Minimum effort, maximum results products

I love nothing more than a nice, long pamper evening but let's face it, not everyone has the time, energy or inclination to spend a few hours on themselves every week. People lead busy lives and have so many other things that occupy their time plus with the weather being as nice as it has, most of us are inclined to get outside and make the most of it, leaving us even less time to do 'extra' things. I don't know about you but I still don't want to neglect myself so when time is scarce I turn to products that take minimum effort on my part but yield great results. I'm going to share these products with you today and would love to hear what products you reach for when time is limited but you still want to look your best.

Skincare: I have spoken many times before about Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Extra Strength Pads - I call these texture erasers! The first pad contains a combination of AHAs and BHAs so they will not only exfoliate the surface of the skin, they also penetrate the pores to deeply cleanse and exfoliate. The second pad rehydrates and balances the skin. These pads take maybe 1/2 minutes in total to use and if you do nothing else for your skin in terms of masks, acids etc, these will still have your skin looking better in terms of texture and glow if used regularly (daily, if your skin and bank balance can cope!). An overnight product is also a great option if you are tight on time or energy - who doesn't want to wake to better skin?  Regular readers will have heard me wax lyrical several times about Omorovicza Midnight Radiance Mask and with good reason. Every time I use this mask, I wake to better skin - clear, even, glowing, plump, smooth and with refined pores. It is honestly brilliant and the combination of ingredients addresses so many issues. Just apply to cleansed skin and leave overnight - minimal effort involved! Another brilliant overnight product is Farmacy Honeymoon Glow*, which recently arrived to Cult Beauty. I have a full review here but, in short, this AHA/BHA blend works overnight to resurface the skin and reveal a glow. It isn't harsh but is effective and, again, requires minimal effort as you literally apply a pump or two to clean, dry skin as part of your evening routine. A daytime serum that makes a visible difference is Alpha-H Hyaluronic 8 Serum with Primalhyal Ultrafiller*. A few drops of this serum daily will reveal plump, firm, fresh and elasticized skin. Again, this is a product that requires little effort but will yield impressive results over time with consistent use. Sunday Riley Autocorrect Eye Cream* is brilliant because it really smooths, depuffs and nourishes the under eye area but it also brightens it too. This is ideal if you are having a no makeup day as it doesn't add coverage but it does just lift the under eye areas, without making it look overly pearlescent. For this reason, it's best kept as a morning use product as you don't need brighter eyes when going to bed! 

Tan: For me, I always feel better when I have a tan so I like to make time to do it once weekly. It really doesn't take long to apply once you get used to it and I find St Tropez Self Tan Purity Bronzing Water Gel particularly good because it dries quickly and is transfer-proof so I can get dressed afterwards. It's the first tan that I have found that truly doesn't have that stinky fake tan smell as it develops - it actually smells like a tropical fruit cocktail and the tan develops in a few hours. Coupled with that, the St Tropez Purity Bronzing Water Face Mist is so quick and easy to apply - just a few spritzes after your skincare routine, will give a gorgeous golden hue to the skin. Both of these products give the skin a very natural golden tan that actually doesn't really look fake and they take very little effort to apply.

Haircare: Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector is a pre-wash treatment that repairs and strengthens hair and banishes frizz. Once weekly, just wet hair and apply Olaplex, then leave for a minimum of 10 minutes (or even better, overnight) before shampooing and conditioning as normal.  This really doesn't take a great deal of effort but really does make a difference to hair, both in terms of its health but also in how it looks - it is always silky soft after using it.

Makeup: So the first product isn't strictly makeup but VENeffect Anti-Aging Lip Treatment*works as both a lip balm and a lip plumper. It smooths lips so that lines are less visible but also hydrates and plumps without tingling. Vita Liberata Beauty Blur* is a product that you can apply with your fingers and works well without a primer. It adds coverage but also blurs the appearance of fine lines and pores and add some glow without looking dewy - just a healthy, natural glow. It honestly takes seconds to blend into the skin and the result looks natural. I also find cream blushes take minimal effort but they really bring life to the skin and waken the complexion. They're particularly great if you're short on time and look tired as they instantly lift the skin. Nudestix Nudies Bloom* are a great option because you can either apply directly from the stick to the cheeks and blend with your fingers or swirl your finger on the stick and then apply to the cheeks, but there is also a brush at one end of the stick if you feel more confident using a brush. The texture is so easy to work with as it's the perfect balance between creamy and stiff. Again, this takes less than a minute to apply and blush always changes the complexion.

What are your go-to products when you want big results but don't have much time or energy to put huge effort in? I'd love to hear!

Thanks for reading! 

Follow Beautylymin on Bloglovin, Twitter and Instagram for regular updates!

All products are bought by me, unless otherwise stated.  Products with a * have been kindly sent to me. Opinion is always my own. Affiliate links may be used.