I’m 30F and never took much care of my appearance but now that my age is starting to catch up with me I’m floored by all the things other women do to make themselves pretty.
Just putting full make-up on can take me an hour, not to mention doing the hair. How do other women/girls have the time to do this every morning, in addition to a thousand morning/night and semi-regular routines (cleansing, scrubbing, shaving, moisturising, toners, doing masks, eyebrows, nails, lip stains, the list is endless)? It seems like you’d have to get up at 4am every morning and you’d have no free time at all, especially if you’re working full-time and have other responsibilities.
Edit: I appreciate all the advice 💕
but I think I may have misled some people by saying “age is catching up with me”. I look much younger than I am but I am starting to get tiny wrinkles and my skin has dry and red patches, so it’s difficult not to feel “old” when I am surrounded by people my age or younger who look absolutely stunning and have amazing makeup on every day
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They prioritize it.
The stuff that you prioritize and spend your time on, they’re spending time doing makeup.
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When it’s a habit, it doesn’t take long at all! Same with cleanly shaved men – when it’s a regular habit, it’s quick and efficient, no cuts, no rash, no rush.
It’s really about prioritisation. Also, there are many things you can do that make your routine easier. For instance, gel nails or laser hair removal. It’s also just a habit that becomes addictive in your routine. Just like you wouldn’t be able to go to bed without brushing your teeth, well I can’t go to bed without also having double cleansed my face and put on my skin care.
Makeup takes me 5 minutes. Mascara, concealer, powder foundation, done. You do not have to do a full face of makeup every single day. (Or any makeup at all for that matter.)
Special occasion makeup seems to take the ladies forever. Most women I know have a routine that is under 30 minutes including showering, brushing teeth, etc. I am 46M and I can wake up and be out the door in about 8 mins.
It takes less time when you do it regularly.
Honestly when I’m just going to uni to go to 1 class and spend the rest of the day studying, it can be really sad how long I’ll take to get ready. But if I don’t feel I’m really ready then I’ll just end up feeling insecure
You choose your battles!
I only wear makeup if I’m going out to meet friends, date night, or to the office. It takes less than 5 minutes, maybe the full 5 if it’s a big night out. I seldom shave, but wax semi-regularly. Never do nails, they only chip anyway! Until a couple of years ago, my skincare routine was as basic as it gets, but I’ve started putting more effort in and it now takes 5-10 mins or so day and night. But I brush my teeth and take my meds whilst I’m waiting for things to soak in.
Also, look for things that give you bang for your time-buck – i.e. getting your brows professionally shaped and tinted will save you time each day. Waxing instead of shaving (bonus, no stubble). Hair styles that need less daily care. And look for skincare solutions that boost your skin health long term – you’ll need less makeup, and less daily potions.
The same way how people do anything in life. They prioritise it. If something is important enough you will find the time for it.
People ask me the same question when it comes to eating right and working out 6x a week. It’s important to me so I find the time to do it.
Makeup takes an hour if you spend an hour on it. I spend maybe 10 min on makeup and stagger it with the rest of how I get ready (ie, brush teeth while shower warms up, or put on foundation and let it set while doing my hair, etc). I wear foundation, lipstick, shadow, liner, mascara and brow pencil, sometimes blush.
Removing makeup and applying moisturizer takes 5 min a day. I use makeup remover wipes or baby shampoo.
Hair- I wash every 3 days and it takes 5 min to style. I do my brows weekly, any micro planing/other facial hair removal then.
Maybe I just multitask a lot, but I have modeled add done pageants- I love a nice, polished look, but I am quick. I get ready in 30 min a day. I like Outlast lipstick as I’m not reapplying it all day, for example.
I hope this helps. It really doesn’t have to be a part time job to wear makeup and care for your skin. 🙂
Just want to say I am 32 and am having the exact same feelings! I feel that age is catching up to me, but once I realised all the work, time, and money that goes into it all! Fuck that. I would like to say its all ‘down with the patriarchy’ and ‘aging is not scary’ motivated, but truth is, I’m just too lazy to do all that.
It takes me like 10-15 min to do my standard every day makeup. It really depends on how much you use and what you’re trying to achieve. I’m not an instagram model and I don’t want to look like I have caked on layers on my skin, I keep it simple for the day.
Hair, wash one day and wear it straight, 2nd day dry shampoo and curl. 3rd day touch up curls and dry shampoo as needed. 4th day wash again. Sometimes I wear it up in a clip or pony or bun. Keep it simple and find a routine that works.
I feel like a lot of women DO sacrifice sleep and get up early to do some of this stuff. That and their evening/parts of their days off to do procedures/’beauty maintenance’.
You don’t need to spend hours on it if your routine is simple. I take maybe 5 minutes to do my makeup, but I only do my eyebrows and eyeliner/mascara, no need for foundation and other stuff. Skincare – moisturizer and spf, also takes a minute.
I don’t think many women actually do. I always felt a bit inadequate because I don’t care much beyond keeping myself neat and clean and reasonably up to date. But then I spent a week looking at the actual women I interact with every day in the workplace, in my family, in my social circles. I’m pretty sure that most women do a touch of this or a bit of that, but don’t really care even half as much as the stereotypes would have us believe. Most of us have other things on our minds.
I feel you about lack of time or energy, but I personally enjoy grooming if everything goes well. It can be a part of therapy in a way
It is amazing when you color your hair and how much time it takes. It seems like you just did it, and the roots are growing out. It is a constant chore.
I just take care of myself to be pretty: try to eat veggies and fruit every day, try to get enough sleep, hydrate, slap on moisturizer, wear sunscreen. If I didn’t think I was pretty, I would be succumbed to insecurity that many businesses want. I embrace natural beauty
It’s just important to them and they prioritize it. 42m here and twice a week I prioritize head shaving and beard trimming in the mornings and make myself get up an hour early. I just feel better when I’m properly groomed and bald instead of balding, yknow? Had a gf that was the literal definition of a narcissist, she acted exactly how who the condition was named after acted. If you gave her 3 hours to get ready (and I did multiple times) she would take 4. I understand wanting to look good and I understand it can take work and insecurities are a real thing, we all have some vanity and it’s ok to care. But she was utterly infuriating causing us to be late because she’s doing her hair and makeup for the 6th time instead of just getting it done the first time, accepting it, and leaving. I have never once regretted dumping her, she was one of the most selfish people I’ve ever met
The time I have spent on my hair and makeup has changed based on other things going on in my life, but I’ve always made some time, always. I’m almost 65 now have only myself to get out of the door in the morning, so I take my time and enjoy it. When I had kids to get ready it was less time, but i used it very efficiently. Its something I care about as I always like to start the day looking and feeling my best, not everyone cares and that okay too. If you want to take some time for yourself, make it a priority.
Also 30F (in a few days!!) My full morning routine is about 30/40 minutes: quick body shower + face cleansing while i’m in there. skin routine is a moisturizing spray (efficient, look up iris & romeo the reset), use a handheld fan to dry, moisturizer, sunscreen, NYX glue primer. you don’t need a LOT of makeup on a daily basis. foundation with a little concealer, fill in eyebrows, wear mascara, lip, and you’ve probably done enough for a normal boring day. add eyeliner and blush and eye shadow if you choose. nyx setting spray.
night routine: micellar water to remove when you’re feeling lazy. when you’re not – cleansing balm, toner, moisturizing spray, really good night-time moisturizer.
a lot of the other things you mentioned are once or twice a week things – train your hair need to be washed less, shaving can be twice a week (or think about something that lasts longer like a wax)
nails can be every 2 or 3 weeks
i check my eyebrows during my night routine
i don’t feel the need to do extras like masks or lip stain or those “maintenance” days that i saw when i was still on tik tok where girls would spend full days getting themselves half ready for the week. just focus on what works for you, your skin, and your schedule. you don’t have to live up to the people who allocate a LOT of their time to beauty.
