8 ways to simplify your beauty routine.

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When your alarm goes off in the morning, it can be tempting to just hit the snooze button and steal a few more precious minutes in bed.

Unfortunately when you’ve got to wash your hair, shave your legs, make breakfast, deal with the bags under your eyes and get the whole family out the door by eight o’clock, it’s just not an option.

But it can be. Simplifying your beauty routine to make it work harder for you can make mornings a whole lot easier, leaving more time for a little extra snoozing. Here’s how.

1. Apply a hair mask.

Before you go to bed, apply a nourishing hair mask that will do its work while you sleep. This is great for repairing dry or damaged hair and adding gloss and shine. When it’s time to wake up, simply hop in the shower and rinse off for salon-worthy hair. If you’re really pressed for time, choose a leave-in deep conditioner instead. This will also leave hair looking hydrated and healthy and doesn’t require rinsing off.

2. Choose multitasking shower products.

No, we don’t mean that harsh soap that claims to also work as shampoo. You can easily cut your morning shower time in half by choosing smart, multitasking products like the Dove Aqua Moisture Nourishing Body Wash, which doubles as a skin cleanser AND shaving cream.

Unlike using soap which can actually strip and dry out the skin, Dove’s unique formulation means it feels light on application and deeply cleanses skin without removing any of its natural oils and protective barrier. Apply over your whole body, lathering a little extra on any areas you want to shave. This will lock moisture in, reducing irritation as well as leaving skin soft and smooth.

3. Apply a face mask before bed.

Getting ready in the morning is a lot easier when you’ve got a great canvas to work with, and ensuring skin is fresh, clean and glowing is a good starting point. An easy way to achieve this is to apply a face mask before bed. Put a towel down over your pillow to minimise mess, then simply wash off when you wake up. (Post continues after gallery.)

4. Sleep with your hair in plaits.

No time to style your hair in the morning? Put damp hair into plaits and sleep on them for effortless waves. Put a towel over your pillow to stop your bedding from getting wet and to prevent the hair from being crushed.

In the morning, undo your plaits and run your fingers or a comb through quickly to loosen the waves. Alternatively, shake your head upside down, add a spritz of sea salt spray and you’re good to go.

5. Consider lash extensions.

Imagine how much quicker you’d be in the morning if you didn’t have to fiddle around with eye makeup. Not only do lash extensions make mascara and eyeliner redundant, they also make eyes look brighter and wider - an easy shortcut to faking awake.

I’ve also found that because they make me look more put together and polished, I actually need less makeup elsewhere too. They usually last for around three weeks.

6. Choose a CC cream.

Particularly in warmer months, swapping your full coverage foundation for a CC cream will not only simplify your beauty routine, but also better it. Serious multitaskers, they’ll give you hydration, SPF, skincare benefits and colour correction all in one hit for a natural looking coverage.

7. Use a multitasking cheek and lip product.

A red or peachy pink product that works on both your lips and cheeks is an indispensable product to make getting ready in the morning that little bit quicker.

A gel or liquid stain is easy to apply - simply slick on lips for a burst of colour, and gently dab on the apple of your cheeks for blush. It will instantly brighten your face, making you look more awake and put together.

8. Get everything ready the night before.

Obvious, but so necessary. Laying everything out the night before may delay your bed time by a few minutes, but it will reduce your morning stress levels by half - at least.

Morning you will thank you for it, promise.