16 High-Impact, Low-Effort Beauty Products I'm Using in My Lazy-Girl Era
Kaitlyn McLintock
Mon, 06 Nov 2023
Who What Wear
I just can't be bothered to use anything else.
Let's get one thing straight. I don't think "lazy" is a dirty word. In fact, I think it can be quite the opposite. We live in a fast-paced world that values productivity over so many other, more important things. Consciously choosing to slow down and embrace stillness feels like some kind of quiet rebellion. Lately, I've joined this rebellion by entering what I'm calling my lazy-girl era. This means that for the foreseeable future, I'll be indulging in slow moments, whether that's catching up on all the shows I said I'd watch, finally making a dent in my pile of unread books, or just enjoying a really good cup of coffee. I'll also be turning to my collection of lazy-girl beauty products. These are the skincare, makeup, and haircare items that give me the results I want without absorbing too much of my time or effort. From a hair-smoothing silk pillowcase to an easily removable tubing mascara, I invite you to join me in a well-deserved lazy era.
Let's start out strong with one of the only beauty products that works while you sleep—a silk pillowcase. Until I actually tried one myself, I thought silk pillowcases were overrated. Could they really make that much of a difference? The answer is yes. When I sleep on one of these luxe pillowcases versus a traditional cotton one, I can tell my hair is smoother and silkier. Plus, I never see those creases in my skin that I usually do as a side sleeper.
I also love the brand's silk scrunchies. They come in different sizes, but I love the skinny ones the most. They hold my hair up without causing breakage or roughening up the hair cuticle.
Speaking of beauty products that work while you sleep, this one is chock-full of hydrating ingredients and peptides, so it smooths and plumps the skin overnight. Simply apply it like you would a moisturizer before you snooze, and you'll wake up with glowing skin.
Glossy hair might seem difficult to achieve, but it's not if you use the right product. After shampooing, apply this from your roots to your ends, let it sit for five minutes, then rinse it out. Even if you don't style your hair after, it will give your strands an expensive-looking, high-shine finish.
What's easier than throwing on a pair of eye patches while you veg on the couch? Personally, I like wearing mine while I read or watch Netflix shows that are no longer popular because I waited too long to dive into them. They brighten and de-puff my under-eyes thanks to aloe, collagen, and colloidal silver.
LED masks offer a bunch of different (and amazing) benefits. They can calm inflammation, promote collagen production, and even reduce redness. They're so easy to use, too. Just throw it on while you're answering emails or lounging around the house. All it takes is 10 minutes at a time to see results.
I love a good lip mask. In fact, I use one every single night, without fail. If I skip a night, my lips look and feel dry and thin the next day, so it's become a nonnegotiable step in my pre-bedtime routine. This one uses coconut oil and mango butter to plump, soften, and moisturize lips.
I'm a firm believer that red lipstick is often the only makeup product you need to look put-together. I often wear it on days when I don't want to mess with foundation and concealer or eye makeup, because it's so impactful when worn alone. This is one of my favorite formulas to use. It's highly pigmented with a gorgeous glossy finish.
On days when I do want a little skin coverage without running through my full makeup routine, I'll use a tinted moisturizer like this. I love that it has a cushiony texture that melts into my skin without falling into fine lines or settling into pores. I also love that it has SPF 20 to boost the effects of my daily sunscreen.
One of the easiest yet most effective chemical peels I've ever used, this two-step system is basically skincare gold. The first pad exfoliates the skin, brightening dark spots and hyperpigmentation and smoothing rough texture. The second pad hydrates the fresh skin and provides it with essential anti-aging ingredients. It literally takes two minutes to get brighter, fresher-looking skin.
Despite me being in my lazy-girl era, I'm trying to be better about exfoliating my body as much as I exfoliate my face. This body scrub makes it easy. It uses two methods of exfoliation—chemical and physical—for a holistic approach. Each time I use it, it makes my skin feel so soft and smooth. The best part is it doesn't irritate my sensitive skin.
I'll rinse my hair, apply a hair mask, and slick it back into a sleek bun before heading out to run errands. It's one of my favorite ways to multitask and treat my hair without devoting a lot of time or energy to it. This is one of my favorite ones to use. It's softening and moisturizing, yet it never weighs down my fine hair. It's all thanks to phytonutrients from spinach, chia seeds, and cocoa seed butter that lock in moisture.
This has to be one of the easiest ways to self-tan, well, ever. Simply squeeze out a few drops into your favorite body oil or lotion, apply it to each area of your body separately, and wash your hands. The formula will go to work, providing a natural-looking, sun-kissed effect without any need for rinsing. Cool, right?
Not only do these hot rollers give my fine, flat hair major lift and volume, but they do so with barely any effort on my end. I simply turn them on to heat up, roll them up in my hair (these days, I don't even section my hair before clipping them in), leave them to cool, and remove them. I'm left with big, bouncy hair every time. For proof, check out these before-and-after pictures.
Another eye mask (or should I say patch?) that I love, this one uses cucumber extract, caffeine, aloe, chamomile, and niacinamide to hydrate and refresh the under-eye area. Personally, I like to keep these in the fridge so they feel nice and refreshing whenever I choose to apply them.
True story: Sometimes, I avoid wearing mascara simply because I know I won't want to take it off when I get back home. On those days, instead of avoiding mascara altogether, I reach for a formula like this. It uses fibers to build length and boost definition. In other words, it's a tubing mascara, and it comes off easily with warm water—no makeup remover required.
