Looking great if you don't have time

[poulinska]

Hi!
So I'm 46 now with sensitive skin and fine hair which is cut in a bob with paintings since maybe 10 years. I am speaking in public a lot, with many photos and traveling. I work maybe 60+ hours per week. Since I am often in public and many of my employees look at me I feel a bit under pressure to look good.
I know that I look best when I wave my hair with a curling iron and when I wear a full make-up. Since I travel a lot, this means taking all of my make Up and Skin Care and Curling Iron etc. with me. Also it takes a lot of time. I know that some women go to a face care specialist once an month and to the hair stylist every few weeks.

I really don't know how to make time for this. I always feel like the ugly one, when I am on these appointments because my skin itches, my make up doesn't hold up, my hair falls like a balloon without air (exaggerating here but you get what I mean I hope).

My questions are the following:
- How do you travel concerning skincare / Make Up, do you have any special products that work for multiple tasks?
- How do you care for your hair (do you wash and curl it everyday or is there a special secret to make hair look good on day two?)
- How do you look good when having sleep problems in Hotel rooms (which is often the case for me)

Are there any routines for women 45+ with no time?

I would love some advice...

 

[limom]

Get a good haircut.
Ask the stylist for tips on how to do your hair yourself.
Do the same with a professional make up artist and clothing stylist.
Practice at home.
As far as sleeping in hotels, sleeping aids help or meditation before sleeping.
Tata, here you go.

 

[poulinska]

Get a good haircut.
Ask the stylist for tips on how to do your hair yourself.
Do the same with a professional make up artist and clothing stylist.
Practice at home.
As far as sleeping in hotels, sleeping aids help or meditation before sleeping.
Tata, here you go

Get a good haircut.
Ask the stylist for tips on how to do your hair yourself.
Do the same with a professional make up artist and clothing stylist.
Practice at home.
As far as sleeping in hotels, sleeping aids help or meditation before sleeping.
Tata, here you go

I did a clothing styling and I had make up artists for photo shootings. I also have a very good hair stylist. They all say that my hair looks best in a wavy bob and of course I get that with a make up artist I look great. It is just very time-consuming. But maybe I have to deal with it or accept how I look when I don't...

 

[GraffS]

Dry shampoo is great for keeping your hair looking voluminous on the second and even third day.
But it would mean that you need to wash it thoroughly from all that dry shampoo powder.
Good luck!

 

[limom]

I did a clothing styling and I had make up artists for photo shootings. I also have a very good hair stylist. They all say that my hair looks best in a wavy bob and of course I get that with a make up artist I look great. It is just very time-consuming. But maybe I have to deal with it or accept how I look when I don't...

Practice, practice, practice.
A business/natural daytime look even with difficult hair is a 45 minutes deal max.
You can do it.

 

[Amazona]

A great hair cut is key. When it's done right you can literally do your hair in minutes. There might also be a treatment that gives you more permanent shape to your hair?

I wash my hair in the afternoon after work so I can style it then - I find it's easier to just fix it in the morning rather than wash and style which takes too long. I can get myself from bed to full on ready mode in around 20 mins.
For my skin care, I moisturize with blue Nivea cream (yeah, that stuff that costs 2€ and my skin hasn't looked this good in over a decade) and sometimes an undereye cream. In the morning, I just take a quick shower, rinse my face and do CeraVe SPF 25 moisturizer, in the summertime I follow with an SPF 50. I do a 10 min makeup with very light products (tinted moisturizer, NYX Bare With Me concealer, blush on top of highlighter, Essence Make Me Brow, mascara, lips). For my eyeshadow I most often use The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter and blend another color into the crease. If I want it to last all day I use a primer.
Emphasizing your lips is way faster than doing a full glam eye look.
If your undereye concealer wants to crease - let it do that, then blend it again with a sponge. I find that makes it stay in place the best.

 

[lill_canele]

Similar to @Amazona have you thought of showering in the evening, and putting rolls in your hair before sleep?
I know it may be uncomfortable for some but it's something many people get used to. They now have pretty soft rolls made of foam and such, so hopefully those will be more comfortable.
My mother used to do this a lot when she was a busy mom of 2 wild children (my brother and I) and that was back in the the day when hair rolls were plastic.
She would then quickly wash her face, put on her makeup, take out the rolls and comb them loosely so the curls/waves weren't too tight and more natural. A quick light spray of hairspray and then she was up and out.

Also agree with @Amazona for a tinted moisturizer or light coverage foundation. I feel that they settle less into fine lines and when the foundation wears off a bit throughout the day, it's not that noticeable.

Personally I like to take my time in the morning (and I'm the type to shower in the AM), so I wake up at 4:30am. That's kind of crazy to some I know.

About sleep, I'm not sure. I'm very good at knocking out wherever, whenever.
Does melatonin work for you?

