6 Super Simple Hair & Skin Tips For Busy Women

There are lots of parts of my body that I can pick faults with and that is entirely normal for a woman or indeed anyone at all. I am however aware that I am fairly lucky when it comes to having clear skin and thick hair. For that reason I used to be quite lazy with my hair and beauty routine, in the sense that I didn’t have one. The last year or so I have paid more attention to my skin and hair and started using products that enhance and help, the difference has been quite astonishing, especially over the last two – three months..so perhaps I should have been working a little harder on it before now but hey ho.

My friends and followers often ask what I use in terms of make up and hair products so I thought I would share a few personal recommendations and also tips for people who want a low maintenance beauty routine. I will never be the girl who spends two hours doing her hair each day or 30 minutes each morning applying make up, it’s just not me and who has the time? I mean I could be watching something on Netflix or you know..eating. BUT I am starting to see that a little effort reaps great results. I don’t wear heavy make up every day but I wear a little bit of light make up ( to enhance rather than hide ) apart from at home when I am generally all natural. I can honestly say I am happier with the way I look, aged 33 and a bit after two children than I was in my late 20’s prior to having children and a lot of this is down to exercise, decent products and just caring less about what other people think.

*Any products mentioned are due to me naturally loving them and I have not been paid to promote them.

1. You don’t need all the face masks and a hundred different lotions and potions for your face. You just need to keep it clean and use one or two high quality products. With skincare you do get what you pay for so expect to pay a little more than perhaps you want to, however these products do tend to need very small amounts and last a long time so consider cost per use rather than cost per bottle. First up I have to recommend Alpha H Liquid Gold. I had a small sample sized bottle of this in a beauty advent calendar in December and I loved it so much that as soon as it ran out I bought a full sized bottle. It isn’t cheap, I paid around £30 for a 200ml bottle and the cheapest place I found for it was Amazon, browse around as prices differ widely. It is well worth the pounds, a little goes a long way. You swipe it over your face on a cotton pad in much the same way you would use a cleanser/toner before bed every other evening and you literally wake up glowing. My sister is also obsessed with it. The brand was founded after the creator battled for years with adult acne, whilst this is something I don’t suffer with I can tell you it has made a remarkable difference to my skin in the past 3 months.

2. Brows. I am so glad that as a teenager I never had the urge to pluck my eyebrows away into a super thin line. I have reasonably thick brows which I have always  tried to maintain well. Brows frame your face and if they look well groomed it will make an instant change to how you look. Fill in gaps with a decent powder or pencil and use a comb and perhaps some brow gel if yours are unruly. Consider visiting a threader or waxer to get a decent starting shape. DON’T be tempted to over pluck or over emphasise and remember thick black slugs don’t suit anyone.

3. Primer. I am not a big fan of thick, heavy orange hue foundations. I find they make my skin feel like it’s suffocating and also they don’t look particularly natural on me but I do fully embrace a decent quality primer. I use PUR illuminate and glow primer which is another product I discovered in the M&S advent calendar and have since purchased as a full sized product. I use a dab of it in the morning and it makes me look like I have a natural glow – kind of how you look after an invigorating walk on a sunny beach. You can just rub it in without paying much attention to where it goes as it’s only slightly tinted – perfect for people who are lazy with beauty time. Most people who use primer use it as a base layer for their real make up but I will nearly always use it alone and I find it’s enough for what I want to achieve.

4. Hair – if your hair looks healthy and shiny then you are instantly winning with how you feel and look. I have to pay quite a lot of attention to my hair as it can get a little unruly. I even considered a drastic cut last month but for now at least the long locks are staying. I have started using an Elasticiser product regularly and after one use my hair looked like I had just stepped out of a salon. All of my friends commented on it and I may have spent longer than is necessary sat stroking my hair in wonder at how soft it was. I would recommend giving it a whirl.

5. Moisturise and hydrate. Buy a decent body moisturiser if you have dry skin, I don’t really but find if I think my body needs something it is generally because I am not drinking enough water. Drinking lots of water definitely improves your skin..and it’s free. BONUS. Use something like cocoa butter on your legs and torso and a specialised face cream for your face and neck – it doesn’t have to be expensive although I find L’oreal  creams are in general excellent. I also recommend adding oil to your bath for silky smooth skin ( not for your face of course ), I am a big fan of a long soak in the bath and I always use some kind of salts or oil, therefore my limbs are silky smooth – some perks to being a lazy bath lover.

6. Exercise. Yes it has lots of benefits, weight loss and of course it tones you and gets you in better shape but have you noticed how much it helps your skin? Remove all make up before exercising, I can’t tell you how weird I find it to see people working out in full make up. Leave your skin breath and shower quickly afterwards to avoid sweat lingering and causing any pore blockages and you will soon see benefits from working out including a brighter more radiant complexion and also.. FREE.

Do you have any tips that make your hair and beauty routine that little bit simpler?