Lazy beauty tricks for off days
If you’ve overslept and woke up sweaty, there’s no shame in focusing on the important bits. If you’ve washed your face, crotch and armpits then you’ve ticked the boxes.
Silk sleeping cap FTW
Do you know what’s quicker than de-tangling hair? Having hair that doesn’t tangle. That might seem like some kind of elusive dream for all but the lucky few, but it is possible. My favourite lazy secret is a silk sleeping cap. I’m not kidding. I look like an extra from ‘Little House on the Prairie’ but I wake up, take it off and my hair is done. It’s even straighter than it normally looks, so I don’t have to do more than finger comb it instead of combing, brushing and swearing at the mirror. If you have a bit more cash to spare and love luxury, silk pillowcases do the same job. The science-y bit? The tangles in your hair are caused by friction, rubbing on the pillowcases (normally cotton) and on each other. With silk they glide over the surface. This is also a great one if you love elaborate braids, because the hairstyle will last longer and you don’t have to re-do every morning.
Corn starch = DIY dry shampoo
DIY dry shampoo recipe: Mix corn starch, baking soda, cornmeal and oat flour. Add to hair!
Speaking of the hair on your head, we all know that quicker than washing hair is using dry shampoo. But if you’re all out, don’t worry. Hit the kitchen and look for flour or corn starch. Dab on carefully, give it half a minute to absorb the oils then brush out and scrunch your hair up. If you’re having a really greasy day or don’t fancy playing with your food, go for a hat or a scarf.
See more DIY beauty for natural hair on Mookychick.
Thick tights. Job done.
If you normally shave and haven’t the time, take that into consideration when you get dressed. If you don’t have time to shave before bed and know you’re not going to get chance in the morning, take a minute to look for something that covers the stubble you want to hide. Of course, if you don’t normally shave, don’t waste your time reading this paragraph. Oops.
Make-up on the move
If you’re of the makeup wearing persuasion and have very little time, use it to focus on the things you can’t do en route to your day’s activities. Lipstick, unless it’s very bold or bright, can be done on transport (unless you’re the driver!). When you get quite good at it, you might be able to manage a full face on the journey. The trick, I’ve found, is to keep products that you can apply just with your fingers in your bag or coat pocket and to leave things like eyeliner until you get to a red light (so you don’t poke yourself in the eye with a pencil going over a bump). I’ve come to realise that without my mascara, people start to ask if I’m ill so that’s what I focus on first. You might discover that the thing you want to prioritise is your blusher or lipstick. The best colours for rushed face paint are neutral tones that won’t show up if you smudge them. If you have any, lining the lower rim of your eyes with white eyeliner does a great job of brightening them.
Time-tweaking
Bonus Round: try not to do it again. Set your alarm earlier or plan ahead to save yourself morning stress. As long as you’re clean and happy with the way you look, it doesn’t matter if you don’t have an hour for hair and makeup every day.
And actually, if these tips mean I get ten more minutes in bed?
Pass the silk cap, I’m off for a nap…
Read next: Want to see what you could do if you woke up a bit earlier? Our mooky contributor woke up an hour earlier every day in pursuit of the heroic minute…
