Quarantine Beauty Survival Kit

Anyone else struggling to keep up their usual beauty routines while COVID cases are spiking across the country?? The struggle is real. Hair appointments have been pushed out, spa days aren’t happening, and our regular massage date has been flat out cancelled. Ugh. It’s almost like we’re in the pioneer days with our gray hair, no facials and plain nails. Okay, it’s not that bad because we luckily have the Internet and shops that offer curbside pickup! My hair stylist put together a custom home color kit for me (shout out to Chanele at The Waverly Salon!), and many others are offering to come to your home if you’re comfortable with it. BUT, you still may be going longer between touchups, so I’m sharing a few of my favorite products that help bridge the gap for your hair, nails and other beauty concerns. After all, we need to keep up appearances for Zoom calls, drive-by celebrations, and social distancing get-togethers!

For Your Nails

I am super rough on my nails on a normal day, let alone during this whole COVID pandemic ordeal. I wash my hands A LOT, plus I’ve added short-order cook to my job description over the last few months. Manicures — whether I have them done professionally or I do it myself — generally last two days at the most without chipping. A regular manicure that is… not gel, which I’ve found to be hard on my nails. This said, I often paint my fingernails at home — it’s easy and saves time, but the polish doesn’t last that well. Enter Color Street nail polish strips. These are a game changer! I tried them for the first time over a week ago when my friend & Color Street stylist, Cindy Mueller, sent me a care package and WOW. The strips are real polish so they look terrific, and I’m on my eighth day and just one nail has a little chip. I am so impressed. I found them easy to apply too! My 11-year-old even applied them herself. As a novice, I will say that the glitter and patterned nails are likely to be more forgiving of imperfections than the solid colors. These are a winner and you must check them out!

For Your Hair

After trying several different hair color touch-up products, I have settled on a combo of two to cover my roots in between color applications. L’oreal Magic Root Cover-up has eight different colors to choose from, is easy to apply and stays put until you wash it out. I use “Light Golden Brown” on my larger part area. (Special thanks to my friend and blogger Diana Elizabeth for the product rec!) For smaller areas and especially the hair close to my face, I prefer the brush-on COLOR WOW Root Cover-up. COLOR WOW has seven shades to choose from (I have “Light Brown”) and eliminates overspray worries. Using both products together, I can achieve seriously good coverage that lasts between shampoos.

With the lack of professional attention, my hair has also been extra dry and frizzy. This is not a good look. I’ve been alternating between two products after I shampoo and condition my hair in the shower to help me tame the frizz and hydrate my locks. Both are excellent products that don’t weigh my hair down, and I don’t even rinse them out as the directions say to do, but rather leave them in as a leave-in conditioner. I can’t say enough about Leonor Greyl Hair Masque (it smells heavenly too!) and Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother. Give them a try.

For Your Skin

Pandemic stress (Is this officially a thing?? Yes, it is.) and lack of sleep has been doing a number on my skin…. Maybe a little too much wine and carb-loading from all the quarantine baking is partly to blame too. Ugh. At least since we’ve been staying in, I have more time do deep cleaning, anti-aging masks, like the Omorovicza Ultramoor Mud Mask. It’s like a mini face lift in a jar. CHANEL also has an overnight miracle Le Lift face mask that is amazing and helps you wake up to refreshed skin.

I don’t go on TV without using my Patchology Rejuvenating Eye Gel Patches in the morning! Five pairs for just $15 — it’s a no-brainer prior to your next Zoom call or outing (even if it’s just the grocery store… hey, we’ll take what we can get right now!).

Let’s not forget our hands… mine are so dry and chapped from all the hand washing. And, if yours aren’t, you’re probably not washing them enough. LOL Kiehl’s Ultimate Strength Hand Salve will save your hands and heal cracks. I’ve tried a lot of hand repair creams, and this is only one I’ve found that works and isn’t greasy. It’s great for cracked heels too! I buy it in multiples and stash it everywhere so it’s handy. #truth

What are the beauty products you can’t live without during quarantine and beyond? I’d LOVE to hear what you’re using! Send me an email at angela@momstylelab.com or comment below.

xo
Angela