The 5-Minute Face I'm Wearing All Summer (+ 5 New Beauty Loves)
Mornings in midlife are different. Mine don't have time for a 12-step face — and honestly, I don't want one. I want to look like myself, feel a little brighter, and be out the door in five minutes flat.
So that's what I've been doing all summer. Nine products, all cream-based (powder and midlife skin do not get along), and I'm done before my coffee cools.
Below is the exact lineup — followed by five new beauty finds I've been quietly obsessed with this season.
The 5-Minute Face
The base — Versed Skin Solution Multi-Serum Skin Tint SPF 40
Tinted SPF that does it all — coverage, sunscreen, hydration in one bottle. The only "foundation" I wear anymore.
Under eye —Colleen Rothschild Illuminating Tinted Eye Cream
Tints, brightens, doesn't crease. Sets up the rest of the face.
Spot fix — IT Cosmetics CC+ Do It All Corrector
Multi-vitamin formula. Doesn't cake. Quick pat and done.
The glow — Jones Road Miracle Balm in Golden Hour
Cream, not powder. Cheekbones, eyelids, lips — one product, everywhere.
Cheeks — IT Cosmetics Glow With Confidence Sun Blush in Sunlit 10
A wash of sun-kissed warmth that brings the whole face back to life.
Eyes — Smashbox Always On Eyeshadow Stick in Trouble
Swipe and smudge. Eyes in ten seconds.
Brows — Rare Beauty Brow Gel
One swipe up and out. Done.
Lashes — Honest Beauty Mascara
Lifts, lengthens, no flakes. Clean ingredients, real performance.
Lips — Versed Cashmere Color Smoothing Lip Blush
Smooths and tints. Wears off pretty, not patchy — which matters when you forget to reapply (it's me).
5 New Beauty Finds I'm Loving Right Now
These didn't make it into the makeup routine because they're not technically makeup — but they're the products quietly making my skin softer, my mornings smoother, and the rest of the routine easier.
1. Hanni Splash Salve
An in-shower moisture treatment that has changed how my skin feels this summer. You smooth it on after washing, rinse, and step out with skin that feels like you actually moisturized — but you didn't have to. Easy. Soft. Done.
2. Living Proof Perfect hair Day Advanced Clean Dry Shampoo
The dry shampoo I keep reaching for between washes. Smells incredible (light citrus and soft florals — not that hairspray-y "fake clean" smell), and actually wakes my hair up instead of dulling it down.
3. Living Proof Style Lab Flex Hairspray
I try to limit my hair products to just what I need — and this one earns its spot. Flexible hold that doesn't go crispy, brushes out clean, and protects up to 410° if I'm using heat. The right amount of everything.
4. Joonbyrd Daydreamer Firming Body Serum
Just got this and I'm already excited. A gel-to-oil body serum from a dermatologist's line, made for crepey skin and fine lines — which, midlife. Use code DEANNA20 if you want to try it.
5. Medicine Mama VMAGIC Daily Care Duo
A little something for the private areas, friend. Nobody talks about this stuff and they should — midlife brings changes nobody warned us about. This balm-and-wash duo is gentle, daily, and makes a real difference.
Pulling it together
The longer I do this, the more I believe that "less" is the answer to almost everything in midlife. Less product. Less rushing. Less trying to look like a version of myself from twenty years ago.
A simple face. A smooth shower. A hair routine that takes two minutes. A few things I love that genuinely work.
That's the whole goal.
If you'd like to see everything I'm using right now in one place, my full edit is here: shop the list on ShopMy.
Tell me — what's the one product saving you this summer? I love taking notes from you.
