We’ve teamed up with Clairol Nice‘n Easy and TV presenters Gabby Logan and Andrea McLean to create a series of helpful videos, packed with easy tips and 10-minute beauty hacks that every busy woman needs to know about.
In this the first of the series, we got the low-down from gymnast-turned-sports presenter (and mum of two) Gabby Logan on some of her key before-bed time savers which make her fashion and beauty routine run smoothly each day.
And there’s more. Try these additional time-saving tips to help keep your morning routine nice and easy without compromising on looking good…
Get summer-ready feet
As we get into summer weather - and start thinking about summer sandals - we’re forced to remember that our feet, which have spent the past several months shoved under layers of material and thick boots, also need some TLC. Dry, cracked heels? Rough skin? There’s a trick for that: just slather Vaseline on your feet before bed and put on a pair of cosy socks. Keeping the moisturing ingredients against the skin for several hours helps to draw water to the surface of the skin, making for smooth, lovely-looking feet in the AM (just rinse off any excess Vaseline with warm soap and water).
You can use this trick on dry hands, too - just put on special moisturising sleep gloves before bed - and if you have any dry body parts, just rub in an extra layer of moisturiser before bed so you won’t have to in the morning.
Get in on the double-cleansing trend
Korean beauty rituals have become a cult obsession in the US and UK in the past few years, and there’s a reason why: they really work. One particular nuisance each morning is finding that there are traces of eye makeup still on your face, a new breakout, or a patch of super-dry, flaky skin (which can all be caused by improper cleansing).
The solution? Double cleansing. First, wash your face with an oil-based cleanser to get rid of any oil, sunscreen and makeup. Next, wash again with a water-based cleanser, to clear away any sweat, dead skin cells and dirt. And it’s not as high-maintenance as it sounds. Effectively cleansing in the evening leaves you starting the next day fresh, revived and with nary a mascara streak in sight. And a few extra minutes each morning.
Keep your hair colour fresh between applications
Washing, drying and styling your hair is one of your morning’s biggest time-wasters, so make sure you’re not washing it every day. Keeping your hair healthy, trimming it regularly and nixing those tell-tale obvious roots when they appear will go a long way to ensuring that your always looks its best, even without daily washing. Nice’N Easy Root Touch-Up is the quickest way to keep your hair looking great between colour applications, giving you four weeks’ coverage in just 10 minutes. It seamlessly blends with leading shades, even salon colour and gives 100% grey coverage, helping you look great every morning, no matter how little time you have.
So the one thing you should be doing before bed that you’re definitely not? Applying your antiperspirant at night. It sounds strange, but hear us out. Not only will this save you a few minutes each morning, but dermatologists insist that antiperspirants are more effective when they’ve had longer to settle on the skin. Also, deodorant works better when applied on dry skin; sweat and water can dilute the product. Which is why putting on your antiperspirant post-morning shower may be the reason you’re sweating buckets by lunchtime each day.