My question is also how do people afford these things consistently?
Idk it takes my girlfriend 30 mins to do a full face of makeup and eyeshadow stuff
It’s easier if you enjoy it. If you don’t enjoy it, find a way to enjoy it. I think maybe that’s why women’s products come in so many options. Also some of these things don’t need to be done everyday ie shaving, masks, nails, eyelashes if you get them done, etc.
It’s just become part of my routine, it all honesty it doesn’t take more than 10 minutes to do my am and pm skincare.
Make up takes about 10-15 for a no make up make up look. If I have a party or event it would take about 25 minutes to do
As far as shaving, I do that every other day, the “everything” shower is exhausting though. I try to break it up through out the week. Shave while a hair mask is on so that’s good for two or three days, dry shampoo through out the week.
face masks I do once or twice a month, I do my nails once a week (invest in a good top coat and it won’t chip!)
My guess is they have good time management. I don’t wear makeup or do my hair because I don’t want to spend the time doing it. I’m okay looking like a swamp witch, lol. I do have friends who do, and one of those friends is a makeup artist. She can probably get her makeup done in 10 minutes or less, lol.
I start work at 6am, so I wake up at 3am to slowly do my makeup and hair and to sip on my coffee. I’m not a simple makeup girly though. It’s always all out. But that’s my me time. I prioritize it because it’s like my own form of meditation. It’s quiet and calm that early. I thoroughly enjoy it!
Edit: might be worth mentioning that I am 30f with no kids, just cats and a fiancé. I feel privileged and grateful to have that much free time.
Putting on full makeup (concealer, foundation, blush, multiple shades eyeshadow, mascara, and a lip sometimes) takes me ten mins at most. Selecting my outfit i usually think of it the night before and just pull the items in the am. My hair I’m somewhat fortunate to be able to do nothing with/for dry as its naturally pretty decent, its mid back length, shiny, and slightly wavy.
So I mean i certainly don’t need to wake at 4am. I’m on maternity leave rn but I wake up at 530 to leave the house at 615 when I am working, that allows for shower, coffee, and getting ready.
I had a really similar perspective to you. In part because after moving in with my, now ex, SO I didn’t have the same ability to prioritize my own routines and self care I let a lot of it go. I didn’t wear makeup daily, I did very little with my hair, and wore clothes that were acceptable for the situation more than I focused on how I felt in the clothes. My breakup and the time surrounding it was traumatic for me and then I went from that to another living situation with a friend that ended up being nearly equally traumatic. I was depressed and didn’t have the energy to do more than the minimum. It was 2 years of just barely holding on.
Now I’m almost a year out of that last situation. In the last few months, now that I’ve decompressed and started recovering from all of it, I’ve been able to slowly work in sustainable changes. It started with wanting to wear a little bit of makeup to work because most of the women I worked with did so as well.
That lead to needing to take better care of my skin, because if I wore makeup I had to take it off at the end of the day, and I wanted to make sure I was doing what I could skincare wise to make doing my makeup easier. Feeling better about how I looked (even though I’m also deeply unhappy about my body but I know that’ll come in time) I’ve been taking more risks with my clothing purchases and have found pieces and colours I normally wouldn’t have gone for, but now love.
The biggest thing that has been a minor change but made the most impact? Getting up if I wake up before my alarm. I still don’t want to get out of bed any earlier than I have too, but if I wake up on my own an hour or less before my alarm goes off, I get up. That way I’m actually awake and not trying to squeeze every minute of sleep I can get and snoozing my alarm or waking up groggy and just doing the bare minimum to get out the door.
I wake up around 6:15-6:30, get a shower and it takes me maybe 15 minutes to do my makeup. Then I spend the rest of the morning preparing for the day, stretching, writing in my journal and reading a book. I set alarms for how long I want to do those things until I’m ready to leave at 9:00
Hair doesn’t matter to me as long as its clean and not greasy (I have fine thin hair)
Just understand what works best with your face, for example I need lipstick, light coverage and slight eyebrow shading. Everything else is extra – you don’t have to spend hours doing makeup.
Yes.
Planning and prioritization. That’s all.
I wake up earlier than everyone else… I have a pretty good skin care regimen that I was doing before it became popular. I’m happy I was ahead of the game on that one. I’m lucky enough that I only do a little with my face and focus on my hair most days because that’s where I think my beauty fades.
I don’t know you can take as much time as you want with it. I can do a pretty full face of make up in 5-10 minutes. I have curly hair and it takes about a minute to refresh it in the morning or I let it air dry after a shower. People would probably consider me pretty girly because I’m into hair and make up and often wear lipstick etc but I don’t spend very much time on it. I think after years you just get better at your everyday routine and you don’t need to spend an hour to do your make up. I have pretty low maintenance skin as well: it’s actually happier if I just wash it in the shower and keep it moisturized.
As a guy I could care less. Makeup is a for you thing, not to impress everyone thing. IMO no makeup always looks better.
I don’t do it at all. I’m 43 and generally happy with how I look without makeup so I don’t bother. I don’t look like an instagram model, I just look like me and that’s what I prefer.
One of my favorite things about being in my 40s is that I just don’t gaf about other people’s opinions of me anymore. If I’m clean and well dressed then that’s enough for me and anyone who thinks I should be doing more can go f*** themselves.
I don’t. The longest makeup routine I ever had was maybe 15 minutes. Now, I don’t wear makeup at all. I wash my face and apply a face moisturizer. I get my eyebrows waxed every 6 weeks. My hair is naturally curly and I let it air dry. That’s it. It’s not a priority for me at all. If it’s not a priority for you, then don’t do it.
How can it take an hour to do make-up? There’s only so much you can do. Taking a whole hour to put on foundation, eye make-up and lipstick seems unfathomable to me (and yes I know about contouring and all of that, but bothering to do all of that seems unfathomable too lol)
I get up an hour early. It’s really not that bad, and for the benefits I get (feeling 10x better all day) it’s worth it
I can do my makeup in 10 minutes so maybe simplify/practice it. But I still don’t wear it everyday, only if I’m doing like a special activity
Oh, my gosh. I have no idea. I only wore make-up in my teenage years, a million years ago. My skin looks great at 42, though, and I have no grey hair, so I’ll continue this au natural look for as long as possible. I have no routines except for shaving my armpits. The hair on my legs have stopped growing yonks ago. Someone overplucked my eyebrows a gazillion years ago and now I no longer need to pluck them. They’ve grown out just a little bit since 2011/2, and I like their shape.
I wake up at 5am.
Leave for work at 7am.
That’s how.
But you really don’t need to do 30 mins of facial care and 30 minutes of makeup.
I love to be artsy with makeup and it’s some kind of mid-week wellness for me before the stress at work sets in.
It’s pure self love to me, just like waking up early to prepare breakfast for your loved ones. Just to my face and instead of waffles my face gets eyeliner and blush lol
I’ve always thought it was crazy. In many professions there is the expectation of grooming for women that far exceeds the requirements of men. It steals hours from women’s days. Hundreds and thousands of dollars from women’s pockets and most importantly it steals time.
Kamal and Hillary had to do everything their opponents did but they ALSO had to do hair and make up and outfits and accessories, all of which were so heavily scrutinized. This isn’t about politics but I have a lot of respect and sympathy for a woman running for President. It is an exhausting and grueling process and, god forbid they don’t look just right. Pretty but not too sexy, authoritative but not too authoritative. Mature but not, gasp, frumpy middle aged.
