"Even I, a beauty editor, can’t possibly imagine going back to the life of having to get ready in a specified amount of time before work again. I want it one of two ways: either I get ready in five minutes max or I mosey around my apartment getting ready for about eight hours. I have no in-between, and it’s usually likely I’m going with the five-minute route before hopping on a Zoom call or going anywhere these days, which has changed up my beauty routine quite a bit. Instead of products that have lots of payoff and look really unique, I focus on time-saving beauty products that have multiple uses and get me ready and out the door in a few minutes flat.
Plus, you can pick them up at your local CVS right now!
When I’m looking to pack a punch into my beauty routine and get ready quick, I reach for these double-duty products:
Instead of wasting your time piling on a dozen toners and serums to get the skin of your dreams, opt for one that does it all. This one serum tackles fine lines, irritation, and uneven skin tone as well as hydrates and plumps. This lightweight serum has won dozens of awards since it launched for being an innovation in soothing and calming, but we love it because it kicks all of our other serums to the curb.
Combine two steps in one with this sunscreen and makeup primer. The Unseen Sunscreen is a thin, silicone-based SPF 40 product that blurs pores and primes your face for makeup, all while protecting it from the sun. If you struggle to remember to apply sunscreen every single day, this is a great product to add to your routine because it just takes the place of a makeup step. If you have dry skin, they also have the Glowscreen Sunscreen, which has a built-in illuminator (and is absolutely gorgeous).
I know many of us are over full-coverage foundations, but I have recently discovered this one, and it’s entirely changed my mind. Full coverage doesn’t have to mean cakey, heavy, or uncomfortable, and this foundation is basically the opposite of all of those negative characteristics. I love it when I’m trying to get my makeup done quickly because it’s one-and-done and so easy to blend. I don’t have to go in with concealer because it covers everything in one step, but unlike other full-coverage foundations, it blends seamlessly into my skin, so the application is super quick. This is bold, but it's the best foundation product I’ve tried in a long time.
This concealer is taking over TikTok, and I see why. It’s a radiant, medium-coverage concealer that effortlessly blends into skin. I’ve been using it under my eyes and to spot conceal with a little bit of powder, and it gives me a gorgeous, glowy look without much effort at all. It doesn’t crease in my fine lines, and I love that there is some glow to the formula that doesn't make me look greasy.
I had to include a classic double-duty product, and this one is becoming one of my favorites. This is a cream you can use on your eyes, lips, and cheeks, and I truly use it on all three. On the eyes, you can use it as a sheer wash or apply it with a flat brush for a punch of color. On the cheeks, I use a tiny amount with a fluffy duo-fiber brush to spread it across my cheeks. And on the lips, I apply it just with my fingers.
This is great for creating monochrome looks (which is a major go-to for me when I’m looking for something easy that’s still trendy and fun), but I also just love it individually for each part of my face. This is a perfect makeup bag addition because you get three products in one.
Everyone needs a classic mascara you can rely on that won’t clump, flake, or smudge throughout the day, and this one is mine. When I want my lashes to look their best, I always reach for this. I love it so much, I wrote this entire review all about it. 🙂
I love a product that I can use more than one way. It takes up less space in my makeup bag if I can find a couple of ways to use it. This pencil doubles as an eye and lip pencil (you could probably also use it on your brows or to add some extra pigment to beauty marks too!), and I love this “Endless Cacao” shade for creating a gorgeous brown smokey eye with a neutral brown lip. This creates such a classic look in less than five minutes, and you only have to use one product. Plus, I love these pencils because they’re the perfect mix of creamy and pigmented but with lots of staying power. They’re my #1 favorite lip pencils, and this color is slowly becoming my favorite for the eyes too.
Beauty sponges have entirely changed our beauty routines, and I don’t think I’d be able to do my makeup without one at this point. When I want to blend my foundation, concealer, blush, or bronzer quickly and without worrying if I’ll be marred by harsh lines, I trust a beauty sponge to get it done. These ones from Beauty Bakerie are extremely cost effective (you get six sponges for less than $20, making them cheaper than practically any other sponge I’ve tried), and they’re just as soft as the ones that are five times the price.
I’ve been raving about this product for months, and it’s become my go-to product to add extra glow to my skin in the morning when I don’t want to wear makeup. This product works double-duty as a hyaluronic acid serum, plumping up and hydrating my skin, while also giving me such a gorgeous, dewy glow.
This dry shampoo is for the days you’re like, “I’m not sure if dry shampoo will cut it today.” With this one, it will. But it does so without being too irritating on your scalp, and while it leaves a little white cast at first, it blends in easily with your fingers. For the days you just don’t have time to shower, you’ll want this in your arsenal. I love it for refreshing my hair after the gym, and it’s great for adding lots of texture to my clean hair too.
I want to love hair masks so much, but I find them extremely inconvenient. I hate that I have to get my hair wet to apply it, but then I have to get out of the shower to leave it on. I simply do not have time to dry off my entire body multiple times in one day. This means I almost never used hair masks—until I found this one. You apply this mask to your hair while it’s dry (ideally before bed), and you’re good to go. There’s no need to wash it out, and it leaves your hair just as soft and shiny as any other hair mask you’d spend forever tinkering with will.
When I want my hair to look good quickly, I almost never rely on air drying. My hair, like most, is quite unpredictable. Some days, it’ll air dry completely pin-straight. Others, my ends flip under like I’m in a ‘90s sitcom (and not the cute kind). But I can always count on my hair to dry extremely flat with absolutely no volume. However, blow drying my hair isn’t always in the cards, so I turn to this air dry cream. It gives my hair the hold and volume I love from a blow dryer without the heat damage. I love to put this in my hair and then braid it or put it up in a clip for heatless waves. It’s so much easier than having to sit in front of a mirror with a curling iron, and my hair likes me a lot better in the long run.
If you have kinky or curly hair that would take eons to air dry, try this leave-in conditioner from Bread Beauty Supply. Not only does this cream offer extra moisture and conditioning to the hair, but it also actually adds hold, bounce, and shine (especially for curly hair types). It combines a treatment with a styling product, saving you a few extra steps in your routine (which will feel like a major weight off your shoulders—literally!).
Only the most-loved hair tool of the last few months (and I predict the next decade), this one-step hair dryer will give you the blowout of your dreams in under 15 minutes (or five if you have thin hair like me!). I have curtain bangs, and I use this to style my curtain bangs basically every single day, and it’s the easiest way to get that swoopy look in truly one minute. I would be lost without this tool in my hair kit.
For the ultimate tanning experience, kiss the mousse goodbye and pick up our favorite tanning drops. Simply put a few drops in your moisturizer, and you’ll wake up with bronzey, glowy skin, and you didn’t even really add an extra step. I often forget to self-tan because it feels like such an extra step in my routine, but since I tried these drops, I consistently do it because I just keep the drops in my bathroom cabinet next to my moisturizer, and it’s easy as pie.
Our whole team swears by this product for soft, supple skin without the annoying step of applying moisturizer all over your body, feeling sticky, waiting for it to dry, and wishing you’d never put it on because you feel so uncomfortable. Either during your shower or right after, apply this over wet skin and pat your skin dry with a towel (patting dry is important because wiping will wipe the product off!). It takes all the frustrating aspects of applying a body moisturizer off your plate but keeps all the benefits. When I’m not using this regularly, I can tell because my skin is so much drier and flakier. Plus, with this, I even notice my tan lasts longer!