Digital booking platform, Bookwell’s health, beauty and wellness expert, Brooke Benson Campbell, shares her best back to work beauty hacks with She Does This...
Not looking forward to the early morning wake ups and commute as you're headed back to work this year?
I don’t blame you. There’s nothing worse than having to snap out of holiday mode and give up the sweet life of sleep-ins, long showers and extra pamper time.
For many, weekday mornings consist of waking up and deliriously turning off the alarm, slapping on a face of makeup and running out the door without breakfast or lunch. If this sounds like you, the solution to your problem is getting ahead of the game..
Cut the time it takes you to get ready by becoming more efficient in the morning, as well as the night before.
Prep your food
Eating breakfast during your commute will give you some time back during the mornings. And when it comes to eating on the go, smoothies are the easiest and yummiest option. If you don’t have one already, invest in a quality blender which will allow you to create and tailor your ideal, nutrient-loaded liquid meals. To save time, blend a week’s worth of breakfast up on a Sunday night and pop it in the freezer so it’s ready to go throughout the week. To ensure you’re getting the most out of your smoothie, be sure to mix fresh fruit and vegetables with protein-rich powders and superfoods.
My favourite recipe is frozen banana, ½ avocado, marine collagen, almond butter and baby spinach. This provides a great foundation of healthy fats and protein to boost energy levels, support skin health and fuel cognition. Always add dark leafy greens, which help to boost levels of folate, vitamin C and iron - all essential nutrients required for optimum female health.
If you’re inclined to snack throughout the day, almond butter, a healthier alternative to peanut butter, is great to have handy. Low in sugar and additive free, it works well as a dip for apple slices or banana. It’s high in protein, has vitamin E for skin health, and contains healthy amounts of calcium and magnesium, both necessary for muscle and nerve function and memory retention.
Stock up on beauty essentials
Does an extra ten minutes of sleep in the morning sound dreamy to you? If so, try to keep products to a minimum and focus only on the essentials: a moisturiser, foundation or BB cream containing SPF, concealer, mascara and lip gloss. These will keep you looking fresh while helping you avoid the pitfalls of quick, full-faced makeup application: lack of blending, heavy strokes and colour clash. To minimise morning stress, stick to your tried and tested makeup ‘uniform’, rather than attempting the latest eye shadow technique you saw on Kim K’s ‘gram last night.
However, if you are seeking a bit of sophistication and a confidence boost, bright lipstick or a natural lip-stain can do just the trick. For an even greater confidence boost, try applying a natural essential oil perfume balm with citrus scents to stimulate your senses and reduce anxiety, simultaneously boosting physical and mental energy levels.
Alternatively, seek beauty treatments that eliminate makeup altogether. To achieve the look of wearing mascara, try eyelash tinting, a pain-free method of hair dying. Same goes for eyebrows, although if you’re looking for something more permanent, cosmetic tattooing is your answer.
At home, keep coconut oil in the bathroom; it’s quite literally magic in a jar. Benefits include taming fly aways and baby hairs, making bare legs look moisturised and toned, and even serving as both a dewy highlighter and lip gloss.
Get enough sleep
For anyone to feel well rested and ready to tackle the day head-on, getting enough sleep is essential. Reason being is that while we sleep, the body repairs and rejuvenates itself, which requires a decent amount of time. If you have a big meeting or conference the following day, your focus and sharp mind will depend on a good night’s sleep.
Scientifically proven, a recent study tested a group of sleep-deprived individuals with new material to learn. Their tired minds and bodies resulted in a 40% reduction in their ability to form new and long-lasting memories. For this reason, it is recommended that an adult gets seven to nine hours of sleep each night.
Book in regular treatments
An efficient morning beauty routine should be all about ease and simplicity. This begins with routine upkeep. If brows are maintained, tinted or microbladed, skin is moisturised and well- hydrated, and hair is regularly trimmed, mornings will be a breeze as your job is half-done!
Regular treatments mean less work in the early hours of the morning, and best of all, you look
as great in bed as you do out of it!
Treatments like waxing or laser can be helpful to avoid that last minute rush-shave that often leaves dreaded red bumps, itchiness and bloody cuts we’ve all been a victim to. Regular exfoliation treatments like body scrubs will allow you to shed the outer layers of any dead skin.
To avoid the dirty, uneven and too-dark look of a last-minute DIY tan application and instead enhance your natural glow, consider a professional spray tan. Facials that include deep exfoliation and steaming as part of their treatment package are another necessity for a fresh face and can be easily booked online using platforms such as Bookwell.com.au.
Brook Benson Campbell is a beauty and wellness expert at Bookwell.
Read her top tips for handling the boss from hell here.