Beauty treatments that will save you time later

It’s hard to find time to squeeze in all the beauty treatments you’d like to have. But setting aside time now could shave minutes off your getting-ready time, every single morning. Our beauty editors tested the latest minutes-saving treatments – here’s what they thought.

Always flawless brows

Treatment: Micro-stroke Feather Touch Brow Tattoo
Tester: Caelia Corse, Women’s Health Beauty Director
Where she went: Amy Jean Eye Couture
Cost: $1650, including a complementary retouch six to eight weeks later

What it is?
Well… it’s a facial tattoo, essentially. You can have your brows subtly coloured or completely remodelled via hand-etched strokes with a tiny blade, then tinted with pigment that lasts up to two years.

What happens?
I’m sitting in the waiting room of an exclusive salon with numbing cream on my brows; I’m soon ushered to a private suite, where my brows are drawn on and tweaked until we agree on my perfect shape and colour. The actual blading is a series of small strokes done with a teeny razor blade. It doesn’t hurt; it’s the scraping noise of the blade against skin that’s unsettling. After four rounds of blading, then tinting, my brows are complete. It takes roughly one hour. They look phenomenal – but very dark. They can fade from 10-90 per cent in the first four to six weeks. I now have to keep them dry and free of product for a week. 

The results
In the days after, my brows were a little tender and scabby. But 10 days later they were amazing – although I was looking forward to upping the colour in my complementary touch-up session as they’d faded a lot. For someone who loved having their brows tinted but couldn’t commit to regular sessions, this was the perfect solution.

Lasts for… up to two years. 

Smooth, easier to style hair

Treatment: bhave Smoothe Keratin Therapy
Tester: Ellie Parker, Women’s Health Beauty Assistant
Where she went: bhave salon
Cost: From $199 upwards depending on hair length and density

What it is?
An in-salon treatment to reduce frizz and up manageability – meaning less blow-drying and heat-styling time. It uses keratin, argan oil, collagen and silk amino acids to neutralise frizz – and is free of parabens, sulfates and formaldehyde.

What happens?
I head to the basin for a hair wash to open the cuticle, then to the chair for a blow-dry. The treatment is applied, combed through and left on for 45 minutes – the time varies depending on how much smoothing your hair needs. My hair is then washed, dried and flat ironed to seal the treatment in. The process takes about three hours. All I have to do is keep it dry and straight for another 48 hours – no swimming or ponytails (hair band kinks!). I do wake up with my hair kinked but my straightener smooths it out.

The results
My hair is easy to blow-dry now; I can spend two minutes on it and it sits smoothly. I do have to use volumising product though, as the smoothing dialled down volume and movement. I’ll definitely get the treatment again; I’d just get it two weeks before my colour – not after, as it tweaked my colour a little. 

Lasts for… up to four months. 

Ready-to-go lashes

Treatment: The Lash Lift
Tester: Melinda Ayre, Women’s Health Beauty Editor
Where she went: Amy Jean Eye Couture
Cost: $115

What it is?
A bit like a perm and tint for your lashes, the lash lift gives a curl, separation and root lift to natural lashes for two months – no daily curling required.

What happens?
Lie down, close your eyes. Collagen eye pads are gently placed over your lower lashes and on your lids. Setting solution is then applied and a silicone mould is used to delicately manoeuvre each lash individually into curled submission. Once the curl is set, lashes are tinted and conditioned. It’s not painful or uncomfortable – you just have your eyes closed throughout and you feel the solution running over your eyelids. I felt a little bleary-eyed afterwards, but I wear contacts. (Tip: remove contacts before the session and take along your glasses). For the treatment you also need to be mascara-free – it can be removed prior, but it’s best not to wear it at all that day. 

The results
Curled, spidery black lashes separated to even-spaced perfection. Ideal for early morning gym-goers – you still look fresh and defined without any makeup at all. Add volumising mascara to the lash tips when heading out for extra oomph.

Lasts for… six to eight weeks. 

Want to make the most of your lunch hour? These treatments will make you look younger, without any down-time.

Get more beauty tips from Women's Health at womenshealth.com.au

Main image: Getty