Swap time-consuming products for those with minimal effort and maximum effect as Susannah Taylor shares her top fast fixes
Deadlines to meet, kids to get to school, some sort of a social life to organise, diaries to plan… all while trying to stay sane and keep reasonably healthy too. Sound familiar? Modern life can be absolutely mental at times and while sometimes it’s nice to sit down and curl your hair or apply foundation slowwwly (when was the last time you did that?), we don’t need beauty products in our lives that will make us any later for work than we are already.
So what do we want? We want fabulous products that give the wow factor in 60 seconds flat. Here are my go-to fast glamour fixes for when you only have five minutes flat to get ready….
Hair
Color Wow Root Cover Up
£28.50, Buy online
When you can’t get in with your hair colourist or you don’t have the time to sit in the hairdressers for two hours, this is the answer. It’s a brush-on powder, available in 5 shades that will hide your roots in a flash. Because it’s a powder you can build up the colour depending on your root shade and it’s waterproof so will stay put even if you get caught in a flash flood. Genius.
GHD Ceramic Radial vented Brush
£15, Buy online
Always trying to replicate the salon blow-dry at home? Well here is your secret weapon. The strong bristles grip onto the hair, whilst the ceramic barrel holds the heat, smoothing out frizzies and giving a silky wave as you go. Don’t blow without it.
Body
He-Shi Rapid 1 Hour Liquid Tan
£22.50, Buy online
Got an event and realise your corn-beef effect legs are not going to cut it in a short skirt? Don’t panic. This rapid tan contains unique tanning accelerators that develop into a golden shade in one hour flat. This means you can get home from work, apply and wash off before going out.
Face
This Works In Transit Camera Close-up
£30, Buy online
Victoria Beckham says she’s a big fan and so are we. This portable pick-me-up evens, plumps and brightens skin instantly, erasing signs of fatigue in an instant. A mask, moisturiser and primer all in one, as the name says, This Works.
GLAMGLOW YouthMud Tingle Exfoliate Treatment
£49.99, Buy online
This product is fast gaining a cult reputation for good reason. Promising remarkable results in just ten minutes, skin looks brighter, lighter and cleaner after one application, and what’s more the glow keeps going for days. A bathroom cabinet must-have.
Makeup
Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner
£12, Buy online
If I’m looking for some fast, flawless, jaw-dropping glamour, then the quickest makeup hit is a lick of Audrey Hepburn-style liquid liner. This pen style applicator is flick perfection – it has a very precise felt tip style wand and makes light work of a very dramatic effect. And if it’s good enough for Alexa Chung…
Jouer Tint in Whisper
£16, Buy online
I have suddenly become aware of this brilliant brand, full of modern sheer textures and amazing punchy colours. These clever tints can be applied to cheeks for a radiant glow or lips for a subtle coloured pout. I personally love this peachy shade for summer but there are three other sumptuous ones to choose from.
Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage
£26.50, Buy online
This is my go-to handbag product for when I have 60 seconds flat for looking half decent. It’s a concealer that I use under the eyes, around the nose, to touch up blemishes, and you can mix the two shades together depending on the time of year or the area of your face. Rumour has it that mega makeup artist Pat mcGrath uses it all over models’ faces. Fast flawlessness - this is it.
Nails
CND Vinylux Weekly Polish
£9.95, Buy online
Finally a long-lasting polish that will remain chip-free for over a week. Available in an amazing array of colours from Electric Orange to Gilded Pleasure (an intense gold) or Svelte Suede (the perfect nude), it can also easily be removed without damaging the nail which is often the worry.
Essie Good to Go! The Fastest Drying Top Coat
£11.95, Buy online
The difference between a DIY looking nail and one that looks like it’s been done in a salon is the top coat. This one is not only particularly shiny but it also sets nail varnish in seconds, which means you can get on with getting out the house smudge-free.