I’m All About Effortless Beauty—17 Low-Effort, High-Impact Items to Shop During Sephora’s Savings Event
I’m a path-of-least-resistance person when it comes to my beauty routine. Some people call it lazy; I call it smart. If I can get ready and head out the door in under 10 minutes flat without succumbing to incomplete skincare application, patchy makeup, or unstyled hair, I’m going to do it. In today’s busy world, isn’t spending less time in front of the mirror a good thing? I certainly think so.
Over the years, I’ve curated a complete collection of (nearly) effortless beauty products. There’s an eyeshadow that takes less than five seconds to apply and blend. There’s a natural-looking, yet effective lash-lengthening mascara. There are multiple lip-enhancing balms and sticks that I swipe on in between back-to-back video calls. You get the idea. The best part? They’re ALL on sale right now. Yep. Sephora’s Semi-Annual Savings Event is on now through November 10 (for Rouge members; it opens for all other tiers on November 4). During it, Insiders can score 10% off their entire order, VIBs can score 15%, and Rouge members can score 20%. Did I mention that the entire Sephora Collection is also 30% off? Use code EVERYTHING at checkout. Ahead, see all 17 of my effortless, editor-approved picks.
The Best Effortless (and On-Sale!) Beauty Products, Listed
- The Brightening and De-Puffing Eye Masks that *Actually* Work: YSE Beauty The Overachiever Eye Patches ($30)
($38) - The Mascara that Gives Me Long, Fluttery Lashes In a Snap: Refy’s Lash Sculpt Mascara ($22)
($28) - The “Apply In Five Seconds” Eye Shadow: Merit Solo Shadow Cream Eyeshadow ($21)
($26) - The Best “Please Disguise My Dirty Hair” Dry Shampoo: Ouai Super Dry Invisible Dry Shampoo ($24)
($30) - The Do-It-All Styling Stick I Swear By: Briogeo Style + Treat Hair Styling Sleek Stick ($18)
($23)
Skincare
Sephora
Bio Collagen Real Deep Mask for Pore Minimizing & Firming Care
Admittedly, this product isn’t completely necessary to buy during the Sephora Savings Event, seeing as the price difference is just $1. However, I’d be remiss if I didn’t include it as one of my lazy or “effortless” beauty hacks.
The hydrogel mask is soaked in low-molecular-weight collagen, oilgo hyaluronic acid, and galactomyces to refine the skin in almost every way—think minimized pores, deep hydration, even tone, and a bouncy texture. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to achieving the “glass skin” look, and the best part is that it works while I sleep. Yep, I wear it overnight (once the mask dries down on the skin, it won’t budge until you peel it off in the morning). You can’t get much more effortless than that. I mean, it’s literal beauty sleep.
YSE Beauty
Your Favorite Ex Refillable Exfoliating Pads With Glycolic Acid & Ectoin
Whenever I wake up, step groggily in front of the bathroom mirror, and notice that my skin is looking a little too dull or discolored, I reach for these exfoliating pads. A highly effective combo of glycolic acid and gluconolactone dissolve dead skin cells, revealing brighter, smoother skin underneath. Meanwhile, soothing ectoin hydrates the skin and keeps all signs of irritation at bay. They take five seconds to use, and my skin is the better for it. 10/10 recommend.
Rhode
Glazing Mist Hydrating Face Spray
You can’t convince me that this isn’t a good skincare product. Sure, a milky mist isn’t a revolutionary concept, but the formula is chock full of soothing, skin-strengthening ingredients like ectoin and ceramides. Plus, it leaves a pretty, healthy-looking sheen. It’s my secret weapon when I don’t have time for a…let’s say involved morning skincare routine.
YSE Beauty
The Overachiever Brightening & Depuffing Eye Patches With Vitamin C
I can’t say enough good things about these eye patches, and trust me, I’ve tried (I already penned a love letter to them). They offer a cooling effect to de-puff, while good-for-skin ingredients like brightening vitamin C, plumping peptides, and strengthening allantoin indulge the eye area with myriad benefits. Thanks to a hydrogel material that grips the skin, they never slip and slide, which means I can wear them while making coffee, eating breakfast, and running out the door. I swear by these!
Beauty of Joseon
Day Dew Sunscreen Lightweight SPF 50
No matter how “effortless” my skincare routine gets, I never skip SPF. This K-beauty one has become my new favorite formula. It has a lightweight, almost watery texture that doesn’t pill or leave a white cast. And the GLOW! It makes my skin look smooth and glassy. Most importantly, though, it offers broad-spectrum SPF 50, so no errant sun rays can pierce through to damage my skin.
Hair
Ouai
Super Dry Invisible Dry Shampoo – Cape Town
Listen, when I said I had an effortless beauty routine, I meant it. Most days, I don’t actually style my hair; I just let my natural wavy texture do its thing. However, since I have fine, oily hair, I need a spritz (or 10) of dry shampoo to look presentable. In that case, I reach for my favorite dry shampoo of all time. Yep, I said it! Ouai’s Super Dry Invisible Dry Shampoo is a heavy-duty formula that sops up excess oil from my roots like you wouldn’t believe. And the Cape Town scent is unbelievable—fresh and herby with notes of ginger, spearmint, green fig, and basil.
