Your morning shortcuts: shave minutes off your beauty routine

Want more time snoozing? these foolproof hacks will shave precious minutes off your morning routine…

FUN FACTS: on average, every morning Grazia readers spend nine minutes on skincare, 15 minutes putting on make-up and 16 minutes styling their hair. So, that’s an average of 40 minutes on beauty routines. Which works out at 4 hours 40 minutes a week! Seize the day – and your time back – with these savvy shortcuts.

SKINCARE TIME TO CUT BACK

Forget an elaborate 12-step Korean regime – there’s no need to spend that much time on your skin, especially in the morning, when the aim of the game is protection against the day ahead (think antioxidants and SPF). ‘Skincare nowadays is so intelligently formulated that you don’t need to take time layering many individual products if you’re time poor,’ says aesthetic doctor Dr Maryam Zamani. ‘Instead, opt for multifunctional formulas that cover all bases and keep skin clean, hydrated and functioning optimally.’ Cut corners with MZ Skin Hydrate & Nourish Age Defence Moisturiser [3], £95, which contains SPF30, hyaluronic acid to plump and hydrate and an encapsulated retinol to speed up cellular turnover and target fine lines. Equally good is De Mamiel Skin Recovery Blend, £95, a balm that is both anti-inflammatory (to calm stressed skin) and full of antioxidants to protect skin from the environment. Then there’s Lumene’s Pure Glow Cleansing Balm, £15.90, which will boost skin with vitamin C while removing make-up.

THE NO- GO ZONE

The one time-saver to avoid? ‘ Wipes just move whatever is sitting on the face around and can cause further irritation on the skin,’ advises Dr Zamani. The lazy girl’s answer? Face Halo Makeup Remover Pad [1], £7, a microfibre cloth that only requires water to magic every last trace of make-up off your face.

SWIPE’ N’ GO

Soup up your cleansing routine with a speedy stick; containing 11 skin-nourishing oils and shea butter, Rodin Olio Lusso Luxury Face Oil [2], £55, can be scribbled on and washed off, or applied on-the-go to nourish dry skin or create a dewy highlight on cheekbones. Alex Steinherr X Primark Plump & Glow Facial In A Stick [4], £5, pairs antioxidants and hyaluronic acid to remove make-up and plump skin.

MAKE-UP CREAM OF THE CROP

What’s more satisfying than double-duty make-up that can be swooshed on to skin in multiple places? ‘ To save time, I go for cream products,’ says make-up artist Lynsey Alexander. ‘ They layer up nicely so it’s easy to achieve a gorgeous balmy finish.’ RMS Beauty Lip2cheek [6], £34, can be used on lips, cheeks and eyelids and sinks imperceptibly into skin for a radiant finish, while Lynsey’s go-to MAC Paint Pot in Groundwork [10], £16.50, is a universal taupe that works just as well as a ‘wash of colour on the eyes’ as it does below cheekbones to sculpt the face. Find your most flattering tones by looking for colours that occur naturally in your skin tone.

A creamy consistency is also ideal for foundation, just don’t fall into the time trap of applying it everywhere. ‘ The key areas to cover are under the eyes, around the nose and on any blemishes,’ says Lynsey. By opting for pinpointed touch-ups rather than a full-on mask, your natural glow will shine through. Try BECCA’S Skin Love Weightless Blur foundation [5], £32, or IT Cosmetics CC+ Cream Illumination, £30, both of which come with fuss-free pump dispensers. Alternatively, if you’re naturally blessed in the skin department, a concealer is all you need. We love Sisley’s speedy click-and-go Stylo Lumiere [9], £41.50, which conceals and brightens.

BROWS B ROWS TO- GO

Known as the ultimate face-framers, a well-defined brow makes all the difference but is notoriously tricky in a hurry. Monthly maintenance with threading and tinting means there’s less work to be done day to day (Blink Brow Bar are nationwide and uniformly good, from £21). For those who like to DIY, Maybelline’s Tattoo Brow [8], £12.99, will tint brows for up to three days, while for every day, Benefit’s Brow Contour Pro [7], £28.50, houses four different nibs – from highlighter to definer – to craft the perfect arch in record time. ‘ Try tinting your eyelashes, too,’ says Lynsey. ‘It makes them appear fuller and thicker so you won’t need to apply mascara.’ Or for real devotees, lash extensions last up to four weeks.

HAIR GREAT HAIR DAYS

Blow-drying is one of the most timeconsuming elements of any beauty routine and hair brands are wisely seeking ways around it. Take Sisley’s new Straightening Shampoo [11], £54, which uses moringa oil to smooth flyaways and frizz even before you’ve dried. Then there’s Aveda’s Blow Dry Accelerator [13], £21, which contains lactic acid to seal the hair cuticle and subsequently create increased air flow around each strand for a speedier result. As for the swiftest of hair refreshers, Klorane Dry Shampoo with Nettle, £9, and Living Proof Perfect Hair Day [14], £18, are two of the very best.

Finally, if you want to call in the big guns, the Dyson Supersonic Hair Dryer, £299.99, has been shown to cut blowdrying time in half, thanks to a motor that delivers three times the air flow as your average hairdryer. Pair with Tangle Teezer’s Wet Brush, £11[12], for a speedy detangle. Considering we spend over four days a year styling our strands, we’d say that’s a worthwhile investment.