No idea. I am not great at doing make up and since having my daughter I’m lucky I can wash my face. My hair is a mess. Personally I feel like putting all that effort into appearance is a waste of time. The companies selling the stuff make us think we need it so they can sell it. But there’s people who love to do make up and maybe if I was like that I’d have a different opinion. I just accept I’m scruffy and not pretty 🤣
Priorities and habits. For me, I mostly focus on the basics. I always make sure to get enough sleep, drink enough water, exercise regularly and pay attention to my hygiene. When you have clear skin, are fit and clean you don’t need that much makeup or something else.
I make sure that my hair looks good – that makes a big difference in the overall appearance and doesn’t take much time because I only do it when I wash my hair (2-3/week, takes 10 minutes).
Every Sunday I do a manicure, a pedicure, pluck and tint my eyebrows and do a facial (Takes an hour and I mostly do it while watching a movie or something)
Every day I have a morning and an evening routine. In the morning I do my skincare and my makeup (takes max. 20 min) and in the evening I remove my makeup and do skincare (takes max. 10 min)
So it seems like a lot but it’s really not that bad ☺
They get good at it and it doesn’t take them an hour. My full makeup, which includes a lot of things, is only 15 minutes max. My hair is only 10 minutes max. My skincare routine I do most while sitting in bed as I keep everything in my nightstand.
I like to get up about 1.5 hours before I need to leave for work as I like to ease into the day.
Probably have a different schedule than you? Either they get up earlier, shower at night ect to make time to do make up in the morning
You don’t have to do it all in one day/morning. When I wake up, it’s just a simple morning skin care routine with minimal products then light makeup. A bit more time if I want to style my hair but even that takes only 10 mins or so. Once you get the hang of it, it’s as easy as brushing your teeth. Takes longer if I’m going out and want to look a little more glamorous. I do shaving, toners, masks and such in the evening before going to bed.
I do basic makeup daily because I’m insecure of my acne. I rarely do my hair and if I didn’t have acne I wouldn’t do makeup often. It’s exhausting
What is a good “a little goes a long way” tip for this? For example for myself it’s getting my eyelashes lifted & tinted & that’s the only thing i do but I feel like it makes a really big difference for me.
I’m gonna be honest, the vast majority of makeup and skincare stuff I see people on socials doing makes next-to-no difference to look at. I really, truly think appearance-based interventions are one of those cases where the 80/20 rule applies – 80% of your results come from 20% of your work.
To directly answer you question, a lot of us just….don’t. I spend a total of maybe 10min a day on my appearance. I wash and blow dry my hair about once every five or six days. I wash my face with only water in the morning so I don’t wash away the natural sebum, and then apply sunscreen, blush and mascara. In the evening during the shower I wash my face, then put on moisturiser and a thick lip balm, because I like to sleep directly under the air conditioner. I get my brows done once a month, gel pedi once every 6 weeks or so, and occasional botox. That’s it. I get more appearance-based compliments now than I ever did when I did full faces of makeup or dyed/set my hair religiously every week.
I’m also of the belief that it’s more effective to put effort into lifestyle interventions that manifest as natural beauty, rather than covering up poor lifestyle habits with yet more products. I worked out what foods used to break me out and avoid them. I learned how to take care of my hormones and hair so that I don’t have to wash it more than once a week. I eat at my maintenance calories so my weight is better managed than it used to be. I get sunshine and exercise. I have enough (solo or partnered) sex that I feel like I stay glowy and relaxed instead of tense and uptight. I eat lots of collagen so my nails stay strong and long, and enough beta carotene-containing foods that I get a “tan” without the sun damage. I try really hard to see and appreciate the natural beauty in other people, and to surround myself with women who have also largely divested from consumer beauty culture. So, for me, to see videos on social media of people applying 20 products as an evening routine is complete fantasy, because absolutely nobody I know in real life does that. OP, did this question arise from being around other people, or from socials? Because if it’s socials, maybe chat to some of your female friends in real life and see. Chances are their version of “taking care of themselves” is waaaay more realistic than anything tiktok shows us.
Keep things simple. Some women feel better doing full makeup and routines, others feel more beautiful with less makeup. The point is to take the time to invest in yourself in whatever capacity that may be. I have a pixie cut that takes less than 10 minutes to wash, blow dry and style. I have a basic makeup routine that does involve faux lashes, but the kind I only have to put on once a week. I don’t use a ton of products, just foundation, some blush and a tiny bit of powder, I can do it in under 5 minutes. And to be perfectly honest, I’ve never felt more pretty in my entire life than I do now at 40. In the evening, I wash my face, put on a couple products and go to bed, it takes me less than 5-10 minutes before I’m snoozing.
Do what makes you feel like your best self, and that doesn’t always involve a ton of time or products. The most important thing is that feeling inside that you have that you did something for YOU. Also know a lot of these things you mentioned don’t have to be done everyday, some are things you only have to do once a week or every other week depending on what it is. Just do you.
My full everyday routine takes around 40 minutes bed to door.
5 minute shower
5 minutes to pull clothes and make coffee
5 minutes for skincare (cleanser, serum, moisturizer) alternating with coffee and getting dressed.
15-20 minutes to blow dry and style my hair
5-10 minutes to put on my normal makeup (concealer, liquid foundation, powder foundation, blush, eyeshadow, eyeliner, mascara, eyebrows if needed, lip stain). Not doing a full glam look every day, just trying to not look like an alien since I’m so pale I’m translucent lol
Honestly – I feel like most of this stuff is unnecessary and overrated – and I’m a girly girl that compared to the other moms my age around me, people comment how I’m high maintenance and always put together lol. I only do the things that make an outward difference when someone sees me on the street basically
Body – shave, no exfoliating etc, some lotion and my skin always feels soft and smooth
Hair – good haircut and color and right shampoo for my hair type, generally just air dry and it looks good enough, for extra polish can use some mousse and blow dry
Skin – cleanse (quick one step), tretinoin, vitamin c, moisturize and sunscreen. Oh and Botox lol. No masks creams serums a thousand step skincare it’s all bullshit and a time and money waste. Makes zero difference to how your skin actually looks.
Makeup – light makeup daily, don’t leave home without it but it takes five minutes to apply. No base, just light eye makeup, concealer and blush
Nails – my nails are very soft and don’t grow well so I just keep them short and neat or wear press ons for special occasions.
Clothes – always flattering, well fitting cute outfits with some jewelry / accessories. Makes the most impact at how your overall look comes off
Fitness – that’s where I really put in the most time and work, gym five times a day and right nutrition, it keeps me in shape and that automatically makes everything else look better and the overall image to be one of being polished and put together
Overall I’d say besides gym, my daily maintenance beyond basic hygiene is less than fifteen minutes.
I use to full face and hair every morning and would wake up hours early to do it. Now over my dead body am I doing all that. Free the bush and the zits.
I think part of it is that you have to choose what you want to do. And you don’t have to do all of it everyday.
When it’s a routine, it really doesn’t take very long. In a day, I spend less than an hour on what I consider basic hygiene. I think for some women it takes longer depending on what they consider basic hygiene/self-care, and also some women take more time with it. I don’t, because I’d rather be doing something else, but I know that I prefer when my skin looks good, so I do take the time to make sure it’s clean and well moisturized.
Some examples on what I do and how much time it actually takes:
I’m not a woman that shaves everyday. I pretty much just shave when I feel like it. Typically I shave my armpits about once a week, legs are probably less, maybe every week and a half – 2 weeks.
I don’t do make up everyday, but when I do it only takes about 5-10 minutes. I don’t try to look like a model; just mascara, primer, concealer, foundation, setting spray/powder. If I’m going somewhere nice I’ll add eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick, but that still only adds like 3 minutes.
