Beauty Hacks for Low Maintenance, Budget Conscious Mamas (Like Me!)

Hey Mamas out there. Remember being a teenager? Perfect manis and pedis, perfect tans… those were definitely the good ol’ days – at least when it came to spending time on our beauty routines. Now, I’d never claim to be a high maintenance type of girl, but even I like to look like I had more than 3.5 minutes to get dressed and out the door each day. And on top of that, I like to do it on a budget!

Here are a few of my time and money saving tips for looking (mostly) put together without throwing wads of cash out.

Holy head of HAIR….

1. Dry Shampoo

I’m hoping this is no revelation to any of you Moms out there. I think this has become every Mom’s Ride or Die. Amiright? If somehow I AM reaching a Mom who hasn’t tried it, TRY IT. You don’t need a $30 bottle. Try the store brands, sale brands, whatever. But I promise you that you will NOT regret the $3-10 that dry shampoo runs.

2. Fake Hair

Did you know that for about $6-8, you can buy an elastic hairband that has curled, fake hair on it? I have seen several different brands at Beauty Supply stores or even just Walmart or Target. This is a magical piece of artillery in a Mom’s arsenal of beauty tricks. When you’re in a hurry, but still need to look nice, throw your hair up in a tight bun and wrap this perfectly curled piece of hair overtop. It looks like you have spent a lot of time on your hair and really it took less than 5 minutes. Just be sure you buy one that is a very good match for your hair and no one will know.

Seriously, look at that gorgeous SKIN….

1. Makeup Remover Wipes

I’m straight up L-A-Z-Y when it comes to my skin care. I know I should wash my face and all that jazz, but I can’t make myself care enough at bedtime to do more than brush and floss my teeth. Sorry skin… But I have found that if I keep wipes handy, I can and will sleep on clean cheeks. But here’s the thing: I don’t want to pay what real, actual makeup remover wipes cost. Instead, I buy baby wipes and cut them in half. That’s like 160 face wipes for $4. Personally, I like the Lansinoh brand of wipes “for breastfed” babies. The lanolin in their wipes leaves my sensitive skin clean and soft – but really, ANY baby wipe will do.

2. Drink Water

Straight up, the cheapest, easiest beauty hack is to drink water! It hydrates your entire body. It helps your skin, your eyes, your brain! I have a large stainless steel insulated travel cup that I carry ice water in EVERYWHERE I go. It’s a habit every time I leave the house, I fill the cup and take it with me. It costs $0 to do this, so DO IT!

 Have you seen her Hands & Feet…

1. Baby Feet

If you just look at all the products out there for feet, you will see that if you have hard, dry heels, you aren’t alone. I have found the absolute quickest, easiest, cheapest way to fix them. It’s Drywall Sandpaper/Screen, which is sold at hardware stores in a 3 pack for $6-9 and looks like thick black screen out of a window. This stuff works like magic on dry heels! No shower pumice or overnight balm will give you results like this stuff. Use it to sand away the dry heels and then just slap your favorite lotion on and you’re set. One pack of sanding screen will last you a long, long time too. The minute your heels start to dry out and aren’t soft, give them a quick sanding and you’ll keep beautiful baby feet with no problem.

2. Nail Polish Strips

I work 2 jobs (1 with preschoolers), have a garden and a farm, so keeping a perfect manicure is no easy feat. I really don’t have time to constantly repaint my nails, but also don’t want to have chipped or ugly nails all the time either. Enter nail polish strips. These suckers are so cool! They are 100% nail polish that is already dried and in a nail shaped strip. Stick these on like a sticker and you’ll have a manicure or pedicure that will easily last a full week, usually longer. I currently love the Color Street brand, which is a home-based business, so maybe you have a mom friend you can support. I believe you can also find nail polish strips in bigger stores or online too.

3. Nail Polish Remover

I’m impatient when it comes to a lot of things, so taking off nail polish is no exception. My absolute favorite nail polish removal tool is a plastic container that has remover and plastic bristles in it. It scrubs even the glitteriest polish right off. The container is about $3, then I buy pure acetone from the dollar store and refill my container whenever it gets low.

Can’t forget the Clothing & Accessories…

1. Lint Roller

Buy one of those sticky lint rollers for your car door. Then when you hop out at your destination and all of a sudden notice dog/cat hair or just lint from your daughter’s favorite stuffy, you can use about 5 seconds and swipe yourself clean. It will make a huge difference in your appearance and the way you will feel about yourself.

2. Jewelry

I don’t care what your taste in jewelry is, have a necklace and a pair of earrings that you feel good in. It can be a $3 necklace from Target or your last anniversary gift. But have these readily available for last minute addition to an outfit. You’d be surprised what a necklace and pair of earrings can do for an otherwise blah outfit.

That’s it. You now know all of my budget-friendly beauty secrets. Do you have some hacks of your own you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them!