Top beauty hacks for busy mums

We all know the drill – as mums, we have next to nada time for beauty right? It’s literally stumble out of bed, jump in the shower, get brekkie on the table, and get on with the day. When it comes to beauty for us time poor-mums, if it can’t be done in a matter of seconds, then it’s unlikely to make the cut. That’s why today I wanted to share these seven beauty hacks for busy mums which can be snuck into your beauty routine no matter how little time you have to get on with meeting the needs of your little people and the day ahead.

Invest in a waterproof facial massage brush

Remember that fresh-faced look our skin once had circa life before kids? Well, I have a little secret as to how you can reclaim some of that without the need for an expert facial treatment. Get your hands on an electric silicone waterproof face massager and whizz it around your face while you are in the shower. Not only does it leave your face squeaky clean but it also really helps to get the circulation in your skin going first thing – think the glow of your lost youth! I personally use the Silk’n Bright face tool (£50) every morning in the shower and would highly recommend it.

Skip on the hair wash

I like to play a little game – it’s called, let’s see how long I can push it before having to wash my hair again this week. So far I’ve managed to get it to every four days which I am completely thrilled about. Read: less time farting around having to wash and dry my hair every week. To achieve this you will need:

• Dry shampoo (good old Batiste never ever lets me down)
• Some knotted hair bands/bandanas/scarfs to hide your greasy locks in between (you will be amazed at how many compliments you get when you do this as people think you have actually styled your hair rather than camouflaging grease!)
• Staying power – because it can be too easy to succumb to the hair wash whilst your hair and scalp is getting used to the new routine but trust me, it’s worth it!

Fake that glow

Never underestimate the power of glowing skin. There are two things that will help you achieve this in nanoseconds. The first is mixing in some Drunk Elephant D-Bronzi Sunshine Drops into whatever face cream you are already using. Brilliant for looking like you’re all nice and healthy when you’re actually probably just surviving on micro amounts of sleep and therefore one of my all-time favourite beauty hacks for busy mums.

The second is to make sure you have some of Bobbi Brown’s Pot Rouge for Lips and Cheeks (I use Fresh Melon which can probably be used by anyone). It gives you a lovely natural healthy blush and for an extra nanosecond if you can be bothered also works to liven up your lips too.

A quick reminder to make sure you never use out of date beauty products which have a negative impact on your skin and health.

Wake up your eyes pronto

Despite being SO rushed in the mornings, it’s hard to ignore those big panda eyes that greet us in the mirror. For an extra second in your life, you could quickly smear on some eye cream which actually does what it says on the tin – reduces all those fine lines, dark circles and puffiness. Listen very carefully. It’s called MARINE MIRACLE EYEZONE by Transformulas and you need some in your life now. For another few seconds if there is only one other thing you do around your eyes, put on some eyeliner which instantly pops your eyes and stops them from still looking half asleep for the rest of the day.

Exercise baby!

Say what? Yes really, the post-exercise glow is real and can be yours too! The good news is you don’t have to spend hours at a gym to achieve this or get all sweaty on a long run either. This can be yours by just cramming in a 10 minute HIIT workout session at home. OK so this one is not done in a matter of seconds but we all need a little extra motivation to work out rather than sitting on the sofa eating Maltesers. So what’s the deal here? When you work out, your blood circulation improves along with the flow of oxygen and nutrients in your body. Although you might feel like hell during the workout, as well as boosting your blood supply, you will also have a nice self-esteem boost in the mix too. Confidence = beauty! You can read more about the benefits of exercise for skin here.

For the love of hair

With just two simple switches, expect hair that will be not so much of a ballache to dry on hair wash days. The first is – use a micro-fibre towel to dry your hair with. Because this is super absorbant it will reduce drying time significantly which also equals less heat exposure if you use a blow dryer.

The second is – to change the way you think of hair masks which are amazing at fighting the frizz and coaxing our smoother hair that knows how to behave. Gone are the days of having to leave a hair mask on for 20 minutes (ha! what mum would ever have the time to do that?). Look out for super quick masks Lisa Shepherd’s Double Hair Mask which I love to slather on quickly in the shower and makes hair so much more manageable, giving it a put-together finish.

Seek out serums

Although it can be tempting to skip on the serum, these are your secret weapon for dealing with skin issues like fine lines, discolouration, dullness and the like so I’m going to lay this down nice and clear for you – don’t do it! If you’re not already using a skin serum as part of your skincare routine then it’s time for change because this is not simply a beauty indulgence. Look for one which is retinol or hyaluronic acid.

My favourite serums right now are those from My Vibrant Skin which do exactly what their name says – make your skin look vibrant thanks to the exceptional active and natural ingredients contained within. I also love EVENSWISS’ Rejuvenating Serum which I was sent by the team at shop.dermoi.com. It’s an intensely hydrating, anti-aging serum with patented Dermatopoietin technology providing a rapid increase of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid production. This is exactly what my skin needs every day especially as I’ve hit 40. I’ve really been noticing the difference in texture and appearance since using it.

A couple of serum hacks you need to know about. You can also use your serum to tame unruly eyebrows, moisturise dry nail cuticles, smoothen your lips or mix in with your concealer if you decide to wear one which will help to blend it more easily.

Finally – did you know that you can get lash serum to promote eyelash growth? This is a powerful hack to achieve long, luscious and full natural lashes and can even help transform brittle, short and sparse lashes!

Fake those lashes

In a dream world, I would love to give two hours of my life to go and get lash extensions. In reality, I just don’t have the time! For me, it’s all about magnetic lashes. They are so easy and quick to apply and look amazing too. If you haven’t tried these before then fret not…I promise you they are a cinch to apply for even the cack-handed like me.

A good place to start is with Lola’s Lashes Magnetic Eyelashes and Eyeliner System – which is apparently the most advanced in the world. No more eyelash glue, mess and stress which has traditionally put me off wearing false eyelashes PLUS they are wind-resistant, completely waterproof and last up to 30+ all day uses. I promise once you’ve tried these you won’t go back.

Don’t skip on mascara

Not one for falsies? If you are more of a mascara girl instead, then do not skip on this element because somehow mascara not only changes the shape of your eyes, but also miraculously – your whole face! If your lashes need a bit of extra TLC, then my favourite mascara right now is Studio 10’s 6-in-1 Perfect Lash Mascara.

Their advanced treatment mascara combats sparse and lacklustre lashes by defining, lengthening, thickening, volumising, hydrating and conditioning – all in one compact product. The mascara’s ultra-black pigment is infused with lash-enhancing complexes Capixyl® to nourish lashes and encourage growth, and Widelash™ to add volume. This creates an innovative, flake-free and lightweight formula that evenly coats lashes without clumping and the results are pretty darn good!

Nourish from within

Did you know that your body begins to lose collagen when you turn 30, with the effects becoming noticeable after several years? I am a big advocate of taking collagen daily and I guarantee you that if you start taking collagen daily you’ll start seeing the difference in a matter of weeks. I’ve recently been testing out Revive Collagen which is high-quality marine collagen with hyaluronic acid & aloe vera and let me tell you – my skin has never looked better!

As a busy mum, I love the quick and easy format of the individual sachets which you can quickly suck out direct first thing in the morning before the madness begin. Also big thumbs up for the fact it is ethically sourced and made in Britain too.

So that’s it for my beauty hacks for busy mums. Have you got any beauty hacks for busy mums you would add to this list? If so, I’d love to hear them in a comment below.

Bonus tip: If you want to discover new beauty and skincare products but don’t have time to do the research, why not try a beauty box.

Giveaway

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