I wash my face twice a day, but I just use Neutrogena (probably a total of 5 minutes?), then I use a toner (1-2 minutes), then a moisturizer (1 minute?)
Counting the shower, it’s all of about an hour a day. Except when I do my hair – but that’s not a daily thing.
It’s just a question of priorities. If they want it, they make time.
For instance, my priority is having thirty minutes to sit on my couch with a cup of coffee and no one speaking to me. So I make the time lol
Most women don’t do all those things everyday. The ones who do just put a lot of time, effort and money in it consistently and make it into a routine.
But you don’t need all of those to look good. A simple skincare routine with face wash, moisturizer, sunscreen and retinol, regular hair trimmings and a good hair oil, nice tailored clothes and, a skin tint and a lip tint are enough. The brows are a twice a month thing, as well as the nails.
But you don’t need to shave everyday and you definitely should scrub everyday.
You can also multitask. Example, you can wear rollers to bed so your hair is ready to go when you wake up in the morning, get your eyelashes done so you don’t have to wear mascara, have your nails and eyebrows done every 2-4 weeks so they’re maintained, etc. Find what works for you and stick to it.
It takes time to find a routine especially when you have other responsibilities but like others said, you find time for it because you want it. And like I mentioned earlier, find a system to make your life simpler. Look online for things that’ll help get you there, look on YouTube/tiktok etc. Or if you don’t know where to start ask ChatGPT, just be very specific with what you’re looking for and it can help you cut down on doing research.
31F here, you don’t need a lot of steps or products to look pretty.
Personally for me, I don’t believe in the 10-step skincare routine. Find products that work for you, depending on your skin type, you may need to visit a dermatologist or aesthetician. For me, an anti-acne or sensitive skin face wash, face scrub, toner, moisturiser, and cream is enough.
I have my weeklies and monthlies such as getting a pedicure and manicure, on special occasions, I get my nails done. I get facials, massages, and waxes too. My hair is natural so I don’t get anything done but I try to remind myself to condition it once a week every month.
Used to be active because I worked at an office, but ever since I worked remotely, I kinda slowed down but I still try to get my walks and small exercises from time to time.
Personally, I think health matters more than all of these things. Being at a healthy weight, not smoking, using sunscreen, drinking seldomly, and you’d be surprised at how much better you look without doing all of these “making oneself” pretty things.
My age is catching up with me too. 35F this summer. So I get it.
I make time for it because it’s important to me, and I enjoy it. I wake up at 5am and make it part of my morning.
damn honestly my life revolve arounds it. From the meals i prepare for myself, making sure i sleep 8 hrs, and gym time, to grooming and clothing and skin care and anything else. It is time consuming and a big part of my daily routines.
theres something i do everyday but some things i dont do all at once
There’s a difference between daily make up and putting a makeup for special occasions. My daily make up routine takes less than 15 minutes to get done before going to work. If I’m dolling up for a special occasion, I’ll definitely need over an hour to do so.
I’m considered a high maintenance girl – it really doesn’t take that much time. It might at first because you are building new routines and figuring out what matters most to you and what products to use.
But the morning now takes me maybe 5 extra minutes for “beauty” related things. After I shower I’ll put my sunscreen on and let it soak while I brush my teeth. Pull my hair out of the bun and let it rest at the same time (I also often sleep in a headless curl thing too if I want curls or waves- I can throw that thing in in 5 minutes now before bed and have to do almost nothing to my hair the next morning). Plug in my curling iron at this point if I think I’ll use it.
Two seconds for some skin tint and I’m just gonna use my fingers. Brushes and blenders are for “real” makeup days lol. I have a small box on my counter that has just my everyday makeup. Nothing extra so I’m not digging around in there looking for stuff.
Mascara, blush, bronzer… done. It takes like 3 minutes maybe total. Tweak anything on my hair that needs to be done. Put on clothes and I’m out. (Obviously I do the stuff everyone else does like deodorant and moisturizer)
For the more time consuming items I spread them out over the week- I am not rigid with this but this is a typical week:
Monday is hair wash day I’m doing nothing else lol
Tuesday I’ll do red light or a face mask while I watch tv at night.
Wednesday I’ll to the dr pen microneedling before bed. Takes 7 or 8 minutes. (And no I don’t wanna hear about it- I know the risks and I’ve made my choice)
Thursdays I self tan before bed and sleep with it on. You can even do “contour” with self tan and make your makeup routine even easier if you are that type.
Fridays is hair wash again
Saturday I do nothing or maybe will catch up on something I missed or need extra of.
Sunday I tint my eyebrows or do any body hair maintenance I’m feeling led to do.
I throw on under eye patches while I read at night and I used to paint my nails in the evenings while I watch tv (at this point in my life that was too time consuming and I didn’t always enjoy the results so I get my nails done)
When there are no decisions to be made and no thought having to be put into each thing because it’s habit it really is not a big deal.
I also lotion my body every night or when I get out of the shower. At least once a day. That is marginally more time consuming simply because I have to take my clothes off and since I don’t like it sticky I wait for it to dry before I put clothes on. This is more of a thing for my sensory issues though. Dry skin is sensitive skin.
It’s like your first day at a new job- it feels impossible it will be second nature or not take forever. But once it becomes muscle memory and you have the products you want it’s not a big deal at all.
I have 0 motivation to get ready when I get to see ppl I don’t care about (work school etc). So 5-10 mns to get ready. For other occasions though 30-45 mns with hair makeup shower done just needs to be planned ahead
I invest in several lip colors that look amazing on me and blue liquid eyeliner. I put either lip stick or eyeliner on each day, or both. Since the colors are so bold, it brightens my face without effort. I also use vitamin e oil as a face moisturizer, I keep it next to my earrings so it’s quick to apply.
Well for starters, some people don’t do their hair daily, I style it once every five days, meaning I curl it or do a blow it and I keep it styled for a few days until I wash it again.
Then you can just do a makeup routine in 20 mins, unless you’re doing like an extra full glam it shouldn’t take so long.
And you can keep a skincare routine as basic as moisturizer and sunscreen.
It’s not that difficult if you make a habit out of it.
I have a 5-minute daily makeup routine that is a “no-makeup look” and provides SPF protection.
Some things that do take time include doing my nails weekly (I do it while watching TV), and getting highlights in my hair twice a year (3-4 hours). You can take these things as far as you want. Its up to your own priorities.
So a couple of things, besides the air of ‘not like other girls’ I’m getting from this:
(1) Makeup doesn’t have to take hours, mine takes 5-10 minutes for every day because I know what works on me and have gotten quick at applying it. Learn what colours, application styles, etc. work for you and stick to it.
(2) Similarly, good quality skincare isn’t complicated, but you do need to figure out what works for you. Don’t buy into the marketing hype. Get a good cleanser, a good moisturiser, sun screen (if you’re noticing ageing at 30, I assume you aren’t already wearing it), and relevant actives (for acne / wrinkles, etc. – 1x at the most). That’s really all you need.
(3) On more recurring maintenance like hair, nails, eyebrows, etc., pick what gets the most bang for your buck / what you enjoy the most, and stay on top of it. The goal is to keep daily upkeep to a minimum.
(4) There are also things that you may enjoy. I do a full body scrub in a weekly bath, but that isn’t about maintenance, it’s because I enjoy it. Nice when you can do both though.
All in all, I spend 15 minutes morning and night, maybe a bit longer if I’m doing something more intricate on the weekends. You really don’t need hours to look good, unless you don’t know what you’re doing or what works for you.
