Beauty Hacks to Cut Your Morning Routine in Half

So often our days can turn into a ‘beat the clock’ situation. We have more things scheduled than hours to tackle them and a feeling of defeat becomes inevitable.

When the busyness invades, we tend to sacrifice self-care over anything else. Hey, that’s what dry shampoo was made for, right? Well, unfortunately, sacrificing those things can be the very reason we wind up feeling less than human. So today we’re sharing five beauty hacks to lessen your snooze button guilt and keep morning prep time to a minimum.

One: Moisturize the night before.

Developing a quick and simple nighttime ritual will expedite the morning process. And the key piece of this ritual is moisturizing. Not only will it provide a healthy glow overnight, but also the hydrated skin allows for fuss-free makeup application.

Two: After an evening shower, blow dry roots + braid damp hair.

This tip presumes you’ll shower at night. If that’s not the norm, give it a try and see what happens (those extra minutes of sleep may win you over). Once your hair is towel dried, blow-dry the roots to prevent any strange parts or cowlicks from appearing. Braid damp hair and sleep on it. When they’re taken out in the morning, you’ll have instant beachy waves. Just add a touch of holding spray to keep them in place all day.

Three: Sleep on a silk pillowcase.

Your hair and face spend (ideally) eight hours a night pressed against the pillow. And, the fact is, material matters. Switching to a silk pillowcase offers an extensive list of benefits: it helps skin retain moisture, decreases split ends (a.k.a. defeats bedhead), and is naturally hypoallergenic. So this luxurious fabric will literally improve your complexion while you sleep.

Four: Brighten with an under eye highlighter.

This is the ‘wake-me-up’ trick to instantly make it seem as though you’ve already had your morning cup of coffee. Whether you tend to go au naturale with coverage or lean toward a full foundation regimen, try this instead. Dab three dots of highlighter underneath each eye (choose one that’s about a shade lighter than your natural skin tone). Blend with a makeup sponge. This effectively draws attention to your eyes and banishes dark circles with minimal effort.

Five: Apply mascara with a spoon.

It always seems that applying mascara is 30% application and 70% cleanup. So, to cut out that frustrating second half, try holding a spoon beneath your lower lashes and above your upper lashes. Not only does the curve of the spoon act as a pseudo lash curler, but it also provides a barrier against stray mascara getting all over your eyelids.

Are there any other beauty tricks you’ve learned to save time in the mornings?

Images via Monica Outcalt