The best multi-tasking beauty heroes to save you time while you hustle
Who has the time for an 18-step beauty routine when we could be out there kicking ass and taking names (even if it's virtually).
Though we still value solutions that feel luxurious, perform brilliantly and take care of our skin and hair – what we want, (what we really, really want) are products that can provide all of these functions, in record time.
Stats are showing that the past year has changed what we want from our makeup and beauty routines. While we're investing more time in mood-boosting wellness rituals (bathing, masking and moisturising), we're spending less time doing our makeup in the morning, and wearing less of it.
Even after things get back to normal, this minimalistic approach has seen us shift gears to "skinimalism" – 2021's biggest beauty trend – which has seen more of us invest in effective skincare and pare back on heavy makeup application.
As for that speedy morning? It's here to stay, so when we do apply products, they need to pull their weight.
We’re after savvy time-saving heroes that double, or triple up on use – meaning streamlined makeup bags, less time rifling around for surplus products and diligent formulations that tick numerous boxes.
Take our skin for example, we’re wiser than ever on how we should be looking after it – cleansing and exfoliating remain two of the most important steps in our routine, but what if we could tackle both tasks in one hit? Or combine several hair care steps in a single product?
Let's also be realistic, things don’t always work if they’re mashed up into one. So we can’t forget those ease duos. Now that we are preparing for lockdown restrictions to lift, we also want travel friendly goods back in our beauty cabinets. I’m talking, the mascaras that will strip out the eyelash curler and the teeth whiteners that will seal your smile with a hint of gloss. The serum x concealers, and even skincare, because one thing lockdown taught us is how to Marie Kondo the heck of our homes. Less is more, so bring us all the 2-in-1s while you’re at it.
All hail the beauty “multi-taskers” – hard-working products that deliver on purpose and performance. Better still, they can simultaneously shave minutes off the time it takes to get ready in the morning. Which means more time for action... Or snoozing. Your call.
Interested? Here’s our edit of the best beauty multi-taskers...
Technically a cream blusher, this can be patted into lips or across eyelids for a triple wash of colour. The same can be applied in reverse too, so any matte or cream lipstick can usually multi-task on cheeks (just avoid glosses and oils).
Estée Lauder Double Wear Instant Fix Concealer, £25, Look Fantastic
This sweat and humidity resistant duo must not be underestimated. One end comprises a replenishing serum for long-lasting hydration, while the other carries your trusty waterproof concealer with medium to full, buildable 24-hour coverage. Blurring the appearance of dark circles, spots, fine lines and imperfections in an instant.
Eve Lom Begin & End Cleanser and Moisture Cream Duo, £85, Look Fantastic
Cleanser and moisturiser are skincare royalty. This is one of those non negotiable everyday essentials and the fact that they come in a compact set makes it even better! The gentle and balmy cleanser is infused with a blend of four aromatic plant oils (Clove, Eucalyptus, Hops and Egyptian Chamomile) which will leave your skin feeling clean, and radiant. The moisturiser has a soft, creamy texture that is formulated with hyaluronic acid to help create the effect of plumped youthful skin.
Rapid White Instant Smile Duo Pen Teeth Gel & Lip Gloss, £8, Boots
This is a different one that up until this point I had never come across. A teeth whitening lip gloss hybrid. The perfect smile it’s inside and out, and by that I mean lips and teeth. Both the whitening gel and the gloss are infused with blue shimmering pigments to provide an immediate optical effect and the gel temporarily neutralises teeth discolouration. The gel is also gentle enough for sensitive teeth and refreshes the breath with its minty flavour. The lip gloss helps protect the lips from drying out and leaving a subtle glaze to your now pearly smile.
Revitalash Double-ended Volume Set, £44, Cult Beauty
Revitalash fans will know — that lash serum really works! This double-ended volume set also complements your eyelashes’ growth journey by uniting the fan favourite volumising primer infused with peptides and panthenol to help fortify lashes and prevent breakage with the water resistant mascara rich in colour that separating and elongating lashes for that ultimate flutter.
KAYALI Rollerball, £23, Feel Unique
Why opt for one fragrance when you can get too? And it’s uber travel friendly, perfect size to fit into a handbag or even pocket. This double ended Kayali Rollerball is what aromatic dreams are made of. You can choose to wear each scent alone or layer them up for your own bespoke fragrance. The musk side married light florals with heady musks while the vanilla a fusion including an oriental blend of jasmine, Madagascan vanilla orchid and patchouli.
