High Maintenance Beauty Habits So You Can Remain Low Maintenance on the Daily

I've never considered myself high maintenance.

High-strung, sure. But high-maintenance? Not quite.

However, my family seems to think otherwise.

If I had a dollar for every time they said to me, “You’re still going?” while I was doing my skincare or makeup routine during my stay with them over the holidays...

Let's just say I’d be sipping cocktails in some glorious tropical destination right now, and not sitting here writing this.

Which got me thinking–do you guys remember that whole high-maintenance beauty habits thing that went viral on TikTok late last year?

Essentially, it was all these gorgeous girlies sharing their tips and tricks of the trade, from the weekly in-clinic treatments they get to the dozens of beauty products in their daily arsenal.

Which is great, if you have the money and means. But in this economic climate? Perhaps not.

So because I’m all about making beauty accessible, I thought I’d share my own "high-maintenance" beauty habits, ones that can be done from the comfort of your home (and budget).

Sure, some may demand a bit more effort initially, but think of them like an investment coat – an upfront commitment that ensures a low-maintenance, effortlessly chic routine for the long run.

Keep scrolling for my top four beauty habits.

1. Take Your Hair Mask for a Workout.

Recently, I stumbled upon the concept of 'habit stacking,' a productivity tip that pairs a tedious task with something you love to make the entire experience more enjoyable and efficient.

Unbeknownst to me, I've been implementing this strategy for a while, utilising laundry time as a perfect excuse to catch up on my favourite podcasts or, of course, my beloved Real Housewives.

So, why not apply this concept to my beauty routine?

If there's one step I don't look forward to, it's a hair mask.

If it demands more than five minutes, I'm out.

The idea of leaving the shower, drying and dressing, only to step back in–I just don’t see it for me.

That’s why I’ve started combining my hair masks and hair oils with a workout.

Not only does it allow me to effortlessly slick my hair back into a neat bun, but that gross gym humidity actually works wonders for your tresses, helping the oils penetrate the scalp.

A fusion of fitness and hair care for a double dose of self-care? Genius.

Wondering which hair masks I reach for to treat my dry, fine locks? Here's a little video we prepared earlier.

Alternatively, I've listed a handful of my faves below:

• Coco & Eve Super Nourishing Coconut and Fig Hair Masque

• VIRTUE Flourish Mask for thinning hair

• Kérastase Nutritive Hair Mask for Dry Fine Hair

2. Get Your Beauty Sleep.

We all want ridiculously glowy skin, but does anyone really have the time or energy for a 10-step Korean skincare routine? I doubt it.

Enter, sleeping masks.

These hydration heroes literally put the ‘beauty’ in ‘beauty sleep’, working their magic overnight while you get those all-important Zzzs.

They typically contain ingredients like peptides, shea butter, ceramides and hyaluronic acid that nourish and rejuvenate the skin while you sleep.

Especially beneficial for those dealing with flakiness, discomfort, tightness, or sensitivity, sleep masks actively support the skin's wellbeing by fortifying the skin barrier – effectively preventing water loss, reducing sensitivity and promoting overall skin health.

Adore Beauty is home to a whole host of sleep masks tailored to your individual skin type and concerns.

My personal faves are the Aspect Probiotic Mask for when my skin is acting up and The Jojoba Company Pure Jojoba Gel Mask 50ml for when it's feeling particularly dry or dehydrated.

3. Hair Towels Are Your New BFF.

If you haven't jumped on the microfibre hair towel bandwagon yet, consider this your friendly nudge to add one to your cart pronto.

I’d even go as far as to say my Coco & Eve Microfibre Towel Wrap was my 2023 hair care product I didn’t know I needed.

Beyond allowing me the luxury of lounging about in my robe with wet hair until I muster the energy to dry it, microfibre hair towels have a bunch of benefits.

Including:

• Cutting your hair drying time in half;

• Mitigating damage by absorbing excess water before your blow-dry;

• Preserving essential hydration, especially for those with thick, coarse tresses;

• Eliminating friction caused by traditional cotton towels, reducing breakage and damage;

• Maintaining your natural scalp environment and microbiome, thanks to the antimicrobial and antibacterial properties of microfibre towels.

Plus, they're also great for protecting your sheets from overnight hair treatments.

Don’t sleep on this underrated hair accessory.

4. Sub in a Pre-shampoo.

Double shampooing might be a common practice, but what about a pre-shampoo?

A pre-poo, if you will.

They come in many forms - treatment, wash, mask, scrub – and are made for various purposes, whether your scalp needs a shake-up or your tresses are on the road to recovery.

Take my mum for example (sorry Mum, throwing you under the bus here).

With fine hair, oily roots, and dry ends (all of which I’ve *luckily* inherited), she struggled to stretch her hair wash beyond a day or two.

Mum tried various shampoos before I got her onto the cult Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub, revered for its detoxifying abilities.

By using the scrub as a pre-poo, she’s been able to sweep away the excess oil and product build-up that’s likely behind her scalp imbalance.

Resulting in, you guessed it, more time between washes!

For more on pre-shampoo treatments, check out this previous Beauty IQ.

Final Thoughts.

There you have it – my top four “high-maintenance” beauty habits so I can remain low-maintenance on the daily.

If you’re curious about what other beauty goals our team has set for 2024, my gorgeous colleague Chloe shared the six ‘hot girl’ habits she’s embracing this year in a Beauty IQ here.

Here's to working smarter, not harder in 2024!

Looking for more beauty inspo and helpful advice? Check out these BIQs:

• Over 50s Skin Preparation for Makeup That Lasts Longer

• Hot Girl Beauty Habits I’m Starting This New Year

• I Just Bleached My Virgin Hair. Here’s the Products I’m Using to Keep It Soft and Healthy