24 Glow Up Tips for When You Have No Money and No Time
Let's talk about the glow up you can actually afford and actually have time for. Because every time I see one of those glow up posts on Tiktok, it involves things like crazy expensive skin care products, procedures and apparently an infinite amount of free time. Meanwhile I am doing my makeup in the car at a red light and calling it a day.
So this is the real version. No procedures, no investment-level purchases, no rearranging your entire schedule. Just a bunch of cheap and fast tweaks that actually move the needle on how amazing you can look and feel. I use pretty much all of these myself, mostly because I refuse to spend real money or real time on my appearance most days, and I still want to look like I have it together (I do not).
Let's get into it.
Hair
A bad hair day is a total confidence ruiner, so we’ll start here. No more opting for a messy bun that is more mess than bun.
Heatless curls
This is the one everyone is doing right now and for good reason.You wrap your damp hair around a heatless curling rod or even an old scrunchy before bed, sleep on it, and wake up with actual curls with zero heat damage and zero effort in the morning.
You know the saying there’s more than one way to skin a cat? That applies here. Everyone’s hair type, length and type of curl they like is different, so you have to figure out the heatless curl method that works best for you. But once you figure out what you like and what works? OMG game changer.
Root touch up spray or powder
For those of us who color our hair and then promptly forget it exists until the roots are staging a coup, a root touch up spray or powder buys you another week or two before you have to deal with it. Spray it in, let it dry, and go about your day looking like you just left the salon instead of like you're overdue by a month.
Hair gloss treatment
A drugstore or at home gloss treatment gives you that shiny, healthy hair look without an actual salon appointment. Ten minutes in the shower and your hair looks like you just got a blowout instead of like it's been through three humid days and a workout class.
Dry shampoo
Not a groundbreaking tip, I know, but if you are not using it as an actual styling product and not just a "day 3 hair" rescue, you are missing out. Spray it into your roots before you even get in the shower for extra volume, or use it between washes to stretch your hair out another day or two.
Silk pillowcase
This is a one time buy that just quietly works in the background while you sleep. Less hair breakage, less frizz, fewer sleep lines on your face in the morning. Genuinely one of those things where you don't notice the difference until you go back to a regular pillowcase and immediately regret it.
Skin
I will actually be in the world’s worst mood if I feel like my skin looks terrible. So skin is next on our list. And godo news! clear, healthy looking skin does not have to cost you thousands of dollars
The Ordinary
If you want actual results without spending actual money, The Ordinary is where it's at. Their niacinamide serum, hyaluronic acid, and retinol options are all a fraction of the price of the fancier brands and honestly work just as well, sometimes better. I promise this is not sponsored I just find them to be the best brand that is insanely affordable.
Ice roller
Keep one in the freezer and use it in the morning for under-eye puffiness and to help your makeup sit better. It also just feels amazing on a morning where you were up three times with a kid, a dog, or your own brain refusing to let you sleep.
At home dermaplaning tool
These little tools remove peach fuzz and dead skin so your makeup applies smoother and your skin looks brighter, all in about two minutes. It sounds intimidating but it's genuinely just a tiny safety razor for your face, no professional needed.
Buy a hydrocolloid roll, not the pimple patches
If you have acne- DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS TIP! Skip the little packs of pre-cut hydrocolloid patches and buy the roll instead. You cut your own sizes, it works exactly the same on blemishes overnight, and one roll lasts me YEARS compared to how fast you burn through the individual patches.
Express self tanner
If you’re a naturally pale sickly looking thing like me, look for the self tanners labeled "express" or "1 hour," since those wash off after about an hour instead of requiring you to sleep in it, ruin your sheets, and smell like fake tan until your next shower. You still get the color, just without sacrificing your bedding or your night.
Nails
Okay, this is my personal splurge category because I get mine done at the salon. Not here to lie to you. BUT there was once a time I was a DIY-er and if I can do it, absolutely anyone can figure this out too and you’ll spend so much less money.
RELATED: How to Do Your Own Manicure at Home
DIY your own gel manicure
Learning to do your own gel nails at home saves you an actual chunk of money and time compared to salon visits, and once you get the hang of it, it takes less time than driving there and back. A basic at home UV lamp and some gel polish is really all you need to get started.
Press-on nails
For the days when even DIY gel feels like too much effort, press-ons are the answer. The good ones now look shockingly close to a salon set and you can have them on in the time it takes to watch one episode of whatever you're currently binge watching on Netflix.
Smile
Your smile is one of the first things people notice about you, so being self conscious about yours is just not something I want for you. Follow these quick and cheap tricks for your best smile ever.
Whitening strips
Whitening strips are still one of the most underrated glow up tools because a brighter smile changes your whole face without you doing anything different about it. Keep a box around and use them here and there instead of committing to some big whitening treatment.
Upgrade your toothbrush
Swapping a manual toothbrush for a basic electric one is a small change that makes a real difference in how clean and bright your teeth look over time. You don't need the fanciest one on the market, a mid range option will do the job.
Peel off lip stain
These peel off lip stains give you that "just got lip filler" plump, blushed look that lasts through eating, drinking, and talking, without any actual procedure involved. Apply, wait a few minutes, peel it off, and you're left with color that stays put all day.
Brows and Lashes
Sneaky way to change your face in a subtle way that people will think hmm she looks different but why??? Perfecting your brow shape and having some thicker curled lashes are a game changer.
Eyebrow shaping stencils
These little stencils give you a clean, even brow shape to fill in without needing a steady hand or an actual appointment. Line it up, fill it in, peel it off, and you've got salon-shaped brows in about a minute.
Castor oil on brows and lashes
Applying castor oil before bed is a cheap, low effort way to help your brows and lashes look fuller over time. It won't happen overnight, but it's a two second step that costs you basically nothing to try.
Amazon fake lash extensions
Individual lash clusters or DIY lash extensions give you that fuller, longer lash look for a fraction of what an actual lash extension appointment costs, and you can do them yourself in about ten minutes once you get the hang of it. They also last through a shower, which regular strip lashes never do for me.
You gotta find the ones on Amazon, not buy the KISS brand or whatever is in Target, you get so many more lash clusters and spend so much less.
Body and Energy
The best way to feel confident in your body? Actually move it, nourish it, and care for it. Here are a few little things that I promise don’t involve joining a bootcamp exercise class or doing a cleanse or anything extreme like that!
A walking pad
A walking pad is so much cheaper than a treadmill or a Peloton and takes up way less space, but the real win is that you can walk while working, on a call, or watching TV, so the exercise happens without actually carving out separate time for it. It's the closest thing to a cheat code for fitting in movement I've found.
Multivitamin with collagen
Swapping your regular multivitamin for one that includes collagen is an easy way to support your skin, hair, and nails without adding another step to your routine. You're already taking a vitamin, might as well make it work a little harder for you.
Drink some damn water
I know, so basic but how many times does the universe have to tell you?! If you’re doing this one, yay. But if you’re skipping this one, I’m here to remind you that this actually makes a huge difference in your overall appearance on so many levels. And it’s FREE.
None of this requires a big budget or a total schedule overhaul, which is honestly the only kind of glow up I have the bandwidth for these days. Pick a few of these to start with and build from there. Your future self will thank you.