I have different levels of makeup, and don’t wash my hair daily. I always take the same amount of time to get ready, I wake up at 4:30am, have tea, poop, those are non-negotiables each week day. On a hair wash day, I may do simpler make up. Maybe not. It’s an hour of my day to feel confident all day and it’s worth it to me. Nails are an hour of my life every 3-4 weeks. I paint my own toenails and that’s 30 minutes as needed, dye my own roots and it’s an hour before I shower on a weekend every 6 weeks or so. I wash my face before bed, 5 minutes. In bed by 9-9:30. I enjoy taking care of myself in that way and I consider it mandatory for my mental health, so it doesn’t feel like a chore and despite how this comment sounds, I am low maintenance. I still have plenty of free time for hobbies/chores and work 40-45hrs a week with a commute.
I dont do all of that skincare stuff, I put on vaseline at night and sunscreen in the morning. I learned tricks to do my hair fast: Hairspray. If I want to do my makeup fast I only do simple eyeshadow. You learn tips and tricks and it helps if you’re not too finicky about it. You don’t need to spend too much time to look pretty once you learn how to complement your features.
I’ve just always been content with not being pretty lol. The time, work, and money required just SUPER aren’t worth it to me. I’d rather get a couple extra hours of sleep, or watch another movie while doing crafts, or buy another find for one of my collections. It’s way more satisfying just looking like myself and enjoying my time.
I can do a full face of makeup in 10 minutes, 5 if I’m rushed. It helps if you use a mineral powder foundation because it can be brushed on very quickly.
I’m 60 now.
Working for the past 40 years I’ve perfected my morning routine.
I’m not much of a lingerer in the morning and hate getting out of bed. As a teacher I had first period at 730am. Ugh.
So. Simple makeup routine including moisturizer, foundation, mascara and lip.
Hair was a simple blow dry, but not all the way ( curly).
Up at 615am. Out the door at 7am.
Nighttime was simply washing face and adding moisturizers.
Reading these comments I’ve realized that i prioritize sleep or lounging in my bed in the morning more than doing any beauty care at all.
I’m 29F and have always been the type of person to get out of bed like 10 min before I have to leave in the morning. A little more if I need to make breakfast/pack lunch. I’ve had jobs that start anywhere from 4am-9am. Always the same.
I’m much more of a night owl but also skin care and doing my hair isn’t all that exciting for me and doesn’t really relax me like it seems to do for others. It feels more like a chore and as a frugal person I also think the cost of all the products is a deterrent
Skincare. Someone may have mentioned this already, but if so it’s not high enough on the thread.
Once you have that nice base to work with, throwing on a bit of eyebrow filler, mascara, and blush is a piece of cake! 🙂
For mornings, I do toner, serum, and moisturizer with SPF. In the evenings, a gentle face wash and mixture of bakuchiol serum and moisturizer. Each skin type varies, obviously, but I linked all in case you want to check them out. The bakuchiol has been especially helpful for fine lines that have started peeking out.
I also agree with past comments that you are lovely, makeup or no.
Do your hair the night before (hair rollers or braid it) , make up the next morning takes 20 mins max , there’s also things you can do ‘high maintenance things to be low maintenance’ for example brow tinting , lip and cheek tints , self tan as contour. It’s really not that hard just try it
I spend a lil time & money to be low maintenance pretty. By this I mean :
I don’t wear a full face of make up – I have a skincare routine -face wash followed by hyaluronic acid + moisturizer and I do a little jade roller for my eye area. Then top it with some green concealer for redness. Lip balm. (Tubing) Mascara. I love make up but a full face? Like concealer, contouring, blush, lip stick, eye shadown, and whatever else – its not for me. And I work in a warehouse type office -no, my co-workers would be like “where ya going Pageant Queen” no. I like my face as it is. LoL – I save that full face stuff for special occassions where I’ll pay to get it done.
I get lash lifts every 8 weeks, I used to get extensions but recently switched to lifts and ugh, I love them even more! and saved me a bit of money so noowwww I can incorporate more facials in a year (girl math right? -kidding, sorta)
Hair – I wash my hair 1-2x a week. So I will wash & blow/stlye, use dry shampoo throughout the week if needed and touch up in the mornings bc I sleep like an animal (regardless if I use a bonnet)
Make up doesn’t have to be such a time consuming thing. Tinted moisturiser takes 20 seconds to apply. Concealer takes another 30-90 seconds depending what you’re covering up. Eyebrows can be 10-20 seconds if you’re using an eyebrow pencil. Mascara is like 20 seconds too. Lip stick/gloss/oil is 5 seconds. Powder blush is another 5-10 seconds. Build in some buffer time you’re really looking at 5 minute tops if you wanna do it quick and as long as you want if you fancy doing something more fancy
You find shortcuts.
I use almost no products, it takes me 15 minutes every morning to watch YouTube while I put on under-eye concealer, maybe eyeshadow, mascara and powder. That’s it. 15 minutes and I look put together every day. I don’t really wash my face or use skin care, just splash it in the morning and go. I sleep with wet hair and that works for me.
Spray a nice perfume, keep my daily jewellery on just like I shower/sleep in, and that’s it.
People compliment me all the time, you don’t have to invest a ton of money or time into it. I spend next to nothing, I put concealer on with my fingers and I’ve been using the same tube for a year. Mascara is replaced like 3 times a year. The powder and eyeshadow lasts for yeaaaars.
**edit: try sleeping with hair in a sock for curls overnight, it’s so easy.
So yeah, be smart, be efficient, and use that time getting ready to do something you love! Like listening to an audio book or watching a video.
15 minutes a day is well worth it. 5 minutes on the weekends, and I still look good, in my opinion.
Once you figure out what works for you it doesn’t take much time. I can do a full face of makeup in 10 min, less if I’m in a rush. Overnight curls saves time doing your hair in the morning.
I did that prior to having kids and responsibilities. Now I take 2 hours every week to shave, pluck my eyebrows, and straighten my hair so it would look nice for the rest of the week.
Otherwise I just make sure to brush my hair and have nice clean clothes everyday. No way I’m putting the little extra time that I have into make up and spending a whole day trying not to mess up my freshly painted nails. Nope.
I do a tinted spf, blush, and mascara. It doesn’t take more than 10 mins, and I’d already want to put spf on to keep my skin safe.
Hair I usually sleep in a sleepy tie, so i just take that out in the morning.
Nails, every two weeks or so i do my own nails, and i light a candle and put some music on. It feels like a nice self-care art activity.
I wash my hair twice a week. Blow drying it takes about 20 minutes. So 40 minutes a week doing my hair. Makeup routine takes about 15 minutes in the mornings. I do it while I enjoy my coffee. Nighttime routine consists of taking makeup off, washing face, and lotion. About 5 minutes each evening. I don’t get my nails done, or hair colored due to upkeep and maintenance.
My two “everything” showers consist of me washing my hair, shaving, maybe a body scrub. But it’s like a 20 minute shower. No time at all. My other showers I don’t wash my hair so they are quicker. I put on lotion while I watch TV or lounge around.
Overall, no time at all as it’s just a normal and regular part of my routine.
Girl, do less. And be more efficient. You don’t need to do full glam. Just have a basic skincare, makeup and hair routine. 30 minutes tops morning and night.
I don’t know either, I just wash my face with water, brush my teeth, dry my hair with the dryer machine and then I’m off
I do a full face every day that includes a wicked cat eye and people assume that it takes me hours to get ready but I’ve honestly had the exact same morning/makeup/hair routine for almost 14 years and it takes me probably 40 minutes max.
40 minutes is a lot of time though if doing hair/makeup is not something you enjoy doing. For me its one of my favorite parts of the day– I put on a podcast, I sip my coffee, I fully wake up. It’s the best. On weekends when I DONT do my makeup in the morning I can tell that I’m off.
