Beauty Shortcuts

Apart from being a wife, mother of two boys (one of whom is autistic), a sister, a daughter and a friend, I also work in two challenging fields of medicine—Pediatric Anesthesiology and Pediatric Critical Care, participate in Church programs and enjoy quite a few hobbies (fashion, travel, blogging, etc). It goes without saying that I am one very busy woman. I like to look well put-together at all times— even on busy days. Notwithstanding, for the days that I have some free time, I would rather spend that extra time with my family, friends, and/or on my hobbies—meaning that I do not want to squander that precious free time solely on primping and self-beautification. Ergo, over time, I have come to rely on some solid shortcuts that help me achieve my daily beauty goals and pull-off effortlessly chic style.

So ladies, I know we don’t always have time to worry about fashion and style because we are too busy earning a living, advancing careers, taking care of children, managing amazing homes, saving lives, kicking butt and taking names, however, you DO NOT need a ton of time.

So here they are, BEAUTY SHORTCUTS that will leave you looking like you roll deep with a glam-squad:

1. Keep a pack of face wipes by your bedside (or in your overnight bag if you are away from home) for those days when you just have no time or will power to wash your face at night. This is particularly helpful for me when I am on-call overnight in the hospital. I use the Neutrogena deep clean oil-free make up remover cleansing wipes (to find on Amazon click here). I carry a pack in my overnight work bag.

2.  Apply face cream at night and/or moisturizing sunscreen in the morning. I use Kiehl’s ultra facial cream at night—this hydrating light-textured moisturizer feels so refreshing on my skin and provides 24 hour coverage. In the day time, I use Kiehl’s ultrafacial cream Sunscreen SPF 30. All my Dermatologist colleagues stress the importance of regular sunscreen if you will be outside (yes, even if you are black!) Do not be fooled by cloudy days either. Find these Kiehl’s products at Nordstrom by clicking here and here. You can also find Kiehl’s at Macy’s, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales, and Sephora.

       

3. Get a low maintenance hairstyle that fits your face, your time, your individual hair styling skills and your budget. For example, a hairstyle that is amenable to dry shampoo which you can apply overnight leaving you able to get up and go in the morning. Also, learn a simple but show-stopping ponytail; wear your hair in a natural afro or a rocking short cut; get braids, cornrows, or twists etc. With cornrows, you can also rock different wigs, if that is more your speed. You can get hair extensions that will allow you to explore new looks while protecting your real hair.

4. Explore head bands and head wraps/turbans—Gucci recently debuted some beautiful silk turbans (see below and click here), so turbans are definitely in now (check out this one from Asos). Turbans are always fashionable when it comes to cultures like mine, Nigerian, that are fond of head wraps in general. West African women never have bad hair days (LOL!) Hats can also mask bad hair days while providing high fashion vibes (see below).

   

 

5. Effortless waves: I wear long hair extensions regularly and I work out every day and swim with my kids on the weekends. When I wash my hair, I dry the roots/the base with a towel and blow dryer. I then part the hair into four sections and tie up the sections with scruncis, apply some holding spray and get to other errands/tasks at home. Hours later, when I take out the scruncis, I have beautiful waves in my hair without having to spend time blow drying my entire hair and then having to use a curling iron as well. With hair extensions, I also get hair that holds curls or gets curlier when wet.

6. Perfect a 2-3 minute make up technique. Mine is black eyeliner (either on my top lid only or at the top and bottom), eye-brow filling, and lip gloss/lipstick. Sometimes, I may apply a little blush too. If I have had a sleepless night on call in the hospital, I apply cool compresses to my face to get rid of prominent (ugly) capillaries and I may apply some concealer in an extreme case. I hardly ever use powder or foundation. For those who do, consider a tinted moisturizer as a short cut. These gifs  (click here) will help you perfect a 3 minute make up routine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

7. Do your best to get some rest—sleep is so good to your body and to your face. Consider a sleep mask like this silk one by Slip from Sephora (click here).

8. If you don’t have time for perfect (consistent) eye brow management, invest in eye brow razors to handle stubs (on those days when you need to look good but can’t get to a beautician) and then use an eye pencil to fill out. Find good eye brow razors at Sephora (click here).

 

9. Exercise and eat well—it will help you feel good. When you feel good, you look good (it is that simple). A thirty minute walk or playing outside with your kids can work wonders for your body.

