Mornings are busy enough without having to spend time curling your hair or following an extensive 20-step beauty routine. Not many people have time for that. Instead, lazy girl beauty hacks can help you skimp on time – never on gorgeous results!
For the best advice, we got several beauty experts to spill the deets on their favorite skincare hacks. These are seriously life-changing
The Best Lazy Girl Beauty Hacks
If You Have Blemishes
“For blemishes, use over-the-counter benzoyl peroxide as a quick spot treatment,” says Dr. Sheila Krishna, a board-certified dermatologist who serves on the advisory board for Smart Style Today. “Neutrogena Quick Corrector works well for this.”
If You Have an Oily Complexion
“Worried about excess oils while on a date or a dinner meeting? Grab yourself a toilet seat cover while on a bathroom break,” says Dr. Rina Allawh, a board-certified dermatologist. “The consistency of thin toilet seat covers is just perfect enough for all skin types to quickly blot out excess oil, especially in the T-zone. Toilet seat covers are face wipes devoid of any fragrance and are less likely to irritate the skin.”
If You Want to Prep Your Skin
“A great way to prep the skin and create a glow is to grab any extra honey in the cupboard,” says Annie Tevelin, makeup artist and Founder of SkinOwl and the Off The Record Podcast. “Use two tablespoons of honey as a face mask to combat dry, dehydrated skin. It also acts as an anti-bacterial.”
If You Want to Exfoliate
“To freshen and exfoliate skin, use a combination alpha and beta hydroxy peel to remove dead skin and decrease pore size,” says Dr. Krishna. “The Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta peel is perfect for this and quick to use.”
If You’re Looking for a Balanced Complexion
“Green tinted makeup is my top recommendation for an at-home remedy to correct redness from rosacea, giving the complexion a more balanced, even appearance,” says Dr. Allawh. “Foundations and blushes with a green-base or underlying green tint with a buildable texture is ideal for both ideal color correction and coverage.”
If You Need a Moisturizer
“Use a 2-in-1 moisturizer-sunscreen combo cream in the morning before applying makeup,” says Dr. Krishna. “Many brands, such as CeraVe, Neutrogena, and Cetaphil make excellent moisturizers with high SPF to protect your skin all day long.”
If Your Skin Is Irritated
“For red irritated skin, start with ice to immediately constrict blood vessels and reduce redness,” shares Dr. Krishna. “Then look for products with "calming" or "soothing" such as the Aveeno Feverfew line.”
If Puffy Eyes Are Getting You Down
“For puffy eyes, cooled tea bags work well to reduce swelling, as does sleeping with a few pillows and hydrating well,” Dr. Krishna tells Lively.
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If You Don’t Have Dry Shampoo
“My go-to is baby powder to soak up the oil and excess grease in the hair when you’re pressed for time,” says Dr. Allawh. “Baby powder containing an ingredient called talcum can effectively absorb and closely adhere to the grease while preserving the integrity and strength of the hair itself. After rubbing baby powder in the roots of the hair, blow-drying the hair on a low heat setting will aid in removing away the excess white powder.”
If You’re Interested in Trying a Hair Mask
“Nourish dry hair with this at-home hair mask recipe,” says Dr. Allawh. “Mix 1 beaten egg, 1 mashed banana, 3-4 tablespoons of milk, 2 tablespoons of hone and 5 tablespoons of olive oil to a homogenous texture. Apply a thin layer to the scalp and hair, leave on 40 minutes and then wash off with a gentle shampoo, leaving your hair feeling silky, smooth.”
If Smooth Nails Make You Happy
“A hidden trick to keep your nails smooth and exfoliate your cuticles is toothpaste,” says Dr. Allawh. “Whitening toothpaste containing baking soda (i.e. Arm & Hammer) is perfect trick to layer on your nails after removing nail polish. Allow the toothpaste sit on the nails for about fifteen minutes and then gently rub the toothpaste off the nails under lukewarm water. Use a gentle hand moisturizer afterwards to keep the skin and the nails hydrated, leaving them feeling smooth."
For healthy nails,** consider adding Vital Proteins Beauty Collagen™to your daily routine. It contains skin-loving hyaluronic acid and probiotics, and comes in a variety of tasty flavors like Tropical Hibiscus, Watermelon Mint, Lavender Lemon and Strawberry Lemon.
If Your Foundation Isn’t the Perfect Fit
“If you bought the wrong shade of foundation, add a pea-sized amount of a facial moisturizer,” says Dr. Allawh. “Test the foundation on the back of your hand and continue to add facial moisturizer until the foundation matches your skin tone.”
If You Want Long-Lasting Eye Makeup
“When I want a matte finish of eye shadow that lasts long, I can easily get this accomplished by using brow powder,” says makeup artist Margina Dennis. “The powders grab to the eyelid in the same way they grab to the brows. No need to use a mixing medium or carry other matte neutral eye shadows!”
If You’re Over Your Self-Tanner
“Erase away self-tanner with a simple at home trick with two simple ingredients: baking soda and water,” says Dr. Allawh. “Mix half cup of baking powder with half of up of water. Apply the paste on clean skin, leave it on for a few minutes prior to wiping off with a gentle cleansing cloth. It is important to not be discouraged if the process needs to be repeated 2-3 times for complete removal of the self-tanner. Don’t forget to follow-up with a gentle body moisturizer to maintain hydration and restore the skin barrier.”
If Your Brows Need a Little Support
“To create perfect brows without too much effort, grab unscented Chapstick and apply along the brow line to shape and mold as you see fit,” says Tevelin. “They will not budge all night!”