I never wear makeup so it would probably take me over an hour just to get the eyeliner right 😂 I just accepted makeup is not for me and I will embrace the wrinkles and imperfections that come with getting older.
42F – swamp demon girly girl
I don’t shower every day, and I usually do it in the evening. Dry shampoo as needed.
I let my hair be it’s natural wave or I put it up in a clip, pony tail, or other low effort style.
I prioritize cute work clothes and complimentary jewelry.
I have a few face ointments I use for acne and under my eyes that help keep my skin clear and nice and soft.
I developed a 10 minute makeup routine that I do sitting at my desk at work. It is concealer, a little bronzer for light contouring (forehead/temples), blush, eyeshadow, mascara, brows, and a lip gloss. I do not do this every day.
Full face and fully styled hair is only for special occasions and nights out.
I have some scented lotions and sprays I use whenever I feel like it.
My nails get done whenever. They are often jagged because they are weak and tear easily. Acrylics are a life goal.
I go to a hair stylist once or twice a year.
I do not put a lot of effort into my appearance, and yet I am often complimented on it. I am the type to roll out of bed when I’m supposed to have already left.
To me personally its just a little hobby that makes me happy. It makes me feel good about myself and to me that’s important so I take the time to do it.
Yeah, so as a certified LazyGirl (TM) I always look for ways save time and effort on my beauty routine. One thing to consider is alternate ways to ge the same results.
Some of the things I do:
Color my own eyebrows about once a month, meaning I never have to apply makeup to them in the morning. Before coloring I “trim” my eyebrows with a tool and guard that came in the same kit as the epilator I have (Braun I think?).
I epilate once every 2 weeks to a month instead of shaving every other day (including legs, arms, armpits). I also have skin-colored leggings that can be layered under nylon leggings if I can’t be bothered to shave lol. BE WARNED in that epilating HURTS LIKE A MFCKER at the beginning though!
My makeup routine each morning takes around 5 min. After washing my face (shower or use micellar water on reusable cotton pads) I use a green CC-cream that works as a combined color corrector for redness, foundation and light sunscreen (I add “real” sunscreen before that if I know I’ll be in high UV-index sun). Then I add mascara, brown because it looks more natural, and use a lipstick as a blush (as well as a lipstick sometimes!). The blush is crucial, otherwise you just strip the color from your face and don’t add any back and it may give a more “full face” look. I use my hands to apply most products btw, brushes are overrated!
Curl spray that works on both wet and dry hair is a lifesaver. Olaplex nr 3 + any drugstore shampoo (like Head and shoulders) + occasional conditioner are the only other haircare products you (or at least I) need!
After laundry, I combine clothes on the same hanger to make a “ready” outfit. That makes it easier to just grab one off the rack the night before and then get dressed in the morning as the week progresses.
Some things I want to buy/learn how to do:
“DIY” cluster lash extensions, since they’re suppsed to last 1-2 weeks and would replace the need to apply mascara in the morning (my eyebrow color is also an eyelash color. I could color my naturally blonde lashes underneath the falsies too. + You can go to bed, swim, cry etc. with falsies without worrying about smearing!
Sugaring (kinda like wax, but you cook it at home and pull it with the hair = theoretically less painful)
There are these false “ring nails” I’ve seen and may want to buy since I can’t be bothered nor afford salon nails + study healthcare and can’t have long nails during practice.
Personally I don’t do that aside skincare and go to the nail salon.
It helps me to just do the things that make the biggest difference for myself personally and not be too hard on myself if I miss a day. Building routines and finding the best products for you take a long time, but unfortunately, we do live in a society that will reward you for the effort.
I’d recommend spacing out just the beauty things you want to prioritize for yourself so it doesn’t feel like you’re doing everything at once. Depending on your personal style and preferences, you may need less stuff and time than you’d think, and you’ll get faster with practice.
While beauty routines can benefit you, never feel like you have to do any of it. We do not exist merely to be perceived.
I can guarantee you it probably took them an hour at first, or at least took a long time until they are as efficient as they are now! When I first started doing makeup it took me FOREVERRRRR. I don’t wear it most days but learning how was a very smart skill for me at least because I could do my own makeup for weddings and theatre productions. If you’re not wanting to wear it every day and just want to learn how for formal events, just treat it like a new skill you’re learning. just mess around with it before you hop in the shower, or before you go to bed. For the rest of it, most of those things aren’t all done in one day. I shave my legs sometimes in the shower, I just do it while the conditioner sets on my hair. I just lotion after I get out. Only takes a minute. Eyebrows you just pluck when you notice them (for me its at least once a week cause my hair is dark, thick, and quick growing). You set aside some time to paint some nails if you want to. Once it’s a skill or routine you’ve conquered the time it takes to complete drops by a LOT 🙂 <3
I really don’t do a full face unless it’s a special occasion. What you see on social media is not the norm, I promise!
Just take care of your skin so you don’t need the concealer, powder etc. I just moisturize, sunscreen, blush and tinted chapstick. My hair is short so I just blow dry and I’m on my way.
I think most people are doing simple, quick beauty routines. Influencers with their 20 step routines have really warped the perception of what the average consumer is doing.
My everyday makeup is not a full face beat. Probably takes me 10 minutes. Sometimes I’ll have a little more fun with eyeshadow if I have the time & feel like it. I do skincare morning and night, very simple routine with good quality products. If I have a big event to go to I’ll set aside an hour or two to do hair & makeup. I’ve also always really enjoyed doing makeup, so it’s easy for me to prioritize it. And I was in school during the peak of beauty YouTube era (like 2016ish) so I learned a lot then.
You’d only have to trim your nails like once per month, you don’t have to do lip stains; you don’t have to mess with your eyebrows (unless you don’t like them ofc), you don’t have to paint your nails, etc. These are very influencer-esque things that plenty of people don’t do anyway.
As for makeup, if your skin is clear and you’re happy with how it looks, you don’t really need foundation or concealer. Mascara, eyeshadow, and lipstick take five minutes and are probably the biggest differences!
Shaving can just he done once per week maybe, it only takes like 15 minutes as well.
My makeup takes about 10 minutes. My hair about 5. Getting dressed takes longer than either. It’s really about care. I am big on skin care: good diet, hydration, sunscreen, facials, moisturizers. For my hair: diet, hydration, weekly washing, oiling and conditioning and sleeping in a silk wrap or bonnet. That’s really where the work lies.
I am a guy and i just wear my panties on my head to work.
So… there’s a couple of things you can do. For one, the more practiced you become at makeup and hair, the quicker you can make yourself look presentable. I can go from street rat to party ready in 30 minutes, and I have crazy hair.
Second is to do a couple of things to make it easier. Get your brows and lashes done, wear nice and well put together clothes. Find your style and what suits you.
It takes time and effort, but once you have it down and make it your routine, it’s really manageable
I cut my thick hair very short that it requires almost zero effort to look good. I have semi permanent false eyelashes on that I just brush a bit to straighten. I don’t wear any makeup and never have except when I had bad acne as a preteen.
I look fabulous daily. I wish I had done those things when I was in high school cuz I didn’t look good to myself then and spent more time on my long hair making it not look like shit.
Partly, doing something regularly means you get faster at it – foundation/brows/lashes/lips takes me about 10 minutes and half of that is the eyebrows. If I want eyeshadow, another 5-10 minutes. If you style your hair overnight it should only take 10 minutes too.
But also: I very much don’t have a choice. I am fat. I can’t also have a “slovenly” appearance. So yeah, sometimes I have to shave my legs with the 20m I have tonight, and defer taking out the trash and running laundry till some other time. How pretty I appear in public is directly related to whether or not I will get or maintain a job, whether people will bump ahead of me in the queue, whether teenagers will throw food at me when I walk past, whether a medical professional will take me seriously. So yes, pretty much all my free time is soaked up in maintaining what parts of my physical appearance I can. I don’t really get to spend a lot of time on hobbies. It sucks.
