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The end of school was so busy that I didn’t have time for myself. At all! My daughter kept reminding me that my hair was graying and needed to be touched up. My pretty pedicure was halfway grown out, and my skin looked terrible because I didn’t have time to reorder my favorite mineral powder foundation. Thankfully, when school was dismissed for the summer, I took a few minutes to freshen up. My sister took care of my kids for the day, giving me a much-needed opportunity for myself.  I am so lucky to have such a wonderful friend and sister!  Even if you don’t have that chance, getting a fresh summer look is easier than you think. It just takes a few minutes and a couple of great products. How much time can you spare?

If you have 2 – 5 minutes…

Try a new beauty product. Whether it’s a new eyeshadow or a fancy moisturizer, give yourself the gift of something new. In my May Beauty Box 5, I received some cool products that I’ve enjoyed all month long. My favorite is the Essenza hand soap, which is great for travel.  Have you ever been on a road trip, and went into a restroom that had no soap? Exactly!  I can always use another eyeshadow brush in my brush-and-wash rotation, so this one was a keeper. Since my husband is forever stealing my tweezers, I know he’ll appreciate the mini tweezers that came in this month’s box. I wasn’t a huge fan of the Demalogica moisturizer. It said that it was good for oily skin, but I didn’t really notice a difference after using it. It does absorb quickly and seems to be gentle on sensitive skin, if that’s what you’re looking for.  My favorite item was the blush stick. It was the right tone for me, plus I only needed to use a tiny dab. I rubbed it on my fingers first, then applied to my cheeks.  If you like the products you receive in your subscription box, you can purchase them right on BB5’s site.  Plus, you get 3 more free samples with every order (no minimum purchase!)

I also got to try the invisible lip liner, which is not the kind you see on the old ladies at church. This one is truly invisible (it looks like a white chalk pencil) yet has some magical ability to hold in your lip color, so that you don’t get the feathering that makes a girl look too tired to reapply.  This is especially nice when you’re going out for dinner and want your lip color to stay in place. I found that I could apply the lip liner all over my lips, taking extra care around the outside.  My lip color stayed on longer and looked fresher. My lipstick became more like a lip stain when I used the invisible liner. Very pleased with this product!

If you have 10-15 minutes……

Give yourself a quick manicure or pedicure. This can cost less than $2 when you buy SinfulColors polish at Walgreens. Their new STREET FUSION line has such bright, fun colors for summer that you might have a hard time choosing! No worries, just paint on a little stripe of your second favorite color to add interest and contrast. It doesn’t have to look absolutely perfect! Of this little selection, my favorites were the barely-there pastel shades. In this photo, I’m wearing Island Coral as a base, with Skylark as an accent stripe.  I started the stripe at the lower left corner of my nail, then up-and-to-the-right in a quick motion. Swipe quickly; don’t think about it too much!  I like to do a quick mani just before my husband is going to be driving us somewhere, because I am just sitting in the car so my nails can dry nicely.  Follow SinfulColors on Facebook, Twitter (@SinfulColors_NP), and Instagram (sinfulcolorsprofessional) for more mani ideas!

If you have 20-50 minutes…..

Consider lightening up for the summer! Get nourishing, color enhancing conditioner that is gluten free, paraben free and sulfate free from Madison Reed. It is so easy to color your hair at home, you might give up on the salon entirely. Here’s what my hair looked like before I colored it.

As you can see, there are lots of gray strands that were longer than I care to admit.  This wasn’t something that could just be plucked out; I’m nearly at the turning point from “some gray” to “mostly gray.” The Madison Reed kit comes right in the mail; it couldn’t be easier to get this done!  I selected a shade that was just a bit lighter than my regular dark black. The box was so pretty that it made me feel like I received a gift!

While my kids watched Saturday morning cartoons with their dad, I tiptoed into the bathroom and got started.  (My kids come running at the close of the bathroom door like tiny heat-seeking missiles.)  This formula surprised me because it actually smells good.  I’ve never had hair color that had a pleasant scent!  Since my hair had a lot of gray, I left the color on for about 30 minutes, then did the quick rinse. In total, I spent about 40 minutes on my hair.  I was so pleased that the grays were completely undetectable!

What are your quick beauty tips that other readers can try?

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