Looking good when time poor.

[DillyBonks]

My life is hectic at the moment, and has been for a while. It’s not going to change in the next couple of years.

I don’t seem to have a lot of time to devote to “looking good” which I want to change because I want to look polished.

I work out a lot (running, gym, yoga) so my weight is OK and I’m toned. I also eat healthily. I don’t want to drop this to pick up other stuff TBH.

It’s the superficial stuff I don’t have time for. The styling of hair, putting on makeup, religious skincare, nails, picking out clothes, accessories and jewellery.

I’ve got a day off today snd I did get my eyebrows and a pedicure, but this is rare due to time.

I need time saving tips to look good, on a time budget please.

Invest a weekend in coming up with 3-4 complete outfits including shoes, jewellery and quick hairstyle. Take photos and just repeat these outfits til you get bored. I only bother with fingernails if going somewhere v special. Otherwise just keep clean and cut short.

I’m a mum of young dc

slick hair back into a ponytail
rigid with the skin care serums 2x a day
glycolic acid
hyluronic acid
vitamin c
azelaic acid
spf cream

then browns/ mascara, blush, liner and gloss

the skincare helps my skin look perfect without foundation mid week

scrub your feet weekly, soak, pumice and foot cream
make the time when kids in bed
steam your face
i dont bother with my nails anymore
just file them and put a clear pink over it

All skin care are boots brand
to me it’s the same type of ingredients as SkinCeuticals which is £100 + for most products

Mayonnaise for a hair mask is a game changer if you have dry hair
30 mins each time

Keeping hydrated with help with skin glow
benefit eyebrow products - get the free lesson game changer for me
erborian instead of foundation
keep a lipgloss / tint in your purse
regular hair trims
earrings / bracelet to spruce up a casual outfit

I do a lot while the kids are in the bath. Admittedly this is only helpful if you’re in the stage of needing to be in the room for bath time

I have had lip blush and tattoo eye liner.
An absolute gamechanger.

Ive also had microblading. I'm really pleased with that as it is not the high arch type that everyone seemed to have but its a gentle natural look.
I had these done 2.5 years ago and they still look good.
Admittedly these aren't budget items but I have t had to spend on those areas since.

I've had my hair cut into a French bob and it looks so much better and easier to manage.
I have my eye lashes tinted and a few false lashes on the outter corners.
I keep my nails short.
Getting ready quickly is so much easier!

Luckily i wear a uniform so I have plenty of time to put makeup on but in the past I'd just get my clothes ready to put on the night before cream my feet before bed, and all that remained in the morning was to put .makeup on and put my hair up. It doesn't take long.
I have a very uncomplicated skin care. Soap and water followed by cream and my skin Is lovely in my 60s. I exfoliate my face once a week which makes a huge difference and dry off my body with a very rough towel.
Job done.

Can you skip foundation and use a tinted sunscreen instead? That will save a little time? I then add bronzer on top and add blusher, mascara and eye shadow.

BB cream( I like L'Oréal nudista) Mascara/ eyebrow mascara if you like it
To save time I would get a multi stick type thing which you use as blush and lip tint
Elf do a nice one
Keep a lipstick/gloss in your bag and top up on the go.
Could do in 2 minutes after brushing teeth
skincare Simple is best
I use Cetaphil gentle cleanser in a pump bottle. Apply then rinse or wipe off
Dab of Cetaphil moisturiser and you're done.

I think lipstick and defined brows make the biggest difference to looking ‘polished’. I get mine dyed and threaded about once a month, or sometimes do it home.
Pencil eyeliner and a little blusher can be applied quickly.
Have a hairstyle that means you don’t have to spend ages blow drying it for it to look OK, especially if you wash it most days. Use thermal protection when you do style it, as that will help it retain its finish.
Skin care can be as minimal as a quicker cleanser/ make up remover, followed by night cream, and then in the morning a day cream with SPF. I’d never use soap on my face.
You can exfoliate quickly in the shower and put on any cream or oil afterwards.
Check the weather forecast at night for the next day, and even if you don’t lay your clothes out, at least you can plan what to wear. I find dresses simplest in summer. I wear the same silver earrings and necklace and watch with everything unless I’m going ‘ out’.
Finish with a spray of a subtle, light perfume so that your polishedness is more than one dimensional!

I’ve also had my eyebrows and eye liner tattooed. It’s made such a difference and means I look a bit better even when I make no other effort. Not cheap but best money I’ve ever spent.

I don’t bother with getting nails done or wear jewellery. I wear natural make up to work and find a bright lipstick makes me look more put together than I actually am 😂

All of the above, plus get a hand held travel steamer which you can use in your bedroom quickly.
Could you master doing UV nails yourself? Lots of time poor people do and are excellent at it, fingers and toes.
A ceramic hot brush with retractable bristles really helps to tame hair on non hair wash days or even after rough blow drying. This one’s great comes in 32mm or 38mm barrel depending on your hair length.
https://amzn.eu/d/2bUZ1dD

I’m about to start a full time masters with work placements and a long commute on top of the total chaos of having four kids, 3 dogs and a messy husband. I’ve got a week off before it all starts so I have booked the following things that I believe will help me achieve a more polished look more quickly. 1) keratin blow dry to reduce the size of my Hagrid style hair with less effort needed. 2) lash lift 3) I’m getting my eye brows hair stroke micro-bladed to fill in the gaps caused by 90’s over plucking and age, and improve the shape-and reduce the time I have to spend on them when doing make up.
I also plan on having a derma plane facial but that’s just a one off treat for the old visage.
I have booked all my hair cuts for the next year (for Saturday mornings when I know I will be free).
I second having the capsule wardrobe organised and I extend that to make up. I rarely use foundation now-I use a skin tint that can be applied like moisturiser-which saves time.
Im hoping these things will help me look slightly less like I’ve been dragged through a hedge backwards on the daily.

I am very lazy but I work and have young DDs so I like a routine that doesn't take me a lot of effort!

Hair - Keratin blow-dry and a cut every six months. It keeps it smooth and sleek in the meantime so I can just dry it, brush it and it's done.

Brows - microbladed. I get them topped up every couple of years and they make me look instantly better.

Skincare - very simple. Flannel wash my face when I'm brushing my teeth morning and evening then whack on a moisturiser. One with SPF for the morning.

Body - Exfoliate just by using one of those net shower puffs to apply my shower gel. Sanctuary wet skin moisturiser that you put on when soaking wet after you turn the water off then just towel dry as normal. It means my whole body is moisturised in about 60 seconds.

Make-up - keep it simple. I've found products I like and are easy to apply and I use them every day. It genuinely takes me two minutes, maximum but helps me feel put together. Erborian BB cream for my face applied with a make-up sponge, L'Oréal paradise waterproof mascara, No7 hydraluminous tinted lip balm, Bobby Brown shimmer brick as a bit of blush and applied to my eyelids as an eyeshadow. I'll do lipstick and eyeliner if going out for dinner or something but the above is my day to day routine.

Jewellery - I have a few good quality pieces (stud earrings and simple necklaces) and I wear them all the time. Sleeping, in the shower etc and I'll swap them round once a month or so. I think they help me look a bit more put together but because I never take them off it is zero effort. Chuck my watch and a bangle on in the morning.