 

[Mrs.Z]

Hair: Have you thought about hair extensions? As a founding member of the fine flat hair club there is not much that helps us and we deflate easily despite our best efforts. (I have not tried them but know many people who love them)

Lashes: I hated lash extensions but Neulash has made me grow monster lashes which really helps since you need less eye makeup to make an impact.

Sleep: Zolpidem (Ambien) is not addictive

 

[poulinska]

Thank you for the great advice! @Mrs.Z can I be voted into the fine flat hair club? I tried extensions but they were hurting on my head. So I think soft rollers would imply a similar problem. I loved lash extensions but they are very high maintenance. But the good news is: I seem to have a wrong sense of time. This morning I took the time, started at 07:26 am and was ready at about 08:01, without Eyeliner but with foundation and fresh hair. I will try dry shampoo. My previous experiences were too much scent but there must be dry shampoos with less scent.
Todays experience made me a bit optimistic that I could get ready in about 30 minutes with some practice with eyeliner

I will also look at some tinted moisturizers. Today my make Up started to flake and crease. I think a tinted moisturizer would be better during the day.

I still have to find solutions for traveling because the Dyson is heavy and carrying all of the products is also very much.

 

[limom]

FYI, I use the blow dryer from the hotel and finish with a traveling curling iron/hair straightener.
I have problematic hair also. Frizzy and fine
If it is too unmanageable, a barrette or pony tail is a good alternative.
The last touch is a flattering lipstick. Can’t go wrong with a pretty pink

 

[Love Of My Life]

Thank you for the great advice! @Mrs.Z can I be voted into the fine flat hair club? I tried extensions but they were hurting on my head. So I think soft rollers would imply a similar problem. I loved lash extensions but they are very high maintenance. But the good news is: I seem to have a wrong sense of time. This morning I took the time, started at 07:26 am and was ready at about 08:01, without Eyeliner but with foundation and fresh hair. I will try dry shampoo. My previous experiences were too much scent but there must be dry shampoos with less scent.
Todays experience made me a bit optimistic that I could get ready in about 30 minutes with some practice with eyeliner

I will also look at some tinted moisturizers. Today my make Up started to flake and crease. I think a tinted moisturizer would be better during the day.

I still have to find solutions for traveling because the Dyson is heavy and carrying all of the products is also very much.

You can try to roll your hair with your forefinger as opposed to the traditional rollers as we know
& secure with a clip that is like used to section one's hair, that might be a good option & no digging
in your head especially is you are a side sleeper
With all the suggestions, hope you will find some solutions

 

[Mrs.Z]

Not sure what your coloring is, but my absolute favorite eyeliner is Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof Liner in Brun Agape. It’s like a brown/copper with a bit of shine, impactful but not too intense and it goes on incredibly easy and sort of instantly smudges so you don’t need to make a perfect line. It changed my eyeliner life!

Have you tried the Dyson Air Wrap, it has round brush attachments that are giving my flat fine hair bob some life. It dries, smoothes, curls and has various round brush sizes.

Favorite dry shampoo is from target: Batiste Original

 

[mocktail]

Have you considered having your eyeliner tattooed? Then you wouldn’t have to spend any time putting it on. Considering doing this myself

 

[minted5]

One thing I did a long time ago is get all mini versions of my reg products for travel. If minis aren't made in said product I have little containers and put the bigger product in. I feel my best when I stick to my usual routine so keeping the same products for travel was a game changer.

I really like Drunk Elephant bronzi drops to give my skin a glow. I have one I always take when traveling as well.

I also started traveling w/ a sleeping mask and ear plugs. On a recent trip, I had the hardest time falling sleep. Reading a little before bed always helps and I bring along melatonin in case, but the mask and earplugs also helped a lot.

I have different hair than you, I have very fine hair but a lot of it (so it looks super thick). It takes a verrrry long time to dry and style and I have to haul all my hair products along to keep frizz at bay and that includes my very heavy but game-changer Hot Tools blow dry brush. I just count that time in when getting ready. I wash my hair every other day - that is the max I can go in between washings otherwise it gets oily and frizzy. If I have a very very early morning I will wash at night and do all the styling and just a quick spritz of Aveda heat relief (it also softens hair and is good for "day 2 hair"). It just takes the effort, to be honest!

 

[octopus17]

If you're not going to/don't want to/haven't got time to wash your hair, dry shampoo is your friend. I'm a big fan, the only proviso is to thoroughly wash it out.

As for everything else, after moisturising, Clarins beauty flash balm (or equivalent). Then immediately a tinted moisturiser or foundation. Followed by a neutral eyeshadow shade, a black or brown eye liner to upper lash line only - can be messy, speaking for myself, lol, so I just smudge it out. Then an eyelash curler and mascara. Followed by blusher and then lipstick. Can be done in 5-10 minutes.

I've found I can transition from looking half-dead to actually looking pretty darn good.