It’s time for the clocks to go back and winter to begin.
But to counteract the misery of dark nights and dreary mornings, we gain a whole extra autumnal hour on Sunday, when British Summer Time officially ends.
Use that extra 60 minutes to hone your routine for the winter season ahead. A rare 25-hours of experimentation and technique tricks awaits to save you working overtime on hectic days when every second counts.
Ready, steady, start that stopwatch and see what products get you ticking:
TIME: 8AM Up and at ‘em. Wake up your skin with an uplifting cleansing product like Clean & Clear’s Morning Energy Skin Brightening Daily Facial Scrub, £3.99 (Boots). The citrus smell lifts the spirits while the bursting beads gently exfoliate and cleanse your skin for all day long brightness.
TIME TAKEN: Three minutes. 57 minutes left.
TIME: 10AM After a bacon sarnie, put your face on for the day. For longevity minus reapplications, try Clinique’s Lid Smoothie Antioxidant 8-Hour Eye Colour, £17 (0870 034 6951); and Maybelline New York Superstay 24hr Lip Colour, £8.19 (nationwide). Speed queens can opt for colorOn’s press-on Professional Eye Envy eyeshadows, £25 (coloronpro.co.uk); and Soap & Glory’s Thick & Fast Super Volume False Lash Effect Mascara, £10 (boots.com).
TIME TAKEN: Eight minutes. 49 minutes left
TIME: NOON If your face is feeling taught after a winter walk, quench dehydrated skin with Naked’s Thirst Aid 12 hour moisturiser, £7.49 (Superdrug). The hydrating cream, ideal for sensitive skins, contains starflower, neroli, argan oil and shea butter to keep your complexion smooth right up until bedtime.
TIME TAKEN: One minute. 48 minutes left
TIME: 2PM Hair in need of a lift? Book yourself in for an at-home blow dry. Nicky Clarke’s Sensor hairdryer, £39.99 (Argos) has smart touch-sensitive technology, turning itself off whenever it’s put down and automatically back on when it’s picked up. For curls without effort, WAM’s Revolving Iron, £75 (windleandmoodie.com) has a rotating barrel that does all the work for you.
TIME TAKEN: 27 minutes. 21 minutes left
TIME: 4PM If you feel like your polished image has slumped to imperfection through the day, give yourself an instant makeover. Nanoblur, £19.99 (Boots), is currently selling every ten seconds and promises to give Nicky Hambleton-Jones a run for her money and make you look ten years younger in just 40 seconds.
TIME TAKEN: One minute. 20 minutes left.
TIME: 6PM Whether you’ve been garden preening, slaving in the kitchen or soaking Sunday dinner plates, give your paws some TLC. Crabtree & Evelyn’s 60 Second Fix Kit, £24 (crabtree-evelyn.co.uk) is the speedy way to keep hands super-soft in winter, available in Citron, La Source or Gardeners varieties.
TIME TAKEN: One minute. 19 minutes left
TIME: 8PM Settle down for The X Factor results. If you’re getting green-eyed about the glam makeovers, go a little Lady Gaga. Nail Rock’s eye-catching nail wrap designs, £6.65 (nail rock.com) can be applied in 15 minutes with no tedious dry time, and they last up to seven days on fingers and eight weeks on toes.
TIME TAKEN: 15 minutes. Four minutes left.
TIME: 10PM Winter equals dry ends and flyaway tresses. Smooth on Redken’s Real Control Overnight Treat, £29.95 (0800 0854956/ redken.co.uk) to damp or dry hair at night to help repair damaged locks during your sleep. In the morning, you can leave in or rinse out if you want to wash and go.
TIME TAKEN: Two minutes. Two minutes left
TIME: 11PM While you’re slumbering, your skin is undergoing serious repair, so up your bedtime rejuvenation with Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, £36, and Midnight Recovery Eye, £29 (kiehls.co.uk) to wake up looking like a new (younger) person.
TIME TAKEN: Two minutes
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