Glossier Brow Flick, £15, Glossier
The brush-tip nib is perfect for sketching in brow strokes, but you could even use it to line eyes, or dotting on some faux freckles.
Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look In A Palette, £49
For an all-in-one makeup look, look no further than Charlotte Tilbury's Instant Look In A Palette which has three eyeshadows, two blushers, a bronzer and a highlighter.
BareMinerals Strength & Length Serum-Infused Mascara, £23, Look Fantastic
The name may have given the game away, but the Strength & Length Serum-Infused Mascara not only lengthens lashes, it's also infused with a conditioning serum to decrease the likelihood of lash fall-out and ensure you have a full flutter.
Becca Light Shifter Dewing Tinted Moisturiser, £26, Cult Beauty
We were devastated when we heard the news that Becca will close trading after September, especially as it's new Light Shifter Dewing Tinted Moisturiser has become one of our absolute favourite multi-taskers. The glow-giving base contains light-reflecting pigments to make skin look impossibly fresh while the 8 flexible shades work across a range of skin tones to warm up complexions. Use it on it's own for a lit-from-within glow and some lightweight coverage, pop it under your foundation like a luminising primer or dot it onto cheekbones for some tactical highlighting. Either way, we love it!
Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder, £32, Laura Mercier
It may just be one pot, but there's numerous ways this little guy can upgrade your makeup. Use it to set under-eyes, prime oily lids, volumise your mascara (here's how), keep your makeup in place and mattify your fave lipstick shade.
Redken Oil for All Multi-Benefit Oil, £21.50, Look Fantastic
Designed for everyone and every hair type, every time this is a do-it-all oil that's rich enough to add moisture but light enough to encourage volume. You can use it on damp hair to smooth, apply it to strands to protect against heat damage, or apply it to dry hair to tame flyaways.
Bobbi Brown Longwear Cream Shadow Stick, £23.50
A jet black, long-wearing crayon that doubles up as an eyeliner and an eyeshadow.
Clinique Beyond Perfecting 2-in-1 Foundation & Concealer, £28.50
The doe-foot wand on this foundation means it can be used precisely as a concealer, too.
Wella Professionals Oil Reflections Luminous Smoothing Oil, £17.80, Look Fantastic
This luxe-feeling oil has Meghan Markle's seal of approval. She previously revealed "it smells like vacation and makes your hair slippery and touchable. I love this stuff." Better still, it offers up some multi-purpose action: "it also doubles as a pretty amazing body oil post bath," Meghan said.
Ouai Rose Hair & Body Oil, £26, Cult Beauty
This delicious rosy-scented concoction softens and nourishes skin and hair equally well.
Egyptian Magic All-Purpose Skin Cream, £25, LookFantastic
An all-purpose cream that covers most skin (and hair) soothing situations. This acts as a moisturiser, a lip balm, and eye cream and a hair mask.
Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Daily Foaming Cleanser, from £16, Cult Beauty
Packed with alpha hydroxy acids, this is a cleanser that also exfoliates skin and lifts away the top layer of dull, dead skin cells for an even fresher complexion (just don't use on your eyes).
Hershesons Almost Everything Cream, £10, Hershesons
True to it's word, the Almost Everything Hair cream does almost everything. It can prime hair to help it hold styles longer, add shine, fight frizz, add texture and define curls. All in one handbag sized tube.
Tasneem Sharmeen 2-IN-1, £17, Tasneem Cosmetics
This due ended product comes with a full-size hydrating matte lipstick on one end and a full-size long lasting liquid formulation on the other. The colours selection is super inclusive with every complexion and undertone in mind. It’s also formulated so that it can be applied as a lipstick, cheek tint, liquid eyeshadow, liquid liner. What can’t this product do?
Winnie Beau Brow Pencil , £9.50, Winnie Beau
This brow duo is a clutch essential. It has an ultra fine tip for precision and hair-like type filling. It also has a wind up/wind down feature, so no sharpener needed. The other end features a brush which controls the hairs and blends in the product for that ultimate supermodel brow finish.