Its doing the same little things daily – not doing extravagant things. If you never do any of it yeah you may have a lot to do.
If you take 2 Mins morning and night to do more than wash your face – serum, skin treatments – your skin will glow and you wont need lots of makeup, if any.
A daily face of makeup doesnt take long. 5 mins I just do concealer, mascara, and nude eyeshadow.
I have curly hair. I style it at night while soaking wet. I let it dry a bit in a tshirt while i ready for bed and then add leave in. That way I can just take it down and go with minimal styling in the morning.
You dont do nails and face masks every day. I do that stuff on weekends. Exfoliating/shaving is 5 -7 mins added to shower – I alternate -‘
i dont do either daily. I do one every other day.
My skincare varies night and morning but everyone washes their face… i just apply two serums and then retinol at night. Morning I use cleanser, serum, and sunscreen. 3 mins??
Once you get a routine it’s less daunting. you dont have to do what everyone else does. Just do what makes you feel good. If you feel good without it then skip it.
I find ways to make certain things part of my daily routines that have been established already (like oral health, showering). I don’t wear makeup everyday, and when I do, it’s not full face, so it takes me very little time. I also only started skin care because I developed adult acne when I moved states. So horrible, I feel like a teenager again… My dermatologist prescribed me tretinoin as nothing else was working. Because of tret, I now have to be nicer to my skin as it has gotten sensitive from using that.
Basically when I brush my teeth, I do my skin care.
At night, I wash my face and tone it. I brush my teeth while toner is drying, then add my serums. While those are drying, I floss. After flossing, I apply tretinoin and moisturize. Takes me a little over 10 min.
In the morning, I wash my face, use a different toner, brush my teeth while it’s drying, then add moisturizer/sun screen. Takes like 5 min. If it’s makeup day, I’ll do a quick eyebrow and lips, a little bit of blush and that’s that. That takes another 5 min.
I rarely do face masks, but if I do, I use overnight masks, as I can sleep with it on, and it saves me time in the morning because I can skip my face routine then.
When I shower, I shave. I don’t do it everyday, and I do it very little because I laser treated most my leg hairs away. I keep body lotion in there, because when I’m done, I just immediately rub lotion into my wet skin. Goes on easier, saving time, and locks in the moisture.
I have kids and one of them needs me to sit outside the hallway as she falls asleep. I don’t really mind because during that time, I usually have to fold and put away laundry, but when there is none to do, I will install my lash extensions. I don’t usually wear them, but I’m currently in my boy hair season, and so I like off setting my very short hair, with longer lashes. They last me about a week, and take only a few minutes to put on.
I also keep my bottles of vitamins near my daily cup on the counter, that way I don’t forget.
Do what you can, in the routines you already have. Also don’t stress out about doing the most. If you just really want to, start little by little, but you don’t need to do all the things others ladies do. If I didn’t have acne, I would be so happy not doing anything to my skin.
I don’t. I only look good when I go out for fun.
I was thinking back to when my kids were little, long before Covid, when I worked at a job 25 miles away. I got up early, got myself ready, got them ready, and made it to work on time in full makeup and business attire every day. We did it because we had no choice, we knew no different. Now I’m 50, my kids are grown, and I’ve been working from home since Covid hit. I rarely wear makeup and I no longer own any business attire. It’s interesting how life changes!
Lolz. I’m still ugly even with makeup so I did five mins. Little blush n mascara. Gave it up in 93 cuz this woman at work. Omg. She come in the morning look like a goddess. Went in her office at five and she got raccoon eyes from mascara and the makeup is wrecked. She looked AWFUL. HIGH STRESS JOB working with men in construction. Decided it’s not worth it.
That totally depends. Some women take a long time to do a pretty basic look which to me seems overkill. You can look natural with less, which you basically should.
Some women tries to fix things that aren’t broken, if you have nice skin you don’t need a ton of extra shit on your face.
My regular routine takes around 30 min. And that includes washing my face and putting on a daily make up. Since I have done this a million times it also takes a lot quicker to do.
I’m 36 and just started getting into a TINY bit of light makeup and hair stuff. I’ve realized that as you get the hang of it, doing makeup doesn’t really take all that long. Granted, I do minimal looks the twice a month I do anything at all, but still. The more you do it, the less time it takes to do it.
Hair can be done once every 3 days or so. It might take 20 mins to put products in and diffuse, then the next few days is just touching it up a bit.
I have the time to do this every day. I spend the first hour of my day reading (whether reddit or a book), I could just as easily spend that time doing hair and makeup. But… I just don’t care enough.
It’s a lot of work, but for some, its the key to getting everything they want.
Honestly, if you have good skin, it doesn’t take much and I’d also say the happiest people are the prettiest. You don’t have to put on makeup like a Kardashian. Eat healthy, stay hydrated, take care of your skin from the inside out, use select treatments if financially able to (CO2, etc.), lymphatic drainage, red light therapy, skincare- it doesn’t have to be the most expensive. Follow Nina Pool on TikTok for dupe on skincare, makeup and hair care.
It takes me 5 minutes to do makeup. Foundation, under-eye concealer, a bit of beige/rose/burgundy on the eyelids, eyeliner, mascara, finished. If you’ve done it thousands of times, it takes no time.
Get your hair properly styled with layers, it naturally forms nice waves. Run a brush through it once, bam, done. Hairdresser every few months, color touchup every month for 2 hours.
Nails? Clean and trimmed after shower. Eyebrows? Natural. Shaving? Only in summer. No one sees my fuzz under a thick sweater, anyhow.
It’s a fact that people are nicer to you when you are ‘attractive.’ Sounds shallow but that’s my motivation. Life is just easier when people treat you better.
we dont. thats why we always late
Why on earth would I put full make up on. Or all those other things you mention. I shower, do my hair, put on some sun screen or day cream, maybe a bit of mascara and voila….
Skin care is the key. Take good care of your skin so you don’t need makeup. It doesn’t have to take a long time, just cleansing, moisturizing and using spf in the morning, then cleanse and moisturize and use some kind of serum or active at night, i recommend retinol. It ends up taking as long as flossing and brushing teeth. It’s best not to overdo it with skin care anyways.
Once you have a good routine, it doesn’t take that long.
Also, I like looking pretty (and am probably naturally pretty). So I prioritize it.
I plan for it. I don’t do my makeup every day but when I do do it I budget time for it when planning my day. My normal morning skincare routine is 5 steps and takes about 10 minutes. My nighttime skin care is 3 steps and takes about 6 minutes. Makeup takes about 30, so I either wake up earlier or find the time somewhere else. My hair takes 30 seconds most days, 5-10 minutes on days I want to look extra cute.
The ones that put the most effort in really do get up three hours before they have to leave for work. They’re also in bed by 10. I’m personally baffled by it but it’s no real skin off my nose and affects my decision to only do the bare minimum not one jot. I have always had fierce dark under eye circles, so I fix them (it’s honestly annoying how many ‘you look tired’ comments you can get), and very light eyelashes and brows, so I fix them (light brows genuinely affect my ability to communicate because noone knows when I’m surprised or sarcastic) – but that’s about it. Concealer, pencil and mascara. You don’t need to do everything, but a few practice runs will help you figure out where you can be efficient, what is too much effort for too little reward, and what is worth your time.
> you’d have no free time at all
This is how some people WANT to spend their free time, though. Some people do their hair and makeup, some people crochet, some people watch TV or scroll on their phone.
