Our 5 life hacks for June are some time-saving products that I have been using and enjoying.
1. Use a base under your nail polish and a tub to take it all off.
When it comes to nailpolish, I basically want two things: for it to last as long as humanly possible given dishes and preschool children and for it come off quickly when it’s all over, rover. To this end, you need a nailpolish base and an effective remover. I came pretty late in life to the basecoat party; I’m not sure why I never bothered until now. It seemed I think like an extra step but actually it’s a time-saver when you factor in that it lasts way longer and chips less, requiring less touch-ups. I have an Orly Color Care Polish Bond one and an Essie one but you can get good ones by OPI and other manicure brands especially at Farmers. This Maybelline New York Express Remover is excellent; you dip your finger into it, do the hokey tokey and shake it all about, and then pull it out completely naked.
2. Use a dry shampoo so you don’t have to wash your hair.
We like these brands to get more time out of a salon blow dry by absorbing oil (moisture is the enemy of the blowdry) and save time in the shower in the mornings. Kevin.Murphy Fresh.Hair is a dry cleaning spray that blends well into all hair types and gives body, removes odors, excess oil, and amusingly says it will “end all your sins from the night before.” This used to include cigarette smoke but these days that’s less of a problem in bars, but oily hair still is, so spritz this on and figuratively dryclean your hair. Redken Pillow Proof is in the cute candy-pink brushed metal can and is a two day extender oil absorbing dry shampoo. Sebastian Professional Drynamic – I love a punny hair product title – is indeed dynamic and dry; it’s an instant style-refreshing spray between washes. It has a Reset and Recharge formula that basically lets you restyle your hair rather than your hairstyle being set in stone like Rosetta. It is out 1st July for $38 from Sebastian Professional salons nationwide, and has a travel mini size for $15 which is very handy to throw in the suitcase.
3. Buy your glasses online.
Let your fingers do the walking and shop online for sure, but have you considered buying glasses online before? I wondered how easy this would be, then I tried it at Clearly which has come over from Aussie and opened an e-tail presence in NZ enabling New Zealanders to shop for their prescription or regular fashion sunglasses online at cheap prices at a reputable shop. I ordered these Alexander McQueen black sunglasses from www.clearly.co.nz and it was super-easy to order and they were here within the week. The only thing they don’t do online is eyetests!
4. Buy a good iron.
The phrase ‘false economy’ rings true here; I bought a cheap iron and it was TERRIBLE. It was so slow, didn’t heat up properly and basically took me twice as long to do a simple task. Plus, you save time on going to the drycleaners. It’s a fallacy that drycleaning saves time if you spend 30 minutes driving there and back to drop off and collect a dress you could have pressed in about 4 minutes at home! Not to mention your expensive clothes won’t last as well without the proper care. Here’s a great, modern iron – Electrolux UltraSteam Pro $129.95 has a fast heat-up time (it’s like the ghd of the ironing world), and it produces up to 45 grams of steam a minute through 600 steam holes which diffuses steam evenly to send creases packing. I also like that you don’t worry if you turned the iron off as it has an auto shut off switch. From www.electrolux.co.nz
5. Invest in multi-taskers.
I have to admit I love a 2-for-1 product in my skincare regime, and some of these are multi-taskers which endears me to them no end. Sodashi Rejuvenating Face Mist is a toning mist that never feels harsh or atsringent, but instead is very calming and gentle on the skin, and I have sensitive skin. You spritz it on during the day to hydrate and moisturise. Weleda Skinfood is great for all those dry patches like elbows and heels especially in winter. I have been using on my hands for intensive moisturising after some gardening at the weekend. Dermalogica Age Smart Dynamic Skin Recovery ($114 at www.dermalogica.co.nz) has been reformulated now with sun protection of SPF50 as well as Liquorice extract, a skin calming agent, to ease any potential irritation from chemical sunscreens. It protects skin from free radicals with antioxidant white tea polyphenols and contains Hyaluronic Acid for hydration. Max Factor Face Finity all day flawless foundation is a 3-in-1 make-up with a primer, concealer and foundation and SPF20. INNOXA has this handy purse compact that goes on creme and dries to a powder finish, with a mirror, and a sponge in the separate bottom compartment. Innoxa is animal cruelty-free and has always since it began in 1920, and this compact retails for $34.95 from pharmacies nationwide.
Hope these products gave you some helpful time-saving ideas. See you next month!
Megan Robinson
2nd June 2014
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