Ever lose track of time when getting ready, or want to cut down on your morning routine time? I often do! I love the ritual of makeup before a night out, but for the everyday rush, short and sweet wins.
The Hangover Face
When feeling groggy, you want to focus on looking more awake and refreshed. When your body is dehydrated, your skin will be too. It’s important to focus on a quick, “healthy” glow.
If you've had a late night, cooling and soothing eye patches are ideal. Ingredients like vitamin C and caffeine can help to reduce the look of dark circles and pigmentation around the eyes while hydrating.
Leave them on whilst you tidy up or refresh yourself with breakfast and coffee. Pop a brightening concealer in your inner corners for an instant wake-up call. A cream blush or multipurpose stick like the Milk Makeup Lip + Cheek Stick can bring a natural flush to the skin, bringing life back into your face. Mist on a hydrating setting spray, parched skin will thank you.
Running Late-to-a-Date Face
When you’re rushing, there’s no time for a full glam, but you still want to look polished with a hint of glow. The aim is effortless radiance is flushed cheeks, luminous skin, and lips that look kissable without fuss.
A lip-and-cheek combo is your best friend here. Dab on a cream blush that doubles for lips and cheeks. It ties the look together in seconds. Add a touch of cream highlighter with your fingers for a natural, candlelit glow. Quickly curl your lashes, swipe on mascara, and you’re instantly wide-eyed.
The real hack? A lip stain you can apply earlier in the day and can refresh later with a gloss. The NYX Professional Makeup Lip IV Hydrating Gloss Stain wears down into a natural tint and layers beautifully with a liner or gloss on top, making it perfect for date-night touch-ups.
The Office Face
Office makeup should strike a balance: fresh, professional, and easy. It’s not about drama. It’s about looking awake and polished without overthinking your routine.
Start with a skin tint or lightweight base to even things out while still letting your skin breathe. Groomed brows go a long way toward looking put together, so run a brow gel through for instant structure. Finish with a neutral lip stain for a hint of colour that won’t need touch-ups between meetings.
This look is all about efficiency: products that do their job quickly and quietly. You’ll look like you made an effort, but no one will suspect it only took five minutes.
Makeup doesn’t have to be a marathon. In just five minutes, you can match your look to your mood, whether it’s fighting off a hangover, rushing to a date, or powering through the office day. The trick is knowing which products do the heavy lifting and having fun with the process. Think of it less as ‘perfecting’ your face and more as a toolkit for self-expression that flexes with your vibe that day. After all, the best five-minute face isn’t about flawless lines. It’s about feeling like yourself, fast.
Sweat, But Softer: Why Women Are Embracing Gentle, Smart Fitness
Once seen as a workout for injury rehab or affluent older women, Pilates is now being embraced by women of all ages and backgrounds, who are swapping high-intensity workouts for something slower, more intentional, and (ironically) more effective. The shift to low-intensity activities such as Pilates, barre, and yoga classes reflects a broader lifestyle change toward sustainable exercise, self-care, and mindful movement. This shift is impacting wellness and beauty from the inside out.
The Beauty in Movement
Fitness has long promoted the "go hard or go home" mentality, encouraging us to push our bodies to the limit. Strength and endurance have been measured by sweat and soreness, not sustainability. Pilates has always challenged that notion. It offers long-term strength, flexibility, and mobility without the punishment of high-impact workouts. Slow, controlled forms of exercise like Pilates, barre and yoga are now being embraced more widely as people look for fitness that supports both body and mind. These practices emphasise longevity, recovery and balance, delivering strength without the strain of high-impact movement. They represent a shift toward sustainability, self-care and mindful ways of moving.
The beauty of slower exercise goes beyond toned muscles. Consistent Pilates can create a leaner, more aligned body with natural posture and sculpting. These practices also support glowing skin, healthy hair and a calmer nervous system. Improved circulation brings radiance, while reduced stress and deeper sleep promote renewal from within. Slower movement doesn’t just change how we feel in our bodies; it shapes how well-being shows up in our appearance, too.
The Post-workout Routine:
While low-intensity workouts don’t seem like they use up a lot of energy, they do, especially sweat sessions like hot yoga or a long Pilates class. These types of classes can deplete more than just energy; your skin also loses water. It’s important to sip more than just plain water during and after a session to help maintain hydration, which shows up in the skin’s plumpness and glow. A post-workout drink with electrolytes can help regulate and retain hydration. Minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium help your body hold onto the water you drink, so you actually rehydrate rather than just flushing it out. They also improve recovery time. Here’s your reminder that electrolytes are for more than just curing hangovers!
Electrolytes don't need to be the only addition to your post-workout routine. Gentle, smart fitness isn’t just about avoiding burnout; it’s also about creating long-lasting glow, resilience, and balance in body and skin. In my post-workout routine, I like to care for my body the same way I care for my face, avoiding acne and breakouts while soothing my skin. After a low-intensity workout, a refreshing hypochlorous acid mist is great for its anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties. It can help to calm your skin and keep flare-ups at bay on the way home from a Pilates class. I like to spray it on my back to avoid bacne or before reapplying deodorant. Post-workout beauty can extend to your hair. Scalp sweat can build up quickly, and if you’re prone to greasiness, a travel-sized dry shampoo absorbs oil without stripping hair. For textured hair, a hydrating leave-in spray or light hair oil can refresh curls and prevent frizz for a low-effort, high-impact hair refresh.
When thinking about washing away the sweat and buildup after a workout, a gentle cleanse is ideal. There’s no need to ‘scrub away the dirt’ — in fact, over-cleansing or using harsh products can strip the skin and compromise its barrier. Your facial cleanser may already do the job perfectly, but your body deserves the same level of TLC. Look for washes that hydrate as they clean, or those with mild exfoliation to keep pores clear without irritation. Body Washes like NATURIUM’s The Smoother Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Wash offer a light polish that helps prevent post-workout breakouts and ingrown hairs, while The Glow Getter Multi Oil Hydrating Body Wash leaves skin nourished and supple, balancing hydration with freshness.
After a shower, you can extend the ritual further with a lightweight body oil or lotion to lock in moisture and soothe tired muscles. Think of it as the beauty extension of your workout recovery, replenishing what your skin loses while you move.
With New Year’s resolutions on the mind, maybe it’s time to rewrite what a “good workout” looks like. Not the red face and aching joints, but a steadier strength, better posture, and a glow that lingers long after class ends. Sweat, but softer, is more than a trend. It’s a reminder that our beauty, energy, and well-being thrive when we choose balance over burnout.
Cover Image Via Glossier Pinterest