easy and quick!

Do you have any tricks for speeding up your hair and makeup routine? I’d love for you to share them in the comments section.