You know those mornings that you’re so incredibly rushed that you hardly have enough time to brush your teeth, let alone get through your entire skin care and makeup routine? Well, we feel you, because one too many skipped products and a billion mad dashes to work later, and our beauty-loving selves have officially had enough. Basically, we want beauty products that are faster, easier and all-around better because we just don’t have the time or patience anymore. So we asked for recommendations from the absolute experts of busy mornings: moms.
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We chatted with 11 real moms — including stay-at-home entrepreneurs, dermatologists and beauty vloggers — to find out which beauty products they swear by for their craziest of days, and trust us — they’re seriously good. So whether you’re looking for a brow-defining pomade that’s so easy to use one mom can draw it on while in the car to work, or a lightweight concealer that another mom swears by for hiding all of her darkest circles, these 12 products are about to become your newest time-saving investments. Click through to see (OK, let’s be real, buy) them all, and be prepared to hit snooze for the first time in years. That is, unless your kids wake you up first.
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Originally posted on StyleCaster.
For bold, easy-to-create brows
“This my staple product. It’s long-lasting, a perfect match for my eyebrow shade, easy to clean up, and it always gives me nice, strong eyebrows. Plus, it’s a cream-based formula, which is a lot more easy to maneuver than a powder-based one. I do a lot of my makeup routine in the car after I’ve dropped off my kids, and this brow pomade is really easy to apply on the go.” — Tiffany Brown, makeup artist, style blogger and mother of two (ages 6 and 3)
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade (Anastasia Beverly Hills, $18)
To hide dark circles & exhaustion
“Every morning is different at our house, but they always fly by. In between getting my son out of bed, changing his diaper and feeding him breakfast, I leave him in his high chair and apply a few coats of Maybelline Instant Age Rewind concealer — it’s seriously my everything. As a mom, you’re obviously always tired, but this concealer immediately makes me look awake and it’s so easy to quickly swipe under my eyes.” — Brittanny Travers, full-time mom to a 20-month-old
Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Treatment Concealer (Maybelline, $9.99)
To immediately zap oily, shiny skin
“This has quickly become one of my must-have products — if only I had it in high school when I was blotting my face throughout every class! It’s a true, oily-skin lifesaver, and it leaves my face feeling matte, but never dry. Whether I’m layering makeup over it or leaving the house barefaced, this moisturizer gives me one less thing to worry about in the mornings.” — Samantha Robinson, beauty vlogger at Saaammage and mother of two (ages 3 and 5)
La Roche-Posay Effaclar mattifying moisturizer (La Roche-Posay, $31.99)
For fast cleansing, toning & moisturizing
“This product cleanses, removes eye makeup, tones and moisturizes, and the best part is that you don’t have to rinse it off. If I’m in a hurry in the morning; it’s lovely to not have to spend time washing my face with a cleanser and water. It leaves my skin feeling moisturized, never greasy in the least bit, and it smells delightful. It’s also very affordable and ideal for traveling since you’re basically getting three products in one bottle.” — Sunny Hatchett, full-time mother of two (ages 8 months and 9)
Vichy Pureté Thermale 3-in-1 no-rinse micellar solution (Vichy, $19.50)
For brightening & pore clearing
“I use this mask about once a week, especially when I feel like I need a little deep cleaning. The clay pulls out all of the yucky buildup on my skin, and I feel like it really gives my complexion an all-over glow. It smells so good, almost like a spa, that I’ll forget it’s on my face and then 30 minutes have already gone by. Sometimes I’ll even dab it on a few zits that are driving me crazy and leave it on while I sleep.” — Samantha Wennerstrom, styler blogger of Could I Have That and mother to a 2-year-old
African Botanics Murula Mineral Cleansing Mask (African Botanics, $89)
To zap oily hair immediately
“I try to avoid washing my hair daily, especially since it’s very thin and oily, so finding the perfect dry shampoo has been an ongoing mission of mine. But as soon as I started using this dry shampoo, I was able to go a full two days without washing my hair — which this busy mom is definitely not complaining about!” — Claudia Felix Garay, fashion blogger of The Penny Closet and mother to an 8-month-old
Kristin Ess Style Reviving Dry Shampoo (Target, $14)
For skin-brightening & wrinkle-prevention
“Along with a sunscreen, I always layer on an antioxidant in the morning since they help brighten your complexion and also prevent free radicals from damaging your collagen, which can lead to wrinkles. This formula is so light on the skin, and unlike other products I’ve experimented with, it doesn’t break me out. Plus, the gel comes in a pump bottle, so when I’m in a mad rush in the morning, I don’t have to worry about knocking it over!” — Cori Zeichner, full-time mom of two (ages 6 and 4) and beauty blogger of The Derm Wife
SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF Gel (SkinCeuticals, $165)
To even out your complexion & prevent damage
“I love a tinted product with a high dose of SPF because it saves me the extra step of having to apply makeup in addition to sunscreen. This one feels weightless on the skin, and the coverage is as good as any foundation I’ve used. It’s expensive, but it’s worth it.” — C.Z.
La Mer The Reparative Skintint SPF 30 (La Mer, $95)
To tame frizz & stop flyaways
“My all-time favorite hair product right now is Living Proof Nourishing Styling Cream — I literally put it on every time I get out of the shower. Since I’m a mom, I rarely have a chance to blow dry my hair, which is difficult since I also have super-thick, curly hair that requires some work. But this product smooths all my frizz and also prevents flyaways.” — Rachel Girsch, CFO of specialty contracting company and mother of two (ages 3 and 2 months)
Living Proof Nourishing Styling Cream (Living Proof, $37)
To gently cleanse & moisturize
“This really is the gentlest cleanser out there — I use it to wash my face and body and even use it as a shaving gel. A bar of soap doesn’t sound moisturizing, but this one really is because it actually deposits lipids into your skin that are identical to the lipids that naturally occur in your body. Just because a fancy cleanser is $75, it doesn’t mean it’s good for your skin.” — Mona Gohara, dermatologist and mother of two (ages 10 and 8)
Dove White Beauty Bar (Walmart, $6.88)
For a subtle, bronzey glow
“I think a nice healthy glow automatically adds definition to your face, so I love using Nars bronzing powder in Laguna. My makeup routine varies since I do TV and video work, but I swirl on this bronzer for even my most casual days since it immediately gives you a fresh, put-together look without seeming like you tried too hard.” — Amanda, vlogger at AmandaMuse and mother of two (ages 5 and 3)
Nars bronzing powder in Laguna (Nars, $40)
For long-lasting yet washable lash definition
“This mascara truly never smears. I can put it on at 7:30 a.m., and it looks just as good at 10:30 p.m. when I wash it off. The formula isn’t goopy, and it washes off in pieces rather than smearing all over my face or ruining my towels like other mascaras do. I’ve been using it exclusively for five years, and I love it.” — Courtney Maron, managing director of media investment and mother of two (ages 3 and 5)
Trish McEvoy Lash Curling Mascara (Trish McEvoy, $31.50)
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