Briogeo
Style + Treat Hair Styling Sleek Stick
Even dry shampoo has its limits. If I can’t get away with disguising my oily roots another day, I turn to an age-old trick: the slick-back bun. And this little pink styling stick is my secret weapon. It couldn’t be easier to use. Simply swipe it anywhere you want a smooth, sleek look, and it will tamp down any baby hairs and add a nice glossy finish.
Makeup
Westman Atelier
Vital Skin Full Coverage Multi-Use Foundation Stick
Now for the main event—makeup. When I have less than 10 minutes to get ready, I’m not messing with a liquid foundation. I’m swiping a product straight from the stick and blending it out with my fingers. This is one of my go-to foundation sticks. It has a smooth, buttery texture that melts onto the skin and blends out easily. The result is a radiant, natural, second-skin look with medium coverage.
Hourglass
Veil Hydrating Skin Tint Foundation
If medium/buildable coverage isn’t your thing, and you prefer an even fresher, dewier look, I recommend Hourglass’s Veil Hydrating Skin Tint. It offers a light…well, veil of skin-perfecting coverage with a radiant finish. It looks so soft and pretty on the skin, and it can even boast that it boosts moisture levels by up to 52%. So, yeah, dry skin begone.
Merit
Solo Shadow Cream Eyeshadow – Studio
I’ve tested thousands of eye shadows thoughout my nearly decade of experience as a beauty editor, and this one, is truly effortless. There’s zero creasing and zero fallout, yet it provides the prettiest, sheer wash of color (that you can build up if you want more pigment). It takes me less than five seconds to apply and looks incredible every damn time.
Armani Beauty
Eye Tint Long-Lasting Liquid Eyeshadow – Shell
I also love Armani Beauty’s TikTok-viral Eye Tints for an effortless eye makeup look. The shade range is stunning, and no matter which one you choose, you can paint it on straight from the applicator and blend out with your fingers. The cream-to-powder formula sets after a few seconds and becomes virtually budge-proof.
Refy
Lash Sculpt Lengthen and Lift Mascara – Black
My daily makeup vibe is soft and natural-looking. Personally, I’d rather skip big, bold lashes on any given weekday, and save them for nights out or big events. Knowing that, it makes sense why I’m obsessed with Refy’s Lash Sculpt Mascara. It takes two swipes to give my lashes a fluttery length that I love. It has a your-lashes-but-better-effect, which is why it’s pretty much my perfect mascara.
Glossier
Boy Brow Volumizing Eyebrow Gel-Pomade
Once my eye makeup look is complete, I have to deal with my brows. Again, I keep it simple, opting for a swipe of a well-formulated brow gel—Glossier’s iconic Boy Brow to be exact. The tint adds some depth and dimension to my brows, while the flexible, volumizing formula adds a full, fluffiness. Oh, and it doesn’t flake or smudge the way other brow gels do.
Rhode
Pocket Blush Buildable Hydrating Cream Blush – Toasted Teddy
I can’t remember the last time I wore blush and it wasn’t Rhode’s Pocket Blush. The creamy, buttery-soft formula melts onto the skin and blends like a dream. And the shade range is stunning. I could talk about so many of them, but Toasted Teddy is an all-time favorite. It’s a beautiful warm, terracotta color that gives my skin a sun-kissed look.
Prada
Hydrating Lip Balm With Jojoba Oil – Astral Pink
Last but not least, I need a swipe of a tinted lip balm or lipstick before heading out the door or logging onto a Zoom meeting. Usually, it’s this Prada Lip Balm in Astral Pink. It has a pH-adjusting formula that creates a customized pink color. It’s fresh, dewy, and natural-looking. Plus, it hydrates my lips with jojoba oil and bifidus extract.
m.ph by Mary Phillips
Lip Ciggy Sheer Lipstick Balm – Slow Burn
I also love Mary Phillips’ new Lip Ciggys. The packaging is slim and chic, and the finish is incredible. Halfway between a lipstick and a balm, it delivers a sheer wash of color set in a moisturizing base of squalane and hyaluronic acid. Again, there are so many good shades, but I like Slow Burn the best. It’s a sheer, warm rose that I find so flattering.
Eadem
Le Chouchou Exfoliating + Softening Peptide Lip Balm – Burnt Malai
Can you tell I love lip products? The third and final one I’ll talk about is Eadem’s Le Chouchou Peptide Lip Balm. It has a thick (but not sticky!) texture that cushions my lips in moisture. Thanks to the addition of AHAs and peptides, it also delivers an exfoliating and plumping action. What really sets it apart, though, is the even coat of color and glossy sheen it leaves on the lips. Stunning.