 

10. Get Gel Manicures that last up to 2 weeks. For those who get regular polish, if you don’t have time for a full manicure, then go in just for a polish update after doing your own manicure at home—there is nothing cute about chipped polish. Also, if you are going to apply your own nail polish, consider applying glue to the skin around your nail bed, letting it dry, and then applying nail polish. You then peel off the glue, and voila! No runny nail polish. I have cuticle clippers that allow me handle my cuticles myself and I apply cuticle oil to keep my nails healthy and flexible, less likely to chip.

11. Befriend your hair stylist and beauticians (manicurists, aestheticians, etc): Many will work at odd hours to fit a loyal customer’s crazy schedule. My hair stylist would open up shop at early or late hours of the day to accommodate my schedule when I was in Critical Care fellowship. When she found out I could not come get my hair done after my first baby (who arrived early at 37 weeks), she came to my house with her tools and styled my hair for me.

 

12. Do not let hair accumulate—shave regularly to shorten the time needed to shave each time. When you let hair build up, the whole process becomes quite laborious. You could also get wax treatments and that will slow down hair growth.

 

13. Consult a Dermatologist for skin issues like Acne, Melasma from hormone therapy, skin blemishes, and/or general skin care recommendations/treatments. My Mirena IUD was causing me to have Melasma around my lips (skin darkening that made me look like I had a light mustache–see picture below). I called my Dermatologist pal, Dr. Carter-Snell of Carter Snell Skin Center and she recommended TriLuma which worked wonders. Prior to calling her, I was using all sorts of googled recommendations or concealer, none of which worked. A quick recommendation and prescription and a major headache was resolved. For those who do not have Dermatologists as old med-school pals (he he he), ask your primary care physician for a referral or find a Dermatologist that will charge a flat rate that is not necessarily exorbitant.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

14. Keep your lips looking kissable by applying lip balms that help retain and lock in moisture. I am a huge fan of Eos Lip Balms which are delightfully flavored and packed with antioxidant-rich vitamin E, soothing shea butter, and jojoba oil. These natural lip balms are hypoallergenic, dermatologist tested, and paraben and petrolatum free for soft, smooth, beautiful lips. Find at Target by clicking here.

15. Do at home facials and body polishes. For my face: I use L’Oreal Clay and Charcoal mask that helps to clean out my pores and brighten my complexion (Find it on Amazon by clicking here). For my body I use L’Occitane Verbana Body Scrub (Find it on Amazon by clicking here) and I also use SheaMoisture Lavender and Wild Orchid Dead Sea Salt Muscle Soak with Shea Butter (Find it at Target by clicking here) which I find ultra-relaxing.

  

16. Use Perfume and develop a signature scent or two. Mine are Marc Jacobs Daisy (Find at Macys.com by clicking here) and Chanel Chance (find at Nordstrom online by clicking here).

     

17. The best time to apply lotion is right after you shower—your skin will absorb products better at that time so you won’t need as much. I have always loved Nivea products–my maternal Grandmother used to use Nivea, and she transferred that love of Nivea to me.  I have been into their in-shower moisturizing lotions recently (find on Amazon by clicking here).

18. For anti-aging skin care, try Retinol products (like this Neutrogena product available at Target: click here) or products that have antioxidants like blackberry extract if you can’t use Retinol (like this Aveeno one also available at Target: click here). These will help repair damaged skin cells, exfoliate dead skin, fight aging lines, and even out skin tone.

     

19. Biotin is your friend—it helps you grow your nails and hair and keeps them healthy. You can either take a tablet daily or just eat foods like Salmon, Banana, Carrots, Eggs, Almonds, Peanuts, and Avocados) that are rich in Biotin.

20. Get regular dental checkups and teeth cleaning. You can even get teeth whitening treatments as well. It is more important, however, to avoid or minimize foods/drinks and activities that stain your teeth: coffee, tea, red and white wine, soda, and smoking. Berries are rich in antioxidants but they can stain your teeth, so drink water after you consume them (even in juice form). Consider eating a green salad or veggies like broccoli to create a protective film on your teeth before you consume foods like tomato sauce, curries, and balsamic vinegar which have the propensity to stain your teeth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would love to hear about beauty shortcuts you rely on regularly and your other thoughts on this topic. Please share them in the comment section below and let’s grow together, building a strong community of lifelong learners.

Love, Chichi