There are some days when you get to spare a whole hour to light a candle, have a sip of tea, and apply serums like a spa technician. Other times? You’re just lucky if you remember where your coffee was. Yet even without the extra time, it doesn’t have to be quick and sloppy. Some of the most amazing beauty routines take virtually no time, and they can still make you feel like royalty. Here are five of our favorite easy beauty rituals that are both quick and painless – and work.
1. Easy Beauty Rituals: The Power of a Cool Face Roller
Nothing wakes your skin (and your mind) quite like the icy touch of a cold face roller across your cheeks. Keep one in the refrigerator or just splash it in the water and chill it before applying. It takes approximately 90 seconds to get the circulation going, tone the face, and shave off the morning puffiness that likes to appear unannounced. If you really like the cold, pop it into the freezer for a few minutes before you use it – that’s my favorite way.
It’s like a mini-facial with no appointment necessary. Simply roll upwards and outwards, and let yourself really indulge — no mirror required.
2. Easy Beauty Rituals: Lip Balm
Lip balm is nice. A layer of slick, silky lip balm is something else, though, like a little luxury in a bottle. More quickly than it takes to read a text message, you can apply a moisturizing, shiny coat that hydrates and lightens your entire face. Some of them have a little color to them, too, so you achieve that “totally planned my look” without so much as lifting your hand off the wand. Throw it in your bag, swish it, and go about your day a little more put together.
If you’re planning on going outdoors for any length of time, make sure you’re lip balm has SPF in it to avoid sunburned lips.
3. Easy Beauty Rituals: Pop In Your Smile
Confidence can’t be developed overnight, but some routines certainly aid it along the way. One that requires virtually no effort? Slipping in your Smileie Aligners after your morning routine. It’s done in less than a minute, but it’s a strong reminder that you’re investing in yourself without going about it in a big fuss. And, of course, aligners fit in so discreetly that they go unseen while you conquer the world—or, you know, sort your inbox and get groceries.
4. Easy Beauty Rituals: Have an Instant Mood Lift with Hair Perfume
Regular perfume is nice, but hair perfume? It’s different. A spritz to your hair feels luxurious, and since scents linger longer in hair than they do in the skin, all day long, there will be these dreamy sniffs. Pick something light and lovely that brings a smile to your face every time the wind catches it. It’s just the five-second makeover that turns mundane errands into mini scenes from your favorite film.
5. Easy Beauty Rituals: Apply Hand Cream Like You Mean It
We all slap on hand cream and reach for the phone within two seconds. What if, though, you took yourself the entire 60 seconds? Massage the lotion into all your fingers, between your knuckles, and up your wrists. Take a deep breath and do it. Pick a lotion with a fragrance that’s like a whisper of relaxation. It takes a scant two minutes, but in some strange way, it recalibrates your entire attitude, and your hands will be gorgeous and feel amazing for it.
You don’t need a 12-step procedure to look lovely. You only need a few small seconds, lined with love, that creates a sense of being seen by the person who matters the most to you: yourself.