Anyways, I don’t wear makeup daily because I’d rather sleep in lol, but when I DO wear makeup, I can throw on a full face in under 20 minutes. 30 if I’m doing contacts & lashes too. I imagine if I did it daily it would get quicker than that. My night time cleanse/moisturize/tone takes 5 minutes tops. I don’t know anyone who does their nails every single day lol, that’s maybe 20 minutes once a week if you do them regularly. I waste way more time than that on Reddit every day LOL.
my makeup/hair routine in the morning takes 20 min. most ppl arent going out in full glam on the daily, and if they do its because they enjoy doing makeup and want to spend time doing it. if youre not used to doing your hair and makeup it would likely take longer
I do a lot at night and it’s not the superficial crap in magazines like what foundation u use. I dry brush, Epsom baths, vitamins, stretch drink water and I ave a good mattress. I have good morning lotion and I eat well. You would be surprised how much those things affect u! I was on a trip, didn’t eat well, no vitamins, slept on a couch and I looked like crap
Used to be a girl and I also still use makeup! First off, I bet you look great. 30 isn’t old and makeup isn’t necessary to look great.
I think the trick to finding the time for it is like with every skill: practice. I started makeup pretty young and no doubt when I was younger just doing eyeliner could take me like half an hour. Now, it takes me like five minutes.
Additionally, some beauty stuff is hardly necessary. You don’t need seventeen different retinols. It saves a lot of time to make sure you’re only using products you actually want and need.
I’m not gonna lie I literally sit at my desk at work and do my makeup everyday 🤷🏻♀️ but my office tends to be fairly empty. I try and do protective hairstyles at night that minimize effort in my hair the following day, so I often sleep in a braid or a twisted bun with a bonnet so my hair is mostly presentable the next day and just needs slight touch ups, I do my own nails and they only take me an hour or so every two weeks IF I’m being religious about it, I do fairly minimal skincare but just make sure to moisturize my face, hands and body after I shower which only takes 5 minutes, etc.
A, practice makes these things go faster. I was a 2-3 hours to get ready for a date girl in high school and college, and gradually sped up.
B, multitasking. Put your hair in a microfiber towel while you apply skincare. Put hot rollers in and leave them while you apply makeup.
C, do more to do less. Contour with fake tan once a month so your makeup goes faster day to day. Tint your eyebrows with Just For Men dye so you don’t have to use an eyebrow pencil every day. Get your lashes tinted or extended professionally so you can skip mascara. Get your legs waxed every 6 weeks so you never have to shave them.
D, prioritize. Do shaved legs and skirts/dresses make you feel extra pretty? Focus on that and don’t worry about the makeup. You don’t have to do any of the things, let alone all the things, but if there’s a thing that makes you feel confident, prioritize it.
Well, in school I noticed that the girls who were more prone to really bad acne learnt how to do makeup earlier than the rest of us. So lots of practice by now. But 30 and age is catching up to you? Sounds like internalised patriarchal propaganda. I am sure you look fine.
I personally work from home so the time in the morning I’d spend commuting to work is time where I can get ready for the day. I enjoy makeup and wear it a few times a week.
I prioritize my time to do it. I’m sure I could do it quicker but it’s time just for myself so I like to take my time.
I don’t really get my nails or hair professionally done and I can spend that money on makeup. There’s plenty of women who do other beauty things I don’t and I don’t wonder how they have the time. They make time.
I’m 33 and I’ve worn makeup on and off since college so since I have practice wearing it, it’s easy to have myself look put together.
I usually just shower/wash my face, put on moisturizer, some eyeliner, and a little concealer if my skin is acting up. It takes me about 15 min.
When I do put on a “full face of makeup” it takes me like 30 min, but I rarely do that. You don’t have to put on a lot of makeup to look pretty! Having moisturized skin is one of the most important things. Keep yourself hydrated and a hydrating serum at night, plus moisturizer AND sunscreen in morning, and you’re done.
A lot of the million steps you see the influences do are not necessary. If you speak to a dermatologist (a real one not on social media), they’ll tell you pretty much WASH your face (this seems like common sense), moisturize, sunscreen, and if you’re older then 1 or 2 serums.
Honestly I just smear my sunscreen then foundation on my face real fast in the morning and rush out the door to work.
My body hair doesn’t grow fast so I shave maybe once every two months + get my eyebrows waxed every 6 months with very infrequent plucking in between + keeping my nails neatly filed.
The main thing for me is a quick skincare routine after every shower (an acid + moisturizer) which is an annoying necessity to me.
I just wanna say that internet is not real life. As a very well put together woman, my “skincare” routine comprises or removing my makeup in the evening, cleaning my face while I’m taking a shower (altogether 2 min commitment), then I put some moisturiser on my face (1 min). In the morning, I put on sunscreen (2 min) and I do my make up (10 – 30 min depending on effort). My “everything” shower takes max 15 min, regular shower takes 10 min. I wash my hair every day. It’s still way more time than men spend on their hygiene, but it’s doable
Choosing a beauty routine that can be fast for you is a big part of it. I have a lot of hair so curling it takes the better part of two hours whereas someone with hair that likes to hold a curl and less of it could be done in 20 minutes. Instead I do a twist with a nice clip/pin or blow dry it and finish the ends with a round brush. I also get a specific hair cut to encourage my hair to curl at the ends which also makes it easier. Similarly I completely skip contour/eyeshadow beyond a single color because I can’t see well enough without my glasses to make it look good in any reasonable amount of time.
They’re doing it for years, I guess, most women I know started in their teens- late teens, tops- so as the years go by you learn what works for you and what doesn’t.
Have you seen how little in the way of hobbies a lot of the women that obsess about their appearances have?
It takes a lot less time when it’s part of your routine! I’ve been doing my makeup since I was like 13 years old so it’s so quick for me now. My work makeup takes like 10 min. Doing my eyebrows is fast too since I’ve been doing them since like 5th grade. Gel nails are fast too since I go to a nail salon. My skincare routine is like autopilot. Overall I think I just really prioritize my appearance so I make time for it. (It’s also okay if you don’t— it’s just personally what I love to do 🙂 it’s relaxing to me
I do makeup every day for school, and I have to get up at 7:30 for one of my classes to be able to do it. Most people don’t but idc cause it makes me feel good. Literally it takes me 10-15 minutes to do foundation around my eyes, mascara, my brows, and maybe eyeliner. When you get good at it, it becomes pretty routine and quick
I dont wear makeup everyday but if I’m going out to work or meeting friends or anything social I like to allow extra time for that. If I did that everyday it would get exhausting but every now and again yes it does take time but it’s worth it
Not all of us do. I’m a mom and am lucky if I remember to brush my teeth . 🫠
people just treat me better and do things for me more when I look put together lol. Sounds terrible but it’s the truth. And I quite like having things done for me and people helping me out frequently. And I just feel better when my eyebrows look perfect, and my skin is moisturized, and my hair is oiled, and my toenails are perfectly painted. It makes me feel good about myself. It gives me confidence even when I don’t feel very confident. I also grew up where “we don’t leave the house with our hair wet and we don’t leave the house without our face on”.
I’m 31 and I feel the same!
But I bought some tinted cream thing with sunscreen in it (for all the spots from my ADULT acne) and realised after is said anti wrinkle defence 🫣
I also bought vitamin C cream for said spots and I feel shit because I’ve always had flawless porcelain skin. But now my body decides to be all hormonal.
I mean I look fine if I use concealer but I feel like a fraud because I’ve gotten so used to being a non make up girly.
I feel so immature looking up what products to use because I have absolutely no clue. I want nice skin without having to wear makeup and it’s so frustrating. I feel really self conscious about my skin which I’ve never been before.
Also my hands look so old! I guess I’ve been living in the blissful ignorance of youth, taking it for granted up until now.