Sometimes, a girl just wants to know how to look great without spending hours upon hours studying beauty tutorials or experimenting with a dozen different products. If you’re not filling your makeup bag with products but still want to master the art of looking fresh and put together, you’ve come to the right place. Read on for 10 easy beauty tips for those who are looking to keep it simple. You can thank us later when the compliments roll in!
1. Spritz on Perfume
Selecting a signature scent will automatically make you feel more put together, even on days when you’re strolling around in yoga pants and a sweatshirt. You don’t need to shell out your hard-earned cash on a dozen different fragrances—spend an afternoon sampling scents at your favorite beauty retailer and pick just one that makes you feel like a million bucks. We love AERIN’s Mediterranean Honeysuckle, which is full of fresh, flirty vibes.
2. Try Dermaplaning
There’s no need to schedule a wax or facial when you can safely rid your face of peach fuzz from home in all of five minutes. Amazon sells a trusty three-pack of facial razors for under $5, which makes it easy to hop on board with this it-girl beauty trend.
3. Perfect the At-Home Mani/Pedi
There’s nothing better than being able to give your nails new life from your living room. Read our tutorial for mastering the perfect at-home mani/pedi, then queue up your favorite show and get to work prettying those paws.
4. Improve Your Hairbrush Game
Odds are, your brush has seen better days. Give your mane some love by ordering this affordable detangling brush, which boasts nearly 25,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. Bye-bye, knots.
5. Go Through Your Makeup Stash
Toss anything that you haven’t touched in three to six months and let your go-to essentials take center stage (er, shelf). It’s easy to feel distracted or overwhelmed when your medicine cabinet is crammed full with jars and bottles that you don’t even like. Check out our foolproof product organization tips.
6. Try Dry Brushing
Dry brushing may seem a bit out of the ordinary, but the practice is full of benefits. It’s said to eliminate toxins, assist with circulation, exfoliate the skin, and more. Talk about a win-win-win!
7. Master the “Five Minute Face”
Rebecca Perkins, founder and creative director of makeup company SHESPOKE, has a quick hack: “When I don’t have the energy to do a full look, I like to do what I call the ‘five-minute face.’ I use a quick swipe of mascara to open the eyes along with a tinted moisturizer with SPF to even my skin tone and get that sun protection. From there, I turn to some of my SHESPOKE favorites. I apply our Lip and Cheek Tint in Nudie to my lips with my fingers and use the leftover product on the apples of my cheeks. The final look is super low maintenance yet still fresh and polished.”
8. Pick Your Top Fave Products
“My rule would be to just try to commit to one product for eyes and one product for the face,” noted Erin Kleinberg, who co-founded The Coveteur and recently launched lifestyle brand SIDIA. ”It can be a mascara/concealer combo or an eyeshadow and blush moment, or even a liner and foundation moment.”
9. Try This Trick to Look More Alert
Who has time for a multi-step depuffing and contouring routine every morning? Kleinberg offered an easy suggestion for those looking to look more alive in the AM. “Plop some iridescent-esque shadow in the inner corner of the eye,” she said. “It’s so easy and makes you look instantly awake.”
10. Throw on a Festive Headband
Headbands aren’t just for the Gossip Girl set. If you’re looking to add some glam to your ensemble but don’t have time to run a curler through your hair, a headband is the way to go. Something sparkly is always guaranteed to turn heads.