Tired and busy mum? This beauty editor shares the 5 beauty tips that changed the game

Dior Forever Skin Perfect Foundation Stick

Supergoop! Protec(Tint) Daily Skin Tint SPF50

Briogeo Slick Stick

Sculpted By Aimee Cream Luxe Blush

Only five game-changing beauty tips, Grazia? Please let me share six. Or seven. I am just emerging from a two-under-two situation. Grace is now three and Ivy is one, so I understand entirely what it means when time is not on your side. These are the time-poor beauty hacks I swear by

Make-Up Sticks Are Your Beauty Best Friends

No time to start artfully pumping products like Picasso onto the back of your hand. Most of us barely have two hands to ourselves, let alone five spare minutes. This is your pick-a-stick era. The , £48 doubles up as foundation and concealer, and edits out dark circles and redness in a few easy swipes. Also, hunt down a 3-in-1 eye, cheek and lip stick like the , £23. It’s the ultimate multitasker for adding a lip tint, a fresh flush to cheeks and a soft wash of colour on the lids.

Tinted SPF saves time and skin

I love a tinted SPF because it’s two steps in one, which is exactly what you need when time is in short supply. It evens out your skin tone while protecting at the same time. , £40 was a fail-safe maternity leave staple. For an outdoorsy glow, the , £13.99 doubles up as a complexion lifting primer that delivers a fresh, sun-kissed finish

2.

Low-Maintenance, Slick Back Hair

My hair routine used to require a full diary commitment. These days there is no time for tonging or faffing with a hairdryer. Enter my slick-back, or even slick-down – era. Not in a wet, or worse, crunchy way. I glide the , £20 over my roots to tame baby hairs, smooth edges, and make everything look intentionally “done” even when it absolutely is not

3.

Lean into cream formulas

Powders take time to blend and can make tired skin look drier and more textured. Cream blush, bronzer, and highlighter can be applied with fingers in seconds to help you look “alive” rather than “all made up.” I’ve recently tried , £18 and it’s superb for healthy, fresh faced skin

4.

A Speedy Beauty SOS checklist

• The , £18 is a refreshing hit of hydration in a spray. Keep this K-beauty gem in the car – and next to the bed – and in the kitchen. And in your bag

• Turn to ice globes, or even ice wrapped in gauze for a quick DIY moment, when you need to lift your mood, wake up skin and feel instantly more energised

• Always have a spoolie brush (a clean mascara wand) in your makeup bag. I call it the Swiss Army Knife of beauty as it does it all: brushes up brows, separates lashes or smoothes down flyaways

One more? Yay!

‘Have an EHB  – that’s an Entrance Hall Bag. If you need to pop out but can’t run upstairs because, well, kids – this is your grab-and-go beauty edit by the door. Mine includes a concealer, a spoolie brush and a blush stick that can be smudged with mine – or my kid’s – fingers. I always look and feel more myself with these three steps.’

Diary of A Beauty Editor by Sarah Jossel will be published 14 May 2026 in Hardback, at £20, published by Piatkus

Sarah Jossel is a columnist, broadcaster, beauty director-at-large and author of Diary of A Beauty Editor, you can follow her on Instagram @

Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website – read why you should trust us